I hid my identity as a wealthy heiress from the Capital City Umbragard and married Robert Bain.

The day before our wedding, I unfortunately got into a car accident. When I woke up, I was blind.

In the darkness, I overheard Robert talking to his assistant.

"Mr. Bain, everything has been taken care of. The driver responsible for the accident and the doctors—none of them will say a word. But… your fiancée loves painting more than anything. After donating her corneas, she’ll never be able to see again. What if she can’t accept it when she wakes up?"

"She’s strong. She’s not like Lex. Lex wouldn’t survive without her sight. And Adalyn has me. I’ll take care of her in this life and the next. I love her, but I can’t lose Lex."

Robert paused for a moment before speaking with low and hoarse voice.

"Oh, and have the doctor remove Adalyn’s uterus while they’re at it. If Lex finds out I had a child with her, she’ll lose her mind."

The assistant hesitated. "But Mr. Bain… isn’t this too cruel? Your fiancée has been with you since she was eighteen."

"Just do as I say. Don’t ask questions."

A cold chill spread through my body, and I couldn’t stop trembling. The man I had loved unconditionally had already given his heart to the poor girl I once sponsored.

And for her, he had destroyed everything I had.

If that’s the case… I’d make those who hurt me pay.

***

Footsteps echoed through the hospital room. I forced myself to stay calm, pretending to be unconscious.

"Mr. Bain, your fiancée just donated her corneas. Her body is already weak. If we remove her uterus now, she might not survive. It’s too risky—I strongly suggest we wait a little longer."

"I didn’t hire you to give me advice. This is an order, not a discussion. And if anything happens to Adalyn, you know the consequences."

The doctor hesitated before replying in a shaky voice, "Understood, Mr. Bain."

I felt the warmth of Robert’s fingers brush against my cheek. His voice was low, hoarse, almost tender.

"Adalyn, it’ll all be over soon. Don’t worry, I’ll always be here to protect you. I love you, Ada."

A tremor ran through me. Something wet slid down my cheek—his tear or mine, I wasn’t sure. Then I heard him shift, as if standing up.

Sensing that I was about to wake, his tone turned cold. "Where’s the doctor? Get everything ready. The surgery needs to be done before she wakes up."

Panic surged through me. My eyes flew open, but all I saw was darkness.

Tears fell uncontrollably as I reached out, hands grasping at nothing. "Why… why can’t I see?"

"Adalyn, don’t be scared. I’m here. I’ve always been here."

Robert pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly. His warm hand stroked my hair, his deep voice filled with what sounded like tenderness and concern.

"You were in a car accident… The doctor said your blindness is only temporary. Don’t worry, Adalyn, I’ll take good care of you."

He paused for a moment, then continued, his tone soothing.

"Be good. Your body is still weak—you shouldn’t get too worked up. Let the doctor give you a nutrient shot, okay?"

If I hadn’t woken up early and overheard his conversation with the doctor, I would have believed every word. But now, I knew the so-called "nutrient shot" was just a sedative to put me under.

I clung desperately to his arm, shaking my head frantically, my voice breaking. "No… Robert, please, I don’t want it… Let’s go home, can we? Please, let’s just go home…"

Before I could finish, the cold sting of a needle pierced my skin.

As my consciousness faded, the last thing I heard was Robert’s usual gentle voice.

"Ada, be good. Just sleep, and everything will pass. I'm here—you’ll be fine."

Tears slipped silently down my cheeks. My body was numb from the anesthesia, but the pain in my heart wouldn't stop.

I closed my eyes in despair. In the darkness, I thought I saw Robert at eighteen, sitting by my bedside, eyes red from crying. He called me an idiot for taking the knife for him.

His young but determined voice echoed in my mind. "Adalyn, I swear, I’ll never let anyone hurt you again."

Yet, the person who hurt me the most, the one who nearly killed me, was him.

When I woke up again, I had lost my eyesight, lost the man I loved, and lost the chance to ever have children of my own. The hospital room was quiet except for the sound of my weak breathing.

Not long after, I heard muffled voices arguing outside.

"Adalyn was in a car accident—I have to take care of her! She’s always been so good to me. If it weren’t for her, I’d still be stuck in the slums. I owe her my whole life, and I’ll never stop repaying her! Don’t try to stop me!"

It was Lexi, Lexi Law, a poor student I had sponsored in the past.

Robert had never tolerated defiance from anyone, yet there wasn’t even a trace of anger in his voice.

"Lex, listen to me. Your eyesight just recovered, and the doctor said you still need to rest. You shouldn’t be moving around too much. Adalyn has someone to take care of her—you don’t need to worry."

My fingers tightened around the blanket.

Did Lexi go blind? Why didn’t I know about that?

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through the back of my hand as a needle was roughly jabbed into my skin.

"Stop moving!" the nurse snapped, her tone full of irritation. She pressed down harder, as if warning me to stay still.

"What a joke. Why do they get to take care of Mrs. Bain and Ms. Law, while I’m stuck looking after a blind woman like you?"

"If Ms. Law could just put in a good word for me with Mr. Bain, I wouldn’t have to waste my time with patients like you…"

Crash!

The sound of glass shattering cut her off.

"Aah! Who—who dares… Mr. Bain… why are you here…?" Her voice, once filled with resentment, trembled with fear.

Then, Robert’s furious voice echoed through the hospital room, cold and menacing. "Get out. Don’t ever let me see you again."

A familiar warmth surrounded me. His body was trembling slightly, and his voice was filled with guilt.

"Adalyn, I’m sorry. I was too late… I let you suffer. I’m so sorry…"

A bitter smile tugged at my lips.

Compared to having my corneas and uterus taken from me, this was nothing. But he seemed devastated, holding me so tightly I could hardly breathe.

"I don’t want to stay in the hospital. I want to go home."

His warm breath brushed against my neck. "As soon as the doctor discharges you, I’ll take you home."

He didn’t know the home I was talking about wasn’t his mansion—it was the McLeod's Manor in Umbragard.

Years ago, when the McLeods was thrown into chaos, my father hid me away in Stormhavn. Despite that, someone still managed to found out my whereabouts.

I was cornered in an alley when Robert appeared and took a knife for me. That was the moment I truly understood what it meant to fall in love at first sight.

Later, we got into the same university, fell madly in love, and became inseparable. Everyone envied us.

That was also when Lexi appeared.

I couldn’t let myself just stay idle, seeing her survive on plain steamed buns every day. I admired her talent. So, I helped her.

Lexi was grateful beyond what she could express. We quickly became inseparable best friends. But I never knew when she and Robert ended up in the same bed—or when he fell in love with her.

Robert gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his voice softer than ever. “Adalyn, can we still go ahead with the wedding tomorrow as planned? I can’t wait to make you my wife, my Mrs. Gu.”

The wedding I once dreamed of now felt like a nightmare.

I shook my head lightly. “No.”

Robert clearly hadn’t expected me to refuse. He let go of me, his tone unusually patient. “I know you’re scared, but trust me, I’ll handle everything. No one will dare say a word about you. Lexi will be your bridesmaid—she’ll be there for you.”

“And this time, the officiant will be Spencer, the head of the most powerful family in Ubragard. I promised you, didn’t I? I’ll give you the grandest wedding.”

The moment I heard my brother’s name, my hands instinctively clenched around Robert’s sleeve. The McLeods had no idea I was in Stormhavn. They certainly didn’t know that Robert’s fiancée was me.

Years ago, after refusing an arranged marriage with the most ideal young entrepreneur of Ubragrad’s elite, I fled from my family’s home and never looked back.

A bitter ache rose in my chest. I didn’t dare imagine what kind of expression my brother would have if he saw me like this—so helpless, so pathetic.

Suddenly, I felt a weight on my arm, followed by a crisp, anxious voice. “Adalyn, I was so worried about you! From now on, I’ll be your eyes—I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life…”

Robert cut her off, his voice carrying a barely noticeable trace of guilt. “Don’t talk nonsense. Adalyn’s blindness is only temporary.”

Lexi caught on immediately. She rested her head on my shoulder and spoke in that sweet, innocent voice of hers.

“Oh, right! That was my mistake. Who knows? Maybe by tomorrow, Adalyn’s vision will be back. Then she can walk down the aisle in her beautiful wedding dress and become Mrs. Bain. Adalyn, I’m so happy for you.”

That soft, harmless act of hers had fooled me completely.

Once the assistant delivered the wedding dress, only Lexi and I were left in the hospital room.

“Adalyn, I heard you designed this dress yourself? It’s gorgeous. But… it’s a little too big for me.”

The sharp sound of fabric tearing cut through the silence of the room, harsh and jarring.

I knew—she had destroyed my wedding dress.

“A blind woman like you has no use for something this beautiful. That hospital gown suits you much better.”

Rip!

A searing pain shot through my eye sockets, burning like fire.

The pain was so overwhelming that I couldn’t even scream. My hands trembled as I reached up, trying to wipe away the liquid from my eyes with my sleeve.

Lexi grabbed my wrist in a death grip, her voice laced with pure malice as she whispered in my ear, “Adalyn, your blindness wasn’t caused by the car accident at all. I never expected that just a few casual words from me would make Robert go so far as to take your corneas and give them to me. And guess what? I didn’t even need them. I found them disgusting. Even a dog wouldn’t want them.”

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll walk away on your own. If not… do you ever thought that another casual remark from me can make Robert take your life next?”

The acid burned my eyes, but it was nothing compared to the pain in my heart.

The sound of leather shoes echoed as someone approached.

Lexi suddenly wiped the liquid from my face—harshly, as if erasing evidence. Then, she grabbed my hand and lifted it high.

Slap!

A sharp sting exploded across my palm.

Before I could react, a sudden force shoved me backward. My head slammed into the wall, sending a wave of dizziness crashing over me as a relentless ringing filled my ears.

“Adalyn! You’ve lost your sight, not your damn mind! Why would you hit Lexi? She’s currently recovering and weak!”

I couldn’t see Robert’s expression, but from the sheer fury in his voice, I knew—he had completely lost control.