In order to gather 500 thousand dollars for my blind girlfriend's surgical bills, I've accepted a delivery order that's meant for someone at a private racing club.

The huge floor-to-ceiling monitor is currently playing the live footage of the champion who's won the racing tournament. Champagne bottles can be seen spraying everywhere as the audience cheers loudly for the victor.

Soon, the champion takes off her helmet and shakes her head full of curls off her face. Strikingly beautiful features are revealed the next moment. Next to the champion stands her childhood friend, Lewis Ross.

I feel my hands clenching around the plastic bag containing the food containers. The woman shown on the screen is none other than Evelyn Carter, my so-called blind girlfriend.

"Why aren't you happy even though you've won the tournament, Evelyn? Are you missing that boyfriend of yours who's still working his ass off for money?"

A familiar voice comes from the lounge. An amused yet malicious smirk is played on Evelyn's lips at the moment.

"Why did you bring him up? Then again, it's thrilling, pretending to be blind and all. Whenever he changes his clothes at home, he does it right in front of me."

Everyone around Evelyn begins roaring with cheers. "You're so lucky, Ms. Carter!"

After taking a sip from her champagne glass, Evelyn responds in a flippant tone, "Lucky? He's so busy with work every day just to gather enough money for my surgical bills! That man doesn't have a single romantic cell in him—he's just as stiff as the stick up his ass!"

A wave of laughter echoes from the crowd once again.

Feeling as though my blood had turned to ice, I turn on my heel and begin walking out of the club.

I can still hear Lewis' cheeky voice ringing out from behind me.

"There are only three days left in our one-year bet, Evelyn. Don't tell me you really fell for your boyfriend!"

Evelyn merely snorts in response. She drawls back, "Don't worry. I'll dump him in three days."

Matthew's First-Person POV

Evelyn Carter said, "I lost a game back at the bar, so I just picked some random guy to do the dare with. I didn't expect him to be this easy to fool. I pretended to be blind and stayed with him for a whole year, and he actually believed it without question."

Lewis Ross pressed on with a hint of curiosity in his eyes. "Don't you ever get bored having to keep this up for so long?"

Evelyn fell silent for a moment.

I glanced over and saw her gaze lowered, hiding whatever she was feeling.

I remembered how, in the past, those beautiful eyes of hers never seemed to focus, merely staring blankly ahead. But it always felt like there was a hint of a smile in her eyes whenever I got close.

Once, I naively asked, "You can't even see, Eve. So how do you always manage to smile right at me?"

Evelyn felt around for my hand, then brought it to her lips and kissed it. "Matt, even if I can't see, I can feel you. I've imagined what you look like countless times."

Looking back now, that smile of hers was probably just mocking my naivety. I was all wrapped up in the lie she'd spun, just like a pathetic idiot.

Lewis' expression fell slightly at Evelyn's silence. His tone soured. "Don't tell me you actually fell for that broke guy?"

She finally looked up. Her gaze was clear, and a casual smile played on her lips.

"Of course not. I just thought it was fun. He's way too easy to mess with. He immediately starts tearing up as soon as I act like I'm in pain, and he'll be fine again after a little comforting. It's like keeping a well-trained golden retriever."

A sharp pain spread through my chest.

Unable to bear it any longer, I turned to leave, only for the lounge door to swing open.

Lewis stepped out and spotted me standing in the shadows. He paused for a moment, then his gaze dropped to the delivery order in my hand.

A flicker of amusement flashed in his eyes. "Delivery? Give it to me."

I lowered my head in a hurry, wiping my face, not wanting Lewis to see me in my disheveled state. I handed him the takeaway bag and turned to leave.

He crossed his arms and looked at me, unhurried. "You're working hard, huh? Making deliveries even when you're crying?"

Embarrassment colored my face. It was even worse because Lewis was Evelyn's childhood friend, the one who'd witnessed the bet.

I opened my mouth to explain, but he cut me off, his tone edged with arrogance. "What, do you need money that badly because your girlfriend is sick?"

I snapped my head up and looked at Lewis. It turned out he did recognize me and was asking that on purpose.

But I wasn't surprised he did. How could he not know who I was when he was the one who suggested the bet?

Seeing me fall silent, Lewis pulled out a thick wad of cash and shoved it straight into my hands without even looking.

He said, "Take this. Evelyn just won the race, so she's in a good mood today. Think of it as a tip. She loves watching poor guys go all out for love. It's entertaining."

Evelyn's familiar laughter rang out again from inside the room. It sounded sharp and mocking to my ears.

I had spent countless sleepless nights working four jobs for her. I pushed myself until I was coughing up blood, yet I dared not even go to the hospital.

It had all just been some kind of side entertainment to Evelyn.

I took the money, clenching it tight in my hands until my nails dug into my palms.

I couldn't even remember how I made it back home.

It was a damp and dim rental just under 300 square feet. It was nothing like Evelyn's flashy, over-the-top club.

The motion-sensor light outside had been broken for a long time, so the hallway was pitch black.

Every time we walked through the hallway, I'd hold Evelyn's hand and count the steps with her. She'd cling to my arm and laugh, saying, "I'm not scared of the dark as long as you're here, Matt."

I was already on the couch by the time I came back to my senses. In my hand was a crumpled piece of paper—a corneal donation consent form.

Just yesterday, the doctor told me Evelyn's corneas were badly damaged. The chances of her seeing again were slim, unless they found a suitable donor.

I signed the consent form without hesitation, planning to give her one of mine.

How ridiculous.

Just then, I heard the sound of heels outside the door, along with the tap of a cane against the floor.

Evelyn was back.

I instinctively hid the form behind me, slipping it into the gap in the couch.

The door opened to Evelyn stepping in. She carefully felt her way forward while holding her cane.

Her acting was terrible. She didn't look anything like a blind person. How did I ever believe her so completely?

It was probably because I loved Evelyn.

Love made one blind. And it turned out I was the one who had been blind all along.

Evelyn didn't notice anything off about me. She felt her way over to the couch and wrapped her arms around my waist.

"I'm back, Matt." Like always, she buried her face in my chest and nuzzled closer.

Before, I would've gently rubbed Evelyn's calves, asking if she was tired.

But now, I was the one who was tired. I remained stiff as she continued to hold me, not reacting to her at all.

Evelyn seemed to pick up on my indifference, but didn't think much of it. She probably assumed I was merely worn out.

For once, she didn't make any of her usual spoiled demands.

Evelyn asked quietly, "Matt, what if… I'm just asking what if… my eyes never get better? Would you still stay with me?"

I stared at her face. Her eyes were still unfocused, and her brows drew together slightly, making her look pained.

I couldn't tell how much of Evelyn's question was real. Was she testing my limits, or was she just laying the groundwork for when she would leave me in two days?

I didn't answer. Instead, I said flatly, "Your eyes will get better."

How could they not when she was never blind to begin with?

Evelyn paused, then let out a soft sigh. "Maybe, but I don't want to drag you down."

Then, she slipped back into her usual self, playfully saying, "I want some shrimp, Matt."

I took out a box of yesterday's leftover spicy shrimp from the fridge.

Evelyn couldn't actually handle spicy food. Even a little spice would leave her stomach hurting and make her break out in a sweat. But she liked spicy shrimp.

Before, every time she ate it, I'd peel the shell, rinse off the chili oil, and feed it to her myself.

Evelyn was seated on the couch. When she heard the rustling, she smiled and said, "Smells so good."

I pulled on a pair of gloves, peeled a piece of shrimp dripping with chili oil, and shoved it straight into her mouth.

Evelyn instantly choked on the heat, her face flushing red as she coughed violently, tears springing to her eyes. Instinctively, she reached out and grabbed the glass of water beside her. Her action was spot on.

The moment her hand closed around the glass, she froze. The next minute, she deliberately loosened her grip and knocked the glass over.

Water spilled all over Evelyn, and she snapped at once. "Damn it! How useless am I that I can't even manage to drink a glass of water!"

She started hitting her legs hard, her face full of frustration and irritation.

"Evelyn." I spoke suddenly, my voice eerily calm.

Evelyn paused. "What's wrong?"

"Are you hiding anything from me?" I asked.

Evelyn went quiet for a moment, then denied it loudly. "What could I possibly be hiding from you? Are you starting to resent me for being blind, Matt? It's all my fault for holding you back. If it weren't for my eyes, you wouldn't have to work this hard—"

I chuckled bitterly. In my mind, I crossed out the excuse that she might've had her reasons for doing this.

There was nothing but lies behind Evelyn's actions.

The next day, I went for my shift at the cafe as usual.

This was my third job. I'd pushed myself close to my limit just to earn enough for the surgery.

I hadn't expected to run into Lewis again.

He walked in with several rich scions. The moment he saw me, he raised his brows in mock surprise. "Well, if it isn't the delivery guy from last time. What, you deliver food and make coffee too now?"

Lewis' voice was loud, drawing the other customers' attention.

I kept my head down, quietly rinsing cups as I ignored the mockery in his tone.

It wasn't like I hadn't dealt with this before back in college.

After a conflict back then, I got expelled from college. My future was basically over. I could only juggle multiple part-time jobs just to afford Evelyn's surgery.

Just then, one of the scions who'd been staring at me suddenly blurted out, "Wait, isn't he that bar host?"

The others immediately looked at me with open disdain.

A sharp pain hit my chest, and I nearly dropped the cup in my hand.

So that was how they talked about me. Did Evelyn allow them to do this?

Evelyn and I met at a bar. It was my last night working as a server. Unable to take the harassment from customers, I was ready to quit.

I'd been cornered by several drunk rich women and had nowhere to go. That was when Evelyn showed up and pulled me out of it.

Her smile was mesmerizing under the bar's hazy neon lights. She reached out her hand and asked, "Want to be my boyfriend?"

Back then, I had no idea all of it was just a bet. I took her hand, thinking I'd finally escaped the mess I was in.

I didn't realize I was stepping into something even worse.

"Stop spacing out! Hurry up!" Lewis' impatient voice snapped me back to reality. His gaze was provocative as he lit a cigarette.

"You can't smoke in here," I quietly reminded him.

"Such a spoilsport." Lewis scoffed, took a drag, then casually tossed the lighter in his hand into a nearby trash can.

My breath caught.

That lighter was the birthday gift I'd gotten Evelyn after saving up for three months by skimping on meals.

A few days back, she'd looked all apologetic when she told me she'd accidentally lost it. I had comforted her, telling her it was fine and that I'd get her another one someday.

It turned out she never lost it.

One of Lewis' friends asked, "That lighter looks pretty new, Lewis. Why throw it out?"

Lewis smiled, yet his gaze was trained at me. "Evelyn said that the lighter was too cheap and didn't know what to do with it. She made me get rid of it. It's an eyesore that takes up space anyway."

My heart sank as my vision blurred. Looking at that lonely lighter in the trash can, I felt like I was looking at my own heart, tossed and trampled on.

…

The house was completely dark by the time I got home that night.

Evelyn was sitting on the couch, and she hadn't bothered to turn on the lights. She didn't come over like she usually did when she heard me come in.

"Matt." Her voice sounded a little hoarse. "Do you still not have enough for the surgery?"

I paused mid-step as I changed my shoes. "Almost."

"There's no need for it anymore," Evelyn suddenly said. "I can stay blind for the rest of my life, Matt. But I don't want to see you suffer like this."

I froze for a moment, then replied evenly, "Alright."

With only two days left until the bet was over, Evelyn was probably getting ready to dump me.

She clearly didn't expect me to agree so easily. Caught off guard, she hesitated. "W-what?"

Evelyn couldn't understand how someone like me who used to be so desperate to fix her eyes could suddenly give up just like that.

But she quickly hid the shock in her eyes and nodded. "Okay, we'll do it your way."

I didn't look at Evelyn again. I went into the bedroom and lay down. "Get some sleep. I'm tired."

I stared up at nothing in the dark, my eyes dry. There were no tears left for me to shed.