Before the alarm went off, Ashley had already been awake for a long time. Ever since she ran away from those woods, that house, and that man, she has been unable to sleep well. Every night in her dreams, she hears his howling under the moon on that cliff. Every night, she runs away from him, whether he is rough or tender.
Initially, Ashley visited her therapist three times a week to help her forget her past, but now only goes once a week. This is a great step. "You had made great progress," said her therapist three months ago. But she doesnt feel the same way.
Maybe its because her therapist is tired of hearing some supernatural abusive stories so she said it. She still remembers the look on her therapists face when she first told her that she had been held captive for six months by a family of wolf shifters in the woods. She cant blame her. After two years, she still cant bring herself to accept the fact that she was kept like a pet even with the abortion sheets lying in her nightstand drawer.
"Ding." Her phone pinged on the nightstand.
"Morning, sweetheart. Hope I didnt wake you up."
Its from Vincent, her boyfriend.
"No, good morning to you too."
She has had trouble with intimacy ever since then. Vincent has waited for her return with hope and always stands by her side to accompany her through the entire journey.
"Going to have a long day of work too?" Send. After getting out of bed, she walks into the bathroom while checking her email.
"Yep. Busy saving the world. Have a good day, sweetheart."
"You too."
Vincent is a biologist who currently works in the top laboratory at Harvard. Due to confidentiality, she doesnt know much about his experiment. He has been there for a month now, and she has been busy with a project for three weeks. Finally, she gets to rest this weekend. So, she is planning to fly there and surprise him this weekend. Dinner and a movie will do.
After taking a shower, having breakfast, and putting everything back into her briefcase, Ashley gave herself a final check-over in the full-body mirror. Okay, its time to go to work. She is now the manager of the entire marketing department at a start-up company. She has to look her best at all times. She cringed at the thought of tedious meetings and lengthy files. But she loves it. She feels valued by being able to make her own living. She cant stop working and is always on the move. It seems that being kept for six months has really taken a toll on her. She feels anxious every time she is between projects. Thats why she only rested for a week after returning and found a new job, disregarding her therapists warning. She feels alive again. What if she cant sleep or eat under great pressure? She cant sleep anyway. Its best that she uses the sleepless night to work. Her therapist also warned her about this.
"You can only embrace your future once you confront your past and let it go.”
Ashley cannot.
"Cant or wont?"
She hates it when she is doing this. It seems as though it is her fault for not being able to forget about that man. Her thoughts betray her every chance they get to think of that man. Thinking of the way he looked at her, held her, kissed her, and... Her heart jumped with excitement now.
"No," Ashley shakes her head vigorously. "Focus!" She has an important meeting with a much important client. Its Friday, and if she can seal this deal, her company will have a steady capital flow for the next two years. And shes looking forward to spending the weekend with her boyfriend.
The car slowly came to a stop in the garage. "OK. Lets do it," Ashley said as she grabbed her laptop and briefcase before heading to the elevator.