I gazed at the most beautiful woman in front of me, her hesitation reaction was simply too cute for me to handle. I wanted to tease her more but it would be cruel when she was already looking quite uncomfortable.
"You're not being bitchy at all. To me, your behaviour was leaning more towards untangling the knots of confusion."
Her head nodded, revealing the satisfied smile across her face, shining quite brightly.
"Are you busy?" She asked. Her eyes were staring at the piles of paper strewn across the table.
"No. Why?"
My hands folded the laptop close. I was all ears while my hands were busy stashing the papers into one big pile before keeping them in a file.
"How? No, why were you threatening my mum with money and me in the first place?"
"Because she did not look after you."
"No no! It still did not explain why."
"I told you —"
"Don't you dare give me the same answer or that short answer bullshit," she said sternly with her index finger threatening me.
To be honest, I knew what she was asking. I was only evading it, hoping she would not ask me the follow up question. It was already a risky situation when she ironed out the timeline of her accident to our marriage.
She had never question about our marriage during the first two memory loss incidents. She was evidently shocked but accepted it nonetheless. It was primarily about her mum that stumped her. But this time, she was questioning everything and I fear I might accidentally spill something that was meant for me to bring to the grave.
"I was angered knowing a mother would ignore her child but dared to take advantage of the situation to make ridiculous demand," I relented. By some means, I had a nagging thought telling me it was the perfect chance to confess and restart over. I wondered if there would no longer be another chance and I would be a fool to not take this golden opportunity.
"And that angered you because....?"
"Sigh... I was actually getting carried away with my emotions due to some personal issues I was facing."
"I knew it!! I knew it didn't make any sense for a stranger to go to such lengths!!! So why did you carry through with it?"
Maisie was getting warmer and warmer to uncovering the actual issue and if that happened, I fear she would realised I had taken her as a tool to my agenda no matter how things have changed since.
'It gave me satisfaction to know I am in control,' the voice in my head answered. I could not afford to let her know the ugly side of me that was so hideous and sinister even if it was a momentary lapse on my part.
"I... I don't know," I lied with a straight face.
"Bullshit!"
"I mean it. I just rolled with it." Another shameless lie that she would not buy but I was determined on not shooting my own foot.
"Yeah, right!" The sarcasm in her tone was sharp enough to slice me open as her internal lie-detector must have buzzed many times, sending a warning of my existence in her life.
"Up to you." I shrugged it off, hoping she would come to her senses that I would not be giving a different answer.
"What's in it for you?" She whispered. Her voice turned cold as I felt daggers coming from her eyes.
"Nothing. But I did get lucky and have you as my wife," I swiftly added some truths to my lies for my guilty conscience. An annoyingly sweet smile accompanied the statement to distract her.
It seemed to work as she kissed her teeth and asked a different question now. Not only that, her body language had calmed down too as she sat comfortably on the sofa than when she first came to the living area.
"Exactly how much did my mum requested these ridiculous amount again?"
"Fifty thousand. Your hospital bills alone were about three thousand including renting the VIP ward."
"Maybe mum didn't know and tried to play it safe?" She pondered to herself while I hesitated to remain silent or not, fearing I might awaken the dozing beast.
"I tripled the amount of her request as compensation fee too in case you might need the after care," I reminded her, sacrificing my ass on the front line to be devoured just so she could see her mother's true nature.
"Maybe that's your fault then. You give way too much that she becomes blinded by greed."
She threw me a curveball when I least expect it that I failed to refute. "Maybe," was all I could answered. But deep down, we both know it was a lame excuse to placate her already shattered heart.
"What did she respond when you threaten her?" The softness in her voice as she asked the question reflected her true emotions. It was evident she feared to hear the answer but braced herself nonetheless.
Even so, I knew it would bring her down regardless. I refused to imagine how her reaction would be if she knew her mother sent only a thumbs up emoji. She would cry herself blind and screamed until her vocal cord ruin.
I shuddered at the imagery played in my head. I would not want her to break down again for someone who could not care less. I wanted only good things to happen to her. Is that too much to ask?
Instead of telling the truth, I only shook my head. As predicted, whatever the answer would be, she was bound to be downcasted.
"Do you know the maze you go through was built with your name?" I changed the topic, hoping it would uplift her.
"Why? Did you choose me because you liked the name?" Her suspicion in nature brought a chuckle out of me.
"No. It was built only recently. Wait, let me find the invoice," I said while opening the laptop once again to show her the birds eye view of the maze.
"Here," I handed her the laptop and went to get the invoice in our bedroom.
"HEYYYYY!!!! You spelt my name wrong!!" She whined.
But I burst into laughter, laughing my heart out because that was the same reaction she had when she first saw it.
As soon as she came into view, I saw her adorable pout - looking gorgeous as ever, as though she was tricked to see my token of love.
"Well, I guess you gave a bit of a fun for people who likes searching for things like this on the internet."
"That's what they would think but it truly is my token of love to you," I said in seriousness, looking straight into her eyes, wishing I could drown in her love as she once spoiled me.
"Uh-huh. That's right Mister-May-See-Boob!"
"Hahaha... You don't suggest I put your real name and exposes you, do you?"
"Well, I guess you do have a point. But why boob? Or is that another code word?" Her eyes squinted with suspicions but unlike the many times she frowned, this time her facial expression was filled with humour.
"Either you're dirty-minded or we need to have your eyes checked because it's not boob."
She moved her head so fast, double checking what she saw trying to prove me wrong when I know for a fact I was right.
"Bob? Who's Bob?"
"No. That's actually eight zero and eight."
"Why? What does that mean?"
"As you said, it's a code word. Eight because that's what you call me. And zero eight is our anniversary."
Her nose scrunched up as her forehead wrinkled. "I call you eight?? Coz you're an octopus? You're 8 inches? What?"
"Hahaha... You can confirm it if you want."
"Pervert!" Her hand smacked my arms - something she would do when she playfully criticise me.
I feigned pain as I rubbed it and lifted my hand closer to her. "Oww... I'm hurt. Blow me some kisses."
My teases only warranted another slap but I was happy all the same.
'You may not remember but eight was the score you gave me when you're upset with me. Saying you have deducted two points out of ten for making you mad. But you also called me eight when you showered me with your love, stating eight is a priceless score because it rhymes with my name, Ed. Most importantly, we always signed 8 on both our names because you wanted our love to be infinite and I wholeheartedly agreed to that. And to have the date of us being legally married on the eighth of eighth was such a beautiful coincidence. It was as though we were meant for each other.'
It is rather unfortunate and a shame that I started everything on the wrong foot. I admit my intention to marry her one year ago was a selfish excuse on my part. But over time, I did not realised I was falling for her harder than she did. I became overprotective of her, hiding her away from the potential pain she might experienced for marrying someone like me. I kept her from meeting any of my families in case they criticised her for being a divorcee. I shielded her from her mother who tried to guilt trip her and I spoiled her like the queen she deserved to be.
I promised to be her guardian angel, who would guard her whenever she needed to be. Even if one day she finds out the real truth, I vowed to be the perfect husband she will ever have and provide her with too much happiness that she easily erased her pain.
'But for now, allow me to love you for my love is sincere. Allow me to look after you even when I know you're sick and tired of me. As much as I regretted what I have done, I wished for you to never find out.'
If I could turn back time, I would like to redo it all over. I would want properly introduced myself to her, befriend her and fall in love in the most innocent ways possible. If I could erase all the negative things I have done under false pretence, I would. I gladly accept any punishment as long as I would not lose her.
'Forgive me, Maisie for the wrong start of our relationship. I hope I still stand a chance to occupy your heart.'