“Don’t be nervous, I’ll be with you all the way until you feel familiar.” That’s what he said, but Elisa had explored every nook and cranny of the entire villa and still felt like a stranger.
She seemed so out of place, like a grease stain on clean clothes, like a mouse suddenly intruding into someone else’s new home. With her memory lost, she sometimes felt very sensitive, insecure, and weak.
Elisa wandered from the first floor to the second floor bedroom, feeling like something was missing in this house. It wasn’t until she saw the wedding photo on the bedside that it hit her. This was supposed to be her and Hamish’s marital home, so why were there so few wedding photos in the room? Moreover, the wedding photo on the bedside looked like a casual shot taken by someone else.
“We don’t have any wedding photos?” Elisa asked.
Hamish had already prepared his explanation: “We were in a rush when we got married, so we didn’t take any wedding photos. If you want, we can take them another day and even have a proper wedding ceremony.”
Elisa wasn’t insistent on having wedding photos, but she just wanted to see if looking at them or watching the video would trigger any memories. But there was nothing-no family, no friends, no recollection of the past. Even something as significant as their marriage had no memory attached to it; she had to rely solely on Tobias and Hamish’s words.
Elisa was just suffering from amnesia; she wasn’t foolish. It was obvious to her that they were trying to deceive her about certain things. They had been married for five years, which should have meant there was love between them. So, why, aside from a marriage certificate, could she not find any evidence that their marriage existed?
“Have you not loved me at all during these years of marriage?” It wasn’t a question, but a calm statement of fact.
“You…” Had Elisa remembered something? Hamish’s face suddenly went pale, his breath weakened.
Elisa murmured to herself, “Tobias said that I pursued you initially, and you probably didn’t like me at the time. After all, we were so different; it seemed impossible for us to be together.”
It seemed like something had stirred in Elisa’s memory. She became despondent, murmuring, “Did I use some despicable means to force you into marrying me? Is that why we got married in such a rush, without even a proper wedding photo? I can’t feel any trace of us living in this new house.”
“We’ve been sleeping in separate rooms for these five years of marriage, haven’t we? We were just a married couple in name?”
Lost in confusion, as each question arose, what had initially been mere speculation seemed more and more plausible. She was now embroiled in it, unable to extricate herself.
She hadn’t realized she was capable of such deceit, possibly coercing Hamish into marriage by underhanded means. And her accident was most likely a result of her secretly following Hamish on a business trip.
Elisa had concocted a melodramatic soap opera in her mind, much like those found in online novels-perhaps a one-night stand, followed by marriage and then love. Hamish didn’t know the depths of the story she was entwined in, which explained his varying expressions, sometimes pursing his lips, sometimes furrowing his brow.
But it had to be said, even with amnesia, Elisa’s insight remained strong. Although her thoughts were speculative, they were sixty percent accurate. Indeed, for these years of marriage, it was merely a facade, lacking deep affection. When and how the seeds of this misunderstanding were sown, even Hamish didn’t know. By the time he realized, it had already grown into an irrevocable attachment.
“Are you treating me so well now out of guilt?” In the story she had concocted, Elisa suddenly felt aggrieved, her eyes reddening like a pitiful rabbit.
Hamish’s heart softened, and he drew Elisa into his embrace. “Nonsense. We did have misunderstandings during the first few years of our marriage, but not as dismal as you think. I truly love you, and it’s not out of guilt.”
“The reason we didn’t take wedding photos is that you found it troublesome. Later, I was busy with work and neglected it. But we did have a wedding ceremony, and we made vows in front of a priest to be together for a lifetime. You can’t betray those vows just because of amnesia.”
Most of the latter part of his speech was a fabricated lie.
Under his soothing words, Elisa gradually began to accept it. “Then where do I work?”
“You don’t work. After marrying me, you’ve been at home all along.”
“A housewife?” Elisa wasonce again taken aback. She considered herself smart and independent, someone who would surely go out to work. She never expected to stay at home after marriage.
“Are you surprised?” Hamish asked.
Elisa shook her head. “Not exactly surprised, just didn’t think I’d be the type to stay at home like a salted fish.”
Hamish was somewhat at a loss for words. Elisa was indeed not one to settle for the status quo; she was willing to strive, never losing to men in her career.
When Elisa mentioned wanting to work before, Hamish’s initial reaction had always been to refuse, wanting to keep her at home like a precious flower. But now, he was ready to comply with Elisa’s desires. If she wanted to work, he would arrange an easy job for her.
“If you want to work, come to Burns Group. You can choose any position you like.”
“Really?”
Hamish nodded. “Even the position of CEO?”
“As long as you want it, I will transfer the shares of Burns Group to your name immediately.”
Hamish’s gaze and tone were earnest. Elisa quickly shook her head. “I was just joking, and you took it seriously? Besides, I don’t remember anything because of my amnesia.”
“I can teach you.”
“Forget it, I can’t even operate a computer or a phone.”
The “accident” had caused her significant harm. Aside from physical disability and amnesia, she also clearly felt her memory worsening and her cognitive abilities slowing down. She couldn’t function normally at work.
Elisa had to accept her fate as a stay-at-home wife.
The maid arranged by Hamish would arrive tomorrow. Not knowing how to cook, he ordered a table full of takeout.
After dinner, he familiarly went to the bathroom to run a hot bath. Steam rose from the tub as he called out to the evasive Elisa.
“Come in for a bath.”
Hamish’s voice was deep, sounding seductively attractive, as if he had woven a net of tenderness with his eyes, enveloping her entirely, leaving no room for escape.
This wasn’t the first time Hamish had bathed Elisa; during those months in the hospital, he had personally helped her bathe every day.