Back to The Arms of The Husband I Once Killed

BANG!

The bedroom door was suddenly kicked open with tremendous force.

Elz flinched in shock. The deafening noise startled Kenny, her son, causing the baby to burst into frightened cries.

Elz froze when she saw who had barged into the room.

It was her personal bodyguards... accompanied by her husband, Adrian.

"How dare you barge into my bedroom!" Elz shouted furiously. "Do you all want to be fired?"

Adrian strode into the room, his eyes as cold as ice.

Elz frowned, completely bewildered by what was happening.

"What are you doing? You scared me!"

"Hold her," Adrian ordered coldly.

Before Elz could react, the bodyguards ripped Kenny from her arms and roughly restrained her, pinning both of her hands behind her back.

"What does this mean?" Elz struggled violently. "How dare you lay your hands on me! Let me go!"

Kenny cried even louder, terrified by the commotion.

"Let me go!" Elz screamed desperately.

Adrian let out a cold sneer.

"Hmph. You should have died a long time ago."

Elz's eyes widened in disbelief.

"W-What... what do you mean?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Let me go!"

Just then, Vanesha-Elz's stepsister-walked into the room with a bright smile. She affectionately wrapped her arm around Adrian's.

Elz stared at them in stunned silence.

"So... this is why you've barely contacted me lately?" she asked bitterly.

The sweet and innocent stepsister she had trusted all these years had been having an affair with her husband behind her back.

"I fell in love with her long before I married you," Adrian said with a mocking smile. "Vanesha is far better than you'll ever be."

"Better?" Elz glared at him. "What could you possibly see in a woman like her?"

SMACK!

Vanesha slapped Elz across the face with all her strength.

A sharp sting immediately spread across Elz's cheek.

"You bitch!" Elz snapped. "Who do you think you are to slap me?"

Adrian suddenly grabbed Elz by the chin, forcing her to look at him.

"What do you think you can do in your current situation?" he sneered. "I only pretended to love you so I could get my hands on the Ashford family fortune."

"You'll never get it!" Elz shot back. "Everything belongs to Kenny!"

"Oh, really?"

A cruel smile slowly spread across Adrian's face.

"Then what if I get rid of Kenny right now?"

A chill ran through Elz's entire body.

She watched in horror as Adrian signaled one of his men. The man immediately stepped forward, holding a glass of water.

"W-What are you going to do?"

"It's time for you and your son to disappear from this world."

"N-No... please..."

Elz's face turned deathly pale as Adrian forced the glass against her lips.

She struggled desperately, but the poisoned water was forced down her throat.

A few moments later, the poison began to take effect.

Her tongue burned before slowly going numb.

Then, terror consumed her.

She could only watch helplessly as Adrian forced the same poison into Kenny's mouth.

"No!" Elz cried out in horror. "Kenny is your son too!"

She tried to scream, but her throat refused to obey.

Only broken sobs escaped her lips as she watched Adrian poison his own child without the slightest hesitation.

The bodyguards released her, causing Elz to collapse onto the floor like a broken doll.

Kenny's desperate cries gradually grew weaker...

until they disappeared completely.

Silence.

Adrian and Vanesha laughed triumphantly before walking away, leaving Elz behind as her consciousness slowly faded.

Moments later, Elz noticed flames beginning to spread throughout the room.

The treacherous couple had set the mansion on fire to erase every trace of their crime.

Tears streamed down Elz's face.

For the first time in years, she remembered Nathan Ashford...

Her first husband.

The man she had murdered out of greed so she could inherit his fortune and spend the rest of her life with Adrian in unimaginable luxury.

Nathan had loved her with all his heart.

Yet she had betrayed him.

Now, karma had finally come for her-through the very man she had sacrificed everything for, and the stepsister she had once trusted.

The flames devoured the bedroom as thick smoke blurred Elz's vision.

Slowly, Elz closed her eyes, certain that this would be the last time.

"Forgive me, Kenny... Mommy is so sorry...

And you too... Nathan..."

Suddenly, Elz's eyes flew open.

She gasped for breath as she stared at the pristine white ceiling above her. With what little strength she had left, she slowly pushed herself into a sitting position.

"M-Madam... you're awake?"

A young maid's trembling voice reached her ears.

Elz turned toward the sound, only to freeze in confusion.

She recognized the girl instantly.

It was the very maid she had dismissed years ago at her husband's request.

Panic surged through her when she noticed the IV line attached to her arm and the oxygen cannula beneath her nose.

But none of that mattered.

Only one thought filled her mind.

"Kenny!" she screamed frantically. "Where's Kenny?"

The maid blinked in confusion.

"Kenny? Who is Kenny, Madam?"

"My son!" Elz cried, her voice trembling with desperation.

Just then, the bedroom door opened.

A tall, strikingly handsome man stepped inside.

"Since when did you have a child?" he asked with a puzzled smile.

Elz froze.

Her breath caught the instant she recognized that familiar voice.

It was Nathan Ashford.

"N-Nathan..."

Her entire body trembled as she stared at the man who should have been dead for years.

"Y-You... you're alive?"

"Huh, you've got a lot of nerve asking me something like that," Nathan replied, staring at his wife with obvious displeasure.

Elz was still confused by everything that had happened. It all felt like déjà vu. She could vividly remember drowning in the ocean during her honeymoon with Nathan, but that was impossible. Nathan had clearly died because she had secretly mixed medication into his drinks every single day, worsening his autoimmune disease.

"I'll call the doctor!" the petite maid exclaimed before hurriedly leaving the room.

"What kind of dream did you have last night that made you think you already had a child and that I was dead?" Nathan asked, gripping both sides of the hospital bed as he leaned toward her. His tall, imposing figure made Elz feel intimidated.

She stared at him nervously, completely bewildered by what she was experiencing.

A few moments later, the doctor entered the room.

"Could you two give us a moment?" the male doctor requested.

Nathan and the petite maid left the room, leaving Elz alone with the doctor.

"What exactly happened to you?" he asked.

"I have a son. His name is Kenny. We were poisoned, and then our house was burned down," Elz recalled, her voice trembling. "After that... I don't know what happened."

"Are you sure it wasn't a dream?"

"It wasn't a dream. I'm certain it really happened."

"All right."

The doctor performed a routine physical examination, wrote a few notes in her medical chart, and then quietly left the room.

Elz remained restless, unable to make sense of what was happening to her.

What happened...? Could God really have given me a second chance? Elz wondered, her mind racing.

Several days later, Nathan arranged for her discharge from the hospital and drove her home. The moment they arrived, Elz froze in shock.

It was their house.

The very same house that Adrian and Vanesha had burned down.

Yet it stood perfectly intact, without the slightest trace of fire.

Elz remained silent, her mind in complete chaos.

Had everything been nothing more than a dream? Had I only imagined marrying Adrian and giving birth to a son named Kenny?

Nathan escorted her to their bedroom before leaving.

Elz slowly looked around the room. Every piece of furniture and every decoration was exactly where it had been when she was still living with Nathan.

After a while, she stepped outside and walked toward the living room.

There, she accidentally overheard Nathan talking to her personal maid.

"The doctor said she's suffering from delusions," Nathan said. "She's convinced that I died and that she has a son named Kenny."

"Perhaps Madam hit her head when she fell into the sea, Sir," the petite maid replied.

Nathan fell silent.

Suddenly, the bedroom door opened.

Elz turned around in panic, only to find Nathan staring at her with a puzzled expression.

"Why are you so afraid of me?" Nathan asked coldly.

"I-I..."

Elz looked confused herself.

"The doctor said you might need psychiatric treatment," Nathan said. "Ck. We just got married, and now you've suddenly gone insane."

Elz lowered her head without saying a word.

Nathan had always been a cold man.

He walked toward her, lifted her chin with one hand, and forced her to meet his gaze.

"I could forgive you if you've truly lost your mind," he said in a chilling voice. "But if you genuinely wanted me dead, I will never forgive you."

Elz secretly breathed a sigh of relief after Nathan finally released her and left the room.

Perhaps it was better if Nathan believed she had lost her mind.

Elz lay down to rest.

A few moments later, the petite maid knocked on the door.

"Yes?" Elz called.

"Madam, your younger sister is here to visit you."

"Vanesha?" Elz murmured, her eyes widening.

She still remembered the vicious slap that woman had given her.

Not long afterward, the bedroom door opened.

"Elz! Elz, you're okay, right?" Vanesha cried dramatically, pretending to be worried. "I was so scared when I heard you fell into the sea and nearly drowned!"

"Get out, you bitch!" Elz shouted.

Vanesha's eyes widened in disbelief.

She couldn't understand why her sister, who had always been gentle and kind toward her, was suddenly treating her this way.

"Elz... it's me..."

"Stop pretending to be nice in front of me, you bitch!"

Vanesha's eyes immediately filled with tears before she ran out of the room.

Elz let out an angry snort after successfully driving her away.

Not long afterward, Nathan entered the bedroom.

He silently stared at his wife, who was still struggling to suppress her anger.

"It seems you really do need to see a psychiatrist," Nathan said.

⸻

Once again, memories of the future flooded Elz's mind.

She had once planned to kill her husband slowly by poisoning him little by little. But this time was different.

This time, she had to change everything before Adrian could manipulate her again.

"What are you thinking about?"

Elz flinched when she suddenly heard Nathan's voice behind her.

"Ck, I heard you've been having an affair with my cousin," Nathan said coldly. "I don't believe everything people say, but if I ever catch the two of you together, don't expect me to forgive either of you."

Elz swallowed hard.

It was true. She had been involved with Adrian for years. The two of them had even conspired to seize Nathan's fortune.

But Elz remained silent.

She had already lost Kenny.

What else was there left for her to hope for?

Night soon fell.

Elz lay down and tried to sleep, but every time she closed her eyes, memories of how she had murdered Nathan resurfaced.

Once again, nightmares haunted her.

Slowly, Elz opened her eyes and found Nathan sleeping peacefully beside her.

She quietly gazed at his sleeping face.

Guilt weighed heavily on her heart.

No matter how cold and distant Nathan had always been, and no matter that she had never loved him, Elz had still committed an unforgivable crime against him.

Unable to stop herself, Elz slowly reached out to touch Nathan's face.

But before her fingertips could brush against his skin, Nathan suddenly grabbed her wrist.

His eyes flew open.

Startled, Elz froze as Nathan immediately sat up.

"What is it?"

Elz quickly shook her head.

Instead of letting go, Nathan pulled her into his arms.

"If you want something, just say it."

"I-I don't..." Elz stammered.

"Then what is it?"

She remained silent.

Nathan slowly leaned closer until his face was only inches from hers.

Terrified, Elz squeezed her eyes shut.

A faint smirk appeared on Nathan's lips before he finally released her.

"Go to sleep. Father wants to see you tomorrow."

"O-Okay..." Elz replied softly.

She lay back down and tried to fall asleep once more.

A moment later, Elz was startled when Nathan wrapped an arm around her from behind.

Nathan was always cold and distant toward everyone.

Yet, for some reason, whenever they shared a bed, he always held her in his arms.

⸻

"Hahaha! I heard she's finally starting to lose her mind, Mom!" Vanesha said with a cheerful laugh.

"Really?" The middle-aged woman, who was still remarkably beautiful, couldn't hide the delight on her face. "I certainly hope she really has gone insane."

"Tomorrow, Mr. Ashford has invited Nathan and Elz to his house. I can't wait to watch her scream and make a fool of herself like a lunatic."

The two of them burst into laughter, convinced that their wish was finally about to come true.

They could hardly wait to see Elz-the woman everyone had always admired for her intelligence and talent-humiliate herself in front of a billionaire.

----

That evening, Nathan took Elz to visit his father.

Although he was well into his sixties, the elderly man looked remarkably healthy. He had been deeply worried after learning about the accident Elz had suffered during her honeymoon with Nathan.

He was Jaxon Ashford, a wise and respected billionaire.

As Nathan entered the dining room with Elz's hand clasped in his, Jaxon smiled warmly. It had been his decision to arrange his son's marriage to Elz-a young woman he had always admired for her intelligence and exceptional talent. Having a daughter-in-law like her filled him with pride.

Meanwhile, Vanesha, her mother Rosemarry, and Elz's father were already seated inside, waiting for Nathan and Elz to arrive.

"Good evening, Father," Nathan greeted respectfully.

"Good evening, Father," Elz echoed politely.

The couple took their seats beside each other.

Not long afterward, everyone enjoyed dinner together. Once the meal was over, they gathered in the living room to chat.

"Hey, now that I think about it, Vanesha is much prettier than Elizabeth," one of Nathan's cousins whispered.

"I know, right? She takes after her mother. I also heard she was originally supposed to be matched with Nathan, but he turned the proposal down."

"But wasn't Uncle Jaxon the one who preferred Elizabeth because she's smarter?"

Rosemarry, Vanesha's mother, looked displeased when she overheard the men's conversation.

An idea suddenly crossed her mind. She wanted to prove that her daughter wasn't as untalented as everyone believed.

"Mr. Jaxon," she said with a smile, "would you be willing to listen to Vanesha sing?"

Jaxon turned toward her.

He had heard before that his in-law's younger daughter possessed an exceptional singing voice.

"Of course," he replied.

Vanesha rose confidently from her seat.

Suddenly, a wicked idea came to her mind.

"How about asking Sis Elz to play the piano for me?" she suggested with an innocent smile. "She took piano lessons when she was little."

Nathan fell silent. He couldn't help worrying that his wife might no longer be able to play the piano, considering her mental state was still unstable. Meanwhile, Elz paid no attention to her sister's request. She calmly poured herself a cup of tea and sipped it leisurely.