The yacht that my parents and my younger sister, Amanda Portman, were on exploded in the middle of the sea. None of them survived.

Despair and heartbreak fill my senses when I'm faced with an empty home and an astronomical debt. Just as I'm about to jump off a rooftop, I see comments appearing before my eyes all of a sudden.

"The truth is, your parents have won a jackpot of 300 million dollars. They've taken Amanda on an overseas trip for some fun!"

"Heheh! Amanda doesn't even know that the so-called poor and blind boyfriend, whom she's just broken up with, is the heir of the Wright family. He's just pretending to be poor around her."

"Once Amanda comes home after spending all of her money, she will get imprisoned by the enraged Mr. Wright as a form of punishment."

"Hey, cannon fodder! Hurry up and die already! I can't wait for Amanda to make her glorious return!"

It's at that moment I decide not to die.

That night, I barge into Xavier Wright's rented apartment while completely drunk and drenched.

I woke up aching all over just as the first light of dawn seeped through the window. I turned around, and Xavier Wright opened his eyes at the same time. He was blind. A car accident six months ago had taken his sight.

My sister, Amanda Portman, had broken up with him countless times, complaining that he was poor and disabled. Those beautiful eyes of his never seemed to focus on anything before, and he was always staring emptily into nothing.

For a fleeting moment, I felt as if he was staring straight at me. Then, just as quickly, the vacant, lost look returned. He whispered hoarsely, "Mandy, is that you?"

The comments flooded the screen.

"Wait, what? The doomed one didn't die and is now in bed with Xavier?"

"Are you kidding me? She can't be trying to pretend to be Mandy. Xavier's eyes have been fine for ages. If she lies to him, she's doomed!"

He could see all along.

I bit my lip, struggling to steady my racing heart.

"I'm not…" I said helplessly. "I'm her sister, Claire Portman. My sister passed away. Yesterday, I meant to bring you some of her things, but I drank too much. I can't remember anything after that."

I cast a glance at the crumpled clothes scattered on the floor and quickly looked away. "Did you mistake me for Mandy yesterday? I'm sorry for drinking. I was just so sad… Now, it's only me left."

Tears silently slid down my cheeks.

The comments kept flooding in.

"Come on, she's making excuses for Xavier. He's not blind—he reacted immediately when she fell into his arms soaking wet."

"No man could resist a beautiful woman clinging to him like that. She's definitely plotting something."

My body trembled slightly. The thin blanket slipped off my shoulders, revealing red marks across my pale skin.

Xavier's Adam's apple moved as he swallowed. After a long pause, he said, "Sorry. I mistook you for someone else."

I wrapped the torn clothes around myself clumsily, feeling exposed and awkward. "Let's pretend none of this happened. I should go. Don't be sad."

As I tried to stand, my legs gave way, and I nearly fell. Xavier reached for me, and the instant his fingers touched my wrist, a jolt of shivers ran through me.

The comments kept flashing.

"Xavier won't be sad. He already knows Mandy faked her death."

"Even the debt collectors? He sent them to pressure Claire. That was his first warning to Amanda."

"Mandy has no idea her home's been taken from under her."

"I can't with this doomed one. Let her die already."

I lowered my head and hurried out the door.

By the time I got home, the debt collectors who had been lingering outside were gone. My stomach sank. They were definitely sent by Xavier.

I closed the door and sank to the floor in exhaustion. My body ached all over.

I hadn't been drunk. I was desperate, trying to coax even a shred of sympathy from Xavier, hoping he would take it easy on me. I never imagined he would react so strongly, keeping me restless all night.

I tugged at the corners of my mouth in a bitter half-smile.

Xavier had lost his sight trying to save Amanda, yet once he became "disabled", she wouldn't even glance at him. She ignored his messages, left him waiting in the rain for hours while she video-chatted upstairs, and threw his gifts in the trash, mocking them as cheap.

I used to feel sorry for him, but now, I saw the truth—it had all been a game for him.

The comments exploded again.

"I think Amanda made the right choice. Who wants a poor, blind boyfriend? Xavier doesn't need to play games to test love."

"Sure, she's selfish, but her life is perfect. After making up with Xavier, she became the Wright family's young mistress, and he spoils her endlessly."

"Exactly! Good women get reputations, while bad women get everything."

Reading that, I only felt absurd.

Ever since we were kids, my parents favored Amanda. She took my toys, my clothes, and my scholarships. When I started working, I worked late every night while they used my salary to pay for Amanda's expensive dance classes and luxury goods.

I was expected to support her, to make her life easier.

Now that they were suddenly rich with 300 million dollars from the lottery, they had left me behind with nothing but debts and demanded I make way for her life.

Why should she have everything while I have nothing? My resentment clung to my heart like poisonous vines. I had always picked up what Amanda discarded. If Xavier was also someone she didn't want, then I would take him and make him mine.

I ran into Xavier sooner than I expected. I was exhausted as I stepped out of my part-time shift at the hotel, and when I looked up, he was standing across the street. A cigarette hung from his lips, and his cane rested at his side.

The boredom of the rich was beyond anything I could imagine. Amanda was gone, yet Xavier still played his little games as if nothing had changed. Not far off, a man seemed to recognize him and was approaching with a flattering smile.

I shouted, "Xavier!" and ran toward him, grabbing his wrist before he could say a word.

"Come with me," I urged. "I saw someone approaching you with ill intentions. They might be debt collectors. My sister took out a huge loan before she died, and you were her boyfriend—they'll come for you.

"You can't see, and it'll be dangerous. You got hurt saving my sister. I'll protect you for her. As long as I'm alive, I won't let them hurt you. I'll never abandon you. Do you trust me?"

Something in my words seemed to touch him. Xavier hesitated, then slowly allowed me to lead him home. I kept my promise and cared for him with everything I had.

When his stomach hurt, I got up in the middle of the night to buy him medicine. Since he couldn't see, I guided his hands to familiarize him with everything around the house.

Even when my own hunger made my stomach ache, I spent my saved money on his eye checkups. While I did all of this for him, Xavier always watched me coldly, with a fleeting glint of mockery in his eyes.

At the hospital, the doctor shook his head. There was no improvement. My disappointment and worry must have been written all over my face.

As we stepped out, Xavier let out a short laugh. "I heard you sighing. Why bother? It's not like the blind person is you. What's there to be sad about?"

I froze, cupped his face, and met his eyes. For a moment, surprise flickered across Xavier's expression.

"You mean a lot to me," I said steadily. "That's why your pain hurts me, too. Your eyes are beautiful. I can't give up on them."

Xavier's throat bobbed, and a tangle of emotions flickered across his face as he looked at me.

I forced a smile despite the ache in my chest. "If you could see, I'd do anything for you."

My cheeks burned as I guided him into the apartment. In my fluster, I spilled half a glass of water on myself. The wet fabric clung to my curves, and Xavier's gaze sharpened. I pressed my lips to his, and after a heartbeat, he returned the kiss just as fiercely.

The next morning, my body ached worse than ever, but I forced myself to get up.

Xavier was already awake and handed me a necklace. "I bought this at a street stall some time ago. It's not worth much, but it's pretty. Now it's yours."

The live comments erupted.

"I can't believe Xavier is involved with this doomed one. Doesn't he know Mandy was tricked into gambling? It's dangerous!"

"Wasn't that diamond the one from the auction? Why would he give it to the doomed one? It was meant to soothe Mandy after the little black room incident!

"Are you nuts, you doomed one? Who told you it was okay to touch Mandy's man!"

I ignored the hysterical insults and stared at the necklace. If it really was the auction diamond, it would be extremely valuable. Selling it could set the rest of my life on stable ground.

Then new comments scrolled in.

"Calm down. Can't you see Xavier is planning to ditch the doomed one?"

"Mr. Wright Senior was furious when he heard about Xavier's wild behavior this year and demanded that he return immediately."

"Xavier was worried the doomed one would cling to him, so he staged an abduction and even threw himself into the sea right in front of her to break her attachment completely."

"The doomed one is still love-struck. Didn't you see how Xavier looked at her, like she's a dog about to be abandoned?"

Xavier was leaving? I clutched the diamond in my hand, feeling unsatisfied.

After days of painstakingly acting, I only got a small diamond. Meanwhile, Amanda did nothing and would simply return to have everything. It wasn't fair.

That afternoon, Xavier said he needed to go out alone and told me not to follow.

I already knew what he was up to, and I had something urgent to take care of as well. I went to a pharmacy and bought a pregnancy test. My heart pounded so hard I thought it might burst as I recalled the recent changes in my body.

When I saw the two bright red lines, I exhaled in relief. In this game, I still had leverage.

At that moment, my phone rang. "Claire Portman? If you don't pay your debts, there will be consequences. Mr. Wright is in my hands now. If you don't want him to die, come to this address."

I rushed over and saw Xavier's back. He was tied to the railing of an abandoned cargo ship, with his hands cuffed behind him.

One of the abductors grinned maliciously. "I only gave you 20 minutes. You're too late—he's already done for."

Right before me, he cut the ropes, and Xavier plunged into the sea, with his hands still bound. My eyes went wide, and without thinking, I leaped in after him.

The icy water stabbed at me, and the world around me went dim. In the blur, I saw the figure I thought was Xavier wriggle free and swim toward the shore with ease.

I couldn't help but smile inwardly. The stand-in didn't even look like him, but I had leapt anyway, risking my life on a single gamble.

The icy water drained my strength fast, and I started sinking. Just when I thought all was lost, a figure dove in after me. I barely opened my eyes and saw the image seared into my memory—Xavier's panicked face, unlike anything I had ever seen.

When I regained consciousness in the hospital, my body was numb from the cold.

A doctor was scolding Xavier beside me. "Do you realize she's pregnant? You took her somewhere so dangerous. How can you call yourself her boyfriend? Thankfully, the baby is fine, but her body is severely malnourished. If you want this child, you need to care for her more."

Xavier said nothing. He looked at the unconscious me with a complicated expression. "Claire, do you really care for me so much that you would risk your life to save mine?"

I opened my eyes, and for a brief moment, our gazes locked before I looked away. I weakly said, "Doctor, I want to terminate this pregnancy."

Xavier froze. "What?"

I looked down. "This child shouldn't exist. I'll end it. Your eyes were fine long ago, so why lie to me? You no longer need me, so I can leave. If you don't care for me, just say so. I won't cling where I'm not wanted."

"I never meant it that way," Xavier said, studying my pale expression. After a pause, as if making a decision, he said, "Claire, let the child be born. I'll marry you."

"I'm not marrying you," I whispered, looking down. "We don't have the means to raise this child. Why drag him into a life of hardship?"

After a few quiet seconds, my phone buzzed. A message confirmed that five million dollars had been deposited.

Xavier walked over and placed his hand gently on my stomach. "I promise he won't feel a thing."

I listened in disbelief as he revealed everything. No one else knew, but my hands hidden beneath the blanket trembled slightly with excitement. I had won the gamble.

…

I moved into Xavier's villa. The Wright family was far wealthier than I had imagined. Every piece of decor could cost more than a lifetime of my earnings. Under the attentive care of the staff, I gave birth safely a few months later.

Xavier's parents, Peter Wright and Anna Parker, had been hesitant at first, but the moment they saw their plump, adorable grandson smile at them, they softened immediately.

They gave me 100 million dollars as pocket money. From the moment he was born, the child inherited several properties, which I managed on his behalf.

I counted the balance in my bank account and grinned even in my dreams. When the baby reached seven months, I returned to the old house to take care of some matters.

As I stepped out, someone yanked my hair and slapped me hard across the face. "Where do you think you're going? Do you know how long we've been looking for you?"

It was my mother. Her hair was a mess, and her glare was sharp. Behind her, a disheveled Amanda and my father lingered.

Shock and envy flashed in Amanda's eyes as she looked me over. She smiled and hooked her arm through mine. "Claire, did you land yourself a rich boyfriend? How lucky for you!

"I had to deal with a poor, blind man. Thank goodness I dumped him long ago. Now that we're through all that drama, why don't you introduce your future husband?"

She ran her fingers over the designer bag I carried, obviously scheming to take more from me, just like she always did. I felt my face heat up as I looked past them.

Xavier had just pulled up and overheard everything. I smiled faintly. "No need. He's already here."