Every Morning, My Wife Wipes My Brain

I have a strange illness.

Every morning I wake up, the previous days memories are completely gone.

My wife, Olivia, is the only person I trust when I open my eyes.

She always tells me patiently:

Your name is Ethan. Youre twenty-nine, and youre my husband.

I believed her without a shadow of a doubt.

Until today, when I found a hidden diary in the corner of the study.

On the very first page, written in my own handwriting, was a chilling warning:

"Never trust Olivia."

"Julian isn't her cousin. He's the man shes been in love with for years."

"You don't have amnesia. She has been drugging you."

"This is the 1001st time Ive discovered the truth."

From this moment on, I decided to play dumb. Ill keep acting in her little play.

I opened my eyes in the morning, my mind completely blank.

"Are you awake?"

I turned my head and saw a woman in a silk bathrobe sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Who are you?"

The words slipped out of my mouth automatically.

The woman smiled, gently brushing her hand over my forehead.

"Im Olivia. Your wife."

"And you are Ethan, my husband. Youve been sick, which is why you forget everything from the day before."

She pointed to the picture frame on the nightstand.

"That's our wedding photo."

In the photo, I was wearing a tuxedo, leaning close to her.

But strangely, there was a noticeable crease along the edge of the photo.

She took my hand, her fingertips warm. "Ethan, Im the only one you can trust."

I nodded, accepting this reality.

Olivia helped me get out of bed, laid out my clothes, and even meticulously adjusted my collar.

"What do you want to do today?"

I looked at myself in the mirror.

"I don't know. I don't remember anything."

"Then just let me handle everything."

Olivia wrapped her arms around me from behind, resting her cheek against my back.

"A family doctor is coming for a checkup this morning. In the afternoon, Ill take you for a walk in the garden. And tonight..."

Before she could finish, the doorbell rang.

Olivia let go of me, her brow furrowing just for a split second.

"That must be Dr. Julian."

I followed her downstairs.

A man in a white lab coat was standing in the living room.

When he turned around and saw Olivia, his eyes lit up instantly.

"Olivia."

"How is Ethan doing today?"

Olivia walked naturally to Julians side and took his medical bag.

Their fingers brushed against each other as they made the handoff. Neither of them pulled away.

Julian looked at me, a quick, calculating look flashing deep in his eyes.

"Ethan, let's test your memory baseline today."

For the last question of the test, he pointed at Olivia.

"Who is she?"

"My wife."

Julians pen paused on the clipboard, and the corners of his mouth curled up.

"The basic cognitive function is still there. But Olivia, I still suggest we increase the dosage."

He began packing up his equipment.

As he stood up, his fingers casually brushed against the back of Olivia's hand.

I sat quietly on the sofa.

Through the window, I saw Julian lean close to her ear outside the front door, whispering something.

When she closed the door and walked back in, her face immediately returned to that sweet, gentle expression.

"Ethan, what would you like for lunch?"

I stared directly into her eyes.

"What did he whisper to you outside?"

Olivia froze for a moment.

Then, a sharp, testing look flashed in her eyes.

"Why do you ask?"

I looked down, my finger tapping the armrest of the sofa absentmindedly.

"He comes here every day. Were we very close in the past?"

"Dr. Julian is just doing his job."

Olivia wrapped her arm around my shoulder.

The faint scent of cedarwood on her was exactly the same as the scent on Julian.

"Ethan, you have to remember. In this world, I am the only one who truly cares about you."

"Don't believe a word anyone else says."

I nodded silently, saying nothing more.

But deep down, I knew something was terribly wrong.

In the afternoon, Olivia left for the office.

I sat alone in the backyard, soaking in the sun.

Maria, the maid, brought over some fresh fruit. She looked at me, hesitating to speak.

"Mr. Ethan... do you really not remember anything?"

I shook my head blankly.

"Olivia says Im sick."

Her lips parted slightly, but in the end, she just sighed.

"Then just listen to Mrs. Olivia. Shes doing it for your own good."

As she turned to leave, I heard her mumble under her breath.

"So tragic... he can't even protect the inheritance his parents left him..."

I was about to call her back and ask what she meant.

Just then, the sound of a car engine echoed from the driveway.

Julian came in with his medical bag, a look of apology on his face.

"Sorry about this, Ethan. I forgot to give you your injection this morning. I just realized and rushed right back."

As he spoke, he pulled out a syringe.

"This is a new neuro-nutritional drug. Olivia agreed to start you on it today."

I instinctively shrank back.

But he grabbed my arm with surprising force, pinning me down.

"Ethan, this is for your own good."

I struggled slightly, and he immediately frowned.

"Stop moving."

The needle pierced my skin.

Before long, a heavy, dark sleep washed over me.

I had a terrifying nightmare.

In the dream, I was standing on the edge of a steep cliff.

Olivia and Julian were holding each other, watching me.

"Ethan, just jump! You'll finally be free if you jump!"

I didn't want to. I wanted to run away.

But Olivia blocked my path, pushing me step by step to the very edge.

"Ethan, once youre dead, all the company shares will be mine!"

With that, she gave me a violent push.

"Ah!"

I screamed and woke up, but there was no one in the room.

Through the glass of the backyard conservatory, I saw the two of them talking.

I shook my heavy head, walked out, and suddenly spoke up.

"Olivia, are we really married?"

Their conversation cut off instantly.

Olivia turned around, and for a split second, her eyes looked incredibly terrifying.

She walked toward me, step by step.

"Why would you ask that?"

I was intimidated by her cold gaze, my back tensing up.

"I just think it's weird. Why do we only have one wedding photo?"

"Why isn't there a single trace of my past in this house?"

She grabbed my hand so hard I felt my bones ache.

"Because you are sick, Ethan."

"When you have your episodes, you destroy things. You tear up photos, smash furniture."

"To protect you, and to protect our memories, I hid everything away. Don't you trust me?"

She looked at me, a look of deep hurt in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you."

Olivias face softened, and she pulled me into a hug.

"It's okay. I know you're sick. I'll stay by your side until you're completely cured."

I didn't pull away, but I didn't hug her back either.

Over her shoulder, my gaze locked onto Julian, who was still standing nearby.

Maybe it was because of the drug, but I fell asleep incredibly early that night.

At 2:00 AM, I woke up feeling extremely thirsty.

I got out of bed and crept down to the kitchen in the dark.

While pouring a glass of water, I noticed the lights in the conservatory were still on.

As if possessed, I walked over.

Through the glass, I saw Julian sitting on a wicker chair in a bathrobe.

Olivia stood behind him, bending over to massage his shoulders.

"Was the dosage today too high? He actually started questioning things," her voice drifted out.

Julian tilted his head back, resting it against her stomach.

"It's normal for him to doubt. That drug damages memory. Over time, it makes people paranoid, even delusional."

He reached up and grabbed Olivias wrist.

"Olivia, are you getting soft-hearted?"

"No."

She smiled, her expression colder and more indifferent than I had ever seen.

"He deserves this. If his family hadn't forced me into this marriage back then, we would have been together long ago!"

Julian chuckled.

"Just hang in there for three more months. His cognitive functions will be permanently damaged."

"By then, he really will be a vegetable. No one will ever be able to prove a thing."

Olivia let out a cold laugh.

"Yes. And then, all of his parents' wealth will belong to me!"

I stood there frozen in the darkness.

Suddenly, shattered fragments of memory rushed back into my brain.

Olivia crushing pills into my milk.

Julian holding a syringe, smiling warmly while saying, "This is for your own good."

And the past version of me, frantically writing in a diary: "Do not trust them."

I really did write a diary! I really did discover the truth!

It's just that every morning I woke up, I forgot it all over again.

Inside the conservatory, Julian stood up and wrapped his arms around Olivias waist.

He rested his head on her shoulder.

"Playing your 'cousin' all these years has been so exhausting."

Olivia gently patted his back.

"Just bear with it a little longer. The transfer of the family trust is almost complete."

"You approached him on purpose back then just for his parents' inheritance, didn't you?"

"Why else would I?"

Olivia laughed, her voice dripping with mockery.

"Who could actually love an idiot who gets fooled every single day?"

I clenched my fists, wanting to run.

But my foot stepped on a dry twig on the ground. "Snap."

The lights in the conservatory went out instantly.

I ran back to the bedroom as fast as I could.

I lay in bed, my heart hammering so hard it felt like it would burst out of my chest.

The bedroom door creaked open.

Olivia stood in the doorway, keeping the lights off.

She walked over and put her hand on my forehead.

"Ethan, where did you just go?"

I forced myself to sound like I had just been woken up, my voice deep and groggy.

"What? Ive been sleeping this whole time."

She didn't say anything.

Her fingers slid from my forehead down to my neck, stopping right on a faint bruise, pressing down gently.

The pain made my muscles tense up.

"Did you have a nightmare? You're sweating a lot."

I clenched my teeth, saying nothing.

Olivia leaned down, whispering right into my ear.

"Ethan, you have to remember. You can go anywhere in this house, except the conservatory in the backyard."

"It's too damp there. It's bad for your illness."

I nodded, making no sound.

She smiled with satisfaction and tucked the blanket around me.

"Go to sleep. Tomorrow morning, everything will be fine."

She walked out, leaving the door slightly ajar.

I heard her whisper to Julian in the hallway.

"He might have noticed something. We need to move the plan forward!"

Only when the hallway went completely silent did I dare to open my eyes.

Olivia had said that the things I destroyed during my "episodes" were kept in the study.

And I remembered where she hid the key.

I slipped out of bed barefoot and crept into the study.

Opening the door, a musty smell hit my nose.

Torn photos, smashed ornaments, and half-shredded books were all piled in the corner.

I looked at the very bottom shelf of the bookcase.

The thickness of one particular book looked wrong.

I pulled it out and opened itthe inside of the book had been completely hollowed out.

Hidden inside was a leather notebook.

I flipped to the first page. It was my handwriting.

"March 15th. Olivia gave me a new pill today. I pretended to swallow it but spat it down the toilet. When Julian came to check on me, I lied and said my head hurt. The excitement in his eyes was sickening."

"May 20th. Our anniversary. Olivia gave me a tie clip. Tonight, I found a bank transfer record to Julian on her phone. What a joke."

I kept flipping through the pages.

The diary detailed every single time, date, and location of their secret hookups.

On the very last page, there was a single line written in bold red marker:

"Ethan, run! They are going to kill you!"

My hands began to shake violently.

"Thud!"

The sound of the front door opening echoed from downstairs.

I frantically shoved the diary back into the hollow book.

I had just made it back to bed and lay down when my bedroom door was kicked open.

Olivia stood at the door.

She flicked the light switch.

In her hand was a syringe, the needle dripping with a clear liquid.

She smiled and walked toward me.

"Ethan, you went to the study just now, didn't you?"

I clenched my jaw, the veins on my forehead bulging.

"I checked the lock on the study door. There are fresh scratches on it."

Olivia sat on the edge of the bed, her hand brushing over my face.

"Why can't you just be obedient?"

I desperately fought to suppress my rising panic.

"Olivia, I swear I didn't. I just went to the bathroom."

"Stop acting."

She violently whipped the blanket off me.

She grabbed my arm and dragged me to the edge of the bed.

"The mud on your bare feet hasn't even been wiped off. There are footprints on the study floor."

My body went completely rigid. I couldn't find my voice.

Olivia raised the syringe.

She pushed the plunger slightly, squirting a bit of liquid from the needle.

"I wanted to let you live for three more months, but you just had to be difficult."

She smiled.

"Let's end this tonight."

The moment the needle touched my skin, I violently thrashed and broke free.

Olivia didn't expect me to have the strength to fight back.

She lost her balance, falling backward, and the syringe flew out of her hand.

I rolled off the bed and dashed toward the door.

But before I could take two steps, she grabbed me by the collar from behind.

"Did you really think you could escape?"

She dragged me back.

She threw me violently onto the bed, pinning my legs down with her knees.

The pain made my vision blur, but I gritted my teeth and screamed.

"Olivia! If you kill me, the police will find out!"

"The police?"

She looked at me with pure disdain.

"You have severe amnesia. Everyone knows that."

"You forget everything every day, and you hurt yourself during your episodes."

"Tonight, you had a breakdown and accidentally injected yourself with a lethal dose of your own medication. What does that have to do with me?"

She leaned down, her face inches from mine.

"Julian will back up my story. Hell tell them your condition had already deteriorated beyond control."

"Do you really think anyone will suspect me?"

Olivia let go of my collar.

She stood up to pick up the spare syringe from the floor.

That was my one-second window.

I reached under my pillow and pulled out the phone I had hidden there earlier.

The screen was bright. A call was in progress.

The number dialed was 911.

I held up the phone, my voice trembling but loud.

"Olivia, youve been talking for three minutes. The operator heard every single word."

She froze.

Her face turned instantly pale.

Suddenly, loud, frantic banging echoed from the front door.

"Police! Open up!"

Olivia looked at me, a cold, mocking laugh escaping her lips.

"Ethan... when did you get your memory back?"

I didn't answer.

I just clutched the phone and screamed toward the door.

"Help! In here!"

The bedroom door was kicked open.

Two uniformed police officers rushed in, followed by an officer holding a body cam.

Olivia stepped back.

A polite, sweet smile instantly returned to her face.

"Officers, this is all a misunderstanding. My husband is very sick. Hes having a manic episode right now."

The lead officer cut her off, raising his hand.

"Ma'am, we have your entire confession recorded on the line."

"Put your hands behind your back."

Olivia's smile froze.

She turned to look at me, her lips curling into a venomous smirk.

The officers handcuffed her and started wheeling her out.

As she passed by me, she suddenly stopped.

She leaned in, whispering in a voice only I could hear.

"Ethan, do you really think this is over?"

"Don't forget, Julian is still out there."

I looked up sharply.

At the far end of the hallway, Julian was standing in the shadows.

He was holding a surgical scalpel.

He smiled at me, then vanished down the stairs.

The officers rushed after him.

But all I heard from downstairs was the sound of hurried footsteps, and then, total silence.

I gripped the edge of the bed to stand up, my chest heaving.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed.

A text from an unknown number appeared on the screen. It was just one line:

"Ethan, we're not done yet."