Loving My Future Murderer

A Perfect Husband

That sudden wave of nausea hit out of nowhere. It churned Aira's stomach so bad that a bitter taste rushed straight up into her throat. Her fingers dug into the mattress sheets like crazy. She tried holding her breath so her chest wouldn't move up and down so fast. In the photo sitting on the wooden table, Elian was smiling in a black suit. The guy had his arms wrapped tight around Aira, who was wearing a white wedding gown. They looked super happy. But for some weird reason, her body had a total panic reaction.

Her arm hair stood straight up. Her gut twisted violently. Her mind was totally blank, unable to remember a single thing. But her physical body felt like it was flashing a massive red warning signal.

Elian finished packing the clothes into the travel bag. He turned around and saw Aira's super pale face.

"Aira?!" Elian rushed over fast. "What's wrong?! Are you hurting somewhere?!"

Aira quickly looked away from the wedding picture. She shut her eyes for a second.

"Nauseous," Aira said low. "My head suddenly started spinning."

Elian held Aira's shoulders. He helped her lie back down on the bed. His hands adjusted the pillows behind her head. His touch was warm and every movement was extremely careful.

"Don't force yourself," Elian said while pulling the blanket up to her chest. "The doctor said forcing memories out can cause shock. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have placed that picture near you."

Aira shook her head softly. "It's not your fault."

Elian took a small cloth from a basin of warm water. He gently wiped Aira's sweaty forehead. His moves were super slow and deliberate.

Aira stared at Elian's face up close. The guy was handsome, his eyes were calm, and he had been crazy patient the whole time. Elian was literally the definition of a perfect husband. He was rich, caring, and super protective.

Earlier today, the doctor mentioned that Elian didn't sleep a single wink all night. He handled the VIP room, paid all the hospital bills, and stayed by her side without complaining once.

Aira thought to herself. Maybe before losing her memory, she was madly in love with Elian. Their five-year marriage must have been pure bliss. There was no way a guy this nice had evil intentions. That weird fear earlier was probably just a panic reaction because her head got smashed hard during the car crash.

"You had lunch earlier," Elian said as he picked up the pill bottle and a glass of water. "Now time for your afternoon meds."

Elian helped Aira sit up a bit. His left hand supported her back. His right hand held out the pill and the glass.

"Here's your medicine," Elian said.

Aira took the pill and swallowed it whole with the water. "Thank you."

Elian took the empty glass back from Aira's hand. He set it down on the table. "Thanking me for what?! It's my duty to take care of you. You're the most important thing to me, Aira."

Elian's words sounded completely solid. His eyes stared straight at Aira.

Aira tried to force a small smile. She tried pushing away the weird doubts in her mind. The guy standing in front of her was her husband. The guy who had been beside her for five years. The guy hugging her tight in that Paris vacation picture.

Elian sat back down in the chair beside the bed. He reached out his hand and held Aira's left hand. His fingers rubbed the two rings on her ring finger.

But the second their skin touched, Aira felt super uncomfortable.

A weird skin-crawling feeling crept up from her hand straight to her shoulder. Elian's touch was actually really soft. Yet Aira's skin felt like it was rejecting him. Sudden itchiness and restlessness popped up out of nowhere.

Aira held her breath. She forced herself not to pull her hand away. She didn't want to hurt Elian's feelings. Aira just stayed completely still, letting Elian hold her hand.

"Your hands are freezing," Elian said. He rubbed his palm against her fingers.

"The room AC is cold," Aira replied.

Elian stood up right away. He grabbed the AC remote on the wall and bumped up the temperature. After that, he sat right back down near Aira. Elian was seriously so attentive. He took care of even the smallest things instantly.

"I called your secretary earlier this afternoon," Elian said. "I asked her to clear your entire work schedule for a whole month."

Aira stared at Elian. "Every single schedule?!"

"Yeah," Elian answered. "You don't need to stress about the factory or textile business stuff right now. Your only focus is getting better."

"That company... do they really need me that much?!" Aira asked.

"You're the boss there," Elian said. "But I don't want you burning out after this crash. If anything urgent comes up, I'll help keep an eye on things from the outside. What matters is that you stay safe here."

Aira listened to his words. Elian wasn't just caring, but he immediately took over her work affairs so Aira could get total rest. He was truly a husband to rely on.

"Want some more water?!" Elian asked.

"No, Elian. I'm good," Aira answered low.

"If you need anything, just say it. Anything at all," Elian replied with a faint smile.

Aira nodded her head. "Aren't you tired yourself?! The doctor said you haven't slept since last night."

Elian stroked Aira's cheek with the tip of his finger. "Just seeing you safe makes all my tiredness vanish completely. So don't worry about me at all."

That sweet attitude felt so normal for a husband. Aira felt even more guilty for suspecting him earlier. She kept trying to ignore that gross feeling whenever Elian held her fingers. Aira forced her body to accept his warmth.

"Once you're allowed to go home, we'll head straight back," Elian continued. "Our house feels so empty without you around."

"Is our house big?!" Aira asked, trying to spark up a normal conversation.

"Pretty big," Elian answered. "You picked out all the decorations yourself. You were the one who wanted a fish pond in the backyard. Once we get there, maybe your memories will start coming back piece by piece."

"I seriously can't picture what the house looks like," Aira whispered.

"It's totally okay," Elian gently rubbed her fingers again. "Just take it slow. I'll be right beside you to remind you of everything."

The afternoon turned into evening. The light outside the window began to fade into darkness. The hospital room lights switched on automatically.

Aira felt her eyes growing ridiculously heavy. The afternoon medication she took earlier was kicking in fast. Extreme drowsiness slammed into her out of nowhere. Her entire body felt completely weak against the mattress.

"Getting sleepy?!" Elian asked when he saw Aira's eyes fluttering shut a few times.

"Yeah," Aira answered honestly. "The meds make me super knocked out."

"Just go to sleep," Elian said softly. He stroked Aira's hair. "I'll wait right here. You're completely safe with me."

Aira closed her eyes tight. The heavy drowsiness made her consciousness fade away bit by bit. She regulated her breathing to keep it nice and steady. Deep down in her heart, Aira started convincing herself that her earlier terror was just an irrational reaction caused by amnesia. Elian was the guy protecting her.

"Elian," Aira called out weakly before fully drifting off.

"Yeah, Aira?!"

"Thanks for being so patient with me."

Elian didn't reply with words. He just leaned down and kissed Aira's forehead briefly. The touch of his lips felt cold on Aira's skin, but she chose not to overthink it anymore.

A few minutes passed by. The hospital room became dead silent. There was only the hum of the AC unit and the steady rhythm of Aira's breathing.

Elian, who was sitting beside the bed, stared closely at Aira. He noticed her breathing had become completely stable and regular. The guy was totally sure that the sleeping sedatives in her meds had taken full effect.

Elian's hand, which was stroking Aira's head, suddenly froze.

The expression on Elian's face completely flipped.

The guy leaned his back against the chair. That sweet, gentle smile he had been wearing all morning vanished into thin air. There wasn't a single trace of that caring husband face left on him.

Elian's expression turned stone-cold and dead flat.

Elian stared at Aira lying unconscious in front of him. His hands clenched into tight fists in his lap until his knuckles turned completely white. His eyes locked straight onto Aira's face.

His gaze wasn't warm anymore. There was a suppressed mix of intense guilt and heavy regret buried deep inside his eyes.

Elian bent his upper body slightly toward Aira's ear. The guy stared at his wife's sleeping face for a really long time.

Elian held his breath for a split second. Then he whispered extremely low, right beside Aira.

"I'm sorry."

Elian's voice sounded deep and trembling. Right after uttering those two words, Elian stood up slowly without making a single sound. He took a few quiet steps backward, walking away from the bed, completely unaware that Aira wasn't actually fully asleep yet.