I was blinded saving Victoria’s life. She swore she would be my eyes forever, that she’d never leave my side. I threw myself into treatment, and on the day my vision was finally restored, I raced home, my heart pounding with joy, ready to share the incredible news. Instead, I found Victoria in my bed with her male secretary, tangled in a passionate embrace, their bodies moving in rhythm. In the throes of passion, Victoria moaned her secretary's name. “Tori,” he whispered, “why don’t you just divorce the blind man? I’m the one who truly understands you, the one who loves you.” “Just a little longer,” she panted. “I need more time.” That night, a blizzard raged outside. I walked out of my own home in a thin shirt, my heart a frozen wasteland. I booked a flight. I was going back to the Enclave, a place where Victoria would never find me. 1 After booking the flight, I thought the two of them might have finished their sordid affair. When I steeled myself and walked back into the house, I found they had moved from the bedroom to the living room. They were still locked in a feverish kiss, the air thick with the scent of sex. Victoria’s lust-filled eyes met mine, and she bit her lower lip, stifling a moan. But Asher, her secretary, was deliberately cruel. He thrust against her, hard. “Relax, Tori,” he murmured against her ear, his voice a low taunt. “David is blind. He can’t see us.” He shot me a look of pure contempt. Victoria pinched his side. “Don’t be wicked. We can’t let him hear anything.” “Oh, but I think this is so much more exciting,” he chuckled. “Damn, I think we’re out. We need a new one.” He whispered something in her ear, and she stilled her movements, her gaze falling on me, sitting on the opposite sofa. “Should I get it, or should we make him?” Asher asked, his eyes glinting with malice. After a moment’s hesitation, Victoria gave in to his game. “David,” she called out, her voice husky. “My throat’s a little sore. Could you grab that box of cold medicine from the coffee table for me?” My face was ashen. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes hazy with desire, her hands still clinging to Asher’s body. I forced myself to control the tremor in my hands, clenching them into fists. I glanced at the so-called “cold medicine” on the coffee table. It was a box of condoms. Victoria was asking me to bring them a condom. My world turned to grey. Playing the part of the blind man, I fumbled my way to the table and picked up the box. “How did you catch a cold? Is it serious?” I asked, my voice shaking with a betrayal she couldn't hear. “No, it’s nothing. I’ll just take the medicine and get some sleep.” Asher’s hands roamed her body, and she shot him a playful glare, silently telling him to stop. She took the box from my hand. “You should get some rest too. I’ll sleep in the guest room. I don’t want to infect you.” Then, Asher swept her into his arms, and they disappeared into the guest room. After they were gone, a bitter sting filled my nose, and my eyes burned. Even though I had already decided to leave her, the pain was a physical blow. Victoria had sworn she would never lie to me, never betray me. She had broken her vow. I picked up my phone and called my mentor, the Elder of my people. “Elder, it’s David. I am ready to come home and take my place as your successor.” “Are you certain? Once you return, you can never leave again. You know the valley is sealed, hidden from the outside world. Can you truly bear to leave Victoria?” “I can,” I answered without hesitation. The Elder was silent for a long moment. “Very well. Come back in seven days.” I had once hesitated to return, unable to leave her. Now, she had made the choice for me. I glanced at the closed door of the guest room, from which the sounds of their panting had already begun to emerge. “I have neglected my skills for too long,” I told the Elder. “I have a gift for medicine, yet I let it gather dust. Now, I am ready to take up the burden, to ease your worries.” “Good. You are a true son of the valley. You do not disappoint me. In eight days, we will all be waiting at the entrance to welcome you home.” “I will be there on time.” After we finished speaking, just as I hung up, the door opened. Victoria walked in, wearing nothing but Asher’s white dress shirt. Her neck and thighs were covered in love bites. She didn't bother to hide them. After all, I was blind. 2 A wave of nausea, more intense than anything I had ever felt, washed over me. I retched. Seeing my reaction, Victoria rushed towards me, her face etched with concern. As she drew near, the cloying scent of Asher’s signature cologne enveloped me—a custom blend the perfume company had made just for him, a gift from her. The revulsion was overwhelming. I shoved her away, stumbling blindly towards the bathroom, my body itself rejecting her presence. I knelt before the toilet, dry heaving. When the spasms subsided, my eyes fell on the trash can. A pregnancy test. Two red lines. I stared at it for a long time, the two lines mocking my failure, my impotence. I couldn’t find the right emotion. I couldn’t cry. There was nothing left but an endless, hollow ache. Since I had lost my sight six months ago, Victoria and I hadn’t been intimate. There was no need to guess whose child it was. Victoria followed me, her voice laced with panic. She wrapped her arms around me from behind. “David, what’s wrong? Are you sick?” Her hands trembled against my waist. “You pushed me away just now… my heart just sank.” She held me tighter, as if I might vanish at any moment. One second, she was with another man. The next, she was whispering words of love to me. Victoria was a truly gifted actress. I pried her hands off me, creating distance between us. “It’s probably just my stomach. I’ve been having trouble keeping food down lately.” I didn't know when I had learned to lie so easily. I had always despised dishonest people, and now I had become one of them. Hearing this, Victoria seemed to panic. The woman who was famously obsessed with cleanliness didn’t seem to care that I might be covered in filth. She clung to me again, her grip desperate. “I’m so sorry. I’ve been so busy with work, I haven’t had time for you. You’ve been eating alone, not taking care of yourself. It’s all my fault.” She cupped my face, her brow furrowed with what looked like genuine pain. She led me back to the bedroom and pulled out fresh clothes for me. I stopped her, dressing myself. Victoria froze, a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes. It was the first time since we married that I hadn't needed her help. Her heart seemed to skip a beat. I lay down on the bed, and she gently pulled the covers over me. “David, are you angry with me? For not spending enough time with you?” she whispered. “Tomorrow is your birthday. I’ll take the whole day off. We’ll spend it all together, just us. How does that sound?” The fearsome queen of the business world, a woman who made titans of industry tremble, was speaking to me with such humility. Was I fortunate or cursed? I was too tired to decide. As I drifted off to sleep, she must have thought I was already gone, because her phone vibrated. She quickly silenced it, then called my name twice. When I didn’t stir, she answered. “You little vixen,” Asher’s voice purred through the phone. “You ripped my underwear. Now, get me a new pair. Immediately.” “I’ll be right there.” Victoria glanced at me one last time, her hand gently stroking my cheek, then she left. I gripped the bedsheets, and the tears I had been holding back finally broke free. Asher hadn't left. She was keeping him here, in our home, taking advantage of my blindness. It’s alright, I told myself. Just seven more days. Then, we will be finished forever. 3 The next morning, Victoria was up early, cooking a lavish breakfast in the kitchen. She had prepared all my favorite pastries and side dishes. She even held a piece up to my lips. “Open up, darling. Let me feed you.” Asher, sitting across from me, pouted. Victoria, right in front of me, texted him under the table: I’ll make it up to you later. Don’t cause a scene in front of David. I’ll give you whatever you want. A smug look crossed Asher’s face. He shot me a disdainful glance, then stood up. As he passed Victoria, his fingers brushed provocatively under the hem of her skirt before he walked out. I didn’t take the food she offered. I picked up my chopsticks and pretended to blindly find something else on the table. She thought I was still sulking. After breakfast, she insisted on taking me out. She had chartered a yacht and invited dozens of our friends for what she called a grand birthday celebration for me. All the way there, she held my hand tightly, as if afraid I might fall, chattering on about our sweet memories. I remained silent, the irony and pain a bitter cocktail in my gut. I once believed we would grow old together, inseparable. It had all become a joke. Victoria craved excitement, craved the thrill of a younger man. She had forgotten the vows we made. The path from the dock to the yacht was strewn with vibrant, fresh rose petals. I’ve always hated roses. Victoria knew this. Asher, however, loved them. So the rose petals were for him. Another lie in a celebration that was never meant for me. “David, this is where we had our wedding. It was broadcast live across the globe, so the whole world would know how much I, Victoria Thorne, adored you.” Her voice trembled with emotion, and a single tear traced a path down her cheek. She lifted my hand and pressed my fingertips to the teardrop. How much love does it take to make a woman cry with such sincerity? If it weren’t for her betrayal, I might have been moved enough to cry with her. She had loved me once. But that time was gone. Her love was now divided. I pulled my hand away, my expression as calm as still water. Victoria, lost in her own memories, looked hurt by my lack of reaction. But her sorrow lasted only a few seconds. Her eyes lit up, a smile playing on her lips as she looked towards the deck. Asher was standing there, dressed in a bespoke suit Victoria had made for him. He looked refined, elegant. Compared to my simple attire, I was utterly eclipsed. “Mr. Hayes, happy birthday,” Asher said with a smug smile. He walked to Victoria’s side and, ignoring everyone else, took her hand in his. “Ms. Thorne, everything is ready. I’ll count down from three.” “One!” “Two!” “Three!” Suddenly, the night sky erupted in a cascade of fireworks, painting the darkness with brilliant colors. The three of us stood there, Victoria and Asher’s hands tightly clasped. They looked like the married couple. I watched the explosions, and a sharp pain pierced my eyes. As the fireworks bloomed, they spelled out a name in glittering light: ASHER. Not David. The party, the fireworks—it was all for him. Suddenly, Victoria excused herself, asking a maid to look after me. “David, be a good boy and wait for me. I’ll be right back.” She placed a soft kiss on my forehead and then, taking Asher’s hand, eagerly hurried away.
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