Arthur looked at the door and his eyes filled with tears. It's not the first time he pushed her down like this, but this is the first time he did it out of anger.
Usually he'd playfully say something or tease her before going full on.
After Cyrus' death, she became more sensitive to emotions of the ones in front of her and that's why he tried to be calm with her. But the one time he lost his cool....
Then suddenly a thought popped in his head and he felt like he got a slap on his face.
'Did she remember that day? That day I failed her?'
"Iris! I won't try to open the door. Just tell me if you are okay..." he stood by the door and asked in a soothing voice swallowing all the grief he felt.
Still there was no reply. He tried to place his ears over the door and listen but he could not hear a thing.
He rubbed his hands together and paced to and fro in the living room. He felt blank and didn't know what to do.
Each second passing felt like an eon and his mind could only think of horrible things. He felt terrible for letting his emotions run rampant and end up hurting her.
Right now he knew, she won't trust him. And who else will she trust?
At that time he saw her phone ringing and he couldn't help but smile seeing the name.
Dr. Reiner.
Dr. Reiner is her psychiatrist. And she is calling her herself!
"Iris... Iris... He ran to the bathroom. It's Dr. Reiner calling your phone. I'll leave your phone by the door and I'm going to head out. I have something to do," he said and immediately went out of her apartment.
If there is anyone who could help Iris now, it should be her.
If him leaving will help her get better he will do it once more.
He sent a text to Dr. Rainer to let her know that Iris is not well and she locked herself in the bathroom. And some seconds later he got a call and he explained the situation there. He didn't hide anything and told her what he did and how it might have triggered her memory from that day. He just hoped his Iris gets better.
Talia who was still hugging herself in the tub heard what Arthur said. Slowly her senses came back.
She hated that hospital she stayed for a year but Dr. Reiner is the only person she did not hate there. She had a soothing voice and she never pressed her for answers and would let her think for herself and not tell her what to do. She was the one who let her out of that scary place and she'd call her once a month to make sure she is fine.
She is not a bad person.
Talia got out of the tub and opened the bathroom door and she saw the phone on the floor in front of the door and grabbed it and immediately closed that door back.
For her... That little bathroom with little room to sit felt like a sanctuary for now.
She looked at her phone and indeed there was a missed call from Dr. Reiner.
She went back and sat inside the tub and stared at her phone to wait for Dr. Reiner to call her again.
After a short while, the doctor called back and Talia immediately picked up the call.
She talked for a while and told her everything she felt and the doctor listened patiently. Talia knew she was paid to do so but this is the only doctor she trusted enough. Her voice reminded her of her mother.
"So do you think that guy who drugged you was Fred?" the gentle voice of Dr. Reiner came from the other side. "Sometimes what you think as hallucinations maybe the manifestation of your repressed memory or a fear embedded deeply in your mind. So what do you think this is?"
"I don't know what it is..." Talia had calmed down a lot by now and she thought about it.
Even if it is a memory or hallucination, that man in her dream shouldn't be Fred. And that location was specific and it might very well be a memory. She does miss a big chunk of her memory from that day. Or it could be a deep fear. Fear brought by her feeling of abandonment.
"But, he is not Fred!"
For now that was the only conclusion she could come up with.
Fred, drugging her? Impossible!
He didn't have to wait for that long to have his chance if he wanted it. She was with him alone a lot of times in his place during those days. If he wanted to try something, he could have easily done that then.
Yeah, Cyrus was with her then. But Cyrus was not always with her. And... She herself asked Fred once to try out drugs.
As someone from a filthy rich family, getting drugs is a piece of cake for her. And she has heard what other rich kids say about drugs whenever she attends those balls her grandfather and her used to attend. She was curious.
She got some drugs... a lot actually, since she got a lot excited, using some connections and brought that to Fred one day and he got mad then.
Really furious!
He flushed every single drug in the toilet right in front of her eyes while scolding her like an angry grandpa and made her promise on her dead mother that she never will seek out drugs ever again.
That's right! If he did want to ruin her, he'd have done that easily. But he didn't.
There was no reason for him to tie her up and shoot her up. She offered to do that herself and he stopped her.
Talia talked to the doctor for some more time until her heart felt better. She took a shower and changing her clothes, came out.
She searched for Arthur but he was not in her apartment and she felt relieved.
She was a bit ashamed by her sudden attack and wondered what Arthur might feel about her now. She really acted like a crazy person and scared him.
But it is better this way too!
She consoled herself. This way, he will know that she is not that girl he once knew back in high school. She is someone screwed up and is a complete burden.
Seriously! Who'd love her once they know how broken she is! No one. No one will.
She is a total waste!
He might already be in the airport on his way back to Esteria now!
A tear rolled down her cheek but she wiped it and rubbed her belly that growled in hunger.
She warmed up some milk and after drinking it, went to bed and tried to fall asleep.
Even sleep missed her. Her mind was concentrating on the door to see if Arthur was returning. But it seemed like she had driven him away and she mocked herself.