”Wifey!” Lei Zhao anxiously called out in the bedroom, but no one answered. His heart hammered in his chest as terror stabbed his heart. He frantically searched the whole room, but he couldn’t even find a shadow of her. Lei Zhao’s terror mounted with every step he took towards the bathroom. He knew she was taking a shower.

‘Was she inside? Did she….’

His line of thoughts trailed off as he closed his eyes and heaved a sigh. Opening his eyes, he opened the bathroom and searched for her with the aid of his phone’s flashlight, but it was empty. He breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, she wasn’t in here or he is afraid the worst-case scenario would have happened.

”Yan Mei!” he roared with his voice edged with panic, but dead silence greeted him back.

’Where is she?’

Lei Zhao searched every corner of the house like a madman as dread gnawed at his insides. Maybe because he was hysterical, he forgot to search one place; the living room. The place he had always passed by during his search.

Without him knowing, every second he wasted his wife was losing bits of her sanity at a corner in the living room.

Yan Mei’s inner demons were louder tonight. They were taunting her, reminding her of her darkest moments. Whispering how pathetic and unloved she was. Telling her, her own child didn’t want a monster like her as a mother, that’s why she died.

Bad omens like her don’t deserve happiness; they had taunted while crawling in her brain like unwelcome pests. Making her feel down and worthless.

She hated this feeling; she wanted the voices to stop, but like bullies, they never listen to their victims’ plea.

She was sitting on the floor hugging her knees to her chest with her face buried between them. She rocked her body side to side as she felt her heart heaving uncontrollably, but she wasn’t even sure if she was crying or not. She hoped Lei Zhao would find her soon. Suddenly there was a loud clap of thunder causing her blood to freeze in her veins.

Panic surged through Lei Zhao when he couldn’t find Yan Mei. Running a frustrated hand through his hair, he tried to think about the place he had missed in his search. His brows knitted together, then suddenly his eyes widened as a light bulb went off in his head. ‘The living room!’

Lei Zhao ran quickly to the living room, not paying heed to the pain that ran through his veins when his leg hit a table. When he reached the living room, he looked around but he couldn’t find her.

”Yan Me-“

Lei Zhao’s words got caught in his throat when he saw a figure sitting at a corner hiding behind a furniture. His heart lurched when he saw Yan Mei sitting on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest with her face buried between them.

”Wi-fey..” he mumbled with raw panic in his voice.

Yan Mei didn’t respond, but she was repeatedly chanting words he couldn’t comprehend. Lei Zhao hurriedly strode towards her, he held her shoulders and shook her once he reached her. But Yan Mei was far gone in her abyss to feel someone shaking her.

”Yan Mei!”

He yelled, which caused Yan Mei to wake up from whatever trance she was in. She slowly looked up and met Lei Zhao’s eyes laced with concern. She froze for her moment as her empty eyes roamed his face.

Seeing her giving him a blank look with her pale face. Lei Zhao felt like his heart was being ripped out of him. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her.

Yan Mei struggled in his arms and pushed him away. Lei Zhao was not holding her tightly because he was afraid to hurt her, so he was easily pushed away by her making him fall on his bottom.

Terror overtook her face as she held her head, shaking the voices out of her head.

”I’m fine…fine-I”m—fine. No-no, he loves me. He wouldn’t leave me…”

She chanted as her eyes darted around the room until they stopped on Lei Zhao, who was staring at her.

Lei Zhao was mute with horror. Sadness, fear, and frustrations almost overwhelmed him. He had no idea what to do or how to even react. He was afraid he would cause more damage to her.

Recognitions finally dawned on Yan Mei’s face.

”Lei—Zhao” She whispered as she gripped his hands, his shirt, and buried her face in his chest. Yan Mei sobbed into his chest. Pain, fear, exhaustion, and frustration bubbling uncontrolled within her.

Lei Zhao held her cold body tightly, trying to warm her up. Yan Mei’s body was tense, pressed up against him.

”Sorry..I didn’t find you earlier.”

He mumbled softly, then he scooped her from the floor and hugged her to the bedroom. Lei Zhao placed her gently on the bed, held her close for a moment, then planted a kiss on her forehead.

He decided to look for warm clothes for her since she was wearing a crop top and shorts, making her body freaking cold. Lei Zhao got down from the bed in search of a sweater for her but she gripped his shirt stopping him in his tracks.

”Don’t—go.” She pleaded as she pulled his shirt.

”Alright.” Lei Zhao said as he smiled softly at her. He unbuttoned his shirt and helped her to wear it.

Once he finished he laid on the bed beside her and pulled her into his arms hugging her tightly. Lei Zhao covered them with the quilt.

Yan Mei sobbed into his chest unceasingly, her hands clutching his innerwear vest. Lei Zhao held her in silence, rocking her slowly as her tears soaked his chest. A few minutes later, Yan Mei felt her eyes growing heavier and heavier. Finally, she closed her eyes as her mind dragged her into the oblivion of sleep.