107 Chapter 107: You will suffer like I did! (Therapy- First)

(The therapy chapters will come out a few times intermittently. It won't be concluded in just one chapter. It is a process after all)

[Edward POV]

It was a small, intimate office scattered with fake plants in a pot and obscure paintings hung on the walls. I sat on the beige coloured couch, shaking my foot in annoyance as I stared at the professional woman sitting right in front of me.

She was wearing a red blouse with a few buttons opened, revealing her deep gully, and a short skirt with pantyhose. Her blonde hair was tied up in a bun, and her neatness made it seem impossible for me to see stray hair.

She pushed her glasses up and said, "You know Edward, even if you tried to stay silent to pass the time, that just mean that you're booking your next visit to my office-"

"I'm not staying silent. I'm just busy thinking of ways to punish my dad." I replied before I leaned forward and asked, "By the way, have you ever met the owner of Amelia's? You guys look so similar to each other."

She chuckled and said, "Of course we're similar. We're twins after all." Dr Linda Martin replied with a smile.

"Oh. That makes much more sense." I muttered with a nod.

"Today, I don't want to talk about myself. I want to talk about you. How are you Edward? How are you feeling?" She asked as she slightly leaned forward.

"I'm fine." I replied curtly and dropped my back to the couch before staring into an empty space again.

My dad had tricked me into going to therapy today. Not to mention, he had Pepper on his side as Pepper was the one who picked me up from school today under the guise of seeing the new office.

My dad was already waiting for me in front of the Doctor's office as I arrived there. With a wry smile, he explained the whole situation. I was so pissed off that I wanted to just walk away, but Pepper convinced me to try it out…just for this one time. If it didn't help me, then he wouldn't do the same thing he did today, ever again.

Although I appreciated their concern, I had a lot more useful things to do today.

"Edward?" Linda called out.

I snapped out of my thoughts and replied, "Huh. Ah…Sorry. I'm just…incredibly busy. I need to think about my next singles release, which is this Saturday, and the fact that I have not recorded even one of the songs I promised myself to release."

Linda nodded and said, "I understand. There are a lot of friends of mine who couldn't take the time to stop, rest, and heal themselves. Some…which I never saw again. I hope that maybe… in this session, you would just take some rest from all of the busy thoughts?"

"No. I would rather just use this time to think. At the very least, my time will be worth it then." I replied snarkily.

Dr Linda wasn't mad and she asked in a calm tone, "So you don't think therapy is useful?"

"No offense doc, but for me, unless you're a main character of a movie or a series, therapy isn't actually useful for you. It's a waste of time." I replied honestly.

"And, why do you think…that the main character, as per your words…was the one who can actually succeed in their therapy?" Dr Linda asked after a slight pause.

I was taken aback, and looked at her. Her gaze wasn't filled with malice, but instead, she was curious. I sighed and replied, "Isn't that just what it is? In a story, the plot is written to help the main character. So, their therapy session actually works."

" I don't think that for an ordinary man, a therapist is going to do anything other than take their money and let them vent a bit before promising them a path to get better in the next session. Again, no offense."

The clinic fell into silence once more, and Dr Linda jotted down a few thoughts before she asked, "Why do you think that a therapist isn't going to help you?"

"Because, we ain't friends. We don't know each other. Even if I share my thoughts, beliefs, and what other things hidden inside of me, your job isn't to help me isn't it? It's to judge. You're listening, with the intent to show me what's wrong with me. And for that, I think that a therapy session isn't helpful, not at all." I answered defensively.

Dr Linda paused for a second before she asked calmly, "And, is there something hidden inside of you? Something that you're afraid l I will judge you for?"

"Afraid? I'm not afraid." I replied with a scoff.

Dr Linda smiled softly and put her books down on top of the coffee table separating us, "Edward. You don't work as a therapist for 12 years, and not know what a scared young adult looks like."

I touched my face for a bit, wondering if there was something wrong with my expression that caused her to come to the conclusion.

"To make things clear, everything that you say here today, even if you confessed that you had killed someone…will stay between us. Your dad won't get anything without your consent, although, I have to admit that I did talk with him before to get to know you better. "

"Then you should already know. My life's pretty normal."

Dr Linda took her book back and flipped through the pages. She then muttered, "Going for a joyride. Not only illegal driving, but racing through the streets with a couple of officers in pursuit. Aggravated assault. Not doing your laundry. Slapping your friend's mother. Using illegal substances such as marijuana-"

"Allegedly and dad even mentioned not doing my laundry, which I forgot ONE night, too far up that list." I complained.

I had no suspicions that dad had talked to Dr Linda about the matter. After the incident yesterday, I had told Pepper and my dad everything as to make some preparation in case someone tried to accuse me of something.

The assault referred to my excessive 'self-defense' when beating up those goons before. Luckily for me, there weren't any records that showed I had ever learned martial arts, or else my charges would be tremendous…if the matter actually got out…which it has not…and never will.

"Dad just worries too much, doc." I said dismissively.

Dr Linda nodded and pushed her glasses up. She said, "Let's just focus on only one thing on this list shall we? Can you tell me…why did you slap your friend's mother?"

[General POV]

Sitting outside of Dr Linda's office in the waiting room were Ted in his Captain's uniform, and Pepper in his work suit– a suit which made him look like he was cosplaying the godfather. Ted was leaning forward and clasping his hands together while Pepper was fanning his face with a paper fan.

"Did you see his eyes?" Pepper asked with a shudder. "He looked like a predator about to bite our heads off."

Ted sighed and said, "He…holds a grudge. Be…careful."

Pepper smacked him with a paper fan and said, "He's your son. Be braver."

Rubbing his sore head, Ted said, "You know what he's like. He hates things getting out of his control. And we tricked him today. So I KNOW…there will be repercussions…Just like with Dede."

"Mitchell's mother? What happened to her?" Pepper asked in shock.

"Well…Ed gave her something horrible, and she had to be admitted to the hospital from gastritis. When I told him, he said mockingly, 'Maybe she could shove the crystal up her arse, she believes in their miraculous healing power right?'... Anyway, do you really think that this is a good idea?"

"He gave her what?" Pepper asked in a horrified tone.

"A dish that no one should ever eat." Ted replied dramatically.

Pepper sighed and said, "We had to try at least. If he hates us for it, then he will hate us for it. I'd rather he hate us now than see something horrible happen to him later. On a happier note I did want to ask you something."

"What?" Ted asked, looking at Pepper while drinking from his water bottle.

"You slept with Sal right?" Pepper asked point blank.

Ted sprayed out his drink and asked in astonishment, "Wh-What? Did she say we did? We DEFINITELY didn't!"

"Yeah. She said you guys just did some other stuff till you got bored, leaving her clueless when you left without sealing the deal. She kept talking about you as if you're the evillest man she had ever met. But, she also has a thing for bad boys, and now, she's going around asking for your number."

"Wait- What?"

"But don't worry, no one will give it to her." Pepper replied, making Ted sigh in relief.

"So now, she's searching for your address instead." Pepper added. Ted turned to with widened eyes, and his spirit shattered when he heard Pepper's next sentence.

"And now, she has gotten it."

…

[Edward POV]

"The slap?" I asked in confusion. "Are you sure you aren't going to focus on something more serious, like the alleged street racing?"

"No. I want to hear about this one." Dr Linda said with a cheeky smile. She had learned about the ways I had lived, and a few traumatic experiences that I had to go through from her conversation with my father.

I sighed and said, "It's not really that important."

-Flashback-

After Jenna and I arrived at our house when we got back from the decathlon winning celebration, we watched a few episodes of One Piece together in the second living room.

*Ding Dong*

Jenna flinched at the sound of the doorbell and automatically grabbed my sleeves. I patted her and said, "Don't worry. I'm here."

"I'll go check it out. You keep watching." I told her before walking to the front door to open it. There, standing battered and with a wound at the side of her head was Jenna's mom, Alexandria.

"What happened to you?!" I asked in surprise, but Jenna's mother shushed me quickly. She made sure Jenna wouldn't hear it and said, "I fell during the audition."

However, I saw her eyes were a bit red, and she got the sniffles. There was also a bit of white powder on her nose and her arm sleeves, which made me sure that she had done a bit of a chemical induced entertainment before…or in simpler words, she got high.

I got mad and grabbed her sleeves before showing her the traces. She realized that I knew and said hurriedly, "That's not it. I was not late… because I was high. I was auditioning, and my phone was turned off. But when I checked it out, my bodyguard told me that Jenna was already safe. And the producer said he was giving me the part-"

"So you got high with him to celebrate?" I asked with gritted teeth. "Don't you know how scared she was? And you didn't think to come here and comfort her-"

"Jenna will understand. She always understand-"

Then, I slapped her. It wasn't a slap to hurt her, but just to snap her back to reality. She held her burning cheek in disbelief and widened her eyes. I growled angrily, "Wake the fuck up. She's a child. She needed you, more than ever. But you-"

"EDWARD!" Jenna shouted angrily as she saw the whole thing. She ran to her mother and checked her cheeks quickly, "Mommy, are you okay?!"

Jenna turned and stood in between us. "What are you doing ED! Why did you slap my mom!" She spewed angrily. I wasn't scared of the startled chihuahua and looked at Alexandria. "See. When you are hurt, she throws herself in the line of fire to save you. But, you failed to do the same."

Alexandria teared up, but I wasn't in the mood to comfort her. I turned to Jenna and asked, "Jenna. Do you love your mother?"

"What kind of question is that? OF COURSE I DO! AND YOU!!!! APOLOGIZE TO HER RIGHT NOW-"

I ignored Jenna again and looked at Alexandria. Her hands shivered before she cupped her mouth, and then broke down crying. Jenna hugged her to comfort her, and I watched the daughter lead her mother to the limousine. I waved goodbye at Jenna, but she raised her middle finger at me to show that she was still angry.

Even when I met her at school today she was ignoring me and flipping me off whenever she got the chance, and swore to me she would never speak to me again unless I apologised to her mother. She would still hang out and stick close to me, but she wouldn't talk to me. It was such a confusing interaction that I needed to adapt to.

-Present time-

"Nothing, I was just lending her a hand." I replied casually to Dr Linda after thinking about the matter.

"But your hand missed and hit her face?" Dr Linda said in a calm tone despite the sarcastic remarks.

"Yes." I agreed, not wanting to continue the conversation further.

"So, it has nothing to do with your repressed resentment about your mother leaving you?" Dr Linda analysed.

I scrunched my face in confusion and asked, "How the hell did you come to that conclusion?"

Dr Linda couldn't manage to get me to open up despite her various methods of asking questions. After a while, she sighed and gave up on the session.

…

[General POV]

After Edward left the room, Dr Linda called Ted for a quick conversation.

"He's…a very guarded boy. I think it'll take a few more sessions for him to finally open up." Dr Linda explained. "He's also a very smart kid. He saw through me very quickly, so I don't think I can deal with him the same way I would usually handle a kid. Without him willing to trust the process, and ready to open up, therapy will be useless for him."

Ted sighed and rubbed his face before asking, "But doc, I don't think…that I can EVER bring him back here again, not without his consent at least."

Dr Linda nodded before saying, "I know. I already talked to him about this. And we came to a deal."

"What's the deal?" Pepper asked quickly.

"He said, he will come again…if…his father also books a few sessions– which I don't think that's a bad thing." Dr Linda said as she turned to Ted. "Maybe, you could also benefit from it. I know things haven't been easy for the past couple of years for you right?"

Pepper covered his mouth with his fan and said slyly, "Yeah Doctor. Like Edward, he also needs someone he could open up to. Anyway, I got to go. Edward will be pissed if I prolong this any further."

Ted sighed helplessly and said, "Okay. I will do the talking."

"Good. We will discuss the date of the sessions. Follow me." Dr Linda said and turned around before walking to the receptionist desk.

…

[Edward POV]

After that weird experience, Pepper drove me to the new agency building. It warmed my heart to see the giant 'Entertain' logo being plastered on top of the infrastructure.

"We're renovating the lower floor to make a studio." Pepper explained as we entered the elevator.

"That's expensive. Do we have the money?" I asked in concern.

Pepper smirked and said, "Edward. Just know something. In the overall renovation of the building, the company didn't even pay one cent to do it."

"What- How?" I asked in astonishment.

"All of this…came from my mom's pocket." He said excitedly before it turned into a longing tone, "Oh, if only I wasn't gay, my dead father didn't try to take me out of the will."

"But, I can't change who I am, So here we are." Pepper said self-deprecatingly. I patted his back before the elevator door opened on the top floor of the building.

"This is your office." Pepper said as he showed off the modern looking corner office with a view, a mahogany abomination desk which showed my name on a triangular nameplate sitting on top of it. Numerous pachira plants near the walls, and letters from my loyal fans inside blue cardboard boxes arranged neatly next to the table.

"Also, Ed, can you tell me why you made your dad do the therapy?" Pepper asked abruptly, and he managed to pass by my defence.

I shrugged and said, "If I must suffer it, then he will do it with me. Peps, we need to start recording today, and this might seem last notice…but…I need to get in touch with a rapper."

Pepper widened his eyes and exclaimed in bewilderment, "BEFORE THE RELEASE?! That's in 2 days!"

I nodded as I understood I was requesting unfairly and said, "My plans changed when I met with RDJ before. But I forgot to tell you about it."

Pepper fell into a deep thought and explained, "If…If you asked me to search for a female artist– ballads, pops, or even show tunes, I could at least try."

"But?" I interjected as I thought it was going to show up.

"But…I have never…got in touch with a rapper before." Pepper said fearfully.

…

[General POV]

-Pritchet's house-

"Manny, why are you going up and down, up and down, up and down!" Gloria said in frustration after Manny kept going up and down the stairs.

"Edward told me to do it. And mom, he gave me a few recipes so that I can still enjoy what I used to eat, and still eat healthy." Manny said in exhaustion as he tried really hard to keep his promise to Edward.

Jay was reading his newspaper and shook his head in annoyance. "Great, now I'm also going to be forced to eat that."

"What's that Jay?" Gloria asked as she couldn't hear it.

"Nothing hun. I'm just admiring Manny's effort, that's all." Jay replied.

"Ayy, if you're admiring him, maybe you can join him so that he doesn't have to do this alone." Gloria suggested cheerily.

"I walked right into that one didn't I?" Jay muttered to himself.

-Mitch and Cam's house-

"AHHHHH!" Cam screamed shrilly as he watched a Youtube video on his laptop. Mitchell ran quickly to where he was sitting with Lily in his arms, "What happened? What happened? Do I need to call the police?"

"Mitchell! Taylor came out with a new song!" Cam said in a weird high pitch voiced as he urged Mitchell to look at his laptop screen.

"What's the matter with you? Even though you're a fan, don't you think that this is a bit much?" Mitchell said.

"A BIT MUCH Mitchell?" Cam said, offended by his partner's remarks. "Wait till you hear what I mean by "new song", and then you'll understand why I was screaming."

-Dunphy's house-

Alex walked around the kitchen all smug as she flashed her golden medal she got for winning the Decathlon before this. However, her face turned red with anger as she saw her mother.

"Mom, do you really think it's makes sense that Luke's participation ribbon and Haley's…I don't know what that is-"

"A full attendance certificate for her in 7th grade." Claire replied.

"That. Does it belong to the same display case?" Alex asked in annoyance.

Phil ran around the kitchen with Luke, both wearing a cowboy hat and boots. They had a holster around their waist, which stored the brand new gun that Phil had bought.

"Let's see if there is a bug in the kitchen, Sheriff." Luke said.

"Affirmative assistant Sheriff." Phil said before they scour the entire kitchen, trying to find a bug or a fly to shoot down with their salt gun.

"Phil. Stop playing with that thing." Claire yelled at Phil from afar before she turned back to Alex, "Also. Stop complaining Alex-"

"URGH! I don't have to take this! I just don't!" Alex said before storming off, feeling dejected by her mother's action.

"THAT BITCH!" Haley suddenly yelled out from the living room, making Alex stop in her tracks.

"Haley!" Claire yelled out to admonish her, but Haley had already ran to Alex since her relationship with her had been mended and showed her laptop screen, "See. This bitch is CRAZZZYYYY!"

"Who- Wait. Taylor?" Alex asked in puzzlement before taking the laptop from Haley. They watched her latest performance video from her tour, and realised something amiss at the reveal of her newest song.