“I can wash by myself.”
Although she claimed to be Hamish’s wife and believed in open communication between spouses, every time he touched her, she felt uncomfortable all over.
This meaningless resistance played out daily in the hospital, leading to the inevitable result of Hamish carrying her into the room, undressing her, and placing her in a tub of warm water.
The hot water was infused with traditional Chinese medicine, meant to soothe her nerves. According to Hamish, it was merely a bath, with no ulterior motives.
Elisa’s body still bore many scars. The marks from the burns were indelible, even laser surgery leaving only faint traces. The scars on her back could be described as gruesome.
They seemed to be corroded by something, ghastly red scars, uneven and unsettling. Looking at these wounds, Hamish couldn’t help but recall Elisa’s bloodied appearance at the time of the incident.
No matter how many times he saw them, he felt the pain. He still hadn’t found the person who had truly harmed Elisa. He had intended to go after Lukas, but by the time he found him, the man was already dead, leaving no trace of the culprit.
Elisa could feel Hamish’s hands trembling. Although she couldn’t see her back, she could see the wounds on her front, such as those on her collarbone and chest. These wounds undoubtedly told her how perilous the car accident had been. It was said that a small piece of glass had pierced her collarbone, slightly shifting upward, almost piercing her artery.
She was incredibly fortunate. In such a perilous car accident, her face remained unscathed.
Hamish was very attentive when washing Elisa. His movements were gentle, and he made sure the water temperature in the tub didn’t drop, even going as far as to sit down.
“Elisa, extend your feet.”
Soaked in the warm water, Elisa’s whole body felt relaxed, obediently extending her feet like a docile cat.
Hamish held her ankle, giving her a massage. She felt ticklish and tried to pull back several times, but Hamish held her firmly.
Elisa’s face turned red, perhaps from embarrassment or from the heat of the water. If she hadn’t known that this person was her husband, she would never have imagined that he, in his position, would humbly wash her and massage her feet.
“Did you often massage people’s feet before?” Elisa inquired.
Hamish massaged the soles of her feet. “I only massaged one person, and that was during your hospital stay.” He paused before adding, “Elisa, I wasn’t good to you before, but now and in the future, I will always treat you well. I will love you for eternity.”
Hamish rarely spoke sweet words. Rather than sweet nothings, it seemed more like a promise he was making.
It affirmed the saying that one only understands the value of something once it’s lost.
He didn’t want to deceive Elisa forever because he didn’t know when she might remember.
When the time came for Elisa to regain her memory, if she discovered that he had been deceiving her throughout her amnesia, she might despise him even more. However, he was eager to make Elisa accept him sooner and was too deeply mired in this lie.
If possible, he hoped that Elisa would never remember for the rest of her life. But was that even possible? Even a hypnotist couldn’t guarantee it.
Seeing his slightly solemn expression, Elisa lightly pressed her foot against his chest. “That depends on your performance.”
The stone weighing on his heart suddenly fell away. Hamish curved his lips, gazing at Elisa’s foot resting on his chest. It was a seemingly ordinary gesture, but it made his heart itch. He grabbed her foot. “What about my performance?”
Elisa was about to speak when her sole was tickled. She giggled and, because she was ticklish, reflexively kicked Hamish, splashing water all over his face.
Elisa felt a little guilty but refused to admit it, tilting her chin up slightly with an air of spoiled pride. “I’m ticklish. It’s your fault for tickling me.”