Captain Lu was aloof again today.

Chapter 178 PTSD
Susan stared at the photo for a few seconds, then shook her head firmly: "It's not her."

Wei Qingsong frowned slightly, somewhat disappointed.

Did she really think too much?
impossible.

Anyone with eyes can see that the Yan family is absolutely not innocent in this matter.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. Even if the Yan family is the mastermind behind it all, why would Yan Yun bother to show her face and do these things herself?

With just a word from her, countless people would rush to serve her.

She should have realized it sooner. The Yan family prefers to stay behind the scenes, enjoying the thrill of controlling everything, treating themselves as supreme gods, and wantonly trampling on the mortals in their eyes.

Yan Jiqian and Yan Zhi are just like that, aren't they?

Hiding in dark corners, like rats that can't stand the light.

Back then at that Sichuan restaurant, Hua Hengchen had personally mentioned that his father worked for the Yan family in Bailiwan.

It was thanks to his arrogance and conceit that the dark side of the Yan family was exposed to the light of day.

However, this is far from enough...

After explaining what she knew, Susan breathed a sigh of relief and gave a self-deprecating bitter smile.

"To be honest, many times I feel lost and don't know what to do. At first, I did what they told me to do in order to survive."

"But later, after seeing so many so-called upper-class people who squandered money like water and getting used to a life of extravagance, I can't say for sure whether, at some point, I thought, 'So be it, as long as I have money, I don't care about selling my body.'"

"Perhaps this is what happens when all the flowers in the world dazzle the eye. I used to live a hard life, but now, the cost of one of my meals is equivalent to several days' wages for an average wage earner. A bag or a piece of clothing that I own is something that an average person couldn't afford even if they saved up for half a year."

"I've been torn between these contradictions, feeling that I can't do this, yet I'm enjoying it at the same time. I think I'm really pathetic."

From a psychological perspective, Susan's thinking is not difficult to understand.

Victims of sexual assault often create a false impression by numbing themselves and deceiving themselves.

They feel that if they are acting voluntarily rather than under duress, then they are not being violated and things are not so bad.

This is a psychological mechanism for self-protection.

The fact that victims compromise with the status quo does not mean that they are truly "voluntary".

They are just numbing themselves to alleviate their inner pain.

They weren't being despicable; they were suffering from psychological trauma.

This is a distorted perception of the abuser, and it is also a typical symptom of PTSD.

Wei Qingsong sighed and said softly, "It's all in the past now."

Susan's eyes were filled with an unreadable expression. After a long while, she said in a hoarse voice, "Is it really all over?"

"Those pains are deeply etched into my bones and can never be erased. In the dead of night, I will recall those unbearable memories."

"I can't get over it. Those memories will keep reminding me how pathetic I was. I can't get over it."

"Even if the case is closed, this matter will haunt me like a nightmare, making it impossible for me to live a normal life. Besides, will it really end so easily, officer?"

"The manager escaped... and there are always some VIP customers of the hotel who slip through the net. It's impossible to catch them all. The only way I can avoid retaliation is to leave this city and go far away. I have to live under an assumed name, cautiously, and in constant fear."

"Can you teach me how to get through?"

Susan had always been calm and clear-headed, but now she could no longer remain rational. She leaned forward, her expression agitated, and her eyes reddened.

Wei Qingsong gently pressed her trembling hand, his voice calm: "Why punish yourself for someone else's mistakes?"

"This is not your fault. You are the victim. For the rest of your life, the ones who will be haunted by nightmares and anxiety are them. They will spend the rest of their lives in prison, while you still have a future."

"I have no future." Susan was extremely negative, her expression was dejected and ashen, and she covered her face, shaking her head repeatedly.

This is a manifestation of escaping reality.

Wei Qingsong knew that no matter how indifferent or strong Susan appeared on the surface, she could not hide the torment she was suffering inside.

But the more she endured it, the more she kept all the pain inside, which only exacerbated her emotional turmoil and deepened her suffering.

The only way to cheer her up is to let her face her pain.

She did nothing wrong and shouldn't be labeled.

The same applies to other girls; they shouldn't blame or resent themselves.

Because in this case, the guilty parties are the men who violated them.

Extensive data shows that many victims develop severe PTSD after being assaulted.

They might even feel that being violated is their own fault.

Besides blaming themselves, they also develop a strong fear of the opposite sex, which has a huge impact on their future lives, making it impossible for them to have normal relationships or live a normal life.

Victims may begin to hate themselves and develop an avoidance mentality, becoming afraid to socialize because they fear the judgment of others.

Humans are ultimately situated in a complex social environment. If they are not comforted in time after being hurt, and are instead provoked by those around them, causing secondary harm, the consequences could be unimaginable.

In severe cases, it can lead to an extreme mentality, causing one to go to the other extreme, constantly generating negative and depressive emotions, self-torture, and in mild cases, a drastic change in personality and promiscuity, or in severe cases, loss of the desire to live and self-destruction.

After pondering for a long time, Wei Qingsong asked in a low voice, "Whose responsibility do you think is to have encountered such a situation?"

Just as she had expected, Susan answered without hesitation: "Of course it's my fault. I was too stupid and easily fooled. I didn't know how to resist. After it happened, I was in a daze and just let things slide. I was easily controlled by them."

That's just how it is. Even though she's a victim, most people who have been violated feel that they are responsible for being violated.

They would feel that they hadn't protected themselves well, that they were too naive and too foolish.

Wei Qingsong gently shook her head and retorted, "You are just a girl who came to the big city alone to work. You are facing two adult men. The difference in strength between men and women is huge. Physically, you have no way to protect yourself. It is almost impossible to ask a girl to protect herself when faced with assault. Why are you so harsh on yourself?"

Susan's lips were tightly pressed together, and her voice was dry: "Even so, I had many opportunities to escape later, but I didn't. I was too cowardly. Maybe I just gave up on myself."

“You’re wrong again.” Wei Qingsong said firmly, staring straight into her eyes. “You were photographed in compromising situations and videos were taken of you. You didn’t want those videos to be circulated on the internet. Isn’t that a form of self-preservation? You were threatened. What did you do wrong? In that situation, you did your best to save your own life.”

Susan's eyes were unfocused, as if she were lost in thought.

"So, do you still think you're wrong?" Wei Qingsong asked.

(End of this chapter)