1 I gave up my heiress life to marry Ethan Geller. Right before our wedding, a car crash left me blind. In the darkness, I heard Ethan tell his assistant: "The driver and doctor are silenced. Ms. Christian donated her corneas and will never see again." "Selene is strong, unlike Lily who can’t live without sight. I’ll care for Selene, but I can’t lose Lily." His voice turned cold: "Have the doctor remove her uterus. Seeing me with Selene’s child would destroy Lily." The assistant protested: "But she’s been with you since eighteen—" "Just obey." An icy chill seized me. The man I loved had chosen the scholarship student I sponsored, and destroyed me for her. So be it. He’d receive no mercy. Footsteps echoed in the hospital room. I forced myself to stay calm, to feign unconsciousness. “Mr. Geller, Ms. Christian just had her corneas removed. Her body is incredibly weak. If we remove her uterus now… she might not survive the stress. I strongly advise we wait…” “I pay you to follow my orders, not to give me advice. This is a command, not a discussion. But if anything happens to Selene, you know the consequences.” The doctor’s voice trembled. “Yes, Mr. Geller.” I felt the searing heat of Ethan’s fingers on my cheek. His voice was a husky, gentle whisper. “Selene, my love. It’ll all be over soon. Don’t worry, I’ll always be here to protect you. I love you, Selene.” A faint tremor ran through me. I felt a cool drop on my cheek, and it seemed like Ethan stood up. Sensing I was about to wake, his voice turned sharp and cold. “Where’s the doctor? Prep for surgery, now. I want it done before she wakes up.” My eyes shot open in terror, but all I saw was an endless, suffocating black. Tears streamed down my face as my hands flailed in the empty air. “I… why can’t I see?” “Selene, don’t be scared. I’m here. I’m right here.” Ethan pulled me into a tight embrace, his large, warm hand stroking my hair. His deep voice was thick with what sounded like heartbreak. “There was an accident… The doctors say the blindness is only temporary. I’ll take care of you, Selene…” He seemed to nod to someone over my shoulder before continuing. “Shh, you need to rest. You can’t get too emotional right now. The doctor is just going to give you a vitamin shot to help you recover.” If I hadn’t woken up early, if I hadn’t heard everything, I would have believed him without a second thought. But I knew. I knew the so-called vitamin shot was anesthesia, meant to drag me back under. I gripped his arm, my voice a choked sob as I shook my head wildly. “No… Ethan, I don’t want it… I want to go home. Please, can we just go home…?” Before I could finish, the cold prick of a needle pierced my skin. As my consciousness dissolved into blackness, the last thing I heard was Ethan’s voice, as gentle as it had always been. “It’s okay, Selene. Just sleep. It’ll be all over when you wake up. I’m here. You’re going to be okay.” Silent tears traced paths down my temples. My body was numb, but my heart was being torn apart. I closed my eyes, succumbing to the despair. In the darkness, an image flashed—an eighteen-year-old Ethan, his eyes red and swollen, crying by my bedside, calling me a fool for taking a knife for him. The boy’s fierce, unwavering promise echoed in my mind. “Selene, I swear, I will never let anyone hurt you again.” But the one who hurt me the most, the one who was taking my life piece by piece, was him. The next time I woke, I hadn’t just lost my eyes and the man I loved. I had lost the chance to ever have a child of my own. I opened my eyes to a room so quiet all I could hear was my own shallow breathing. Soon, the faint sound of an argument drifted in from the hallway. “Selene had an accident! I have to take care of her. She’s been so good to me. If it wasn’t for her, I’d still be in the slums. I owe her my life, you can’t stop me…” It was Lily, the student I’d sponsored. And Ethan, a man who never tolerated defiance, spoke with no trace of anger. “Lily, listen to me. Your eyes just healed. The doctor said you need to rest, you can’t be moving around. Selene will have people to look after her. You don’t need to worry.” My hand clenched the bedsheets. When did Lily go blind? And why didn’t I know anything about it? A sharp sting on the back of my hand made me flinch. A nurse had jabbed a needle into my vein. “Don’t move!” she snapped, her voice dripping with irritation. She pressed down harder, as if to punish me. “Some people have all the luck. They get to attend to Mr. Geller’s precious Lily, and I’m stuck here with a blind wreck.” Her muttering continued, “If Miss Lily would just put in a good word for me with Mr. Geller, I’d never have to look at another pathetic patient like you again…” CRASH! The sound of a glass vial shattering on the floor cut her off. “Ah! Who dares— M-Mr. Geller! What are you doing here…?” The nurse’s voice went from angry to terrified. Ethan’s voice, cold with fury, echoed through the room, making my blood run cold. “Get out. And never let me see you again.” A familiar warmth enveloped me as his body, trembling slightly, surrounded me. His voice was thick with guilt. “I’m so sorry, Selene. I’m late. I’m so sorry you had to go through that…” A bitter smile twisted my lips. Compared to having my eyes and my womb stolen by him, this was nothing. But he seemed consumed by remorse, holding me so tightly I could barely breathe. “I don’t want to be here anymore,” I whispered. “I want to go home.” His warm breath ghosted across my neck. “As soon as the doctor clears you, I’ll take you home.” He didn’t know that the home I meant wasn’t his villa. It was the Christian estate, the seat of one of the capital's most powerful families. Years ago, during a period of internal turmoil within the family, my father sent me to the coastal city of Seacliff to hide. But my enemies found me anyway. I was cornered in an alley when Ethan appeared, taking a knife that was meant for me. In that single moment, love at first sight became my reality. We ended up at the same university, falling into a passionate romance that was the envy of everyone around us. That was when Lily appeared. I saw her eating plain bread for every meal, and my heart went out to her, recognizing her talent. So, I decided to sponsor her. She was endlessly grateful, and we became inseparable friends. I just never knew when she and Ethan ended up in the same bed. Or when he started loving her instead of me. Ethan tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear, his voice softer than I’d ever heard it. “Selene, let’s go ahead with the wedding tomorrow, okay? I can’t wait to make you my wife, to call you Mrs. Geller.” The wedding I had dreamed of for years now felt like a nightmare waiting to happen. I shook my head softly. “No.” He was stunned by my refusal. He let go of me, explaining with uncharacteristic patience, “I know you’re scared. Don’t worry, I’ll handle everything. I’ll make sure no one dares to say a word about your… condition. Lily will be your maid of honor, she’ll help you.” “And the officiant is Julian Christian, the head of the Christian family from the capital. I promised you the grandest wedding, and I’ll deliver.” Hearing my older brother’s name, my hand shot out and gripped his sleeve. The Christians didn’t know I was in Seacliff. They certainly didn’t know that Ethan Geller’s fiancée was me. After refusing an arranged marriage to a blue-blooded scion, I’d run away from home in a fit of anger and never contacted them again. A sour knot formed in my stomach. I couldn’t imagine the look on my brother’s face when he saw me like this—broken and blind. Suddenly, a weight settled on my arm, followed by a bright, anxious voice. “Selene! I was so worried about you! Don’t you worry, from now on, I’ll be your eyes. I’ll take care of you forever…” Ethan cut her off, a hint of unease in his voice. “Don’t be ridiculous, Lily. Selene’s blindness is only temporary.” Lily caught on immediately, resting her head on my shoulder. “You’re right, I’m sorry. Maybe by tomorrow, Selene’s eyes will be all better! Then she can walk down the aisle in her beautiful dress and marry the wonderful Mr. Geller. Oh, Selene, I’m so happy for you.” That innocent, harmless act. It had fooled me for so long. An assistant brought in the wedding gown, and soon it was just me and Lily in the room. “Selene, I heard you designed this dress yourself. It’s stunning. But… the size is a little too big on me, you know?” RRRRIP! The sharp sound of fabric tearing was deafening in the silent room. I knew she had just destroyed my wedding dress. “A blind girl like you has no use for such a beautiful gown anyway. This hospital gown suits you much better.” SPLASH! A searing pain shot through my eyes, like they were being branded with hot irons. The agony stole my voice. My hands trembled as I tried to wipe away the liquid. Lily grabbed my wrists, her grip like steel. Her voice was a venom-laced whisper in my ear. “Your blindness had nothing to do with the car crash, Selene. I just casually mentioned I wanted your eyes, and I never thought Ethan would actually have them cut out for me. The funny thing is, I don’t even need them. They’re filthy. I wouldn’t even feed them to a dog.” “So, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll disappear. Otherwise… who knows what another casual remark from me might make him do to you?” The acidic liquid burned my eyes, but the pain was nothing compared to the agony shredding my heart. The sound of leather shoes approached. Lily roughly wiped the fluid from my eyes, then yanked my hand up into the air. SLAP! A fiery sting exploded across my palm. Before I could process what happened, a powerful shove sent me stumbling backward. My head slammed into the wall behind me, and a high-pitched ringing filled my ears. “Selene! You’ve lost your sight, not your mind! How could you hit Lily? She’s still recovering!” I couldn’t see the expression on Ethan’s face, but his voice was a torrent of fury. I knew he had lost control. In all the years we’d been together, he had never been this angry. His voice, dripping with menace, echoed above me. “Apologize to her. Now. Or the wedding is off.” He knew how much this wedding meant to me, that my greatest wish for years was to walk down the aisle and marry him. Just as he expected, I lowered my head as if I were the one at fault. The residue in my eyes stung with every blink. My voice trembled with pain. “I’m sorry, Lily.” A cold, dismissive voice came from the doorway. “I’ll have someone pick you up at eight tomorrow morning.” What Ethan didn’t know was that for me, tomorrow’s wedding wasn’t a celebration. It was an escape. It was the day I would finally leave him for good. The next morning, an assistant picked me up. Just as Lily had said, I arrived at the venue wearing nothing but my hospital gown. The hem of her own dress brushed against my bare ankles as she placed the veil over my head. She let out a small, mocking laugh. “Happy wedding day, Selene. You really think putting on a veil makes you a bride? It’s just to hide your useless eyes so you don’t embarrass everyone.” When she didn’t see the despair she expected on my face, her good mood soured. But before she could say more, Ethan’s displeased voice cut through the air. “Where is the gown I had prepared for you? Selene, are you trying to punish me? You’re going to marry me looking like this?” The assistant led me towards a dressing room. As I was about to remove the hospital gown, a man’s excited voice came from behind me. “Well, well. She’s a blind one, but she’s a real looker. Don’t you scream, now, sweetheart. I’ll be sure to take good care of you.” His hands were on me, violently tearing at my clothes. I fought back with all my strength, but he was too strong. I opened my mouth and bit down hard on his arm. “You little bitch!” Enraged, he threw me to the floor. His hot, ragged breath washed over my neck. Just as he ripped my gown open, a sharp, surprised female voice cried out from the doorway. “Selene! How could you, on your wedding day with Mr. Geller? How could you do this to him…?” The man above me froze, then spoke in a casual, panting voice. “She’s the one who came onto me. I’m not interested in some blind piece of trash.” As soon as he finished, a chorus of accusations erupted around me. The vicious words were like venomous snakes, striking from all directions. “I can’t believe his fiancée is blind!” “No wonder she’s blind. To throw away a man like Mr. Geller to cheat with someone else… tsk, tsk.” “What a shameless tramp!” I scrambled to cover my exposed body, pulling my torn clothes around me. I buried my head in my knees, my entire body shaking violently. Suddenly, the room fell silent, the only sound a set of heavy, deliberate footsteps. “Selene. You dared to betray me?” A hand clamped around my neck, squeezing hard. Ethan’s eyes, I imagined, were bloodshot, the veins on his hands bulging. I used every last bit of my strength to force out three words. “I… did… not…” The feeling of suffocation closed in. Just as I thought I would pass out, he released my throat, only to grab my chin in a bruising grip. “Selene, you of all people should know how much I hate betrayal. You must have lost your mind to throw yourself at a man like that. Fine. In that case, you won’t be needing to attend this wedding.” “Security! Take her to the psychiatric hospital!” As hands grabbed me, forcing me to my feet, my heart plummeted. If they sent me to a mental hospital now, I would never make it back to my family. The thought gave me a surge of adrenaline. I twisted violently, breaking free from their grasp, and ran. “Get her!” Ethan’s furious roar echoed behind me, along with the sound of countless running feet. My heart hammered against my ribs. Darkness. I couldn’t see a thing, but I couldn’t stop. I just ran, blindly, desperately, praying for a chance at survival. Suddenly, I slammed into a warm chest. A familiar, urgent voice called out from above. “Selene!” It was my brother. Julian. All the strength drained from my body, and I collapsed into his arms. Seeing my pale, bloodless face, Julian reached up to cup my cheek, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly. “Selene, what have you done to yourself? Where have you been all these years…? I finally… I finally found you.” A single tear fell onto my face. I reached up, wanting to wipe it away for him, but I had no idea where his face was. Julian noticed instantly. “Selene, what’s wrong with your eyes?” Before I could answer, Ethan’s voice, tight with restrained fury, cut through the air. “Selene. Come here.” I flinched. Feeling my terror, Julian gently patted my back, his voice a soothing murmur. “It’s okay, Selene. I’m here. No one is ever going to hurt you again.” I nodded, too choked up to speak, and let my body relax into his embrace. Seeing me close my eyes, resting peacefully against Julian’s shoulder, Ethan’s face darkened into a thunderous mask. He glared at Julian. “Let go of my fiancée.” A flicker of surprise crossed Julian’s eyes before understanding dawned, and a chilling aura began to radiate from him. Just as the tension was about to snap, Lily appeared between them. Seeing Julian’s distinguished air, she offered a sweet, innocent smile. “Sir, her name is Selene Christian. She’s Mr. Geller’s fiancée. She recently went blind and has been… under a lot of stress. She’s not well. It would be best if you let us take her for treatment, before she accidentally hurts you.” Julian’s eyes were stormy. “Get out of my sight.” Humiliation twisted Lily’s pretty face, and her eyes welled with tears. Ethan pulled her into his arms, then waved a dismissive hand. “I don’t care who you are. You’re not walking out of here today.” A group of black-suited bodyguards swarmed forward. A dark, knowing smile played on Julian’s lips. “It’s been a long time since someone was this eager to die.” He let out a soft, sharp whistle. Instantly, three imposing men with the subtle crest of our family tattooed on their necks stormed in. Within moments, the black-suited guards were scattered on the floor. A guest in the crowd gasped. “That’s the Christian family’s elite security detail!” “I heard the head of the family, Julian Christian, was officiating today! I can’t believe it’s really him!” The room erupted. Seeing the murderous look on Julian’s face, many of the more cautious guests began to quietly exit the hotel, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire. Lily’s face was a mask of shock. The man protecting me was the head of one of the capital’s most powerful families. Her nails dug into her palms, her eyes overflowing with a venomous envy. “Mr. Christian, there must be some misunderstanding! She’s not worth it! She’s just a blind woman who was in another man’s arms moments ago! You don’t have to…” SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! The sharp cracks of open palms hitting flesh echoed through the room, punctuated by Lily’s piercing screams. “Ahhh!” Julian’s voice was dangerously calm. “Anyone who has ever harmed Selene meets the same end.”
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