Chapter 12 Becoming an Idiot

In the bedroom, the doctor gave a tranquilizer to Bradley to calm his agitation. "How frequently has Mr. Austin been experiencing these seizures recently?" the doctor asked. "He has had seizures three times in the past month. It seems that the painkillers you prescribed last time is not working anymore..." Frederick explained. He then glanced at Freya by his side, contemplating whether to ask her to leave. Upon observing her foolish expression, he concluded there was no point in doing that since she was obviously intellectually challenged. "Well, in that case, we have no choice but to increase the dosage," the doctor said, rubbing his forehead in concern. Freya, eavesdropping nearby, was taken aback. "He wants to increase the dosage? Is he serious?" she wondered. She knew taking this medication would turn Bradley into a complete moron in less than three months. However, Freya couldn't voice her concerns, as she was now considered a "moron" herself. With his anxiety rising, Frederick asked, "Isn't there any other solution?" "Unless Mr. Austin can find peace of mind and focus on nurturing his body and soul, the aftermath of this trauma will persist. Some individuals gradually alleviate their condition by adjusting their mindset, but in Mr. Austin's case..." The doctor trailed off, assuming that Frederick, who had been caring for Bradley for many years, would understand the implication. "I will make every effort to calm Mr. Austin down. Thank you for your help, doctor. Let me see you out," Frederick sighed. He had witnessed Bradley's growth and even risked his own life to save him from that devastating fire. Bradley's outer wounds had healed over the years, but his inner trauma never did. Freya was alone in the room while Frederick went downstairs with the doctor. Freya walked up to Bradley and looked at him with sympathetic eyes after noting his pale complexion. She was heartbroken as she realized that Bradley's pain was similar to her own in many ways. Ever since Freya discovered that she was going to be married to Bradley, she had conducted investigations into his background. Seven years ago, he suffered burns and lost his sight in a fire, forever confined to a wheelchair. As a medical student, Freya had encountered patients with similar traumas before. She was aware that PTSD was a common condition among them. However, Bradley's recent condition appeared to be even more severe. The doctor was correct in his earlier assessment. Finding inner calm and avoiding stress were necessities in Bradley's quest to resolve this "psychological" problem. Acupuncture, of course, had the potential to help, too. Bradley, who lay on the bed, moved a little. Opening his eyes, he found his mind still a little hazy. As he rubbed his temple, he noticed Freya staring at him and realized that he had probably frightened her. Bradley reached out and took her wrist gently. Freya, deep in thought, reacted abruptly to the touch with an "Ah!" "You frightened me! Freya is scared! Freya wants to go home." Although Freya was startled, she quickly put on an innocent face. She had been waiting for the right moment, and now it had come. She planned to act frightened in order to escape and return home. Bradley looked into her tear-filled eyes, and his heart softened. Without hesitation, he agreed, "Alright, I'll have Frederick take you home now. He'll bring you back tonight." "Go home! I want to go home. You're so frightening when you're angry." Bradley rubbed his slightly throbbing forehead and told Frederick. "Please bring Freya home now." "Of course, Mr. Austin." Frederick responded. Freya returned to her room and picked up her phone before getting into the car to go home. She had intended to make an excuse to leave along the way, but now she was afraid that Bradley would initiate a search operation in which Frederick might be implicated if she suddenly vanished. Freya decided to return home for some much-needed reflection time. She reasoned that the Lawson family would suffer consequences if she vanished from their house. Meanwhile, Bruce received a call from Bradley, informing him of Freya's return and reminding Bruce to take good care of his new bride. Bradley also mentioned that the Lawson family would have no way to exist in town otherwise. Bruce felt annoyed after he hung up. He knew that the rumors that Bradley was mistreating his wife and family were not true because Arthur had spread them. The three women who came before Freya were also sent by Arthur to deceive Bradley, but Bradley managed to make them disappear from this world within a day. Bruce expected Freya to share the fate of the other three women, but Bradley took such good care of her and even ordered the Lawson family to treat her with respect. This realization made Bruce think to himself, "It looks like we won't be receiving that hefty compensation!" Turning to Sophie, Bruce said, "After Freya comes back home, you better treat her well and not cause any more trouble." Sophie asked, "What happened?" with concern. "Bradley just called and told me that Freya will soon be returning home. He even threatened us that we would be in big trouble if we didn't treat her well It's so clear that Bradley genuinely cares about Freya. Well, it seems that we won't be able to give Lola that much money when she gets married in the future. But, as long as we all make Freya happy, she can still serve as our golden goose." Although she was disappointed, Sophie knew that this was the likely outcome. Although Freya was intellectually challenged, she was indeed pretty. Sophie was confident that even a monstrously disfigured man like Bradley would not want to kill a bride as stunning as Freya. As a result, she knew she better not hold out much hope for a substantial payment. "Don't worry, I will take good care of her," Sophie reassured Bruce. As long as Freya was still alive, Sophie thought, she could use her to her great advantage. Freya was just a fool who could be easily duped, whatever the case. "I believe in you, but I think you should monitor Lola's behavior. Don't let her go too far," Bruce reminded his wife. Just as they were discussing, a servant delivered the news, "Mr. Lawson, Mrs. Lawson, Miss Freya is here." Bruce then immediately went to the door to personally greet his daughter. With the hefty compensation out of the picture, he needed to protect Freya, the cash cow, and prevent her from leaving. Freya was surprised when she stepped out of the car and saw Bruce and Sophie standing by the entrance. "What are they up to?" she wondered. "You must be tired from the journey," Sophie, who always pretended she cared about Freya, said. "Please come and enjoy the delicious meal I have prepared for you." Freya blinked her eyes. She was aware that the Lawson family had decided to win her favor and make money off of her after realizing they could not receive the compensation. She hated her family, but she thought it was good that things were going in this direction. They would swoon over her because they needed her, making them easy targets for her tricks. "I'm hungry, I want to eat." She was an idiot, after all, and no matter what she did, people would interpret it as a temper tantrum.