Luna's POV

I climbed to the edge of the pool in a hurry, my breath coming in short gasps. My heart was beating between fear and panic. As I ran for help, I still had time to glance back, seeing Anne, who was looking weaker and weaker, her hands floating on the surface of the reddening water.

I accidentally bumped into someone.

"Luna, what's wrong?" the voice stopped me. I looked up and found Max standing in front of me. His face was full of worry.

I swallowed hard, trying to catch my breath. But before I could answer, Max looked at me more closely. His eyes rounded, full of shock.

"Wait! Can you see now?" Max said, his voice filled with astonishment. I could only nod briefly.

Max smiled widely, his eyes sparkling. Without hesitation, he shook my body, waiting for my explanation.

"Since when, honey? Why didn’t you tell me?" Max asked again, this time in a warm tone.

I was silent for a moment, at a loss for what to say. My head was full of images of Anne in the pool, her weakened body, and the red water that kept spreading.

"That’s... I’ll tell you about it later," I stammered.

"Now, please save Anne first. Something happened between us. She... she’s suddenly bleeding."

"What?" Max’s face turned serious in an instant. Without waiting for further explanation, he immediately ran towards the pool. The neat suit he was wearing fluttered in the wind.

I followed his steps with an uneasy heart. When we reached the edge of the pool, we both fell silent, shocked by the sight before us. Anne was lying on the surface of the water, her body floating helplessly. The red color spreading in the pool made the atmosphere even more tense.

"Anne!" Max shouted, immediately jumping into the pool without thinking. I could only stand at the edge, my body trembling.

Max and I immediately took Anne to the hospital after first changing our clothes. We knew there was no way we were going to leave in such a drenched state. I tried to calm myself down, but guilt and fear kept plaguing my mind.

In the hospital waiting room, the atmosphere was tense. Max sat next to me, but his eyes were red, looking at me sharply.

"What exactly happened to her? Why is Anne in such a state?" asked Max in an irritated tone, his voice low but demanding.

I looked down, clasping my trembling hands.

"We... we accidentally fought in the pool earlier. She said something that made me angry. Then I kicked her in the stomach. And then suddenly she was like that."

Max let out a long breath, his face showing disappointment mixed with confusion.

"You fought with her? You’re crazy! What if she gets hurt?" snapped Max, his voice shaking between anger and panic.

I snorted sarcastically, folding my arms across my chest and looking away from him.

"Yes, I’m crazy. But she’s even crazier for wanting to kill me in that pool. And now you’re thinking more about her situation than me?"

Max let out a long breath, obviously trying to hold back his emotions.

"There’s no way Anne would do that. She’s your best friend. I know her."

I cut him off instantly, my voice rising.

"No way, you say? But, in fact, she also tried to take you away from me! You think I don’t know? You guys were having a relationship behind my back and covering up this lie just because I was blind all along, right?"

Max was silent, his face turning pale. I saw his shock. He was about to explain something, but before he could, the doctor left the room. Our debate came to an abrupt halt. Max immediately approached the doctor with hurried steps.

"How is she, Doc?" he asked anxiously.

The doctor sighed, then spoke in a serious tone. He said that Anne had a miscarriage while Anne’s condition was still unconscious. Then the doctor left, leaving Max and me.

The world seemed to stop. The words echoed in my head. Max and I were both shocked, looking at each other.

"So you got Anne pregnant?" I asked, this time in a colder tone. I clapped my hands slowly, a bitter smile plastered on my face.

"Very good, Max. Without you explaining, it turns out that your relationship has gone that far."

"Luna, wait! I’ll explain it to you. You just got the wrong idea, honey!" Max tried to get closer, panic on his face.

I snorted sarcastically, giving him a hateful look.

"Wrong idea? You think I’m stupid, Max?" My voice started to rise.

"I know I was blind—not just physically, but blind because of my love for you. I trusted you completely. But you stabbed me in the back."

He fell silent, unable to reply.

I continued, voice trembling with the emotion I was holding back.

"All this time I haven’t given up on finding a suitable eye donor for me. I wanted to see the world, I wanted to see my loved ones. So, yes, I finally found that donor. I deliberately told you I was going on vacation when I had the surgery." I took a deep breath, holding back the tightness in my chest.

"When I opened my eyes and saw the world for the first time, do you know what I saw, Max? I saw you with Anne in our room!" I emphasized every word, making sure he understood the depth of my hurt.

Max was shocked, his face turning pale. He looked like someone at a loss for words, his lips opening and closing silently.

"Luna, listen to me, it’s not what you think—"

"Enough, Max!" I held up a hand, stopping him.

"I don’t want to hear your lies anymore. I’ve heard and seen enough myself."

I turned around and walked away. But Max quickly caught my arm, pleading.

I brushed his hand away roughly.

"Luna, please! I love you. Don’t do this!"

I paused for a moment, turning my head with a gaze full of hurt.

"What kind of love would betray a loved one? Anne was right in telling me that you only loved her. While me, you married only out of responsibility. Ah, or maybe you felt sorry for me first."

I smiled while holding back the tightness in my chest. Without giving him another chance, I was about to walk away. However, my steps were blocked by a nurse who came to us, giving us some news about Anne.

Luna's POV

In the middle of my argument with Max, the nurse informed me that Anne had regained consciousness. I was silent, lost in my thoughts. Max looked at me with a softer look than before.

"Let's end this argument. Let's go see Anne first." His voice was calm but full of emphasis.

I didn't answer. My feet finally followed him to Anne's room. There, I saw her. Anne now looked so fragile, with a puffy face and tears still rolling down her cheeks.

Perhaps it was because she had just been told that the baby she was carrying could not be saved. However, what hurt the most was the look in her eyes—sharp, full of anger, directed at me as if I were the center of all her suffering.

"Because of you, my baby miscarried! You murderer!" Her voice broke, shaking between anger and sadness. Her index finger was pointed straight at me, like a stabbing knife.

I looked down, unable to reply. Guilt haunted me, though my heart insisted that it wasn't entirely my fault. She started it all, and I was just retaliating.

Max stepped forward, trying to calm Anne down. I looked at them with mixed feelings—especially when Anne cried in Max's arms.

The sight was too piercing. I wanted to disappear, to vanish from this room, from this situation. I felt like an inanimate object, helpless amidst the storm of emotions.

"Max, look at her! She doesn't even feel the slightest bit guilty for what she did!" Anne exclaimed while still sobbing.

Max turned to me, his gaze now cold and demanding.

"Luna, look what you've done. Now, apologize to Anne. Now!" Max sternly ordered me. I was shocked, unable to believe what I had just heard.

"What? I have to apologize to her?" My voice rose; of course, I didn't accept it.

"Yes, Luna. Anne lost her baby, and it happened after a fight with you. Don't you feel guilty at all?"

This time, Max looked at me more sharply. I looked down again, staring at the white floor that felt even colder under my feet. Max's words hit my heart, but my ego refused to bow down completely.

I wanted to defend myself, wanted to scream that it wasn't all my fault. Yet, at the same time, the guilt was too real to ignore. I took a deep breath, trying to muster up the courage.

"Anne, I'm sorry!" I put on the saddest face possible and was full of regret. I caught a glimpse of Anne smiling as I said those words. I came closer and took her hand.

"I'm sorry, Anne. I shouldn't have done this. I should have done more than that. Wouldn't it be better for you to catch up with your baby?"

I smiled sarcastically, while Anne, who had been smiling, suddenly turned red. Suddenly, my shoulders were in a firm grip, and I was slapped hard on the cheek. Max slapped me as if venting his anger. I guess he couldn't accept what I said to Anne.

"Enough, Luna! You've gone too far. Where's your heart to say something like that? You killed that baby, but you don't feel the least bit guilty about your behavior. Repeat your apology to Anne. Now!"

I winced, feeling the heat on my cheek. Max's slap not only hurt my skin but also my heart. However, I refused to show weakness. With my head held high, I looked into his angry eyes.

"You talk about heart, Max? Where was your heart when you let me drown in your lies? You're a fraud, just like her. And I don't think I need to apologize to her. Because you should be the one to say it to me!"

Max was silent for a moment, as if shaken by my words. Anne was also silent, as if she had run out of words to reply to me.

"From now on, don't ever see me, Max. I'll go. It's better if we go our separate ways. Forget your responsibility for my vision. Because now, I've seen it all." I grinned at Max and Anne in turn.

Anne opened her mouth, seemingly about to say something, but I raised my hand, stopping her.

"Don't say anything, Anne. You've lied enough already. I'm sick of hearing your voice always pretending to be a victim."

Her face flushed, but I continued mercilessly.

I leaned closer, my gaze piercing straight into her eyes. "But there's one thing you must remember, Anne. The happiness you get from the suffering of others will never last. Someday, you will feel a pain far greater than what I felt."

Anne could only stare at me with teary eyes, unable to say anything. I turned around, glancing at Max before walking towards the door.

"Max, I'm serious. Don't ever come into my life again. I'd rather be blind than have to see both of your faces again. Goodbye, and may you both be happy in your little hell."

Without waiting for a reply, I walked away. My steps were steady, even though my heart was a mess. I didn't want to look at those disgusting faces again.