His Devious Rule

At Imperial Hospital,

Alvin rushed inside the hospital when Krystle ran up to him, "Annie is in the session. Go to the fifth floor, Dr. Bose's consultation room."

She handed him registration papers and ran out as it was time to pick up Zane from the school. The teachers wouldn't send Zane with Alvin as he wasn't known to them.

Krystle initially wanted to ask Earl to arrive at the hospital unwilling to leave Anya alone. Then she realized it wouldn't be appropriate.

At the same time, Alvin had repeatedly called Anya and reached out to her to know the situation and critical state. Thus she had to call him to the hospital.

Alvin, who was flipping the file open, felt a tug on this jacket. Krystle had returned, her hurriedness was replaced with seriousness and firmly warned him, "Don't ask Annie anything. She will tell you if she is comfortable sharing with you."

Krystle could only hope that he doesn't make things worse for Anya as she didn't share what happened with her.

Alvin narrowed his eyes at the woman who had taken him as an insensitive man.

But, how will he get to know what was the problem without asking?

How will he be able to help her?

Krystle gritted her teeth, itching to punch him in the face. She was glad Linus wasn't like Alvin. "Alvin Matthews, if you want to be happy with my friend, you better listen to me. You don't have a choice."

'Listen to her?' Alvin gave her deaf ears and walked towards the elevator leaving Krystle fuming to the bones.

She kicked in the air and grunted, "Annie, what the hell did you like in this arrogant man?" She huffed as she stormed out of the hospital, "It's true, good girls fall for bad guys. Argh."

Entering the elevator, Alvin opened the file and realized it was a registration form for counseling and Doctor Bose was a lady psychiatrist specialist.

Anya had told him she was in depression and fathomed she hadn't told him about her history of mental health. 'Goofball.'

As soon as he exited the elevator, Benson greeted him, "Mr. Matthews, this way…" Benson was smart at handling Alvin so he didn't wait for Alvin to question or give him a deadly look.

"Ms. Owen has arrived early for the appointment with the Psychologist. I changed it to the LADY specialist. Nobody is allowed during the counseling so I don't have much information other than…"

He paused and glanced at Alvin whose grave expression could scare people, "Ms. Owen has a history of PTSD."

'PTSD!?' Alvin's speed lowered. He was right, his Goofball didn't completely tell him about her mental health. The series of frightening incidents, followed by her struggles in the capital and having nobody to share it had affected her more than he thought.

Benson failed to differentiate between Alvin's worry and coldness. He repeated his words in his mind before he carefully continued, "Ms. Owen's state doesn't seem much serious. A counselor could have helped her, I thought advanced treatment could be better hence he referred her to Dr. Bose."

Benson became more tense looking at Alvin who was silent as the grave, his expression was hard to define. He had thought he was getting better at handling the man, he had the urge to find his cousin Ean Watson and punch him.

Alvin bluntly asked when they stood in front of the consultation room, "How to help her out of this?"

Benson was taken by surprise for a second. Without knowing Anya's troubles and considering PTSD, he generally suggested, "Treatment of PTSD doesn't depend on medicine or one kind of treatment. Ms. Owen might need repeated counseling, and the doctor will ask you to cooperate with her if needed. If she fears a person, she has to learn to face them, if it's an accident, she might have to walk out…"

Alvin, who didn't get the direct response he needed, snorted and went inside. He wanted a solution, not a lecture.

Benson: "…"

He considered resigning from his job. But recalling his most of the expenses depends on the money he gets from Alvin, he said through his teeth looking at the closed door, "I will just think I didn't meet you today." He forced a smile and got back to work.

Inside, Alvin saw the separate room where the 'Do not disturb' board was hanging. He impatiently waited for the door to open.

Another half an hour passed when the door finally opened. A middle-aged lady doctor stepped out and closed the door behind her.

Doctor Bose looked at the man who was eager to burst into the room. Looking at the file in his hand, she made a guess, "Alvin Matthews?"

"How is Little Donut?… Anya Owen?" Alvin's impatient voice sounded while his eyes stayed on the door.

"Anya is taking a nap, why don't you take a seat? I need to talk to you." She flashed a polite smile and pointed at the chair.

After taking seats, Doctor Bose took care of some forms and papers before looking at Alvin, "Mr. Matthews, did you know Anya just had an anxiety attack when she was with you?"

That made sense why she was saying nothing to him and running away from the villa.

"Do you know the reason?" Doctor Bose asked, testing how much Alvin knows about Anya. In case it was hidden from him.

Recalling how important it was for Anya to have the villa of her own, and signing the paper to return his money, Alvin got the reason. The panic attack was because he prepared the villa without asking her.

But why? She could have asked him to remove it.

Doctor Bose noticed his expression and understood Alvin was aware of the reason. She took a pen and marked something on a piece of paper as she asked, "You two are in a relationship for a week if I am not wrong. Have you guys been intimate? And how did she react?"

Alvin furrowed without understanding where the doctor was getting at. Or if she was talking about what happened in the car.

As far as he could discern, Anya was a bit clingy after making out. So he ruled out the thought of Anya being uncomfortable.

Thus he answered her question, "She was panicking at first, then she is slowly getting close." Although panicking felt a bit abnormal, he didn't find it odd to delay physical intimacy as a lot of couples take months for it.

Doctor Bose who was about to mark on the paper, paused and looked back at Alvin. She discerned  Alvin was giving Anya enough space and time.

Likewise, there were a few more questions and Alvin was irritated answering them. He just wanted to hear how Anya was doing.

Doctor Bose kept the pen down and rested her elbows on the table, "Mr. Matthews, Anya has been through a set of events that made her believe that she has to depend on herself, she has to fight for herself and her baby. And it has caused counter-dependency.

To put it simply, she subconsciously refuses to form any attachment or she just denies depending on anybody.

Let me give you a simple example, there is a pen right in front of you but I can't reach it from my position. I could ask you to pass it to me. However, Anya would prefer to get up and fetch it herself.

She wouldn't mind doing double work, she would do it on her own. This applies to everything she does.

On the surface, this looks like she is an independent and strong-minded woman but it isn't."

Doctor Bose paused, watching Alvin's reaction. His impatience had disappeared and he seemed to be thinking something regarding the same.

Now that she explained the basic nature, she came to the episode Anya went through and their relationship. "I am glad you are patient with Anya and that she started to slowly depend on you. Without the help of experts, you were naturally curing her. But your one big action counter-attacked."

Alvin knew he had to be patient with Anya. But he had thought it was for their relationship and intimacy.

Whenever she stopped him from helping her out, he just thought she was stubborn and independent. It never crossed his mind, there could be something like this.