Unmatched Wife: Not His To Claim Anymore novel Chapter 49

Chapter 49

MATTHEW

I left her standing in the kitchen and retreated to my office, needing space from her presence, I needed to be far away from the attempts that she had been creating, trying to make everything go back to how it was before.

My laptop sat on the desk where I’d left it last night, still open to the security footage I’d been reviewing. I was obsessed with it, trying to find out if there was any curse that I had missed or didn’t hear about. But there was nothing new that would show what Bianca had intended to do. She moved things from the house that were important, made calls in the middle of the nights, or came in late from places that I had no idea about, while I was living my life with Mia and Theo, Bianca had been busy and it took her death for me to see it, but busy with what, I had no idea and I had become obsessed with finding out.

Dr. Helena Vance’s office was designed to be comforting, it was painted with soft colors, also filled with plush furniture, toys and art supplies scattered around the room. But Theo didn’t touch any of it. He sat in the chair beside me, his stuffed wolf in his lap, staring at nothing.

“Hello, Theo,” Dr. Vance said gently, crouching to his eye level. “My name is Dr. Vance, but you can call me Helena if you’d like. I’m here to help you feel better. Would that be okay?”

Theo didn’t respond. Didn’t even acknowledge that she’d spoken.

Dr. Vance glanced at me, and I saw the concern in her eyes before she masked it with professional calm.

“That’s okay,” she continued, moving to her desk as she continued speaking.

“We don’t have to talk if you don’t want to. Would you like to draw instead? Or play with the blocks? Sometimes it’s easier to show feelings than to say them out loud.”

Nothing. My son sat like a statue, breathing but not living, present but not really there.

The session lasted an hour. Dr. Vance tried everything she could think up to get THeo to talk to her, but at the end of the hour, he never spoke a word to anyone.

When the hour was up, Dr. Vance suggested Theo wait in the reception area with her assistant while she spoke with me privately. He went immediately without causing an issue or kicking up a fuss.

Once we were alone, Dr. Vance’s professional mask slipped slightly, revealing genuine worry for my kid.

“Alpha Morrison,” she began, settling into her chair. “I need to be honest with you about Theo’s condition.”

“I’m listening.”

“What your son is experiencing isn’t just grief. It’s more complex than that and he doesn’t know how to process it, so he just shuts everything down.” She pulled out a file, but I noticed her hands weren’t quite steady. “Selective mutism in children Theo’s age is usually triggered by trauma, yes. But in this case, I believe it’s compounded by severe guilt that dwells in him.”

“Guilt?” The word felt wrong. “He’s four years old. What does he have to feel guilty about?”

“The death of his mother.” Dr. Vance met my eyes directly. “Alpha Morrison, children Theo’s age are at that taste when they engage in magical thinking. They believe their thoughts and wishes can directly influence reality. And from what you’ve told me about the days leading up to your wife’s death, Theo had been saying-

”

“That he wanted a new mommy,” I finished, the words tasting, like poison. “That Bianca was evil. That he hated her.”

“Exactly. And then, shortly after expressing those wishes, his mother died.” Dr. Vance leaned forward. “In Theo’s mind, his words killed her. His wishes made her go away. And that guilt is crushing, him from the inside out.”

+ Bonus

I felt like I’d been punched in the chest. “But that’s not… he didn’t…”

“We know that. You know that. But Theo doesn’t understand the distinction between wishing for something and causing it to happen. All he knows is that he was mean to his mother, he said he wanted her gone, and then she died.”

“What do I do?” My voice came out broken. “How do I help him?”

“First, we need to establish that he’s safe. That he’s not going to lose you too. Children who experience traumatic loss often become terrified of losing other primary caregivers.” She paused. “Second, we need to help him understand, in age–appropriate ways, that he didn’t cause his mother’s death. That his words didn’t have magical power. That he’s not responsible.”

“But I am responsible for what happened to Blanca,” I heard myself say. “I am responsible. I forced her into that ritual. I chose

Mia over her. I—”

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