In the third year of my marriage to Conrad Hollowell, after being blind for ten long years, my sight finally came back.

I was so overwhelmed with joy that I ran all the way home, eager to tell him the moment I opened the door. But instead, what I walked in on… was him and Estelle Denyer wrapped around each other in our bedroom.

His usually cold, distant face was flushed, his body moving against hers.

And his other woman—she looked soft, alluring, her voice filled with breathy moans.

The scene made me freeze all over. My lips parted to speak, but their conversation stopped me.

“Conrad,” Estelle said with fake worry, “when are you planning to stop Ophelia’s meds? The doctor said that if this continues for another month, she might go permanently blind.”

Conrad pinched her waist, his tone emotionless.

“Her going blind is perfect. That way, she’ll never find out about us. I’ve already taken almost everything from her family. Aside from making perfume for me, she’s useless.”

My heart clenched so hard it hurt when I heard those words.

A flicker of smugness flashed in Estelle’s eyes before she put on a show of guilt.

“Still, I was the one who hit her mother with my car back then. We should at least leave Ophelia something… Think of it as my apology.”

And at that moment, everything finally made sense.

The man I once pulled back from the brink… had turned into the monster who destroyed me.

He was like a colorless, tasteless poison—sweet in the beginning until it seeped into every part of me and swallowed me whole.

He gave my perfume to another woman. He stole my achievements. He even took my sight!

Realizing all of this felt like a blade slicing straight through me.

I stared at the two of them—entangled, shameless, betraying me without a second thought. The fire burning in my eyes felt endless.

Right then and there, I swore: I would destroy the Hollowells Group!

I would use my perfume—and every sin they committed—to drag them down into hell. And I would do it for my mother, so she could finally rest in peace.

1

Ophelia’s POV

The day I finally got my sight back just happened to be our third wedding anniversary.

I honestly thought God was sending me a gift. I was ready to bring the report home and surprise Conrad, maybe even celebrate a little.

But not even thirty minutes later, a letter showed up.

And on it, in clear braille, was the one thing I never expected to read—that Conrad had been cheating on me.

The dates, the times, how often—every disgusting detail was spelled out perfectly.

I didn’t want to believe it. My heart was shaking so hard it hurt.

But the times recorded… All of them were moments he really wasn’t with me.

My stomach dropped with that fact.

My hands were trembling when I called him. He had never ignored my calls before. But this time, he just didn’t pick up.

That’s when the panic hit. I called him over and over, more than ten times, and he didn’t answer once.

And then my phone suddenly popped up a notification from the weight tracker.

[Your current weight is three kilograms more than your previous measurement. Rapid weight gain can damage your health. Please pay attention.]

The moment I saw it, everything inside me just collapsed.

There was a woman in my bedroom, standing on my scale!

I snapped. I grabbed a taxi straight home. The second I set foot inside the villa, I heard it—her breathy little moans floating down from upstairs, mixed with a man’s low voice.

I didn’t even need to see. I knew that voice.

After more than ten years, his voice was burned into my bones.

I just never thought he would sleep with another woman.

I wanted to storm upstairs and scream at him, but then I heard them talking.

“Conrad, if I hadn’t run over Ophelia’s mother back then, you wouldn’t have had to marry her just for a letter of forgiveness. And all these years… just to keep her clueless, you even messed with her eye medication. You’ve suffered so much because of me.”

Estelle’s voice was dripping with fake pity. And the second her words hit me, my whole body went numb.

Conrad kissed her eyelids gently.

“For you, I’d do anything. Just one more month. After that, she’ll go completely blind. Then you never have to worry about her finding out the truth.”

His cold voice stabbed into my ears. It made my brows tighten from pain instantly.

“But… if she goes blind in a month, will it affect the baby she’s carrying? I mean, that’s our child.

“And what about her perfume? I only managed to gain footing in the company because of them. But I’m still the R&D director. If she goes blind and can’t make new products anymore, what am I supposed to do?”

Estelle’s anxious little whine followed.

Conrad stroked her hair and actually smiled.

“I’ve already arranged everything. Don’t worry about anything. The baby will be perfectly fine. And the perfume—once she goes blind, I’ve already hired a whole new team. Anything they create will be credited to you… just like hers were.”

Then he kissed her face.

“All you need to do is wait to become my bride. I’ve already swallowed up her entire family estate. She’s useless now. In a month, I’ll arrange another car accident—just like the one that blinded her the first time.”

My skull felt like it exploded. A sharp ringing filled my ears.

So everything I suffered—all of it came from him.

My mother was killed by Estelle. And Conrad knew. And he protected her anyway.

And just to get the letter of forgiveness from me, he chose to marry me.

In an instant, my memories of him poured in.

He was the boy I rescued from a wolf attack when I was seven.

At the time, he was half-dead, no family, no one claiming him.

I begged my mom to help him. We took him in. He became my bodyguard.

He stayed by my side for over a decade, promising he’d always protect me.

Then right before our wedding, my mom died in a car accident. It was raining so hard the cameras malfunctioned. All they knew was that the driver was a woman.

When I finally found a key piece of evidence and was ready to give it to the court, I got run over by a small speeding car.

When I woke up again, I had become blind.

At the hospital, he held my hands and told me he would marry me… that he would drag my mother’s killer to jail.

In my helplessness, I agreed to marry him and handed him all the evidence.

That very day, he put a document in my hands, saying justice was served.

I was overjoyed and, trusting him completely, signed that document.

In the days after, he was even more gentle and attentive. But my eyes never recovered.

Every night I cried from the pain in my eyes, he comforted me with utmost gentleness.

He told me even if I stayed blind forever, he’d never leave me. And like a fool, I believed him.

I handed him all my perfume formulas without holding anything back.

And because of my work, he turned his company into one of the biggest perfume brands in Colorado.

I honestly thought… that even though I went blind, and even though my mom died right before my wedding… maybe I was still lucky because at least I had him.

But now I see it clearly. I brought a rabid wolf into my home myself.

Because of him and Estelle, I ruined my family, and my whole life fell apart.

They stole the fragrances I worked on. They used my body as a surrogate tool. God, what a sick joke.

Suddenly, I stumbled backward, missed a step, and fell down the stairs hard.

The noise startled Conrad. His voice cut through the air like ice.

“Who’s there?!”

Before Conrad stepped out, I forced myself up off the floor.

Thanks to that fall down the stairs earlier, we were far enough apart that he didn’t notice anything off.

When he saw me standing there, his face went cold. His eyes flicked with a little hesitation, but his voice remained gentle as hell.

“Ophelia? When did you get home? Why didn’t you tell me? Did you… hear anything just now?”

The second he started acting, I slipped right back into my “blind” routine. I let my eyes go empty and unfocused.

“I called you a bunch of times. You didn’t pick up the phone. I freaked out a little, so I rushed home.”

He didn’t react much. He just pulled out his phone.

Only after he checked and saw I really did call him over ten times did he finally relax.

“Sorry. I was dealing with work stuff. My phone was turned off.”

My nails dug into my palm. Not one damn word he said was true.

He ignored my calls for one reason: I wasn’t useful to him anymore.

And right then, a soft little hand wrapped around him from behind. Estelle slowly wrapped herself around him, her whole body like a beautiful snake.

He frowned and jerked his chin toward me, reminding her I was right there.

But she blew a little breath against his neck, looked straight at me with that smug little smile, and whispered, “Come on, she can’t see anything. As long as I’m careful, you’re still happy, right?”

And then her hand started drifting lower.

Watching that disgusting mess play out in front of me, I bit down so hard I tasted blood. But honestly, the pain didn’t even scratch the surface compared to what was happening in my chest.

After she said that, Conrad didn’t even bother stopping her.

He actually started getting handsy with her right in front of me.

Wet kissing noises and hushed little moans echoed from upstairs.

And like always, I sat on the couch. Except this time, my heart felt like it was tearing open.

“Ophelia, I’ll be swamped with work for a while. If you need anything, just call me. And make sure you take your meds on time.”

He said it gently… while holding her in his arms. They walked right up to me.

I leaned away from their bodies practically glued together and acted like nothing was happening. I just nodded.

I thought that was it. But he just had to keep playing the caring husband.

“I remember your meds running low. I’ll bring more tomorrow. Oh right—did you finish the new fragrance? The company’s been pressuring me, but if you’re not feeling well, I can stall a bit longer.”

It was the same script he always used.

Every time he said stuff like that, I’d stay up night after night, nose bleeding from exhaustion, just to make whatever fragrance he needed—just to make things easier for him.

And today I finally learned the truth: every single fragrance I made… had been handed over as Estelle’s work!

The woman who killed my mother was now the company’s R&D director!

I wanted to expose everything right then and there. I wanted all three of us to go down in flames.

But the last bit of rational thought in me said no.

If I said anything here, I’d just die quietly, and no one would ever know.

Conrad wasn’t the man who once loved me. Not even close.

Holding back tears, I kept my voice steady. “I’ll drop the fragrance off at the company tomorrow.”

Only then did he finally look satisfied. He tightened his grip on the already dazed Estelle.

In a low, husky voice, he said, “I’ve got overtime tonight, so I can’t stay with you. Ophelia, take care of yourself, stay home, and wait for me like a good girl. I’ll come back early.”

The second he finished, Estelle pinched his waist in annoyance, and he shot her this sharp, dangerous glare.

He didn’t wait for me to say a word. He couldn’t get out of here fast enough, carrying her out of the villa like he was starving.

When their silhouettes finally disappeared, I slumped back onto the couch, my face pale. I grabbed my phone and booked an abortion appointment for three days later.

I would never—ever—bring the child of a murderer into this world.

If Conrad planned to kill me at the perfume launch next month…

Then I’d drag both of them down with me.

The moment I confirmed the appointment, my phone suddenly rang.

I frowned but answered anyway.

“Hi, is this Miss Ophelia? The baby you’re carrying… It isn’t yours and your husband’s. It’s mine. Could we talk?”

Ophelia’s POV

The moment I heard him, my eyes flew wide open in disbelief.

“What the hell are you talking about? How could the baby I’m carrying possibly be yours?”

The man on the other end sounded way too calm, slowly explaining, “I’m sorry, but the baby you’re carrying is indeed mine. The doctor made a mistake during the procedure… and this is the result.”

Then he added, almost casually, “Because of my family situation, I need a child—and a wife. And you… you could use my help right now.”

My heart dropped so hard it felt like it hit the floor.

In the dead silence, the only thing I could hear was my own strangled voice.

“Who the hell are you? And why do you know so damn much?”

He paused, then told me everything.

Because of my health issues, when Conrad said he wanted a baby with me, I was honestly thrilled.

But for some reason… years passed and I still couldn’t get pregnant.

I used to blame myself. Now, I see it clearly—everything had been planned by Conrad and Estelle from the very beginning.

Estelle didn’t want to go through pregnancy—too painful, too messy—so they decided to use me as their walking incubator.

That’s why I “mysteriously” failed to conceive for years.

Until this year, when I finally went to the hospital… and the doctor messed up and used Zane Montrose’s sperm with my egg. And that’s how this baby happened.

If I had heard this before, I probably would’ve lost my mind and aborted the baby on the spot.

But now that I know the truth—that this child isn’t Conrad’s—I actually felt… relieved. Lucky, even.

Zane said that if I agreed to become his contract wife, he’d help me take down Conrad and Estelle.

And honestly, on my own, I can’t fight them.

My family company has already been eaten away by Conrad. He’s just waiting for me to “have an accident” next month so he can swallow the rest.

Thinking about that, I didn’t hesitate for even a second. I agreed.

In one month, I’ll take my child and my new fragrance line and join Montrose Corporation.

And Hollowells Group? I’m going to burn it to the ground with my own hands!

That night, I prepared the divorce papers, ready for Conrad to sign them.

But even late into the night, he didn’t come home.

My body was stiff, but I curled my lips into a cold, silent laugh.

I was about to call him when my phone suddenly lit up.

A strange number sent me an address… and a message.

My phone’s auto-reader started playing it out loud.

“Your husband is here with another woman. Maybe you should come see. But honestly? You should just know your place and back off. After all… you’re just a blind woman.”

I didn’t need to think twice; this was definitely from Estelle.

I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction, but in the end… I still grabbed the divorce papers and went to the address.

Before I even stepped inside, I heard the laughter of Conrad’s buddies.

He was nothing like the “reserved, gentle husband” he pretended to be in front of me. In that private room, he was showing his real face.

“Bro, when are you gonna bring our Estelle home? Isn’t it time to get rid of that blind woman? Though… she’s pregnant. It's a bit of a problem.”

“The kid’s no issue. She can give birth, and then Estelle can raise it. Estelle is so kind-hearted. If it weren’t for that blind woman guilt-tripping Conrad into marrying her, the two of them wouldn’t have been separated in the first place.”

Just those two stupid sentences made all the blood in my body run backward, turning completely cold.

So everyone knew. Everyone knew about them. Everyone except me.

I gripped the divorce papers so tightly my hands were shaking. The anger and humiliation swallowed my chest whole.

And just then, my phone rang. It was Conrad.

In an instant, the private room went silent.

“Ophelia?”

He sounded unsure, almost nervous.

I didn’t even think; I turned and walked away.

He rushed out just in time to see my back. A back he knew too well—familiar enough to haunt him.

He almost chased after me. But then Estelle’s voice called him from inside the room.

He hesitated… just for a second. And in the end, under her increasingly urgent calls, he returned to the private room.

I didn’t even know how I made it back to the villa.

All I knew was, the second I stepped inside, Conrad’s call came through.

“Ophelia, why didn’t you answer earlier? Were you not home?”

His voice was still that same soft, gentle tone—but I could hear the suspicion under it.

I stayed quiet for a moment, and when he spoke again, he sounded a little panicked.

“Did someone say something to you? Don’t listen to them. Whatever it is, I’ll explain when I get back.”

He sounded just as affectionate as he did in the beginning—like he was incapable of lying.

But the way he acted in front of Estelle? He was a completely different man.

Thinking about everything he’d done to me, I didn’t hesitate anymore. I just said, “When are you coming back? I have something to tell you.”

The moment he heard that, he said, “Wait for me,” and hung up.

A second later, a message from Estelle popped up.

[Did you really think calling him home like this means you’ve won? As long as I want him, all I have to do is curl my finger and Conrad will come running right back to me. You heard it yourself. Neither Conrad nor his brothers like you. If I were you, I wouldn’t even want to keep living.]

After everything I’ve been through, reading that message didn’t even stir anything in me.

I just closed my phone and waited calmly for Conrad to show up.

The trip should’ve taken thirty minutes. He shoved it into ten. When he rushed up to me, he was still out of breath.

He came over like he always did, gently steadying me.

“Ophelia, what did you want to talk about?”

I subtly moved away from his hand and handed him the divorce papers.

“Sign them.”

He froze for a second, then took the documents. “Is this the fragrance project contract?”

Right as he was about to open it, his phone rang.

Even though he grabbed the phone fast, I still clearly saw her name.

[Estelle]

He answered, and all I heard on her end was, “Conrad… I miss you so much…”

His expression shifted. He lowered the volume and whispered a few comforting words to her.

When the call finally ended, he didn’t even bother reading the papers anymore; he just signed his name quickly.

Then he grabbed his car keys, ready to leave again.

“Ophelia, something urgent came up at work. Go to bed early. And about the fragrance project, no need to rush.”

He tossed out a few lazy, half-hearted reassurances, then walked out without looking back.

I clutched the signed divorce agreement tightly in my hand, watching his back as he left, and tugged at the corner of my lips.

“Conrad…” I muttered, “starting now, we’re no longer a married couple.”

Ophelia’s POV

The next day, I took the perfume and went straight to the company.

Zane and I had already agreed—this perfume was going to be my “gift” for Conrad.

When the new product launch happens, he’s going to fall straight into hell.

After handing the perfume over to R&D, I walked toward the lab the same way I used to—slow, fumbling steps.

I kept some necessary equipment stored there. Even if I’m quitting, I’m taking every last thing that belongs to me.

I had barely started packing when the other R&D staff walked up to me, their faces full of disgust.

“Some people really have no shame,” one of them sneered. “Never contributed a damn thing to R&D but still comes to the lab every day pretending she’s doing something. If the director hadn’t let her turn in her perfume formulas every time, she would’ve been fired ages ago.”

Another one immediately jumped in, like they’d been dying to say, “Yeah, exactly. She’s blind, for god’s sake. And she still has the nerve to show up here and freeload off the department? Must be nice having connections.”

“And what’s even worse,” someone added, “is she doesn’t even know how to be grateful. The director lets her hand in her perfume work, and she repays her by going after her man. Everyone knows the CEO and the director are together.”

My nails dug hard into my palm.

From the day the company was founded, Conrad hid who I was to him.

He said it was so I could focus on creating.

And I believed him. I let him hide me for years.

But the moment Estelle walked into this company, suddenly, everyone thought they were the actual couple.

I was blind. Even if I overheard things sometimes, I never saw the full picture.

And every time I confronted him, Conrad always had some righteous, perfectly logical explanation. Because of that, I never doubted them.

But now? Turns out everyone in the company already knew they were together—and they all thought I was the mistress.

I didn’t bother responding. I tightened my grip on the things in my hands and got ready to leave.

But they just wouldn’t let it go. The moment they saw me heading for the door, someone grabbed the tools in my hand and yanked them away with a mocking laugh.

“What? You still don’t get that we’re talking about you? How can someone be this shameless? Stealing another woman’s perfume work, and trying to steal her boyfriend, too? Because of people like you, our entire R&D department’s reputation is rotting.”

Then, without warning, they shoved me hard.

I crashed straight into the sharp corner of a table, and blood immediately gushed from my waist.

I couldn’t hold it back anymore. Gritting my teeth, I said each word clearly. “Every perfume I submitted was my own creation. And Conrad and I are actually—”

Before I could finish, a fake, delicate voice sounded from the door.

“What are you all doing?” Estelle widened her eyes like she was oh-so-shocked.

Everyone instantly put on their most bootlicking smiles.

“Miss Estelle, we were getting along with Ophelia just fine, but then she suddenly threw herself on the floor. No wonder she’s good at stealing other people’s boyfriends, she sure knows all the tricks. Please, don’t let her fool you.”

Hearing that, Estelle frowned deeply.

She glanced at the R&D team and said, all gentle and disapproving, “Even if you’re joking, that’s going a bit too far. Ophelia is blind, after all. This isn’t a nice way to treat her. Though… she has caused the CEO some trouble, but…”

She let her voice trail off and looked at me with a helpless little sigh, performing for the whole room.

“Forget it. Ophelia, just don’t do this next time. Don’t worry, as long as I’m still in R&D, you’ll always have perfume formulas to submit. I’ll explain things to the CEO on your behalf, too.”

With that one speech, everyone started looking at her like she was some kind of saint.

She didn’t say anything directly, but she pushed everything onto me.

That I stole her work. That I hooked up with Conrad.

When in reality, the perfume was mine. And Conrad was my legal husband.

She reached her hand out to me with that soft, pitiful expression—except behind her lowered eyes, I saw the flash of mockery.

I was furious. I slapped her hand away hard.

“Estelle! Spare me the fake sympathy. Why don’t you tell them the truth? Tell them the perfumes I submitted are my work. Tell them what my relationship with Conrad actually is. Or are you planning to lie to my face right here?”

I glared straight at her. She panicked instantly, her eyes darting, stuttering as she failed to answer.

And right then, a voice came from the doorway. It was Conrad.

“What’s going on in here?”

Estelle’s eyes instantly went red, like she was about to cry.

And the R&D staff jumped right in, running their mouths nonstop.

“Sir, thank god you showed up. You won’t believe this—this blind woman almost bullied Estelle to death. She even said all of the director’s fragrances were made by her! And she claimed she was closer to you than Estelle—like even more intimate…”

When Conrad heard that, his face tightened.

He looked at the R&D group with this dark, cold stare.

Then he snapped, his voice freezing the whole room.

“Who the hell told you to call her a blind woman? I’m giving you three seconds. Pack your crap and get out!”

And then, he reached a hand out toward me, his eyes all soft and concerned like he suddenly cares.

The R&D staff instantly went pale. Their mouths opened, closed, opened again; no one dared talk back under his stare.

None of them expected he’d actually defend me, and they all started side-eyeing Estelle like they were doubting her then…

“Sir… isn’t the director your girlfriend? Is she lying to us? And those fragrances she keeps presenting… they’re exactly the same as the ones Ophelia submitted. Estelle told us the fragrances in Ophelia’s hands were hers.”

“So… is the director just lying to all of us?”

They were about to get fired anyway, so screw caution—they just said it straight out.

And instantly, everyone in the room started looking at Estelle with disgust.

Seeing that, she freaked and grabbed onto Conrad’s sleeve, looking at him with teary eyes.

“Conrad… they just misspoke. They didn’t mean it. Everything I told you is true. You can tell them that, right?”

Something flickered in Conrad’s eyes—struggle, guilt, whatever.

And the more desperate she looked, the guiltier he looked when he glanced at me.

And then, in the end, he did it. He pulled his hand back. He just let me lie there on the damn floor in front of everyone like some pathetic wreck.

Not once did he care that I’m still pregnant.

Or maybe he did care just… not enough. It meant nothing compared to her.

And I thought that humiliation was already rock bottom.

But she let go of his sleeve, wiping tears dramatically, and said, all pitiful, “Conrad… after everything that happened today, I really don’t have the face to stay here anymore. Thank you for taking care of me… but I just can’t…”

And the tears fell—giant, perfect, actress-level tears.

And that was it. He forgot everyone else existed.

He pulled her straight into his arms, holding her so tight you’d think she was his actual wife.

He whispered to her, soothed her, waited until she calmed down—then finally looked back at the R&D team.

“Ridiculous. Every fragrance Estelle submitted was created by her and no one else.”

Then he shot a tiny glance my way—barely there—and said, “And about my relationship with Ophelia, that’s all in your imagination. Nothing improper happened. Maybe I handled some things poorly and made her misunderstand.”

Perfect. If I were just some shameless woman chasing him, maybe I’d finally give up after that.

But I’m not. I’m his wife. And he just turned me into the other woman in front of an entire department.

At this point, I honestly just wanted to laugh. Everything felt like some sick joke.

I already knew he wouldn’t stand with me… but I didn’t expect him to cut me off this fast, this clean.

And just like that, everyone who was starting to doubt things went right back to glaring at me—this time even nastier, like I was some dirty homewrecker.

I sat there on the floor, head down, feeling blood drip from the wound on my waist.

When Conrad saw my empty, hopeless face, I saw him flinch just for a second.

He actually reached toward me—his hand moved.

But the moment he saw Estelle looking at him with tear-filled eyes… he dropped it in silent surrender.