Chapter 2

After Emily was discharged from the hospital, of course she ended up moving into my place. Supposedly, it was so that I, her "fiancé," could take care of her.

I put together a whole series of "memory recovery" treatments for her. But honestly, it was my personal "adorable airhead training program."

Rule #1: Whatever your husband says is always right.

Rule #2: Always support whatever your husband wants to do, no matter what.

Rule #3: If your husband doesn't want to do something, do it for him.

...

Rule #100: Never miss a chance to show your love for your husband, anytime, anywhere.

Emily was clutching the "Love Rules" list I wrote, tilting her head and earnestly reading it word by word.

Her mind was still a little fuzzy. She didn't recognize a lot of the words, so I patiently went through them with her, one at a time.

"Honey, how do you pronounce this word?" she asked, pointing at "unconditional." "It's pronounced 'must obey,'" I replied, keeping a straight face as I made it up on the spot.

She nodded, still a bit confused, and then scribbled the pronunciation next to it: "must obey."

Seeing how obedient she was, I felt like I could burst with satisfaction.

This is exactly what a childhood sweetheart should be like.

"Honey, let me peel an apple for you," Emily said, holding a paring knife and an apple, her eyes full of eager anticipation as she looked at me.

Here it comes.

Back then, I had to ask her permission just to eat an apple. Only after she gave the go-ahead would she start peeling it, shooting me those suspicious looks and grilling me about who I'd talked to that day.

But now, the tables have turned.

I sprawled out on the couch like I owned the place and kicked my feet up. "Go on, peel it nice and clean, and keep the skin in one piece."

"Okay."

Emily nodded hard, then perched herself on a little stool and started peeling the apple with serious focus.

I kicked back, flipped on the TV, and got ready to enjoy this royal treatment.

But something in my peripheral vision made me slowly sit up straight.

Emily had her head down, completely absorbed. But the paring knife in her hand was moving so fast, it was nothing but a flash of silver.

That plain old paring knife was nimbly dancing, spinning, and flipping between her slender, pale fingers.

The apple spun rapidly in her hand, the bright red peel coming off in a single strip, paper-thin, spiraling down, growing longer and longer, until the whole apple was peeled without a single break.

The whole process was fluid and seamless, filled with an indescribable violent grace.

I could even hear the knife cutting through the air with a whooshing sound.

My crossed leg froze mid-air, and my mouth slowly dropped open.

I swallowed hard, feeling a cold chill creep down the back of my neck.

This... this is supposed to be peeling an apple? What the hell?

With skills like that, it's a waste of talent not to compete on Master Chef.

She lost her memory, but the muscle memory for those eerie knife skills is still there?

Emily handed me the perfectly peeled apple, wearing an innocent smile, clearly waiting for some praise.

"Honey, look. The peel's all in one piece!" she said, her eyes sparkling, waiting for my approval.

I looked into her pure, innocent eyes, then glanced at the paring knife in her hand, still quivering slightly.

I had no doubt that if the knife slipped from her hand, it would nail me straight to the opposite wall.

"Ahem," I forced a nervous laugh as I took the apple. "Wow... that's seriously amazing."

"Do you like it, honey?"

"Yeah, yeah... I like it," I replied half-heartedly, my mind all over the place.

"That's awesome." Emily giggled with joy, then wrapped the long apple peel around her finger, round and round, finally tying it into a cute little bow.

She held up her finger with the apple peel coiled around it for me to see, her eyes twinkling brightly.

"Honey, look. Doesn't it look like a ring?" she asked, her voice bubbling with delight.

I stared at that vivid red "ring" on her finger, and with her childlike, radiant smile, a shiver ran up my spine.

No matter how I looked at it, the whole scene was unnerving.

I guess... I celebrated way too soon.