Chapter 370

Eric had said things like this more than once; in his eyes, Richard was almost awesome. Richard had publicly defended Tiffany last time. Now, Richard had managed to rescue Tiffany from the river—a feat no one else could achieve. The more Eric thought about it, the more his admiration grew.

Tiffany couldn't help but laugh. "Since when did you become his biggest fanboy?"

"Not a fanboy," Eric corrected.

As the siblings whispered, Charlie sat nearby, deep in thought. After wrestling with it for a long time, he finally made a decision. He had accepted Melody as his daughter; it wouldn't be right to abandon her completely. After all, as a father, Charlie couldn't deny his shared responsibility for her mistakes. But he couldn't reconcile letting this pass without consequence. So, he decided to marry Melody off. He would give her a grand wedding, and from that moment, she would belong to another family. No matter how much she might try, she couldn't reach across that distance to harm Tiffany.

Charlie shared his decision with his wife. He'd expected Thalia to hesitate, but to his surprise, she agreed immediately.

"Yes, that sounds like a good plan. Once I'm out of the hospital, we'll visit the Harper family," Thalia said.

"Alright," Charlie replied.

That afternoon, after another round of tests confirmed there were no issues, Thalia was discharged. As they left the hospital and prepared to get into the car, Tiffany and Eric both reached out to support her, saying, "Mom, watch your step." But Thalia brushed past them coldly, walking straight over to Melody with warmth. "Come on, Melody, let's go home."

It wasn't just Tiffany and Eric who were stunned; even Charlie was baffled. He thought, Has she suddenly forgotten everything that happened today? Otherwise, why is she acting so strangely? Charlie reached out to check her forehead, only for her to slap his hand away. "What are you doing?" Her tone was light and teasing, no different from usual. Charlie was left perplexed.

He called their doctor, who explained, "Your wife's response suggests a form of post-traumatic stress disorder. To put it plainly, she has a dissociative identity issue. Take her to a therapist as soon as possible."

07:03 Mon, Nov 4 DT

Chapter 370 99%

Charlie readily agreed and shared the situation with his children, urging, "Don't worry too much. Your mom's been under a lot of pressure these past few years. I'll arrange for a therapist to come to the house tonight. She'll be fine; don't worry!"

Eric nodded, still slightly dazed. Only Tiffany frowned slightly, remaining silent.

If this truly was a split personality, then this version of Thalia was weighed down by a decade of guilt toward Melody. Her extreme fondness for Melody would make sense. Was it really just a coincidence that she'd happened to have an episode at this very moment? Tiffany thought. Tiffany's brows knit together. Thalia's behavior at the hospital had been unusual, but once they got home, she'd practically forgotten she had two other children. She hovered around Melody all day, fussing over her like a devoted mother. In her mind, it seemed as though she'd been transported back over a decade.

Unable to hold back, Charlie asked, "Aren't you being a bit biased, only focusing on Melody? What about Tiffany and Eric?" Thalia's response was both dismissive and sharp. "What are you talking about? I only have one daughter." She shot a frosty glance at Tiffany and Eric, adding bitterly, "Who knows who their mother is. Don't bring them home again. I don't want to see them."

Charlie was stunned. Even the servants, who overheard, were dumbfounded. They murmured that perhaps the brief hospital stay had left Thalia addled. Yet, when it came to Melody, Thalia was as meticulous as ever, instructing the servants, "Lucy, make sure the milk is at the right temperature. Has the bathtub been filled? And is Melody's fruit platter ready?" The servants rushed around, bending over backward to serve her. Only Melody seemed relaxed, lounging as she had her nails done.

In the hospital, after she'd fed that spoonful of clam chowder laced with bloodbite, she had whispered softly, "I'm your only daughter. It's only right for you to love me." That line echoed in Thalia's mind. Eventually, it had become a command that Thalia had no choice but to obey. Unless the bloodbite could be removed, no one would be able to break the spell over her. Melody felt a pang of regret. If she'd known how effective the obedience poison was, she would have used it sooner.

Chapter 370

Around eight in the evening, a guest arrived at Cedar Ridge Villa. It was the therapist Charlie had invited, Randall Berger. To keep Thalia from suspecting anything, he dressed casually, carrying a simple briefcase. With his mild-mannered demeanor and warm smile, he seemed friendly and approachable. After observing her for a while, Randall quietly informed Charlie, "Mr. Kelley, I suggest using hypnosis to assess your wife's condition. Patients with this kind of condition are typically highly suggestible, so through hypnosis, we can identify any alternate personalities and devise a treatment plan to integrate them back into a single identity."

Charlie listened and responded, "Mr. Berger, you're the expert, and I trust you. Let me know how I can assist."

"All I need is a quiet room, and you'll help reassure her during the process while I attempt the hypnosis," Randall said.

"Understood," Charlie agreed immediately, then went to great lengths to coax Thalia away from Melody.

The hypnosis session went smoothly. However, after half an hour, Randall delivered his conclusion.

"No, this won't work," Randall said.

"What do you mean?" Charlie asked.

Randall explained, "Your wife only has one personality, but she's displaying dissociation characteristics. I've seen many patients in my practice, but this is my first time encountering something like this."

"What should we do?" Charlie asked, distressed. "Are you saying she won't recognize her own children anymore?"

"That's uncertain. We'll need to continue treatment, but it's a gradual process. You'll need to prepare yourself for that," Randall said.

Even after Randall left, Charlie remained lost in thought. Eric clung to his arm and asked, "Dad, is it serious?"

"Well…"

"It's okay. Tiffany and I won't blame Mom. Maybe seeing us every day will help her remember us."

"Silly boy," Charlie sighed, looking around and noticing Tiffany's absence. "Where's your sister?"

"She went out," Eric said.

Tiffany had gone to Luna Villa.

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