Part 1He Made Me Crazy

Everyone called Julian the perfect husband. For ten years of marriage, I suffered my "episodes" almost every year.

Even when I drew blood from him, he'd still hold me gently, soothing me with soft words.

Even when I was hauled away to a psych ward, he still smiled sweetly.

"Sarah, don't be afraid. We're all here to help you."

It wasn't until I found my hidden PhD diploma in psychology that I knew. My illness was never a diagnosis. It was his creation.

My head felt like it had been hit by a sledgehammer, and my stomach churned in protest.

I heard Julian's voice, anxious and choked with tears, repeating over and over, his eyes red and bloodshot as he gripped my hand tightly.

"It's okay, Sarah, everything will be alright."

There seemed to be other people around, holding things and taking pictures.

I struggled to see clearly, but my vision was a blur.

I only caught a fleeting glimpse of cold indifference in his eyes.

"Shh, don't move, darling. I'll go with you for treatment. It's just a minor procedure, and you'll be fine."

He whispered soothingly, his arm sliding under my waist and knees, lifting me into his embrace.

My body felt like a broken rag doll, limp and lifeless in his arms, my limbs hanging uselessly.

Outside the car window, the night was thick like ink, occasionally cut by the fleeting light of a streetlamp.

Where were we going?

Why was my headache getting worse?

It felt like I'd forgotten something incredibly important.

I shook my head and looked at Julian.

"Julian, I don't want to go. Can we just go home?"

Julian whispered reassurances in my ear.

But phrases like "You'll be fine after some rest," and "The place we're going will make you better," only pricked at my nerves, making me tremble uncontrollably.

My gaze drifted to the window. A sign indicated a psychiatric hospital just ahead. Those few short words instantly filled me with dread.

"No hospital! I'm not sick! I'm not going to a psychiatric hospital!"

"I'm not crazy! I'm not sick! Let go of me!"

I struggled wildly in the car.

Julian let me flail and hit him, but he continued to calm me with that infuriatingly gentle voice.

I fought desperately to break free from his embrace, trying to open the car door.

The next moment, like a mosquito bite, a sudden wave of dizziness slammed into me, and I lost consciousness almost immediately.

When I woke up again, I was already dressed in a hospital gown.

Several people in white coats approached, their eyes scrutinizing me.

Julian stood nearby, his expression so complex I couldn't decipher it.

He gently patted my back.

"Don't be afraid, they're all here to help you."

His voice was soft as silk, but it sent an involuntary shiver down my spine.

Instinctively, I clutched his arm, pleading.

"Julian, I'm sorry! I promise I'll never hit you again. Please, take me home!"

"Julian, I'm really not sick. It must be my hormone levels are off. Can't we just go home and get it sorted?"

Julian continued to placate me with empty words, but his hand made no move to help.

The people in white coats nodded at him.

Julian stepped back, making way for them.

They grabbed my arms and forced me onto the cold hospital bed.

Rough restraint straps instantly tightened around my wrists and ankles.

The sharp pain made me scream.

"Sarah, just bear with it a little longer! It'll be over soon!"

A cold liquid was pushed into my veins.

The tranquilizer began to take effect.

My thoughts became slow and thick, everything around me twisting, blurring.

I struggled to grasp onto something, my fingertips twitching uselessly, but there was nothing to hold.

Through my fading vision, Julian walked towards the door.

The moment he opened it, I saw a figure standing outside.

Was that Chloe? Why was she here?

As I wondered, Julian pulled her into a hug. Chloe rested her head intimately on his shoulder, a smirk of triumph playing on her lips.

"Don't be afraid. We're here to help you."

Julian's gentle yet chilling words exploded in my mind.

A searing tear rolled down my cheek, but the image was so fleeting, so ethereal.

I couldn't tell if it was reality or just another hallucination from my "episodes."

My eyelids grew heavier and heavier, until I finally plunged into complete darkness.