Crises in Love (Zora and Jaylan) novel Chapter 1

My name's Aaliyah Wilburn, and I'm thirty years old.

Among my peers, I've always been the object of envy - living in a detached house in the upscale area of Goldenvale Town, married to a handsome, considerate man who still loves me like it's our first date. He's universally praised as the epitome of a devoted husband.

His name is Jaylan Dawson, a well-known veteran stylist, and I used to run a medical equipment company, making a decent annual income.

After marriage, I gave birth to three adorable children in quick succession. As I juggled work and kids, Jaylan voluntarily resigned to help manage the company, which flourished under his leadership. I decided to become a full-time housewife, enjoying life and raising our children, seen as the ultimate winner in life by others.

But I noticed my body deteriorating day by day. My hair started falling out, I became more and more lethargic, my body was getting thinner, my memory was fading, and my mood was low. I was often in a daze.

Jaylan said I have anxiety disorder. We consulted with countless doctors, and got me different medicines. My housekeeper, Zora, brew the herbal medicine for me every day.

Little did I know that this was the beginning of a near-death experience.

One day, I was awakened by a sharp pain in my head and accidentally knocked over the herbal medicine that Zora had brought me. Our greedy cat, Milo, licked up the spilled medicine while I was still battling sleepiness. By the time I realized what had happened, Milo had jumped onto the window ledge, contentedly grooming himself.

When Zora came to collect the empty cup, I didn't mention the spill, saving her the trouble of brewing more for me.

To be honest, I was getting tired of taking the herbal medicine, which didn't seem to help at all. If it wasn't for Jaylan's painstaking efforts in getting the herbs and reminding me to take it, I would've thrown it away.

Ever since I fell ill, Zora had been shouldering the responsibilities of the household. She worked tirelessly, never complained, and sometimes, I felt a little guilty for burdening her.

After a brief chat, she took the empty cup and went back to her chores.

I turned to look at my pillow, covered in a layer of fallen hair. The sight was a bit shocking. I sighed, gathered the fallen hair, rolled it into a ball, and casually stuffed it into the pocket of my pajama.

Suddenly, a thud came from behind, startling me!

As I cautiously turned to the other side of the bed, I found Milo lying on the floor, spread-eagled and motionless, completely silent. The sight of Milo gave me a bad feeling.

"Milo!" I called out, but there was no response. A chill ran down my spine.

This was completely unlike Milo. Cats are known for their excellent balance. How could he have fallen from the window ledge and ended up in this state?

Is he...dead?

My heart pounded as I carefully observed him. His heavy breathing suggested he was in a deep sleep, but his posture...Suddenly, a horrifying thought crossed my mind!

I jumped off the bed and picked up Milo, who was limp and unresponsive, completely defenseless.

Involuntarily, I thought of myself. Was I also in the same state every day?

Could it be...

The thought sent a shiver down my spine. I couldn't bear to think about it any longer!

Before I could think further, I heard familiar footsteps from the hallway. It must be Jaylan...

Instinctively, I held Milo and quickly climbed back into bed, pulling the blanket over Milo's odd state and pretending to sleep.

At the same time, I heard the door handle creak. My heart pounded like a drum, and I could feel a gaze sweeping over my back. My hands trembled uncontrollably under the blanket.

But the anticipated footsteps did not come closer. Instead, they retreated. Just as the door was about to close, I heard Jaylan asking, "Did she take the medicine?"

Whatever he said next was muffled by the closed door.

The next second, I abruptly opened my eyes. An unprecedented fear filled my soul, and I didn't even know where I was. Was I in a dream, experiencing a nightmare?

The current situation made me think of the spilled medicine.

I had been taking care of Milo for many years, and he had never been in this state. The only difference today was that he had licked my spilled medicine.

This thought terrified me. Could it be possible that someone is trying to harm me?