Chapter 8

He became suicidal, which made it difficult for the people around him to handle. He had been hospitalized several times for attempted suicide. But every time he tried to hurt himself, his friends reminded him that the culprit was still out there, that he couldn't die just yet. He still needed to punish the killer. It was during these times that he decided to leave Amy with his parents for a while. He couldn't bear to have his daughter see how broken he was. Thankfully, with Trisha's help and those who truly cared for him, he overcame depression. The nightmares stopped, and he was on his way to becoming a better version of himself. That's why he was confused about why those bad dreams returned. After her death, he became a changed man. He had trust issues and preferred to be alone. His friends just let him go through his changes. Kath's death changed him, and it was for the worse. “Okay, I’ll be there in a few.” Trisha agreed to see him at her clinic. Jackson quickly showered and got ready. He had spare clothes in his condo. He slept there whenever he got drunk and couldn't drive home. An hour later, Jackson was inside Trisha's clinic. He sat on a plush seat, facing the young doctor. Trisha was watching Jackson as she listened to what he was saying. Jax recounted what happened the night before he went to sleep, including his dream, which he described in detail to Trisha. Jackson didn't leave out any detail, except for his annoyance towards Bree. He didn't tell Trisha that, fearing what she might think. The last thing he wanted to happen was to be involved with Bree. After Jackson finished recounting his dream, he felt weak. His mind and heart were exhausted. It's also tiring when you have a lot of problems and things to think about. “So, this woman named Bree. She appeared in your dream, right? She's your new secretary?” Trisha jotted down notes on the paper she held in her hand. Those were details Jackson had told her, just for record purposes. Jackson nodded. He didn't like that she was involved in his personal life, but he had to tell Trisha. He trusted her. But, of course, he left out the part where he was irritated by that woman for no reason. “What is she to you?” Trisha asked bluntly. She even cocked her head to one side and waited for Jax's reaction. She didn't expect him to answer her question. She knew he would deny it. Jackson was shocked by Trisha's question. His eyes widened, and he stared at the doctor. Jackson couldn't speak. What should he answer Trisha? Should he tell her the truth? Hell, no! Trisha smiled and placed the ballpen and notebook she was holding on the table. She crossed her legs and leaned back into the sofa's backrest. Trisha crossed her arms over her chest. She waited for Jax's answer, seemingly unsure of what to do. He was shocked by her blunt question. Trisha wanted to laugh at her friend's reaction, but he was her client now. She knew that this Bree woman stirred something inside her friend. He was just too stubborn to even acknowledge it. “What do you mean, what she is to me? I told you, she’s, my secretary.” Trisha nodded. She picked up the paper on the table again and wrote on it. She was even humming a song while she jotted down her observations. She would review it later. “What do you think are the reasons why she was in your dreams? Did you think about her more often? There must be something, Jax. As I’ve said before, a person will not appear in your dreams for no reason. Even for a very small reason.” “Of course, not!” Jax answered almost immediately, defensively even. “I just see her more often since she worked for me. Should I fire her then? I can’t let those nightmares bother me again, Trish.” Jackson seemed to be struggling. Those dreams were so hard for him. He saw his wife being killed in those dreams, he didn't want to dream about it again. He should do something to stop them from coming back. Trisha didn't push the issue about the woman named Bree. She knew that it wouldn't take long for Jax to tell her the real deal between the two. She wouldn't have appeared in Jax's dreams for no reason. There should be a trigger point to all of this. It had been more than a year, and Jax was recovering already. The doctor, his friend, wouldn't allow Jax to go back to what he had been through before. Based on Jax's account of his dream, Bree was the one who killed Kath. For Trish, it was his subconscious' way of telling Jax to get away from Bree. That idea had been swimming in the man's mind for a long time, even if he wouldn't admit it, Trisha knew he had feelings for Bree. She wasn't sure what it was, but she was sure Jax was in the denial stage right now. She wouldn't force him, he would confess to her on his own. Until then, she would just have to monitor him. Trisha prescribed medication for Jax to sleep soundly. “Thank you, Trish.” “What are you talking about? You paid a lot, of course, I'll prioritize you.” The doctor winked at Jax. Jax shook his head and laughed at his friend. “No, really. Thanks for always being there. You were always a call away.” “I just did what I could do for a dear friend, Jax. Just keep me updated if there's someone new beating your stone-cold heart.” “Well, sorry to burst your bubble, my friend, but that will never happen.” Jax went straight to his office. He had work to do. Especially now that his company's annual grand ball was approaching. He needed to focus on it because it was part of their marketing strategy. When it came to his company, Jackson was very hands-on. His parents' company wouldn't have grown that big if he hadn't strived to take it to the top. That's why he's so strict at work. He has no room for mistakes. They have a lot of competing companies, and Jackson wouldn't allow himself to be outdone. He thought of Bree. He just wished she was already transferred to another department. That's what Cindy told him. Bree would be on probation. She'd be in another department for now, or maybe she'd just stay there so he wouldn't see her anymore. Jax thought that maybe he would have peace if he didn't see her anymore. Maybe, just maybe, he would finally forget about her. He just hoped so. She was just his secretary, that's what Jax kept telling himself as he entered the building. Rex, his personal assistant, greeted him. He had just returned to work after taking leave to go home to the province because his sister had died. He had been gone for almost a month. “Good morning, Mr. Samaniego,” he greeted politely, standing by the entrance of the Diamond building, waiting for his boss's arrival. Jax nodded at Rex. “You’re back already?” “Yes, sir. I’m officially back to work starting today.” “Good.” Rex was tall. He had been working for Jackson for five years now, and he knew his boss better than the rest of the employees. As his personal assistant, he dealt with almost everything in Jackson's personal life, not just his business. He worked for him twenty-four/seven days a week. The young man followed his boss to his office on the 30th floor. They were silent during the elevator ride. Rex stood behind Jax, while Jax silently thought, his face emotionless, his hands tucked into his pockets. He was actually nervous, and he hated it. He didn't know how he would react in front of that woman. He was known as a very strict CEO in his company, but here he was, nervous to face one of his employees. Jax tapped his foot on the elevator floor and groaned in frustration. “Fuck!” Jax cursed softly to himself. Rex looked at his boss in surprise. Something seemed to have changed about him, he just couldn't point out what it was. He had only been gone for a month, but his boss seemed completely different now. When the elevator door opened, Jax's breath hitched. He just let out a heavy sigh before walking towards his office. He would pass Bree's cubicle, so when he was in front of the glass door, he couldn't help but look over there. Jax wanted to slap himself for not being able to stop himself from looking over there. You think you don't want to see her because you're annoyed? The villainous part of his brain confronted him. Bree's assigned seat was empty. That's all he saw, so Jax hurried on. All day long, he didn't see Bree. Jax felt a little relieved. So when Chelle, one of his secretaries, came in, Jax couldn't help but ask her. For the second time, Jackson wanted to slap himself. “Did miss Ocampo resign?” Jackson didn't bother to look at the woman in front of him. He just continued to sign the papers that needed his approval. “She was transferred to the marketing department by miss Cindy, Mr. Samaniego. She's been there since today,” Chelle answered politely. Jackson nodded. At least, he wouldn't be bothered anymore. He wouldn't see that woman anymore, so there was no reason for her to suddenly pop into his mind. Now, he could finally be at ease. Or so he thought.