-Mary Adelaide Rose-Payne-

Why did he show me half-naked pictures of men? And why is he currently shouting at me? Did I do something wrong?

“I can’t believe that from the pictures AND sexy videos I showed you, nothing made your heart race!” He was still going on about it even now that we’re in the car.

I bowed once, “I’m sorry.”

He sighed and turned to me quickly, “No, don’t be sorry.” His voice suddenly sounded soft, “I-I didn’t mean to… I was just surprised by how… ‘immovable’ your heart is. I mean, are you sure your heart raced only when you ran?”

I thought, then I shook my head. “No…”

“Then when did your heart race?” He asked.

Suddenly, memories of my childhood days came in my mind. The hanger, the whip, the cell, the—

-Aaron Payne-

“Mary?” I asked her once more. She wasn’t saying anything with my question so I asked her again, “What made your heart race— MARY!” I was shocked when I glanced at her and saw tears streaming down her face and her purple lips.

I immediately turned to the side of the street and quickly got off the car to run to her side. I opened the door and held her shoulders to shake her body, “Mary! What happened? Are you alright?”

She started to have difficulties breathing and tears were all over her face. “MARY!” I shook her to wake her up, “MARY!” But she wasn’t responding.

Suddenly, her eyes closed and she lost consciousness.

---

After I took her to the hospital, I got my secretary to run a background check on her family and those people around her. Later did I know how cruel her parents treated her when she was a kid and found out something from her psychiatrist that she indeed, has…

“PTSD.” The doctor told me, “Your wife has Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Something must have triggered her that made her remember what happened in the past. Did you know what happened before she had her panic attack?”

I shook my head, “I don’t, I—” Then I remembered when I asked her about when was the last time she felt her heart race. That’s it!

I told the doctor about what happened and he suggested that I take her to a psychiatrist as soon as possible.

As I waited for Mary to wake up, I then heard quick footsteps running towards me. I turned to look and saw Mary’s parents ‘worried’.

“Aaron! Oh, our dear Aaron!” The mother threw her hands on me and cried, “How is Mary? Where is our baby? What happened?”

Then the father added some drama, “Oh my poor Mary! She must’ve missed us very much. I can’t believe that she’s—”

“ENOUGH!” I shouted at both parents which caused them to stop and have their eyes widened at me. It caught the attention of the people around us and the couple felt embarrassed.

“W-what’s wrong?” The father asked.

Mrs. Rose walked towards the door and tried to open it, “I need to see my baby—" But I stopped her and closed the door, blocking my body in front of them.

“I will not allow her to see both of you!” I told them angrily.

Mr. Rose’s brows furrowed, “And who are you to tell us that?”

I raised my chin at him, “I’m her husband. She’s mine and you cannot stop me.”

“But she’s our daughter!” Mrs. Rose raised her voice.

I leaned my face closer to them and whispered through my gritted teeth, “Yes, your daughter that you have cruelly treated when she was a child.”

The couple’s eyes widened.

My jaws clenched, “Now if you don’t want me to send you both to jail, I suggest you leave me and Mary alone… forever.”

“NONSENSE!” The mother shouted at me. “You cannot do that!”

I eyed her, “Oh yes I can, ‘mother’.” I then showed her the documents and the USB file. The father took it and skimmed through it. His face paled.

“Don’t think that I’m not clever enough to save other more copies of that, because I DO. And if you come near Mary again, I will ruin your lives and your company in just one snap.”

The father looked at me deadly as he spoke to his wife, “Let’s go, honey. We don’t want to disturb Mary’s rest now, do we?”

I watched them leave the hallway and immediately commanded some of my secret staff to follow their moves.

-Mary Adelaide Rose-Payne-

I could hear the same things I’ve gotten used to now. My heavy lids opened and saw the place, and I was right. It is a hospital room. The smell and the atmosphere never really change huh?

Thinking about what happened earlier, my eyes widened and my shot up.

“Mary!” I saw Aaron standing up from his seat and came to me with a relieved expression.

I looked up at him, “A-Aaron!” I then felt nervous, “W-Where are my parents?” My head shifted right and left, looking for them in fear.

Suddenly, two warm hands held my cheeks and gently made me look back at him. He reassuringly said, “They’re not here. Don’t worry.”

My heart calmed down, “T-They’re not?”

He nodded, “You’re okay, Mary. You’re safe.”

Tears then piled up in my eyes. Is this even real? A-Am I not going to be punished after leaving the hospital?

“Mary.” He called me and I looked up again.

“Y-Yes?” I swallowed a lump on my throat.

Aaron stretched the corners of his lips and gave me a warm smile before placing his big hand on top of my head.

I stiffened.

But he gently caressed my hair, “You were such a brave girl through all these years and I’m very proud of you.”

I was left speechless because of my heart… D-Did my heart just beat fast?

-Aaron Payne-

That night when we came home, I checked how she was doing in her room only to catch her watching half-naked men videos.