An accident left me blind. For five years, my girlfriend, Amelia, never left my side. She would hold my hand, her voice thick with emotion, and swear, "It doesn't matter if you never see again. I will never marry anyone but you." For five long years, she was my rock, my eyes, my everything. I truly believed she wanted to spend her life with me. Until we went on vacation, and I "accidentally" fell into the ocean. I woke up in a hospital room, and the first thing I realized was… I could see. The world was a blur of shapes and colors, but it was there. I could see. I was about to call out, to share the miraculous news with her, when I saw them. Amelia and another man, standing on the balcony, locked in a tight embrace. Her smile was radiant, a look of pure bliss I hadn't seen in years. "Don't worry," she cooed. "Even if he didn't die, it won't change anything for us. He's just a blind man. What's he going to do?" 1 Her words sent a chill down my spine. It didn't make sense. I thought Amelia loved me. When I lost my sight, she hadn't hesitated. She’d stayed, cared for me, loved me. Five years of unwavering devotion. What was happening? Before I could process it, I heard their voices again. "He still needs to die," the man said. "As long as he's alive, all that money is still his." That voice… I knew that voice. It was David, the male caregiver Amelia had hired a few months ago. It had to be. I’d felt sorry for her, thinking the burden of caring for me was too much. I was the one who insisted she get some help. I hadn't just hired help. I had invited a predator into my home. Still reeling from the shock, I heard Amelia's voice, soft and reassuring. "Don't you worry, my love. I didn't expect him to be so lucky. Someone saw him fall in right away." "Just give it some time. We'll find another excuse to take him somewhere." What did that mean? So, falling into the ocean… that was their plan? And they were going to try again? Any lingering hope I’d clung to shattered, leaving me in an arctic wasteland of betrayal. The cold was so profound, it felt like it was freezing me from the inside out. I forced myself to stay calm, to listen. David, soothed by Amelia's words, seemed to calm down. "Next time," he said, his voice hard, "we need to be prepared. We have to make sure it's a clean kill." Amelia nodded eagerly, melting into his embrace, a sickeningly sweet smile on her face. She took his hand and placed it on her stomach. "Darling, I have some wonderful news." "I'm pregnant." David's eyes went wide. "What did you just say?" "I said," she repeated, peppering his face with kisses, "you're going to be a father!" "Really?" he asked again, his voice filled with disbelief. Amelia nodded, and he let out a whoop of joy, sweeping her up into his arms. "This is amazing! I'm going to be a dad!" His voice grew louder with excitement. Amelia quickly pressed a hand over his mouth. "Shh! Keep it down! The blind man is still lying in there. You'll wake him up." "So what?" David scoffed. "The doctor said he wouldn't be conscious until tomorrow at the earliest." But Amelia wasn't convinced. She insisted on checking on me. After a few more stolen kisses, David reluctantly let her go, and they stepped back into the room from the balcony. I scrambled back into the bed, my movements silent thanks to my bare feet. A moment later, they were standing over me. "Leo? Leo?" David said, tapping my cheek. Beneath the blanket, my hand was clenched so tightly around the bedsheet my knuckles were white. It took every ounce of self-control not to leap up and smash their faces in. They both called my name a few more times. Convinced I was still unconscious, they straightened up. This time, they didn't even bother with subtlety. They wrapped their arms around each other right there, next to my bed. "See? I told you not to worry," David murmured. "Even if he wakes up, he can't see anything." A frown creased his forehead. "We can't be careless. What if… what if he got his sight back?" I watched them through slightly slitted eyelids, a perfect picture of a loving couple, whispering their secrets over my supposedly insensate body. It all made sense now—why she had been pushing me away for months, always finding an excuse to avoid any intimacy. She was pregnant with another man's child. The thought that I had been supporting these two vipers, that I had welcomed one of them into my home, made me want to slap myself. But now, I had the advantage. They were out in the open, and I was in the shadows. I would play their game. I would continue to be the helpless blind man. And I would watch them. I would wait. And then, I would make them pay. The lingering effects of the medication soon pulled me into a genuine, deep sleep. When I woke the next morning, the room was empty. "Amelia? Are you there?" I called out. The door swung open, and she rushed in, with David trailing behind her. "Darling! You're awake! Oh, thank God, you scared me to death!" She collapsed into my arms, her face buried in my chest, her shoulders shaking with sobs. What an actress. It was a damn shame she wasn't in Hollywood. David shot her an annoyed look, then waved his hand back and forth in front of my face. It was a daily ritual for him, a constant test to see if anything had changed. "It's okay, don't cry. I'm fine," I said, pretending to grope for her, my hand finally finding her face after a few clumsy attempts. The skin under my fingers was completely dry. Her performance was flawless. After a few more minutes of her fake comfort, she told David to help me with a shower. He made a disgusted face and spat silently on the floor before reluctantly leading me to the bathroom. Once inside, he cranked the faucet to its hottest setting, aimed the showerhead at my chest, and turned it on. Scalding water hit my skin. I cried out in pain. He feigned panic. "Oh, sorry, Leo! I didn't realize!" Amelia heard the commotion and knocked on the door. "What's going on in there?" "He scalded me!" I called out first. "Where? Let me see! Come out here!" Her voice was thick with a worry that, just yesterday, would have seemed completely genuine. Now, it was just the hollow echo of a lie. "It's fine," I said, my voice tight. "We'll be out in a minute." I felt David's grip on my arm tighten. He gave me a quick, rough rinse and practically threw my clothes back on me. The moment I was back on the bed, Amelia was there, lifting my shirt. "Let me see what happened." She saw the angry red patch on my chest and shot a glare at David. "Does it hurt? It's all red! David, what is wrong with you?" On the surface, she was scolding him for my sake. In reality, her eyes were locked on his, and she mouthed silently, What happened? He jerked his chin in my direction and then made a "zip it" gesture. It was clear David was still suspicious. Just then, the doctor came in for his rounds. Amelia explained what happened and asked him to take a look. After a brief examination, the doctor confirmed it was just a surface burn and said I was fine to go home. But Amelia wasn't done. "Doctor, what about his eyes? Is there any change?" The doctor leaned in, shining a light into my eyes. "No, no change. Everything looks the same." "So… when will he be able to see again?" "That's impossible to say. But with modern medicine, you never know. I'm sure Mr. Hayes will regain his sight one day." Thank God. My vision was still blurry enough that the physical signs of recovery weren't yet visible. Otherwise, the game would have been up right then and there. The doctor's words seemed to put them at ease. He left, and Amelia went to handle the discharge paperwork while David stayed behind to pack. He watched her walk down the hall, and a look of pure malice crossed his face. He clearly didn't trust the doctor's assessment, and his little shower experiment had failed. He wasn't giving up. My heart pounded as he picked up a fruit knife from the bedside table and started walking towards me, his steps slow and deliberate. On the outside, I was perfectly still. Inside, I was screaming. The tip of the knife came closer, closer, until it was less than an inch from my eye. And then it stopped. Amelia was back. She saw the scene, and her face went rigid. She lunged forward, grabbing David's wrist. "Are you crazy? Put it down!" she hissed, her eyes wide with panic. Reluctantly, David lowered the knife. "Amelia? Is that you?" I asked, my voice intentionally weak. She took a few deep breaths, forcing herself to sound calm. "Yes, darling, it's me." She then launched into a stream of concerned words, fussing over me as she finished packing our things. By the time we got home, it was late afternoon. I was exhausted, and I let David lead me straight to the bedroom. I slept until eight o'clock that night. My stomach was growling, but no one had come to wake me for dinner. I was about to call for Amelia when I heard the sound of laughter coming from the caregiver's room next door. I slipped out of bed and crept to the door, which was slightly ajar. Through the crack, I saw Amelia propped up against the headboard. David, wearing my pajamas, had his head resting on her stomach. "He just kicked me," he said, grinning. "You silly goose," Amelia giggled. "I'm only three months along. You can't feel anything yet." Three months. My fists clenched. The timeline clicked into place. They’d been together for a while. I was now one hundred percent certain. I remembered my friends telling me when I first started dating Amelia that she already had a boyfriend. When I asked her about it, she swore they had broken up long ago. I never saw her with anyone else, and after I went blind, her devotion was so complete that I never doubted her. But it was all a lie. Whether David was that old boyfriend or a new one didn't matter. They were trying to kill me for my money, and for that, there would be no forgiveness. If they wanted to play dirty, then I would show them no mercy. A plan began to form in my mind. I smirked, turned, and went back to the living room. I found a small box of thumbtacks and palmed a few. Then, I returned to their door. They were starting to get more intimate. I cleared my throat loudly. "Amelia? David? Are you in there?" I dragged my foot on the floor, making it sound like I was shuffling blindly, then pushed the door open. They both jumped, startled. David was so shocked he fell off the bed with a muffled thud, scrambling to stay quiet. He frantically motioned for Amelia to go out and deal with me. The pure panic on their faces was a beautiful sight. Amelia slid off the bed and tiptoed to the door. "David? Are you here?" I said, playing the part, waving my hand in the empty air. David finally let out a breath and forced his voice to sound steady. "Leo, yeah, I'm here. I was just taking a nap. What's up?" As he spoke, I casually dropped the thumbtacks on the floor, just a few feet away from me. "Oh, I was just hungry. I called out a few times, but nobody answered, so I came to find you." I stood my ground, waiting for him to come to me. Sure enough, he walked right into the trap. The thumbtacks pierced the sole of his foot, and he let out a sharp cry of pain, hopping on one leg. "David, what's wrong?" I asked, fighting to keep the laughter out of my voice. Amelia came running, having already changed back into her own clothes. "Darling, what's wrong? Why are you up?" She was talking to me, but her eyes were glued to David. If I hadn't been standing there, she would have been all over him. I turned my head towards the sound of her voice. "Amelia, where were you?" She hesitated for a second. "I… I just popped out to buy you some new clothes." A lie so lazy it was insulting. But I let it slide. "David, are you okay?" I asked with fake concern. He had managed to compose himself. "I'm fine," he said through gritted teeth. "Just twisted my ankle." "Is it serious? Maybe you should go to the hospital." They exchanged a look. "Yes, David, you should get it checked out," Amelia said, her voice laced with worry. "It looks like it's already swelling." She looked like she was desperate to tend to his wound herself. David didn't argue. He limped towards the door, his eyes scanning my face the entire time he passed me. He was still suspicious. After he left, Amelia helped me back to my room. The moment we were inside, she pushed me onto the bed. She stripped off her clothes and leaned in close, whispering in my ear. "Darling, it's been so long… We have the whole house to ourselves…" She hadn't let me touch her in months. This sudden display of affection could only mean one thing. David had put her up to this. Another test. I remained perfectly still, then gently pushed her away. "I'm really hungry, Amelia. Could you make me some dumplings?" A flicker of surprise crossed her face, but she got up and went to the kitchen. The night passed with a tense, false peace, the quiet before a storm. But this time, the storm was for them. I slept better than I had in years. The next morning, I was woken by a frantic pounding on the front door.
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