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.

There was only one day left before the bet ended.

Early that morning, Evelyn suddenly shook me awake. She was buzzing with excitement when she said, "Matt, I heard there's an underground street race with huge prize money tonight! We'll have enough for the surgery if I win!"

Looking at the smile lighting up her face, I felt nothing but a chill deep down.

I couldn't understand just why Evelyn was still putting on this act.

The bet was almost over. She could've just dumped me. So why make up something like this?

"But your eyes… Can you even see the road?" I asked.

Evelyn stiffened, then patted her chest confidently. "Don't worry, Matt. I was a professional racer before I lost my sight! The instinct's still there. I could run the whole course with my eyes closed. I have to give it a shot for our future!"

For our future? What a beautiful lie.

I looked into Evelyn's eyes and nodded instinctively. "Okay."

…

That afternoon, I followed Evelyn to a racetrack on the outskirts of the city. She had me wait outside the lounge while she went in to change into her racing suit.

The room was poorly soundproofed, so I could hear her talking to Lewis.

His tone was mocking. "What? Did the great Ms. Carter actually catch feelings now? He already agreed to skip the surgery yesterday, and you're still going through with this act? Are you really going to fake your death on the track? What if something actually goes wrong?"

My heart jolted. Fake death?

Evelyn's cold and decisive voice came through. "Don't worry, I've got it all planned. I'll jump out before the crash. I won't die with the airbags protecting me.

"Besides, what's the fun if I dump him just like that? If he thinks I'm dead, he'll finally move on. Then he won't keep clinging to me like some desperate leech."

Lewis laughed mockingly. "What a saint, Ms. Carter. You're really pulling something this big just to dump a guy."

So that was it. All that talk about our future was just part of Evelyn's escape plan. She was willing to stage her own death all just to get rid of me.

Was I really that hard to shake off in her eyes?

Not only did Evelyn trample on my feelings, but she also wanted to use my guilt and make me live the rest of my life thinking she died because of me.

I looked down at the rosary beads I was gripping tightly in my hand. I'd gotten them from a cathedral before coming here and had been praying for her safety.

It was ridiculous how I'd actually been worried about Evelyn. I tried to smile, but couldn't.

The next minute, I walked over to the trash can and relaxed my grip. The rosary beads that carried the last bit of my feelings immediately fell into it.

That night, after changing into her racing suit, Evelyn pulled me into a tight hug before she got into the car.

She stood on her toes and whispered in my ear, "Wait for me, Matt. Once I win this race, I'll get the surgery, and then we'll get married."

A gust of wind swept past.

I looked into Evelyn's eyes and said slowly, "Alright, I'll wait for you… in the next life."

The wind was too loud for her to catch my last words. She thought I meant I'd wait for her to come back.

Satisfied, she smiled and got into the car without a second thought.

The race began. Evelyn's car shot ahead, tearing down the track.

Everyone held their breath as they trained their gazes on the live feed on the big screen.

On the final lap, Evelyn's car suddenly went out of control at the sharpest turn. Instead of slowing down, it sped up and smashed straight through the guardrail.

The car flipped through the air, then slammed hard into the concrete barrier. Flames burst into the sky after a deafening crash.