When We Meet Again As Strangers novel Chapter 2

That night, I went to see my therapist as usual.

In the past four years, I had visited her hundreds of times.

"Dr. Bennett, don't you do hypnosis? Could you help me?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

"What's wrong? Do you want to see him in your dreams?" she replied, referring, of course, to Victor.

Over the long and painful years, Dr. Bennett had become the friend I could speak to without saying a word.

I shook my head. "No. I want you to help me forget him."

"Did you... see him?" she asked, her tone gentle but with an underlying concern.

"Yes, I saw him. He's doing well now."

He's successful, respectable, and has a good girl by his side. He probably doesn't need me anymore.

In the dream, I returned to the days when Victor and I relied on each other.

We had grown up together in an orphanage, and for ten years, we had been each other’s only family. Our bond, born of no blood relation, inevitably turned into love.

Until… until I met Tyler during the last year of college.

Tyler was rich, powerful, and like a devil, he relentlessly pursued me, using every despicable means to force me into his grasp.

He said, "Jasmine, if you want Victor to be safe and happy, you have to pretend you willingly marry me."

At first, I didn’t believe him, until Victor lost his chance to study abroad and almost died in a dangerous accident during an event.

Then, I believed him. I truly did.

Then he would threaten me mercilessly: "Jasmine, you're my wife now. If you think about that brother of yours again, I’ll send these photos to him."

"You think he’ll cry or laugh when he sees them?" he would sneer.

"Or maybe he’ll think you’ve completely gone to ruin?"

"No!" I shouted as I woke up, drenched in sweat, tears streaming down my face.

Dr. Bennett sighed. "It’s not that I’m not trying to help you. The truth is, you can’t forget him."

I cried and then laughed through my tears.

At least Tyler was dead.

At least Victor was still alive.