In the aftermath, Ronan was forced to marry me.

My parents had confronted him. "Cora has loved you for fifteen years. Now she's blind for you. You will marry her."

Don Gallagher, his father, had also issued an ultimatum.

"Marry Cora, or you can forget about your position as heir!"

In the end, he relented.

After the wedding, Ronan played the part of a husband. At first, he was distant, his care clinical and detached. But over time, he began picking out gifts for me on holidays. Our long, uneasy silences slowly transformed into nights spent talking until dawn.

Just as I thought things were finally turning a corner, his mother, Madre Moira Gallagher, desperate for an heir, orchestrated a weekend where we were locked away together at the country villa.

That night, I conceived our child. But Ronan was convinced I had manipulated him, and from that moment on, he grew cold and distant.

A few days ago, I had woken to a miracle. The world had returned to me in a rush of shapes, light, and color.

Overjoyed, I rushed to the hospital.

The doctor confirmed it: my sight had likely returned due to a surge in pregnancy hormones. I couldn't wait to tell Ronan.

But when I returned to the manor, my heart full of hope, I found Viola sitting on our sofa.

Ronan was beside her, his arm draped around her shoulders, his voice a low, tender murmur. "Drink slowly."

He had never spoken to me with such tenderness.

It had only been five days, but it was as if the blind wife he'd left behind was a distant memory. Viola had already reclaimed his heart.

"Are you tired from the interview?"

"Just a little," Viola murmured, leaning against his chest. "I'm not used to sitting for so long."

I stood in the middle of the grand foyer, an invisible ghost in my own home.

Noticing a scent from the kitchen, Ronan asked, "Fiona, what's that simmering?"

"It's a restorative broth Madre Moira sent over. She said it was for Miss Cora's health," the housekeeper, Fiona O'Malley, replied.

"Bring it to Viola," Ronan commanded.

"But Madre Moira specifically prepared it for Miss Cora. There's only one portion!" Fiona protested.

"I said, give it to Viola. Are you deaf? She's weak, and the baby is small. She needs the nutrients."

He shot a cold glance in my direction. "Cora barely eats anyway and just lets it go to waste. From now on, anything my mother sends goes directly to Viola."

My body trembled, my fists clenching at my sides.

I could barely keep anything down. Since the start of my pregnancy, relentless morning sickness had me wasting away. While other women gained weight, I had lost nearly five pounds.

Moira had noticed and sent the broth out of concern. But in Ronan's eyes, I was just letting it go to waste.

"I don't think this is right, Ronan. After all, Madre Moira sent it for Cora," Viola said, her voice a study in false sweetness.

Ronan squeezed her hand reassuringly, his voice softening. "It's fine. You'll be my mother's daughter-in-law soon enough. What is there to be afraid of?"

"Besides..." he lifted his head, his gaze flicking toward me, "Cora won't mind."

"Thank you, Ronan. You're always so good to me," Viola cooed, tilting her face to plant a quick kiss on his cheek.

They thought I was an audience of one, blind to their performance. But I saw everything.

"Yes," I said, my voice steady. "I don't mind. Please, help yourself, Miss Ricci."

I averted my gaze and started for the stairs. I had only taken a few steps when Viola's voice, sharp and calculating, followed me.

"So, when are you going to have Cora sign the dock transfer agreement?"

"Soon. Don't worry," Ronan promised. "I'll get her signature. I swear, I'll make things right by you."

I froze, my hand on the banister. My heart hammered against my ribs, the pain a sharp, physical sting. I had placed my entire heart in his hands, only for him to crush it for another woman.

The chasm of my disappointment in him was bottomless.

That night, Ronan and I lay in bed, our backs to each other. The silence between us was a taut, suffocating thing. My belly had grown so large that I was often short of breath.

I shifted uncomfortably, about to ask him to pass me a pillow. But when I turned, I saw him propped against the headboard, the phone's glow illuminating his smiling face as his thumbs moved quickly over the screen, texting Viola on WhatsApp.

They were laughing about something. The sight of his smile was a deep, twisting wound in my gut.

I didn't know what they were discussing, only that Ronan suddenly looked up and glanced in my direction.

I squeezed my eyes shut, feigning sleep. A moment later, I heard the bed creak as he slipped out.

He thought I was blind. He thought I couldn't see a thing. It was the only reason he dared to be so brazen.

After he left the room, I rose and followed him.

Viola's bedroom door was slightly ajar.

I stood outside, a silent observer. Inside, Ronan was gently massaging Viola's swollen calves, his focus absolute.

As he worked, Viola suddenly sat up and pulled his face to hers, kissing him deeply.

Ronan caught her hand, his breath catching. "Viola, don't. You're pregnant."

"It's fine, Ronan. The doctor said it's safe in the third trimester, as long as we're careful."

She let a strap of her nightgown slide from her shoulder. "Don't you want me, Ronan? For five years, I was gone, and I thought of you every single day. I ached for you."

"If I hadn't left to protect my family, I never would have been—" Viola's voice broke, a single tear tracing a path down her cheek.

Ronan leaned down and wiped the tear away with a kiss, his gaze full of pity and tenderness.

"That's enough, Viola. I'm sorry. Don't worry. I'll make it all up to you."

A spark ignited between them, and they surrendered to it completely, their bodies tangling on the bed.

I stood frozen at the door, one hand clamped over my mouth as hot tears streamed through my fingers.

The man I had loved for fifteen years, my husband of five, was in bed with another woman—another pregnant woman—while I carried his child just down the hall.

I shook my head, backing away in disbelief.

My shoulder bumped into a decorative suit of armor in the hallway. The dull thud echoed in the quiet hall, and Ronan froze on the bed.

"What was that?"

"What are you afraid of? You think it's Cora?" Viola scoffed.

"Have you forgotten she's blind? Even if she walked all the way here, she wouldn't know what we're doing!"

Ronan's voice trailed off. He nodded, but his gaze drifted toward the doorway, where the darkness seemed to thicken. A ripple of unease tightened in his chest.

Cora couldn't see, but she could hear. What if she'd heard them? Would she fall apart?

"Ronan, what are you thinking about?" Viola turned his face toward hers, forcing his eyes to meet hers. "Is it Cora? You're not allowed to think about her."

She reached up and kissed him again.

God, why was he even thinking about Cora? It was her fault. If she hadn't tricked him into her bed that night, she wouldn't be carrying his child at all.

I don't remember how I got back to my room.

Waves of pain cramped my abdomen. I fumbled for the medication my doctor had prescribed, and after I swallowed a pill, the ache began to subside.

My mind was made up. As soon as this child was born, I would leave him.

All I wanted was to give birth safely. Then, I would end this sham of a marriage and walk away with my child.

The next morning, I went downstairs for breakfast.

Fiona quietly placed my portion of the restorative broth at Viola's seat. In front of me, she set a bowl of plain, clear soup.

They all thought I wouldn't know. A blind woman couldn't see, so they assumed I'd be too oblivious to tell the difference by taste.

I said nothing, silently taking a few bites before setting down my spoon.

"Good morning, Cora. You're up early."

Viola descended the stairs, taking a seat beside me. Her voice was a purr, laced with a barbed, teasing quality.

"Unlike you, I can't handle mornings like this. I was so worn out last night that my whole body felt like it was falling apart."

My gaze fell to Viola's neck, which was littered with the dark marks of his kisses.

They screamed of the passion she and Ronan had shared.