PMS1: President's Forgotten Wife

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 19: TO REMEMBER, TO FORGET, ONCE AGAIN.

JADE thought his day would be quiet when Lewis suddenly thwarted her from going upstairs to deliver their belongings inside their allocated rooms. After recalling her and Eisen's misunderstanding about the wallpaper, it was hard for Jade to face Lewis at the moment.

"We'll be staying here for two weeks. Maybe, you could go home for a while? Don't worry because I won't deduct your two weeks day-off from your salary." Jade wasn't surprised that Lewis and his parents would want to stay in the mansion for how long they wanted since she expected them to arrive; however, what she didn't expect to happen is that Lewis is giving him two weeks' worth of day-off! A chance for her to go back home and spend some time with her family!

Jade threw the key for Lewis's room, and Lewis catches it on time before juggling it on his hand, not even bothered by her muted response.

"So, when do you plan to pack your things up? Just say the word, and I'll prepare for your vehicle to go back to your hometown,"

"Thank you for the offer, Lewis. I would love a two weeks vacation, but I'm not used to not working that long," Jade said as she made her way to another vacant room on the second floor.

Because Eisen has an injury and can't always go up and down the stairs, so his room is located downstairs, along with her designated space; for the longest time, since the day she entered the mansion, Jade rarely visits the second floor because the floor was always clean and only needs maintaining.

When she was about to enter the room, Lewis grabbed her wrist to stop her from continuing. Jade looked at him intently and proudly met his gaze.

"If this is about what happened last time, will you at least let me know and act like nothing happened when you're still on duty?" Jade faced the young man and gave him a playful smile before shrugging his hand off her and continued entering the room.

Jade thought that Lewis already decided to stop pestering her, but she was wrong when the man followed behind her, and at the same time, Lewis lowered the luggage at hand while Jade made few steps a little bit far away from Lewis.

"Can't you at least talk to me, Jade?" Lewis's curbed his voice when he uttered those words. However, his tone was deep and dangerous that snapped Jade's gaze up and met the man on the face.

"This is not about what happened last time, so stop talking, stop following, and just mind your own business, Mr. Lewis. I bet you're already tired from your travel, so I suggest you go to your room and get some nap and let me do my job accordingly," she answered as she put the key on the keyhole and opened the walk-in closet of the room. Jade placed the couple's kinds of stuff inside and closed the door of the walk-in closet.

But when she turned to the door and was about to leave, her old friend raked his fingers on his hair before massaging his nape. Lewis heaves a deep sigh before coldly meeting her stares. "I can't believe this. I can't believe you."

Lewis didn't bother to dawdle for Jade to respond, and he instantly departs the room, disappointed.

The last thing Jade would want to happen is to get into a larger argument with Lewis. But Jade can't tolerate the idea of him, her old best friend, acting like he didn't do anything wrong when they were still young. A simple phone call will never ease the pain he did. A simple talk would never be enough to fill the gaps inside her. And in this situation, she shouldn't be doing any favor for him.

If only guilt wasn't acting up.

After taking long deep breaths, Jade vacated the room and went downstairs to prepare for the new arrivals. But as soon as she set foot on the tip of the stairs, laughter busted out in the living room, rendering Jade to wonder what was happening. And as soon as Jade saw how Eisen genuinely beams at his family, Jade can't help but feel glad for him as well. Eisen seems to bask to what they're talking about, so Jade is delighted because somehow, the young man is comfortable— Because she wasn't able to make him laugh that hard.

Jade desired to prepare food for the family; however, that instantly changes when Jade dreamed of going outside and grabbing some fresh air. She wanted to ask for permission or inform them or anyone that she wanted to go outside. Still, because the family members were having a good time talking, Jade decided to go out without anyone knowing where she was going.

__________

EISEN'S parents were happy to know that he's doing great the past few days. He thought they would not visit him as he remembered his parents' abandonment of him when they sent him to France.

He wanted to instill anger towards them because of the sudden annoyance growing up inside of him. Eisen can't help but think about the past as his eyes were smiling towards them. Eisen was hurting. But because he was happy to see them and had no intention to ruin the mood, happiness immediately overcame the anger and hatred in his feelings.

In his dreams, if what he recalled were sincere and whole, Eisen has a loving family. His mother has never failed to do her role as a mother to him and Lewis, and that reason alone is enough for Eisen to want and hug his mother tightly. On the other hand, his father was the most honest man he has ever met. His dad never failed to inspire him with his 'words of wisdom' whenever Eisen feels down, troubled, or hurting. His words helped him a lot, most especially when he's still young. And lastly, his brother, Lewis. Lewis was the positive one between them. He would always support Eisen in everything he wanted and not wished to do in life. Eisen would get irritated when Lewis gets pushy, but at the end of the day, he would always reconsider his brother's words.

With the newfound memory, Eisen thought that It feels nice to have a family. In his memory, he had the family he always wanted. But now, Eisen is not sure whether that family still exists. A part of him is grateful that he got into an accident and has amnesia. Because of what happened in his life, Eisen became closer to his family. And hopefully, Eisen will also fix his problem with Jade about their marriage.

"Oh, son, have you fixed your belongings upstairs?" his mother asked Lewis, who had just arrived in the living room. His shoulders fall onto the ground as sadness weigh his movement. Something was definitely wrong, but Lewis snapped out of his reverie and glimmered at their parents.

He sat on the single sofa and hugged their mother like an adoring son he's always been. "I have packed up my things, and Jade arranged your things and the room you'll be staying in. But where is Jade?" he asked as he looked around but unable to see where Jade is.

"Aren't you with her earlier? We thought you went after her before we settled in here?" Their father, who is currently eating a sandwich prepared by their mother a while ago, asked.

Eisen frowned at the rapid beating of his heart, nervous about where Jade was.

"Yes, but she got down first. I thought she was here talking to you or in the kitchen?" Lewis asked again. His voice was full of concern, and his face showed the wonder of where his wife may have been by now.

"Well, we didn't notice her coming down the stairs nor see her leave the house," Eisen replied calmly as worry lifted in his chest. Different scenarios started to mess up with him, triggering his fears out of control. And he was nauseated with that feeling. He hates it when fear eats him alive.

"Jade will manage. Maybe, she was giving us the time to bond as a family?" his mother's words followed while her attention focuses on Eisen's hair that the lady is currently fixing.

"Isn't she part of the family?" they were both stunned by his answer. "She's my wife, so she has all the right to be one of us, am I right? Because you sounded like Jade isn't a part of us yet," The color of her mother's face suddenly turned blanched when Eisen just examined her behavior, including his father and brother's expressions.

Earlier, Eisen caught his family's strange reaction every moment he gets the chance to mention his wife. It was as if he was saying something wrong to them. Eisen thought that its better to alleviate the discomfort his family shows towards him but noticing that something was definitely wrong, then this is not the moment to disregard what the voices in his heard were whispering into his ears.

"Well, what mom meant by family bonding is that we get to bond just like the old days. When we never keep any secrets and other pieces of stuff like that. Moments like when we're still kids," if his brother had not answered, Eisen would not have understood what his mother meant. However, a part of him still reconsiders Lewis's words because what his brother is saying now doesn't add to the fact that something is definitely going on.

But Eisen ended up nodding his head in response as he let his parents agree to Lewis's statement. He just smiled after that and immediately clasped his hands together before he turned his attention to the three of them.

"Okay. So what recreations can we possibly do, with my condition to be considered, as a complete family?"

Eisen sounded jolly and comforting while deep beneath his heart shouted the word 'pain and 'doubt' regarding what just happened. He doesn't want to tarnish the mood, so he's playing it safe this time. If his family was trying to hide a grave truth about him, then Eisen will play along with them. Besides, he already dug out his own grave the moment he set foot onto the doorway of the mansion.

Eisen's parents, along with his brother, remained silent as they stared desperately towards each other. Eisen was missing many things, from every way his family looked at each other to the moment he saw them whisper talking inside the hospital.

Eisen was about to repeat his question after getting no response from any of them when Lewis grabbed his attention by answering his question.

"Well, we can start this 'family activity by merely telling us, Eisen, about your dreams. I know it's a lot to ask, but it might be interesting to hear heeding the fact that it happened yesterday, if what I can adequately recall from Jade."

Lewis smiled and even winked at him. The way Lewis acted somewhat sent discomfort into his core. Eisen's brother seemed to be implying something; however, his voice sounded sarcastic that Eisen wanted to punch his brother in the face.

Slowly, he clenched his fist and closed his eyes for a while. Eisen then concluded that his family already knew about his dream last night. Eisen can't believe that after trusting Jade about something he thought Jade needs to know, the young man can't believe that he has given too much trust to someone he barely knows.

His wife sold him out! Is this Jade's way to imply that Eisen has been nothing but an ass the whole time?! Because if it does, she could've told him to stop being an asshole and drop the 'innocent act' that has been bothering him since then!

And for that reason alone, Eisen bitterly smiled at everyone as he tried to hide the disappointment in his face. His body tensed up as he did his best to relax in front of his family.

"Yeah, I've been dying to know about your dreams, son. Would you like to share them with us? We will gradually listen. We promise."

Eisen did his best to flash another adorable smile at his mother, who supported Lewis. He is happy that their family is complete once again. Eisen is pleased to stare at their eyes as recognition drove his confidence to face them. That's what he wanted to happen, to recognize his family little by little. Eisen wanted the family that he almost let it slip on his grasp. Eisen wanted to have a family that made him complete— complete as if the word didn't exist before him. But what now?

For Eisen, they didn't visit him because they missed him or they wanted to see him if he's getting better. They're just here to know about his dream that he wished he had never remembered because a part of him knew that his nightmare was actually a fragment from his forgotten memory— a memory that his family has been dying to know. And that disappointed him even more.

Everything became clear to Eisen that everyone visited him because they need his memory more than he needed them. Maybe, Eisen made many favorable endeavors before; that's why they keep pushing him to remember because what he had done in the past few months before the accident happened is because he's been someone more rebellious than what everyone expected from him. Perhaps because he wasn't the Eisen that his family grew up with, he wasn't the Eisen he was supposed to be. He wasn't the Eisen they used to know. 

Eisen unconsciously clenched his fist, squaring his shoulders with a blank face after facing them with a severe atmosphere. His jaw clenched in bitterness as if the world stopped from moving. And slowly, he released his clenched fist and let a big smile blunder on his lips.

Eisen let his eyes glow underneath the pain that he's been trying to hide— the Eisen he was trying to remember and now to forget once again.