Oliver's Substitute Bride (Oliver and Jessica)

Chapter 274

Since Jessica had suddenly shrunk back into her shell, the doctor suggested that she should return

home first because a cozy environment would help better to elevate her mood.

Besides, regular art therapies at home were necessary.

Gavin had the servants clean up Jessica's room in advance.

After the first day Jessica had arrived in Holland, Gavin had asked someone to design a room suitable

for girls. Since Gavin hadn't asked Jessica about her favorite style, the room was simply decorated.

It happened to meet the doctor's requirement that the patient's living environment should be simple and

bright.

So, Gavin directly sent Jessica to the Kim family's manor in Leiden.

Lucas moved in too. He had been reluctant to live with Gavin in the past and had moved out when he'd

turned 18 years old.

Afraid that Jessica would find it hard to adapt to the new environment, he came back to accompany

her.

Jessica's eyes were still empty and she wouldn't say anything.

Lucas explained to her that they'd brought her here because the doctor said she had recovered and

needed a good rest at home.

Jessica didn't respond, as if she didn't care what was going on around her at all.

The next day, Gavin invited home Barbara from Paris to talk with Jessica.

She was the most famous psychiatrist in art therapy.

She was also one of the most influential art therapists in Europe. She was good at guiding patients to

know and accept themselves through paintings and obtain inner peace in the end.

In the past, only Gavin and a few servants had lived in the manor.

He was very happy that Jessica and Lucas had moved in. He'd never expected to have a daughter in

his life and she was actually right in front of him now.

No matter how much it cost, he would hire the best doctor to cure Jessica, both physically and

mentally.

Therefore, Barbara lived in the manor for the convenience that she could observe Jessica round the

clock.

In the first few days, Barbara couldn't get Jessica to say anything.

It unsettled Gavin very much.

Just as he was thinking about changing her therapist, Jessica was willing to leave her room for dinner.

This was a very good start. Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

It gave Barbara the opportunity to observe Jessica's behaviors at the dinner table.

Although Jessica came out to eat with them at the table, she just smiled politely when Gavin and Lucas

talked to her.

She still wouldn't talk.

Barbara lived next door to Jessica.

When Jessica returned to her room, she would pass by Barbara's room.

Inadvertently, she saw a painting hanging in the middle of Barbara's room, The Scream by Munch.

She came to a halt.

After watching it for a few seconds, she returned to her room.

Then she burst into tears. Barbara heard her crying.

So did Lucas who happened to come to check on her.

Lucas nervously asked Barbara what on earth was wrong with Jessica and why she was crying so

sadly.

Barbara told him that crying meant that Jessica was trying to adjust her mood.

Maybe she wanted to save herself, but it was hard for her to get better in a short time on her own

steam.

She needed the help of her family and the therapist.

Hearing those words, Lucas felt a little relieved. Probably he and Gavin had been too impatient.

Maybe it would take much longer than they'd thought.

It was the next day.

Barbara knocked on Jessica's door.

Opening the door, Jessica saw Barbara and didn't appear to be very resistant.

But Barbara got no response from her no matter what she said.

Later, Barbara invited Jessica to her room.

Jessica did not refuse.

There was a large table in Barbara's room on which were all kinds of paper and pens.

That table was almost of the same size as the one she used to paint on in Birmingham.

Jessica walked to the table and began to draw casually on the paper.

Seeing that, Barbara knew that Jessica was willing to communicate with her now.

Jessica drew page after page in a large A3 sketchbook.

Suddenly, out of the blue, she put down the pen in her hand, returned to her room, and slammed the

door shut.

Lucas and Gavin had been paying close attention to her during the whole time.

When they saw Jessica coming out of Barbara's room, they went in and asked Barbara if any headway

had been made.

Barbara scrutinized Jessica's paintings. Most of them were about people.

They depicted her life with her grandparents and Zelda in her childhood.

The little girl in the drawings grinned happily.

But as they turned the pages, her paintings were getting increasingly terrifying, sharing the same

dreadful vibe as The Scream on the wall.

The last painting was of a baby lying in an incubator.

Obviously, Jessica had left it unfinished.

After seeing all the paintings, Gavin asked Barbara, "What do you think? Is Jessica getting better?"

"It's already a big improvement that she doesn't lock herself up in her room and is willing to eat with us.

She was drawing her past. Fortunately, she had a happy childhood, but after she grew up, she suffered

a lot of setbacks. She kept suppressing herself and when she reached the tipping point, she cracked."

"So it will not be hard for Jessica to recover, right?"

"I can tell that she cherished her family in the past very much. Family is very important to her and has

supported her through all the sufferings in the past, so it's helpful to give her more love from the family."

Barbara knew that Jessica's family in Birmingham had already left her.

That was why she could hardly come out of the pessimist emotions without outside assistance.

Jessica was now in despair because the loss of her child had been a huge blow to her.

Her mind was whirling and she couldn't find a way out.

Deep in her heart, all kinds of negative emotions were gnawing at her.

There were tear stains on her last painting.

They were still wet when they watched that painting.

At that moment, Lucas couldn't hate Oliver more.

He couldn't help but clench his fists.

Oliver was not his friend anymore.