An Unknown Face

The earliest memory Hanna had was waking up on a bed in a white room, a blood transfusion drip connected to her arm and a sickly looking man with dull blue eyes sitting right beside her bed. The man spoke gently to her but she didn't reply as she was trying to remember what happened to her but her memory was blank.

The doctor came to check on her and told the man she was okay then he asked her few questions and when Hanna wasn't able to recall anything about herself. The doctor told her she had amnesia and they should go to the station in order for the cops to check the database to procure her details but it had been two months since then.

"Hanna we are now officially married, do you think that is the right decision?" Jeffrey Adams yelled at the top of his voice in the sitting room before walking into the kitchen to see Hanna standing by the cabinet, her back turned to him.

Hanna whose dark hair was pulled into a pony tail to reveal a small pretty face, dressed in a flower pattern short dress stood by the counter. She didn't turn to look at her husband or reply him and when she heard his footsteps fading away, she reached for the knives in the knife holders and neatly arranged them on the table. From the biggest to the smallest knife, she doesn't know why but she kept being mesmerized by how the knives were sharp and neat, glittering from the sun light that sipped in through the windows. She help up the thinnest knife and took a deep breath.

It was Jeff that found her ashore two months ago and she wasn't able to regain her memory and even though the doctor told her to jot any small details she was able to recall maybe it would trigger her memory but Hanna never made any move to write a thing because she doesn't want to remember. Hanna refused to even try to think of her past, she knew she doesn't want to remember and she would stick to that.

The moment she woke up at the hospital, Hanna felt like she was running from something, running from her memory and in order for her to feel alive she had to let it go and start a new life afresh. She played the victim card and Jeff settled the bill at the hospital and brought her home and told her they would go to the station in order for the cops to find her details in their system. Hanna kept saying she wasn't ready and even lied that she remembered her name was Hanna when she knew that was never close to her name because 'Hanna' sounded so wrong and distance but she convinced herself her name was Hanna.

Jeff was a nice man with SS genotype which caused his sickly look and stunted growth, most times he was always admitted and that was why he lived a private and quiet life in order to prolong his life. He owned a house that was located in a secluded area so he would to be able to concentrate on his work since he worked as a writer that post his works online and was paid a handsome price for each chapter uploaded. As a Writer he doesn't need to strain his body by going to work.

It was such a quiet area that Hanna proposed to clean the house and cook for him until she was able to regain her memory and her proposal will also save Jeff the wages he pays his cook and cleaner. It wasn't a bad deal and Jeff agreed.

They do engage in small talk and Hanna asked him to tell her about himself because she suspected he came from Australian because of his accent. Then she learnt Jeff home town was in Australia and he left home for Europe on his eighteenth birthday and since then he had never tried to go back home because he only had a sister that was older than him with ten years since he was adopted and after a year their parent died in a car crash. His sister do exchange emails with him once in a month.

When Hanna listened to his story, she felt nothing neither sympathy or empathy all she thought was 'It can't be helped they died.'. It was then Jeff told her he had fallen in love with her but he was scared of Hanna leaving him one day when they check at the station and she was able to meet her family and Hanna proposed and convinced him they should get married. Jeff was over the moon and went through with it and they just got back from the Ministry after registering their marriage.

"Hanna..?"

Hanna slightly shook when she heard Jeff called her. "I think we should drink some wine." She suggested as she turned to look at Jeff who wore a white shirt and dark pants. The shirt sleeves rolled up to show his pale lean hands.

Hanna moved to the cabinet, bringing out the wine glasses and a half bottle of Dom Perignon Rose Gold champagne.

"I think we should pop open a new bottle, I should have one in the cellar." Jeff quickly stopped her before Hanna place the half bottle of wine on the table.

"Why?" Hanna asked raising her brows.

"Because we drank out of that and having that doesn't feel quite well for the occasion, we just got married even though I didn't buy you a ring yet..." Jeff explained as his pale cheeks turned into a slight shade of red as he tried to collect the bottle from her but Hanna held on to it firmly.

Jeff never thought he would get married because whenever he meets any females on the dating site. After having lunch or dinner with him, they all stopped replying to his text just because of his looks and how small he looked since he was only one hundred and fifty three centimeters.

"No, I think this is fine." Hanna brushed passed him and open the wine cap and filled up their wine glasses. She smiled sweetly and gave Jeff a brief kiss before raising her glass.

"Cheers to living old together." Jeff smiled and clicked his glass with hers then drank it all at once. "This taste...?" He placed the wine glass on the table only to see Hanna didn't drink hers.

"So foolish.." Hanna muttered as she placed her wine glass on the table without drinking the wine taking two steps back to put a distance between her and Jeff.

"What...." Jeff suddenly coughed out blood and his legs buckled but he quickly supported his body by leaning on the table. He raised his hand to cover his mouth only for blood to trailed down his lips and he withdrew his hand to look only for his eyes to widen when he saw his hand covered in blood. His knees buckled and he fell on his knees before lying down on the floor. His face whiter than a sheet of paper.

Hanna moved to look at him, her face impassive as she gaze at her husband like he had been reduced to an ant.

"W..w..why..?" Jeff voice sounded hoarse, he wore a pained expression as he gasped to breath. Hot tears trailed down his face to his ears as his stomach started burning spreading all over his body.

"It is my way of repaying you and save you from your suffering." Hanna bent a little to look at his face. "Now you don't have to use your daily medicine anymore, you don't have to check yourself in at the hospital and you don't have to feel pain anymore so hurry up and die for my sake." She explained sweetly and she raised her hand to rub his hair softly.

Jeff never knew he brought in a devil appearing as an angel. He wanted to push her hand off but his body wouldn't move, he felt that bringing Hanna home was his biggest failure since most of his works were mostly suspence and thriller novels.

'What a failure' was the last thought of Jeffrey Adams before he kicked the bucket.

Hanna checked for a pulse on his neck and when she found none, she stood up and took a deep breath and brought out the list of things she needed to get at the supermarket from her pocket. She brought out her phone to see it was five and she could make the trip to the supermarket and back within an hour but first she emptied the bottle of wine in the drain.

After taking the car keys on the table. She took the car and head to the market, She quickly grabbed a trolley and hurried off to the cleaning supply aisle. She started grabbing the cleaning agents from the shelves and dumping them into the trolley when she noticed a blonde tall woman dressed in a blue gown staring at her.

Hanna first thought was what if the woman knows her but the she decided to mind her own business and kept taking the things she needed. She brought out her phone to check the time when someone tapped her shoulder.

"Yes?" Hanna wasn't even surprised when she saw it was the woman dressed in blue gown. She was a bit annoyed the woman would come so close.

"Oh my God, it is you, your wallpaper" The woman laughed and quickly pulled her into a hug. "Jeff sent me your photo last week. I am his sister Katrina, I can't believe I will find you here." She smiled brightly as she pulled away.

"Sister?" Hanna remembered Jeff told her his sister was in Australia and he saw her last when he was eighteen but what was she doing in Europe? Hanna knew it was foolish for her to not remember to remove and delete the picture of her and Jeff which Jeff took that morning and used it as their wallpaper.

"I finally came to Europe and I stay at the Brighton hotel and just came here to get some stuffs. I tried the number Jeff attached to the mail but he won't answer his phone, anyway I don't have to worry anymore because this will be a surprise for him." Katrina pulled Hanna into a hug and rubbed her back.

After spending some time with Jeff and witnessed him in pain one night that was when Hanna decided to liberate him from his pain and when Jeff told her he loved her, she decided to take his name and one day sell the house and his car then buy a car and tour around till she finds a suitable place. She never for once thought Jeff's sister would ever show up and even if she would ever show up then Hanna would be long gone.

Hanna faked a smile. "I am Hanna." She said as she pushed the trolley forward as she thought of different ways to get rid of her.

"So many cleaning detergent and bleech, are you hosting a cleaning party." Katrina said as she smiled brightly, walking beside Hanna.

"No I am cleaning after a party." Hanna told her before pushing her trolley to the cashier not having interest in shopping anymore but most things she needed was already in the trolley.

"I am so happy Hanna." Katrina declared. "I am sure Jeff will be so surprise to see me."

"Don't you have things to take at the hotel?" Hanna asked.

"Oh no no, Jeff comes first..."

Katrina went on and on about her and Jeff when they were living together but Hanna already tuned her out as they arranged the things she bought into the car boot. The next thing she knew Katrina was sitting at the front of the car and kept showing her pictures of Jeff while she was driving. Hanna tried to be polite and when they got home Katrina was already helping her with the groceries bags.

It was such a waste she had poured the wine away and Hanna regretted it as soon as they stepped into the sitting room.

"Where is the Kitchen?" Katrina asked. "Jeff should be at home right? I want to surprise him." She whispered.

Hanna eyes widen knowing that she left Jeff's body in the kitchen and didn't bother to clean up. "No. wait here..." She rushed to the kitchen and dropped the groceries bags on the table and quickly took the sharpest and thinnest knife and when she heard footsteps coming her way. She ran and stayed behind the door to the kitchen. She knew Jeff's body was the first thing thing Katrina would see as soon as she opened the door but she would not allow anyone spoil her new life.

"Hanna... where are you..?"

The door opened and Hanna heard the groceries bags fell from Katrina's hands but before she was about to scream Hanna pulled her and covered her mouth, she raised the knife to her neck.

"So Foolish..."

THE END.