Chapter 522 Delusional Disorder
Laura stood up from the couch immediately. Looking at Jennifer top-down, she said, “Can’t I even hold you responsible for what you’ve caused?”
Jennifer crossed her arms tightly when she heard that. A sense of helplessness flashed beneath her eyes at the same time.
She then explained, “Mom, I don’t mean that. I swear that I was super anxious when you got arrested. I even searched everywhere for connections to help us out.”
“I’m a little tired, so I’m going upstairs to rest. If you wish to say anything else, do it later,” Laura said while waving dismissively before heading upstairs alone.
Jennifer got up from the couch but could only watch as her mother stormed upstairs into the latter’s bedroom.
Frustration and annoyance overwhelmed Jennifer at that moment. She turned to Vincent and uttered, “Dad, I swear I didn’t do it. I’m not…”
“All right, that’s enough. Your mom just got released from the police station. They must have given her a hard time there. Thus, it’s only understandable for her to vent her exasperation onto you. Now, I’ll go and check up on her. Don’t worry too much about it. I’m sure everything will be okay,” consoled Vincent.
He then went upstairs to look for Laura. With that, Jennifer was left all alone in the living room. A sudden sense of unfamiliarity surged in her as she glanced resignedly at the massive villa around her.
It did not take long before Vincent arrived upstairs and knocked on Laura’s bedroom door. While standing outside, he politely stated, “I’m coming in, okay?”
With those words, he opened the door to let himself in.
Inside, Laura sat on the bed with her shoulders slumping dispiritedly and a downcast expression.
“Things have been pretty hard on you, Dear.” Vincent walked over to Laura. He wrapped his arms around her and consoled gently, “Try to relax now that you’re back. You’ve got to loosen up. In the past few days, Jennifer has been awfully worried about you. She tried everything to make Oscar remove his charges against you. Jennifer had a hard time dealing with this matter, too, you know? It’s not wise to take your anger out on her. Otherwise, she might feel even more hurt from how you’re treating her.”
After heaving a sigh, Laura replied weakly, “I’ve felt so suffocated with panic this entire time. While I was in the police station these past few days, I experienced all the unprecedented atrocities committed by the police. They can even thrash someone up without leaving a trace. While I was there, I felt so tormented that I wished I was dead. Vincent, it’s a man-eat-man world in this country. Why don’t we go overseas? I’ve learned my lesson after experiencing defeat, and I’m genuinely afraid of what will happen. Let’s go abroad, okay? Please? I’m begging you.”
Vincent’s heart churned upon seeing his wife in such a miserable state. He took her into his arms and hugged her gently. After that, he said, “Okay, it’s all right. You’re home now. No one can do anything to you from now.”
Not receiving the answer she wanted, Laura was so emotional that she finally broke down. She shoved Vincent aside and pulled at her hair with both hands.
Vincent immediately grabbed Laura’s hands to stop her. He urged anxiously, “Dear, don’t do that. I’m here for you. No one can do anything to you anymore.”
Laura clenched at Vincent’s clothes tightly. She shot him a red-eyed glare and said, “Vincent, I’ve been through hell and back these few days. Please, let’s move overseas. It turns out that Oscar is the devil himself. He even appeared in the cell with a tiny needle and plunged it into my body. At that moment, all I felt was immense pain. That excruciating pain spread throughout my entire body in an instant. However, even though I was in so much pain, there was not even a single puncture mark on my skin. Oscar is a cold-blooded demon who will use any heinous method to achieve his aim. I don’t wish to face him ever again. He terrifies me…”
Her blurry gaze darkened even more as she said those words. Noticing her hysterical reaction, Vincent held her gently in his arms and said, “Dear, calm down. You’re back with your family now. No one else can hurt you anymore.”
Laura buried her head in Vincent’s chest and sobbed pitifully. Her mental state was in bad shape, and she looked like she was on the verge of going berserk.
“Vincent, I’m asking you again. Let’s go abroad. Please, I can’t stay here any longer. Oscar was vicious like the devil. You don’t know what he has done to me in there. No matter how hard I screamed, no one came to my rescue when Oscar tortured me at the police station. Those policemen are supposed to enforce law and order. Yet, they turned a blind eye to the abuse I received. To think that our family spent so much money socializing with higher-ups in the police force every year to maintain good ties. In front of Oscar, those policemen are just like his lackeys. Since we’re no match for Oscar, it’s best that we move abroad,” muttered Laura fearfully. She gravely feared Oscar after her ordeal at the police station. Laura could not imagine that Oscar would dare to lay his hand on a middle-aged lady like her, yet he did. He tortured her to no end.
“Dear, hush now and be good. This place is our home. You’re safe here. No one can do anything to you, okay? There’s no need to be afraid,” Vincent soothed gently again.
Suddenly, Laura seemed to recall something. Her voice unwittingly quivered as she muttered, “Wait, there’s more. Oscar got someone to inject an unknown substance into me. After that, I couldn’t control my temper anymore. Whenever I listen to other people talking, a hysterical rage takes over my senses. I have no control over my temperament anymore. Vincent, please take me to the hospital for a check-up. I don’t want to be a freak. I don’t want my family members to desert me one by one.”
When Vincent heard that, a glint of hostility flashed through his eyes as they slowly reddened.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m here for you. I’m going to bring you to the hospital for a check-up now. If the doctors do uncover anything, that means we have evidence to sue Oscar in court. Even if he thinks he’s above the law, the law doesn’t turn a blind eye to injustice. Thus, be good for now. Have no fear,” reassured Vincent gently.
Laura’s body could not stop trembling. She clutched tightly onto Vincent with both her hands. Before that, she was a high-and-mighty wealthy lady who would never behave with such fear. Vincent could not imagine what form of inhumane torture Laura had been through during her lock-up such that she became a changed person now.
Soon after, Vincent and Jennifer took Laura to the hospital for a check-up. However, the doctor found no signs of injuries or injections done on Laura. Hence, the doctor concluded that the latter might have been delusional after enduring too much stress.
When Laura heard that, her eyes widened with rage. She bellowed, “Someone injected an unknown substance into me. Why are you saying there’s nothing to be found, you useless doctor? Tell me. Are you in cahoots with Oscar? Did you pocket a lot of money from him to deny my claims?”
That sudden outburst startled the doctor.
In an instant, Jennifer hugged Laura’s waist and urged, “Mom, please calm down. You’ll be all right. You’re just too stressed out mentally, that’s all. Nothing’s wrong.”
Laura lowered her head and glared intently at Jennifer. She then muttered, “Jennifer, will you only feel satiated if I die? Is that it?”
Upon hearing that, Jennifer felt exceptionally upset inside. Mom’s like this after spending less than half a year in prison. I can’t imagine what kind of inhumane torture she went through during her lock-up period.
“Mom, please calm down. I’m here for you. Since there’s nothing productive in this hospital’s medical report, we’ll go to another hospital for a check-up. There are so many other good hospitals around these days. I’m sure you’ll be okay,” persuaded Jennifer, trying her best to be patient with Laura.
That helped Laura finally calm down.
Vincent added, “Jennifer, why don’t you take your mother outside and wait for a while? I need to say a few things to the doctor. I’ll be out in a jiffy.”
Jennifer nodded her head in acknowledgment. Then, she supported and helped Laura out of the doctor’s office.
When Vincent and the doctor were the only ones left in the doctor’s office, he asked, “What are the actual results of my wife’s check-up? Is it severe?”
“Mr. Larson, perhaps Mrs. Larson is under too much mental stress. I suggest you take her to the psychiatry department for a consultation. Otherwise, her mental condition may deteriorate further with time. Alternatively, you may seek a psychologist to help counsel her,” advised the doctor earnestly.
“I understand, doctor.” After Vincent thought about it, he asked, “What about her physical state? Are there really no problems?”
“As there are no wounds on Mrs. Larson, I think the main issue lies in her mental wellness. I suspect she’s suffering from delusional disorder. Once this mental illness takes place, it will immerse the patient in a fictional world. The patient will be in a constant state of phobia. After a prolonged period, it will be detrimental to her mental health. I think you should seek early treatment for her,” replied the doctor.
After that, Vincent dragged himself out of the doctor’s office with dreary footsteps.
He looked over at Laura, who had slumped on Jennifer’s shoulder and dozed off. Instantly, Vincent felt a pulsating pain pierce through his heart.
He walked over and looked closely at Laura. After her release from the police cell, Laura had aged considerably. When Vincent realized how weathered she looked, his eyes turned red and teary.
In an instant, he realized how formidable Oscar was. The latter had a reputation as a business marvel. Oscar was far more lethal than Vincent had imagined him to be. After all, Laura had only hurt Amelia slightly with her carelessness. Yet, Oscar used extreme torture methods against Laura over that.
A silent hatred for Oscar conjured in Vincent’s heart. The latter thought about how he had a happy family of three in the past. That was no longer true, as Laura had ended up in such a terrible mental state. Even if Vincent were to gather all his connections and resources, he wasn’t sure if they could cure Laura. At that moment, he wanted nothing but to end the life of that brute, Oscar.
“Dad, what did the doctor say? Is Mom’s condition severe?” Jennifer whispered.
“The doctor said she may have something called ‘delusional disorder,’ so we need to seek a diagnosis in the psychiatry department. He also suggests that we get a psychologist to counsel her. The illness will mentally destroy Laura if we don’t seek out either treatment,” replied Vincent in a low voice as he peered worriedly at Laura.
Disbelief flashed on Jennifer’s face as she clutched Laura’s hands tightly.
“Dad, how did everything end up like this?” asked Jennifer, who refused to believe what she heard.
Vincent’s brows furrowed. “Let’s head home for now. Then, we’ll think of a way to convince Laura to see a psychologist. We need to be careful about this as we don’t want to spark resistance from her. If that happens, she’ll reject our efforts.”
Jennifer nodded and thought resignedly. We can only take it one step at a time now.
