“Some risks are worth taking, even when you know you might lose everything.”

Those were the words I repeated to myself as I sat stiffly on the examination table, gripping the edge so hard that my fingers ached.

“As I explained over the phone, Mrs. Ethan, this is a high-risk surgery. I can’t guarantee success.” Dr. Wells sighed as he steadied his voice.

“I want to try it,” I said with finality.

One year.

That’s how long it had been since I lost my sight. One year since I lost everything, my freedom, my dignity, my family’s love.

The tragic accident stole my sight, but the world stole its kindness. Serena, my sister, made sure of that. And, as always, I was the one blamed.

Now, I had a chance to take something back.

Dr. Wells hesitated. “I’ll need your husband’s consent before we proceed.”

I adjusted my dark shades, I was running out of patience.

“I don’t want anyone involved. You have my full consent. Just do it.”

I didn’t want Zack to know. Didn’t want his tired sighs or his forced sympathy. I was done being a burden.

Dr. Wells exhaled sharply. “Alright. The surgery begins in an hour.”

And just like that, I put my fate in the hands of a scalpel and a prayer.

---

A strange buzzing sound filled my ears as I stirred from unconsciousness. My face felt heavy.

“Mrs. Ethan, you’re awake.” Dr. Wells said. I could hear the excitement in his tone.

I froze. Had it worked?

“We’re removing the bandages now.”

I felt my heart pound in my chest as my hands turned cold from fear. This was my last chance, it had better work.

Dr. Wells peeled the bandages away slowly and agonizingly.

“Open your eyes.”

My fingers grabbed the hospital sheets as I obeyed. At first, I saw nothing but a blinding light, just like before.

Then, the blue faded.

Dr. Wells.. I saw him, I saw everything!

A sob broke from my throat as tears streamed down my face. “Oh my God… I can see.”

For the first time in a year, I wasn’t trapped. I wasn’t helpless.

Dr. Wells smiled. “Congratulations.”

I wiped my face, still overwhelmed with happiness.

“Zack is going to be so happy.”

And I actually believed it, until I walked through my front door.

The front door was unlocked. It was strange.

Still wearing my dark shades, I tapped my cane against the floor, pretending to still be blind. Zack wasn’t home yet, or so I thought.

As I walked inside, a sound stopped me in my tracks.

It was a breathy moan. It was too familiar.

I froze. My grip on the cane tightened. That voice… it was too familiar.

Serena…?

I told myself I was imagining it. That it was the TV, or maybe she had company over as usual.

“Focus on me, baby. We can attend to her after,” Zack said shamelessly amidst moans.

My stomach twisted into a knot.

I forced myself forward, as my cane trembled in my grasp. And then… I saw them.

Serena was naked, straddling Zack on the dining chair. His hands gripped her waist, guiding her.

My chest tightened and my heart burned at the sight of that.

My fingernails dug into my palm, I wanted to pounce on them, to scream, to tear them apart, but I couldn’t, at least, not yet.

“It must be so nice to live in the dark… never seeing things that could break your heart.” Serena mocked as she increased her pace on Zack.

Zack just giggled. He was smart enough not to speak, not to let me hear his voice.

How long has this been going on?

Swallowing my rage, I did the hardest thing I’d ever done. I walked away, still pretending.

I let my cane hit the walls, let them laugh at my misery. Let them believe I was still the blind fool they had grown comfortable deceiving.

Reaching my room, I collapsed onto the bed and buried myself in the sheets. And for the first time since regaining my sight, I wished I hadn’t.

I knew Zack was tired of me, tired of tending to a blind and helpless woman. But how could he betray me like this? Having an affair with my own sister?

She was the devil’s incarnate, no doubt, she would do anything just to hurt me, but Zack?

A while later, Zack entered the room. I adjusted myself and quickly wiped the tears that fell to my cheeks, as I forced myself to breathe evenly.

“I’m home, honey,” Zack said, pretending to just be coming home from work in his T-shirt and shorts.

I laughed bitterly inside me.

“Welcome, baby,” I said in the calmest and sweetest tone I could muster.

He leaned down and kissed my forehead. I could smell Serena all over him, I almost puked.

“I want to talk to you about something,” Zack said, sitting beside me.

“It’s about the company. I’ve decided to make a few changes.”

I felt my heart skip a beat. Changes?

“Since you can’t work anymore due to your condition, I was thinking… Serena should take over your position as co-CEO.” He said and paused for a moment.

My heart stopped.

“You are sisters,” he continued.

“And she has the same connections as you, maybe more, since she works in your dad’s company. So, I’ll need you to sign some documents,”

And just like that, Zack didn’t just betray me.

He erased me.

“No,” I said plainly.

Zack’s expression darkened as he formed a fist, as if, wanting to hit me.

I remained still, I was still blind to him.

“It’s for the best, baby, trust me. What better person to entrust your position to if not your sister? She’s family,” Zack said, trying to convince me.

How did he even expect me to agree to that? He knew very well that Serena and I were rivals, and she hated me.

Hell, he knew she was the reason I lost my sight in the first place.

Why did Serena want my position? She is the next in line to my father’s company. Once he retires next year, Rashfords conglomerate becomes hers! But for some reason, she wants my corporation.

“I feel sick, Zack. I don’t want to talk about this,” I said as I turned to the other side and laid my head.

“Why are you so selfish, Lena? Do you know how that company has been striving since your accident? It’s been me! All me, making all the big decisions!” Zack snapped.

“You should be grateful I even asked. I could’ve gone ahead without you, and no one would’ve questioned me.”

“I will make Serena co-CEO in two weeks. You’ll sign them, Lena. One way or another.”

“Fine… Just give me some time to process it.”

I wasn’t going to sign anything, but Zack didn’t need to know that yet.

Zack exhaled sharply as if he’d won.

I watched him walk out through the door. I already had enough drama for one day. He wasn’t always this cold towards me. I knew he was irritated by me but he never showed it, so, what changed?

Just then, Serena walked into the room, dressed half-naked.

She stood by the bed, giving me a disgusting look before she walked closer.

“I have to prepare you for the party. We better hurry or we will be late,” Serena said.

“What party?” I asked.

“Even though you’re an outcast, should you forget today is Mom’s birthday?” She snapped as she rolled her eyes.

I had forgotten totally, else, I would have gotten a gift for her.

Serena, the golden daughter, never does anything wrong in my parent’s eyes.

No one would believe me if I told them that she was having an affair with my husband. They didn’t believe me when I told them that she orchestrated the accident that led to my blindness. Who would? She brought witnesses who testified against me.

She claimed to have been lucky and karma gave me the blindness that was meant for her.

I just sat still as Sereba dressed me up in ugly clothing as usual and did shitty makeup.

She attempted to take off my glasses when I protested.

“You know I don’t like anyone looking at my eyes,” I said as I held them back in place.

“True. They creep the fuck out of me,” she sneered.

“I’ll go get dressed and come get you when I’m done,” she said and left the room.

It was going to be a long night, I had to brace myself.

Shortly after, Zack and Serena were ready. I could hear them close to my room, giggling and smooching.

Serena came in with a wheelchair. I was a bit confused.

“Lena dear. It’s a big night for me, and I can’t babysit you. You’ll have to be in a wheelchair, okay?” Serena said.

I could see as they struggled to hold in their laughter.

“I’m blind, Serena, not cripple,” I protested.

Serena let out a dramatic sigh, like I was exhausting her.

“Oh, Lena, don’t be so sensitive. I have my own reputation to uphold tonight, and dragging you around like some lost child isn’t part of the plan.”

“Just get in the damn chair. You don’t want to ruin the evening for everyone, do you?”

I clenched my fists. I wanted to argue. But what was the point? No one ever listened. So I swallowed the lump in my throat, kept my face emotionless, and sat down.

I could hear their barely contained-laughter as Serena wheeled me out the door.

We arrived at my parents’ mansion. It was beautifully decorated and even more stunning than the last time I saw it.

When we entered inside, Lena and Zack went about familiarizing themselves with people while I was left in a corner.

I didn’t mind, it was peaceful.

My mother’s heels clicked against the marble floor as she approached me. Her perfume was suffocating. She didn’t hug me. Didn’t even smile.

She was an absolute diva with an intimidating aura.

“What are you doing here, Lena?” My mom snapped like she was embarrassed by me.

I barely had time to answer before she exhaled in frustration.

“I really wish you would stop being such a burden to Serena. You could have just hired a proper maid instead of—” she gestured vaguely at my existence…. this.”

I gritted my teeth. It shouldn’t hurt. Not anymore.

“Happy birthday, Mom,” I said, forcing the words past the tightness in my throat.

“Thank you,” she said flatly, before scanning my outfit in disgust.

“I’ll have the maids take you to their quarters. It’s a big night for Serena, and I can’t have the media projecting our family like this.”

Just then, someone climbed the stage, hitting his glass for a toast. It was Zack, and he helped Serena up the stage.

Before my very eyes, he got down on one knee and flashed an absolutely stunning ring at Serena.

“Serena… Marry me,” he said.

Something stirred within me, something I couldn’t control.

And the next thing, I was up on my feet, screaming at the top of my voice.

“How dare you, Zack? You are married to me!”

The crowd gasped in awe as they all turned to me. All the media personalities turned their cameras to me, taking numerous pictures. Everyone murmured as they glanced between me, Zack, and Serena.

Zack’s face burned with anger, and my mom was even more furious. She walked towards me and yanked me out of the hall. My dad tried to calm everyone down.

“Let me go!” I screamed as I struggled to free myself from her grip.

“You want to bring more shame to our family, right? It’s not enough that you tried to kill your sister a year ago, you also want to take away her happiness?!” My mom scolded as she dragged me up the stairwell.

I wasn’t surprised, most people didn’t recognize me as a Rashford. Serena was always flaunted and glorified while I was always serving one punishment or the other.

“Mom, please, Zack is married to me. How can he disrespect me like that, Mom? We’ve been married for two years and without a proper divorce, he’s proposing to Serena?” I cried.

“You don’t deserve anything good, Lena. You’re a curse to this family. I curse the day I birthed you. Do you know the kind of influence our family would get from that union?” My mom snapped, ignoring the tears that streamed from my eyes.

“I always enabled you, failed to see how much of a menace you were, even as a child. Serena is your elder sister, show some respect! You should be more focused on making it up to her, rather than throwing a tantrum!” My mom hissed.

“Mom, please, stop. You’re hurting me,” I cried, begging, desperate for a bit of love from my mother.

“You know me, Lena, I’d rather hurt you with the truth than make you feel good with lies.” She snapped.

“Here is what you will do. You will go downstairs, apologize to everyone, and fix the mess you created,”

“I won’t. I can’t. Serena and Zack are having an affair! In my house! That’s why Serena insisted on taking care of me, so she could get closer to Zack!” I yelled.

I felt a little light as I let the burden off my chest, hoping for some sort of sympathy or realization from my mom.

“What did you expect? You were never supposed to have him, Lena. Zack and Serena belong together. You were just… a placeholder.” My mom said, her voice devoid of any sympathy or emotion. Just cold and tactless as ever.

A placeholder.

A mistake.

The unwanted child who killed her twin in the womb.

I had heard the whispers growing up and had seen the way my parents looked at me. My mother never failed to remind me that my twin, the son they prayed for never made it, but I did.

As if I had a choice.

“Where is that stupid bitch!” Serena’s voice came hollering.

I barely turned before she was on me, her nails digging into my skin as she shoved me back.

“How dare you cause a scene, you blind fool?” Serena snapped.

“I guess I’ll leave you two to fix your differences,” my mom said and left.

“Serena, please,” I gasped. “I just want—”

“You mean nothing to Zack. He’s mine, always has been. Just a few months I was away, you stole him from me,”

“Zack is my husband, Serena. It’s not fair he proposes to you,” I said, trying to make her see reason with me.

You just ruined my engagement!” she yelled as she slapped me across the cheek.

I staggered, clutching my cheek.

“At least let him divorce me properly,” I whispered.

She scoffed. “You don’t deserve anything, Lena. And now, I’m going to finish what I should have done a year ago.”

She pushed me with great force.

I was close to the edge, but I held the rail tightly.

“Serena, please, don’t do this. Please, I’m your sister.” I begged desperately, hoping for some sympathy from her.

But there was no hesitation in her eyes, only darkness.

“You’re a stain in our lives. You have to go,” she said as she pried my fingers off the rail.

I screamed as I fell.

Desperately searching for something to hold on to, I grabbed her red flowing gown.

And then, she was falling too.

I felt my heart burn and my lungs collapse. I struggled to get to the surface. I couldn’t swim, and neither could Serena.

We both struggled to get out, splishing and splashing.

My limbs got weaker by the second.

I could hear voices and shouts, but they felt far away. At least, there was a glimpse of hope that we would soon be saved.

Someone dived into the water and carried Serena out.

I kept struggling, hoping for my rescue, but it never came.

I watched as my glasses floated above me.

What was the essence of the struggle? For twenty-four years, I had been a burden, a disappointment.

For the first time in my life, I stopped fighting.

I let go.

And I let the darkness consume me.