The house from a year ago was a completely different scene from this cold underground basement now. Back then, the living room had warm yellowish floor lamps, the sofa covered in a soft, creamy beige blanket, and the balcony wind chimes tinkling crisply when brushed by the breeze. It was his and his partner's home, filled with the warmth of everyday life.
That evening, the sound of a key turning came from the entrance. He poked his head out from the kitchen, just in time to see her push the door open. She was wearing that red-based white-dotted My Melody suspender dress, the white skirt hem fluttering lightly, the cartoon figure embroidered on the neckline looking adorably chubby. A black lace rose wrist accessory in the same style draped over her wrist—it was a new outfit she'd specially bought. She swayed toward him with a beaming smile: "Saw it while shopping, thought it was cute and bought it."
His gaze landed on the embroidered pattern on her skirt, then slid along her slender neck to her exposed arms. A surge of hot desire suddenly welled up in his heart. Back then, they always loved playing little intimate games; their mutual understanding made these interactions a spice in their life. He stepped forward to wrap his arm around her waist, his nose brushing her hair top, his voice carrying laughter laced with ambiguity: "Such a cute dress—how about pairing it with something fun?"
She blinked, not yet reacting, before being half-hugged, half-led into the bedroom. She thought it was just their usual playful intimacy, her face wearing a dazed smile as she let him bring her to the bedside, even cooperatively tiptoeing to peck his lip corner, completely unaware of the urgency in his eyes that was bordering on loss of control.
一年前の家は、今のこの冷たい地下室とは全く違う光景だった。あの頃、リビングには暖かな黄色のフロアランプがあり、ソファには柔らかいクリームベージュのブランケットがかけられ、バルコニーの風鈴が風に揺れて澄んだ音を響かせていた。それは彼とパートナーの家で、日常の温かみに満ちていた。
その夕方、玄関から鍵の回る音がした。彼はキッチンから顔を出し、ちょうど彼女がドアを開けるのを見た。彼女は赤地に白のドットのマイメロディの吊りスカートを着ていて、白いスカート裾が軽く揺れ、襟元の刺繍されたカートゥーンキャラクターが可愛らしくふっくらしていた。同じスタイルの黒いレースのバラのリストアクセサリーが手首にかけられ——それは彼女が特別に買った新しい服だった。彼女は満面の笑みを浮かべて彼に向かって揺れながら近づいた：「買い物で見かけて、可愛いと思って買っちゃった。」
彼の視線が彼女のスカートの刺繍柄に落ち、それから細い首筋に沿って露わになった腕へ滑った。心臓に突然熱い欲望が涌き上がった。あの頃、二人はいつも親密な小さなゲームを楽しんでいた；お互いの理解が、これらの交流を人生のスパイスにしていた。彼は前に出て彼女の腰を抱き、鼻先が髪のトップに擦れ、声に曖昧な笑いを込めて：「こんな可愛い服——何か楽しいもので合わせてみない？」
彼女は目を瞬かせ、まだ反応せず、半分抱きかかえられるようにベッドルームへ連れ込まれた。彼女はいつもの遊び心のある親密さだと思い、顔にぼんやりした笑みを浮かべて彼にベッドサイドまで連れられ、協力的に爪先立ちで彼の唇の端にキスさえした。彼の目に制御を失いかけた焦りが込められていることに全く気づいていなかった。
一年前的房子，和如今这阴冷的地下密室是全然不同的光景。那时的客厅摆着暖黄色的落地灯，沙发上铺着软糯的米色毛毯，阳台的风铃被风拂过，会发出清脆的叮咚声，那是他和另一半的家，满是烟火气的温暖。
那天傍晚，玄关处传来钥匙转动的声响，他从厨房探出头，正看见她推门进来。她身上穿着那件红底白点的My Melody吊带裙，白色的裙摆轻飘飘的，领口绣着的卡通形象憨态可掬，手腕上还搭着同款风格的黑纱玫瑰腕饰，是她特意买回来的新衣服，笑盈盈地晃着身子朝他走来：“刚逛街看到的，觉得可爱就买啦。”
他的目光落在那裙身的刺绣图案上，又顺着她纤细的脖颈滑到露出来的胳膊，心底突然窜起一股燥热的欲望。那时的他们总爱玩些情趣小游戏，彼此的默契让这些互动成了生活里的调味剂，他走上前揽住她的腰，鼻尖蹭着她的发顶，声音带着笑意又透着暧昧：“这么可爱的裙子，配点好玩的怎么样？”
她眨了眨眼，还没反应过来，就被他半抱半牵地拉进了卧室。她只当是寻常的情趣打闹，脸上带着懵懂的笑，任由他把自己带到床边，甚至还配合地踮起脚亲了亲他的唇角，完全没察觉到他眼底那股因急切而有些失控的情绪。
He pulled out the silk restraints from the bedside drawer that he'd prepared long ago—props they'd used in games before, soft in texture, not hurtful. He gripped one end of the restraint, his finger pad rubbing the fabric, looking at her face still smiling, only thinking of fixing her to the headboard so this cuteness could be fully in his view, making the upcoming tenderness even more flavorful. She was oblivious to how his urgency had clouded his reason, still smiling as she reached to tug at the restraint in his hand, wanting to play-fight. Her fingertip had just touched the fabric when he grabbed her wrist.
He pressed her wrist toward the headboard rail, his movements more urgent than ever. The silk restraint wrapped twice around her wrist, and he yanked it tight fiercely. Her smile froze on her face; the tightening pain on her wrist made her instinctively struggle, her voice carrying a coquettish confusion: "Why are you using so much force? It hurts."
But he acted as if he hadn't heard, his gaze glued to the My Melody pattern on her body. He reached for another restraint, wanting to secure her ankles to the foot of the bed too. Only then did she sense something wrong, shrinking her body back, her tone laced with panic: "Don't do this, I'm a bit scared—let me go, okay?"
He deftly used the silk restraint to fix her wrists to the headboard rail, then gently but firmly tied her ankles to the foot of the bed. The tightness was just right—not painful, but inescapable. Having done this, he half-knelt on the bed, his fingertip lightly landing on the embroidered My Melody pattern on her skirt, his finger pad slowly rubbing along the outline of the embroidery.
"Look at this little bunny—embroidered so softly." He lowered his head to look at her, his voice carrying laughter, his fingertip deliberately poking lightly at the pattern's ear position.
Bound and unable to move, she felt the fingertip's touch transmitting through the fabric, bringing a numbing itch. She couldn't help shrinking her body, her cheeks faintly flushing: "Don't touch there, it tickles..."
彼はベッドサイドの引き出しから、以前から用意していたシルクの拘束具を取り出した——以前のゲームで使った道具で、質感が柔らかく、傷つけない。彼は拘束具の一端を握り、指の腹で布地を撫で、彼女のまだ笑っている顔を見て、この可愛さを完全に視界に固定するためにヘッドボードに縛りつけ、来るべき優しさをさらに味わい深くしたいと思った。彼女は彼の焦りが理性を曇らせていることに気づかず、まだ笑いながら彼の手の拘束具を引っ張ろうと手を伸ばした。指先が布地に触れた瞬間、彼は彼女の手首を掴んだ。
彼は彼女の手首をヘッドボードのレールへ押しつけ、動作がこれまでより焦っていた。シルクの拘束具が手首に二回巻かれ、強く引き締められた。彼女の笑みが顔に凍りつき、手首の締めつけ痛みが本能的に挣扎させ、声に甘えた困惑を込めて：「なんでそんなに力入れるの？ 痛いよ。」
しかし彼は聞こえないふりで、視線を彼女の体のマイメロディ柄に張りつけた。彼はもう一本の拘束具を取り、足首もベッドの足元に固定しようとした。ようやく彼女は何かおかしいと感じ、体を縮め、声にパニックを込めて：「こんなことしないで、少し怖い——離してよ、いい？」
彼は器用にシルクの拘束具で手首をヘッドボードのレールに固定し、それから優しくしかし強く足首をベッドの足元に縛った。締め具合はちょうど良く——痛くないが、逃げられない。これを終えると、彼はベッドに半跪き、指先を彼女のスカートの刺繍されたマイメロディ柄に軽く置き、指の腹で刺繍の輪郭に沿ってゆっくり撫でた。
「見てこの小さなウサギ——刺繍がこんなに柔らかい。」彼は頭を下げて彼女を見て、声に笑いを込め、指先をわざと柄の耳の位置を軽く突いた。
縛られて動けない彼女は、指先の触れ方が布地を通じて伝わり、痺れるような痒みを呼び、体を縮めざるを得ず、頰が微かに赤くなった：「そこ触らないで、くすぐったい……」
他从床头柜的抽屉里拿出早就准备好的丝绸绑带，那是他们之前玩游戏时用过的道具，质地柔软，不会弄疼人。他攥着绑带的一端，指腹摩挲着布料，看着她依旧带着笑意的脸，只想着把她固定在床头，让这份可爱完完整整地落在自己眼里，让接下来的温存更有滋味。她懵然不知他此刻的急切已经冲昏了理智，还笑着伸手去扯他手里的绑带，想和他闹着玩，指尖刚碰到布料，就被他攥住了手腕。]
他握着她的手腕往床头的栏杆上靠，动作比以往都要急，丝绸绑带在她腕间绕了两圈，他便猛地用力拉紧。她的笑容僵在脸上，手腕传来的勒痛感让她下意识地挣了挣，嘴里带着点娇嗔的疑惑：“你怎么这么用力啊？弄疼我了。”
他却像是没听见，目光胶着在她身上的My Melody图案上，又伸手去拿另一条绑带，想把她的脚踝也固定在床尾。她这才察觉不对，身体往后缩了缩，语气里带上了几分慌乱：“别这样，我有点怕，松开我好不好？”
他利落地用丝绸绑带将她的手腕固定在床头栏杆，又轻手轻脚把她的脚踝系在床尾，绑带的松紧拿捏得刚好，不会让她疼，却也挣不开。做完这些，他半跪在床上，指尖轻轻落在她裙身绣着的My Melody图案上，指腹顺着刺绣的轮廓慢慢摩挲。
“你看这小兔子，绣得还挺软的。”他低头看着她，声音带着笑意，指尖故意在图案的耳朵位置轻轻点了点。
她被绑着动弹不得，只觉得那指尖的触感透过布料传来，带着一阵酥麻的痒意，忍不住缩了缩身子，脸颊微微泛红：“别碰那里，痒……”
He raised an eyebrow, his fingertip shifting downward a bit, brushing over My Melody's round face with a bit more force, deliberately circling with his finger pad: "Where does it tickle? Here, or..." Before finishing, his fingertip slid to the pattern's neck area, lightly scraping once.
Her body tensed instantly, her waist and abdomen instinctively lifting a bit, her toes curling up, her voice carrying a coquettish breathiness: "I told you not to mess around—let me go, this spot is too sensitive..."
Watching her flushed earlobes and evasive eyes, he found her reactions extraordinarily captivating. His fingertip continued lingering on the pattern, occasionally pinching the embroidered fabric lightly: "No way—who told you to wear such a cute dress to tempt me."
She was teased until her whole body went soft, her bound wrists instinctively tugging, but only grinding the silk against her skin for an even itchier sensation. Her protests were soft and mushy: "I just thought it looked good and bought it—not on purpose... If you keep this up, I'll really get mad."
He chuckled lowly, leaning down to her ear, his breath spraying on her earlobe, but his fingertip suddenly pressing on My Melody's belly position, lightly kneading: "Being mad won't help—today, I have to tease you properly."
Her ears instantly flushed through, her body shuddering like it'd been electrocuted, her breathing chaotic for a moment, her voice with a sobbing tone thin and fine: "Mmm... don't touch there, I really can't take it—stop soon..."
He seemed to have found the most interesting toy; his fingertip left the bunny ear embroidery, sliding downward along the fabric at her chest. Midway, he deliberately used his finger pad to lightly scratch her soft flesh at the waist side. Seeing her shrink sharply, the laughter in his eyes deepened. He simply leaned over, using both hands—one fingertip continuing to quickly poke and trace on the embroidered My Melody pattern, while the other finger pad lightly circling her chest, waist side, and these sensitive areas.
"Stop... hahaha... don't tickle anymore!" The girl's protests instantly turned into uncontrolled laughter, tears laughing out, her cheeks red as if dripping blood. Her bound wrists and ankles struggled hard, the silk restraints grinding red marks on her skin. "Tickles... too ticklish! Hahaha... I can't take it!"
He didn't stop at all, his fingertips scratching faster—from around the bunny ear embroidery on her chest, to the fabric at her waist side, even brushing upward along the skirt hem, occasionally using his knuckle to lightly scrape her inner thigh. "Look at you laughing so happily—play with me a bit longer." His voice carried mockery, but the force in his hands didn't lessen; instead, he deliberately scratched a few more times at her most sensitive waist dimple.
The girl's laughter grew louder, her breathing rapid like bellows, her chest heaving violently, her body convulsing more and more. Suddenly, her laughter stopped abruptly, her eyes widening sharply, pupils dilating instantly, as if something had choked her throat. The smile on her face froze, replaced by an extreme suffocation. She opened her mouth but made no sound, her limbs tensing fiercely, then slumping heavily, her head tilting to the side as she collapsed straight down, completely losing consciousness.
彼は眉を上げ、指先を少し下へ移し、マイメロディの丸い顔を少し強く撫で、わざと指の腹で円を描いた：「どこがくすぐったい？ ここ、それとも……」言葉が終わる前に、指先が柄の首の部分へ滑り、軽く一度掻いた。
彼女の体が一瞬で緊張し、腰と腹が本能的に少し持ち上がり、つま先が曲がり、声に甘えた息遣いを込めて：「言ったでしょ、ふざけないで——離して、この場所敏感すぎる……」
彼女の赤くなった耳朶と避ける目を眺め、彼は彼女の反応が異様に魅力的だと感じた。指先は柄に留まり、時折刺繍の布地を軽く摘んだ：「ダメだよ——誰がこんな可愛い服着て俺を誘惑したんだ。」
彼女はからかわれて体全体が柔らかくなり、縛られた手首が本能的に引っ張ったが、シルクが肌に擦れてさらに痒い感覚を呼び、彼女の抗議は柔らかくねっとりした：「ただ可愛いと思って買っただけ——わざとじゃないよ……こんなに続けたら、本当に怒るよ。」
彼は低く笑い、彼女の耳元に寄り、息が耳朶に噴きかかり、しかし指先が突然マイメロディのお腹の位置を押し、軽く揉んだ：「怒っても無駄だよ——今日はちゃんとからかってやる。」
彼女の耳が一瞬で赤く染まり、体が電気に打たれたように震え、息遣いが一瞬乱れ、声に嗚咽の調子で細く：「ん……そこ触らないで、本当に耐えられない——早く止めて……」
彼は最も面白いおもちゃを見つけたようで、指先がウサギの耳の刺繍を離れ、胸元の布地に沿って下へ滑った。途中でわざと指の腹で腰側の柔らかい肉を軽く掻き、彼女が急に縮まるのを見て、目の笑いが深まった。彼は単に体を寄せ、両手を使い——片方の指先で刺繍されたマイメロディ柄を素早く突きなぞり、もう片方の指の腹で胸元、腰側、これらの敏感な場所を軽く円を描いた。
「止めて……ははは……もうくすぐらないで！」少女の抗議が一瞬で制御できない笑いに変わり、涙が笑い出て、頰が血のように赤くなった。縛られた手首と足首が激しく挣扎し、シルクの拘束具が肌に赤い跡を擦った。「くすぐったい……くすぐったすぎる！ ははは……耐えられない！」
彼は全く止まらず、指先が速く掻き——胸元のウサギの耳の刺繍周りから、腰側の布地へ、さらにはスカートの裾に沿って上へ撫で、時折関節で内腿を軽く掻いた。「見てよ、こんなに楽しく笑ってる——もう少し遊ぼう。」彼の声に嘲りが込められ、手の力が減らず、逆に彼女の最も敏感な腰の窪みをゆっくり数回掻いた。
少女の笑いがますます大きくなり、息遣いがふいごのように速く、胸が激しく上下し、体がますます痙攣した。突然、彼女の笑いがぴたりと止まり、目が急に大きく見開かれ、瞳が一瞬で拡大し、何かが喉を詰まらせたようだった。顔の笑みが凍りつき、極度の窒息に変わった。口を開けたが音が出ず、四肢が激しく緊張し、それから重く沈み、頭が横へ傾いてまっすぐ倒れ、完全に意識を失った。
他挑眉，指尖又往下移了移，蹭过My Melody的圆脸蛋，力度比刚才重了些，还故意用指腹打了个圈：“哪里痒？是这里，还是……”话没说完，他的指尖又滑到了图案的脖颈处，轻轻刮了一下。
她的身体瞬间绷紧，腰腹下意识地往上抬了抬，脚趾都蜷了起来，声音里带上了几分娇嗔的气音：“都说了别闹了，快松开我，这地方太敏感了……”
他看着她泛红的耳根和躲闪的眼神，觉得这样的反应格外动人，指尖继续在图案上流连，偶尔还轻轻捏一下刺绣的布料：“偏不，谁让你穿这么可爱的裙子勾我。”
她被他撩拨得浑身发软，绑带束缚着的手腕下意识地扯了扯，却只让丝绸在皮肤上磨出更痒的触感，嘴里的抗议也软乎乎的：“我就是觉得好看才买的，又不是故意的……你再这样，我真的生气了。”
他低笑一声，俯身凑到她耳边，气息喷在她耳廓上，指尖却猛地按在了My Melody的肚皮位置，轻轻揉了揉：“生气也没用，今天就得好好逗逗你。”
她的耳朵瞬间红透，身体像过电似的抖了一下，连呼吸都乱了几分，带着哭腔的声音细细的：“唔……别碰那里，真的受不了了，快停下……”
他像是找到了最有趣的玩具，指尖离开兔耳刺绣，转而顺着少女胸口的布料往下滑，中途还故意用指腹在她腰侧的软肉上轻轻挠了一下。见她猛地瑟缩，他眼底的笑意更浓，干脆俯身，双手并用，一边用指尖继续在My Melody的刺绣图案上快速点划，一边用指腹在她胸口、腰侧这些敏感地带轻轻挠着圈。
“别……哈哈哈……别挠了！”少女的抗议瞬间变成失控的大笑，眼泪都笑了出来，脸颊红得像要滴血，绑着的手腕和脚踝用力挣扎，丝绸绑带在肌肤上磨出红痕，“痒……太痒了！哈哈哈……我受不了了！”
他根本不停，指尖挠得更快，从她胸口的兔耳刺绣周边，到腰侧的布料，甚至顺着裙摆往上蹭，偶尔还会用指节轻轻刮过她的大腿内侧。“看你笑得这么开心，再陪我玩会儿。”他的声音里带着戏谑，手上的力道却没减，反而故意在她最敏感的腰窝处多挠了几下。
少女的笑声越来越响，呼吸急促得像拉风箱，胸口剧烈起伏着，身体抽搐得越来越厉害。突然，她的笑声戛然而止，眼睛猛地瞪圆，瞳孔骤然放大，像是被什么东西扼住了喉咙，脸上的笑意僵住，取而代之的是一种极致的窒息感。她张了张嘴，却发不出任何声音，四肢猛地绷紧，随即重重一松，头歪向一边，直直地倒了下去，彻底失去了意识。
He sat on the cold hospital room chair, his fingertips still lingering with the feel of the silk restraints, the scene replaying before his eyes of her eyes widening sharply and collapsing straight down—when the ambulance siren pierced his eardrums, she in his arms with faint breathing, tear streaks still on her face, the My Melody bunny ear embroidery on her chest wrinkled from sweat.
The hospital's diagnosis report smashed into his heart like a boulder: "Sudden asphyxiation coma, no external injuries on the body, suspected triggered by congenital hidden condition." He opened his mouth, the words "It was me tickling too much" at the tip of his tongue, forcibly swallowed back—he knew too well his wife's family rules. Those cousins, especially the brother-in-law who'd always looked down on his "married-in" status, had long been eyeing his vice president position covetously. If word got out that his wife's coma was due to such an absurd reason, not only would he be nailed to the pillar of shame as "frivolous and incompetent," but it'd hand his opponents the sharpest knife, saying he disregarded his wife's safety, even with ill intent.
He could only grit his teeth and go along with the family's public announcement: "His wife had succumbed to overwork and a sudden hidden illness." But this very excuse handed his brother-in-law the perfect opportunity to strike.
The brother-in-law wasted no time storming into the company with his wife's cousins, slamming the conference table and roaring at him: "My sister married you so you'd take care of her, not force her to work herself to death! Now she's lying in the ICU, and you're just trying to hold onto your position?" The brother-in-law's wife fanned the flames from the side, waving his travel records from the past six months: "Brother-in-law is always jetting off, ignoring everything at home—my sister must have been exhausted long ago, leading to this sudden accident!"
They gave him no chance to explain. The family elders had always harbored resentment toward him, this "outsider," holding partial real power. The brother-in-law allied with a few shareholding relatives, producing "evidence" they'd prepared long ago—nothing more than his occasional decisions in handling business, twisted into "autocratic behavior damaging the company's interests." Even more ruthless, the brother-in-law secretly tipped off the media about the "vice president's wife suddenly falling into a coma from a hidden illness, suspected due to long-term overwork," causing the company's stock price to plummet. Then, under the guise of "stabilizing morale," he proposed ousting him from his position, with the brother-in-law stepping in temporarily.
He felt like all his strength had been drained away—guarding outside the ICU, hoping for her to wake, while fending off the company's overt and covert attacks. Without her mediating in the middle, he was isolated and unsupported in the family; those former "allies" defected one after another, even his in-laws looking at him with disappointment and suspicion.
Three months later, his wife remained in a coma, and he ultimately couldn't hold onto anything—stripped of his vice president role, leaving the company he'd poured five years of blood and sweat into like a clean break, with only a small pre-marital apartment left in his hands. The brother-in-law smoothly took over his work, even mocking him overtly and covertly at family gatherings: "Some people, after all, aren't one of us—occupying a seat but never sitting steady."
He stood outside the ward window, gazing at his lifeless wife on the bed, his nails digging deep into his palms. Regret flooded him like a tide—if only he hadn't gotten carried away with the excessive tickling back then, if only he'd dared to tell the truth, even if ridiculed, would it have denied the brother-in-law his chance? But there are no ifs in the world. Now, he'd lost his high salary and perks, his footing in the family, everything he'd once prided himself on—left only with endless self-blame and a faint hope for her awakening, sinking deeper and deeper into the quagmire of memories.
彼は冷たい病室の椅子に座り、指先にまだシルクの拘束具の感触が残り、彼女の目が急に大きく見開かれまっすぐ倒れた場面が目の前に再生した——救急車のサイレンが耳を突き刺し、彼女を腕に抱き、息が微かで、顔に涙の跡が残り、胸元のマイメロディのウサギの耳の刺繍が汗でしわくちゃだった。
病院の診断書が巨石のように彼の心臓を叩きつけた：「突然の窒息性昏睡、体に外傷なし、先天性の隠れた疾患が引き金と疑われる。」彼は口を開け、「俺がくすぐりすぎたせいだ」という言葉が舌先に上ったが、強引に飲み込んだ——彼は妻の家族のルールをよく知っていた。あのいとこたち、特に「婿入り」身分の彼をいつも見下していた義弟は、彼の副社長の地位を虎視眈々と狙っていた。妻の昏睡がこんな馬鹿げた理由だと漏れたら、「軽薄で無能」として恥辱の柱に釘付けにされるだけでなく、相手に最も鋭いナイフを渡すことになり、妻の安全を無視した、悪意さえあるとされるだろう。
彼はただ歯を食いしばって家族の公表に合わせた：「妻は過労と突然の隠れた病で倒れた。」しかしこの言い訳こそが、義弟に完璧な攻撃の機会を与えた。
義弟はすぐに妻のいとこたちを連れて会社に押し入り、会議テーブルを叩いて咆哮した：「妹はお前が面倒見るために嫁いだのに、過労で死ぬほど働かせるのか！ 今ICUに横たわってるのに、お前は地位にしがみついてるだけか？」義弟の妻が横で火に油を注ぎ、過去半年の彼の出張記録を振り回して：「義弟はいつも飛び回って、家のこと無視——妹はきっとずっと疲弊してたんだよ、これが突然の事故の原因だ！」
彼らに説明の機会を与えなかった。家族の長老たちはいつもこの「部外者」が一部の実権を握っていることに不満を抱いていた。義弟は数人の株主の親族と結託し、以前から用意した「証拠」を出してきた——彼の時折の業務決定を、ただ「独断で会社の利益を損なう行為」に捻じ曲げただけだ。もっと非情なことに、義弟は密かにメディアに「副社長の妻が隠れた病で突然昏睡、長期過労が疑われる」とリークし、会社の株価を急落させた。そして「士気を安定させる」名目で、彼の地位を剥奪し、義弟が暫定的に引き継ぐことを提案した。
彼はすべての力が抜け落ちたように感じた——ICUの外で守り、彼女が目覚めるのを望みながら、会社の明暗の攻撃を防いでいた。彼女が間を取り持たない今、家族で彼は孤立無援；かつての「味方」たちが次々と離反し、義父母さえ失望と疑いの目で彼を見た。
三ヶ月後、妻はまだ昏睡状態で、彼は結局何も守れなかった——副社長の役職を剥奪され、五年間の血と汗を注いだ会社からきれいさっぱり去り、手元に残ったのは結婚前の小さなアパートだけだった。義弟はスムーズに彼の仕事を引き継ぎ、家族の集まりでさえあからさまに嘲った：「ある人は結局うちの人間じゃない——席を占めてるけど、座りきれないよ。」
彼は病室の窓外に立ち、ベッドで生気のない妻を眺め、爪が掌に深く食い込んだ。後悔が潮のように溢れた——あの時くすぐりを過度にしなければ、真実を勇気を出して言っていれば、嘲笑されても義弟に機会を与えなかったか？ しかし世にifはない。今、彼は高給と特典を失い、家族での足場を失い、かつて誇りにしていたすべてを——残ったのは果てしない自責と彼女の目覚めの微かな希望だけで、記憶の泥沼にますます沈んでいった。
他坐在冰冷的病房椅上，指尖还残留着丝绸绑带的触感，眼前反复回放着她眼睛骤然瞪圆、直直倒下的画面——救护车的鸣笛声刺破耳膜时，他怀里的她呼吸微弱，脸上还挂着未干的泪痕，胸口的My Melody兔耳刺绣被汗水浸得有些发皱。
医院的诊断书像一块巨石砸在他心上：“突发性窒息昏迷，体表无外伤，疑似先天性隐疾诱发。” 他张了张嘴，到了嘴边的“是我挠痒太过”硬生生咽了回去——他太清楚妻子家族的规矩，那些堂兄堂弟、尤其是一直瞧不上他“入赘”身份的小舅子，早就盯着他在公司的副总职位虎视眈眈。若是让人知道妻子昏迷是因为这种荒诞的缘由，不仅他会被钉在“轻浮无能”的耻辱柱上，还会给对手递上最锋利的刀，说他罔顾妻子安危，甚至意图不轨。
他只能咬着牙，配合家族对外宣称“妻子积劳成疾，突发隐疾”。可这说辞，恰恰给了小舅子可乘之机。
小舅子第一时间带着妻子的堂兄们冲进公司，拍着会议桌怒斥他：“我姐嫁给你，是让你照顾她，不是让你逼着她拼命工作！现在她躺进ICU，你倒好，还想着保住自己的位置？” 小舅子的妻子也在一旁煽风点火，拿着他近半年的出差记录说事：“姐夫天天往外跑，家里的事不管不顾，我姐怕是早就被累坏了，才会突发意外！”
他们根本不给她辩解的机会。家族长辈本就对他这个“外人”执掌部分实权心存芥蒂，小舅子又联合几个持股的亲戚，拿出早已准备好的“证据”——无非是他偶尔处理公务时的决策分歧，被曲解成“独断专行，损害公司利益”。更狠的是，小舅子竟暗中联系了媒体，把“副总妻子突发隐疾昏迷，疑因长期超负荷工作”的消息捅了出去，让公司股价暴跌，随后又以“稳定军心”为由，提议罢免他的职位，由小舅子暂代。
他像被抽走了所有力气，一边要守在ICU外盼着她醒来，一边要应对公司的明枪暗箭。可没有她在中间调和，他在家族里孤立无援，那些曾经的“盟友”纷纷倒戈，连岳父岳母看他的眼神都带着失望和怀疑。
三个月后，妻子依旧昏迷不醒，而他，终究没能守住一切——被罢免副总职位，净身出户般离开了那家他付出了五年心血的公司，手里仅剩下婚前的一套小房子。小舅子顺利接管了他的工作，还在家族聚会上明里暗里嘲讽：“有些人啊，终究不是一路人，占着位置也坐不稳。”
他站在病房窗外，看着病床上毫无生气的妻子，指甲深深掐进掌心。悔恨像潮水将他淹没——如果当初他没有一时兴起过分挠痒，如果他敢说出真相，哪怕被嘲笑，是不是就不会给小舅子可乘之机？可世上没有如果，如今他失去了高薪厚职，失去了在家族里的立足之地，失去了曾经引以为傲的一切，只剩下无尽的自责和对她醒来的渺茫期盼，在回忆的泥沼里越陷越深。