604 Professional Help

Darren had been greeting the guests when he noticed someone staring intently at his wife and frowned. He walked up to the person having drinks all on her own and said, "Gigi, you don't have to stay so vigilant here."

Gigi gave him a nod before saying, "I think this is the place where I should be more vigilant."

Darren's frown deepened, "What? But it's a party and Xiu has so many people around her. There can't be any danger to her here of all places."

Gigi gulped her beer before rapping on the table, "Have a seat." Darren sat down and as she informed, "In my opinion, the danger isn't out, it's inside."

"Huh? Can you please be clear? What are you trying to say here?"

Gigi looked over at Xiu who was laughing with Ying, Dylan, and Cali at that moment and her gaze deepened, "Your wife is in danger but it's not external." She took a brief pause before adding, "It's herself. She is the only danger to herself right now."

Darren was stunned to hear her reply. "Don't joke around with me."

Gigi shook her head, "I don't have a habit of joking. Your wife needs help. Professional help. If you don't want to lose her, provide her that timely help." Darren was silently contemplating her words ass he went on, "I've studied psychology and not only that, in our field of work we have to have the skills to read people's facial expressions or their every movement. Your wife's symptoms are severe. She is not only suffering from anxiety but she also is depressed. Something is eating her up inside. The more mentally disturbed she is, the more she tries to fake a smile. It must be her survival mechanism."

Darren didn't take Gigi's words lightly because he knew she was very professional and won't talk without evidence. And he didn't even need evidence. Chen Xiu suffered from depression for years before taking her life and right now her soul was in Bai Xiu's body. Technically, only the shell has changed, the person inside still was that same depressed, lonely, insecure girl.

"If I have to take a guess," began Gigi again. "It must be because of her lost memories. Recently I had a discussion with her and she said that her memories are coming back. If I have to make an assumption, it must be that those memories are too overwhelming for her. When her brain locked those memories, there was a reason. But something must have triggered those memories again."

Darren's hands clenched tightly. He looked at Xiu who seemed like was having another argument with Dylan. His expressions were complicated as he asked, "She has a history of seeing a professional psychiatrist but it didn't do her any good. Neither did her anti-depressants."

Gigi thought about it before stating, "I've noticed a pattern with her."

"What?"

"A center?"

"Yes. Like most people tend to take that fight-or-flight route. And when they choose to run away from their problems, they try every mean to distract themselves. And whichever way they choose to distract themselves become their center. And when they lose that center, they become restless.

"But in her case, it's different. She is not running away from situation, she is trying to face it. And to face that situation, she needs a center of support. You are that pillar of support for her at this moment."

Darren nodded his head in understanding. He remembered how Xiu repeatedly told him that she was using him as her anchor to get through the insanity that life was throwing her way. He should have noticed that her condition wasn't as simple as it seemed.

"Mr. Salvay, do you realize what importance you have in her life?" Darren looked up at Gigi who continued, "You have the ability to crush her without even doing anything. She is literally at your mercy right now. That's a pretty dangerous situation."

"What can I do? I'll do anything for her," he spoke sincerely and with a bit of fear. He didn't have the heart to lose her. 

"From what you said, I don't think she'd agree for therapy."

"No, she won't. Let's just say some very bad memories are associated with her therapy sessions." He knew very well that therapy would only remind her of how lonely she had once been. And he would never want her to reminsce that past.

"She has a lot of people who cares about her and that's a very important thing. She needs people in life she can trust and depend on. You all can help her but you can't let her know what you're trying to do. She is quite sensitive these days, it's better to let her subtly know that she doesn't have to go through anything alone."

"I never let her feel alone though," replied Darren. "She knows I'm always with her."

"Perhaps that's why her emotional stability is so dependant on you."

"What are you both talking about?" 

Both Darren and Gigi stopped talking as they looked at Ying. Earlier Ying had seen Gigi and Darren talking and that's why came up to them. She couldn't think of any other reason than Xiu for these two to talk so seriously.

"Regi, what information are you trying get from my subordinate?"

Darren's brain was so overwhelmed with what he heard that he couldn't come up with an excuse instantly but Gigi was one step ahead of him as she answered, "Mr. Salvay wanted to know why Ben is taking so long to come back to work."

Ying frowned at her reply, "Why is he asking you that?" She looked at Darren, "Isn't Ben your employee?"

"Team leader, Ben is my twin brother."

Ying was stumped for words as she looked at Darren's smirk and felt strange. How come she didn't know that? How did something like that slipped out of her knowledge?