Human is Egoist

Elena dragged William into her hotel room after she saw Thomas hastily left them without any words after his remarks.

"I miss you." She heard William said it once again. She looked at and hugged him. "I miss you too."

William embraced his wife for a while. They didn't utter any more words or kissed. They just stood still in each other embrace. Only he knew how much he missed her although they hadn't met not even for a day. So, when he saw his wife was in his embrace, he felt the loneliness, a feeling of yearning he had finally quenched. It was as if he was coming back to a colorful life after being years living in monochrome world. He was very content that his wife was finally in his embrace.

Elena dragged and let him sit on the bed. She sat beside him. William lifted an eyebrow when his wife dragged him to sit on the bed. "Oh, you are not patient enough?"

Elena slapped his arm with a loud smack. She was clear about what he was talking about. She blushed a little. "We should talk about this later." Now, she looked at him attentively. His hair was messy and his white shirt was disheveled. There was a trace of fatigue on his face. "Look at yourself. You are clearly exhausted. You should stay at home and rest instead of forcing yourself." Although it was Sunday, Elena knew that her husband would be working because the due date of project that Park Corporation managed to cinch from the government was bring forth.

This morning, she felt so guilty for leaving him because she knew he had squeezed his schedule tightly only for him to spend the entire day with her.

William smiled when noticed the concern in her eyes. He replied seriously. "You're my energizer. I'll be okay after I see you. I'm not patient enough to see my beautiful wife tomorrow. Moreover, I know that you'll miss me. " He shamelessly said. William paused as he continued with a serious expression. "So, will you give me reward for this? You also promise me that you'll make up for this morning failure. So, you owe me twice my wife."

Elena rolled her eyes. Her husband was too shameless. He was flirting with her while praising himself and asked her to give him reward as well as compensation? He shot three birds with one stone. Only a shrewd businessman like him could complete this feat. "Okay. I'll fulfill everything as you wish. You have to take a shower first. I want to see my handsome and fresh husband."

William replied, "Okay." He stood from the bed and went straight to the bathroom while Elena opened his suitcase to prepare the change clothes. Then, she entered the bathroom and said to William who was unbuttoning his shirt.

William perfect chest muscle was slowly exposed. With just his chest, Elena felt her throat dry. She gulped her saliva when she said to William."I'll put your clothes here." She put the clothes on the sink and hastily stepped out of the bathroom. It was a close call for her. If she stayed there any longer, she was sure that she was not able to restrain herself from molesting her husband.

William saw Elena left as if she saw something frightening. His wife was too shy. He decided to tease her more in the future. Of course, at this point he didn't know that Elena would be the predator instead of him. He would be at the losing end in the games that he initiated.

…

After he freshened himself, William went out and saw his wife was watching the news on tv. It was about Song Xi, the actress who died this morning. He casually said, "Is she the one you examine today?" Earlier, when he contacted Thomas for help, Thomas told him about their work. So, he knew who and how many corpses that his wife had examined today.

Elena nodded as she sighed, "She was quiet pitiful. She was tortured before death before a fatal blow killed her. The murderer hung her body after her death. Police said she was murder because of conflict of interest between her and her family. Her uncle is allegedly the murderer." She shifted her gaze to her husband who was wearing casual clothes. He looked younger and wilder compared to when he wore suits. She asked him a question. "Darling, why are people so cruel to each other?" She knew this answer. As an orphan who lived under others' charity, she had seen some ugly forms of human, like how they sacrificed their kin for their own benefits.

Many children in the orphanage were not truly an orphan. Instead, they were being casted away by their greedy kin. They got rid of the children from their sight and claimed what those children supposed to own.

Her closest friend at that time, before his death ever told her about the reason he was sent to the orphanage. He was sent to the orphanage when he was ten years old by his uncle. His uncle and his family were too greedy for money and wealth that his parents possessed. So, when his late father passed away, they claimed everything belonged to him and sent him away to the orphanage.

He lived in the orphanage for five years and befriended Elena before he was killed in arson at his apartment when he just turned sixteen with his adopted parents. His death brought an immense sadness to Elena. Fortunately, Little Mo was able to cheer her up.

She was aware of it since long time ago but still, when witness the cruelty during the autopsy and saw it on the news, she couldn't help but ask.

William didn't answer immediately. He sat beside his wife on the bed as he leaned himself against the headboard like what his wife did. He took her hand and put it on is thigh. Then he replied as he looked at her who had a hint of sadness in her eyes. "It's just a nature of human." He didn't know why his wife got sad all of sudden. Was it because of something happened in the past? He was curious but he didn't intend to pry her mouth open for details. He would let his wife tell him when she was ready. "Human is a social being but at the same time human is an individual. A person is an angel for the others while the same person might be a devil in the other eyes. Human is egoist. We will always think about our best interest, and this trait runs in our blood. We can sacrifice everything to get what we desire. This is something that everyone possesses. The only different is how much we can control this trait for our own good."

Elena looked at him with a troubled expression. "Then…" Before she could finish her sentence, William interjected. "I know what you are going to ask." His wife was witty. He knew the question she was about to ask was a critical one. "You are afraid that I'll do the same thing to you right? I'll leave you behind for my interest?" Instead of feeling hurt because his wife asked the question as if she didn't trust him, he was elated. The scars she experience during her childhood left a deep trauma in her heart, making her unable to express herself completely. It was not something that could be healed overnight. Although Elena had told him about her past, he could clearly felt that Elena had some reservations towards him. So, when she asked this question, she actually opened herself up more to him and it truly made him overjoyed. She finally spoke what she had in mind. "I'll never do that, not in my entire life. You are the one that I've been waiting for this all time. You are the one that I love and I want to spend my entire life with you, this lifetime and the next. When I recited the wedding promise, I've put myself in your hands. I surrender myself to you completely, both my body and my soul. I'll fulfill my duty, as your husband and lover. Even if the world against our relationship, I'll strive to fight against the world. I'll never leave you unless you do not want me anymore. I know that my words have no weight but I'll prove it with my action. You have our entire life worth time to witness myself fulfilling my promises to you." He held her hand tightly. What he had just said was not words to coax her. It was what he was feeling. His love to her was so strong. When he thought he had loved her so much, he would find himself fallen for her more.

Elena nodded her head. She leaned on his shoulder. "I'll be with you to witness your words for my entire life."

William kissed her head. "Un. We'll be together as always."