Indya had appeared in front of me at some unknown point.

She looked coldly at the fire burning in front of me.

Then she kicked me.

The sparks scorched my skin, and I instinctively stood up.

But I bumped into the foot of the bed.

“It’s Nina, right? I’ve heard about you. I thought someone who married Anthony must be someone very special, but you’re really nothing.

“Looking at how pitiful you are now, I’ll be kind and tell you the truth—I was never blind. I just didn’t expect Anthony to actually make something of himself back home. I came back to see how he’d react.

“Luckily, he didn’t disappoint me.”

Indya looked down on me from above, her cold palm slapping my face.

“You know, ever since I returned to the country, Anthony started renting hotel rooms with me. He married you, because he wanted the right to sign the cornea donation papers on your behalf. Every day since you got your marriage certificate, he’s been in my bed. All I have to do is beckon. As for your eyes—well, what can I say? You just happened to be by Anthony’s side. They’re more useful helping me than sitting in your sockets. From now on, just enjoy being the princess of this fancy little house. I’ll take good care of Anthony for you.”

My emotions surged uncontrollably, and I lunged toward her.

“Nina! What are you doing?”

It was Anthony’s voice, and in the next second, a burning slap landed on my face.

My head turned from the impact, and I didn’t need to see to imagine how pathetic I must have looked.

“Anthony, I just came to check why there was smoke in the bedroom. I was worried about Nina’s safety. After all, she can’t see. But I didn’t expect... I didn’t expect her to misunderstand you and me.”

Indya sobbed in Anthony’s arms, sounding utterly aggrieved.

Anthony glanced at the ashes by the bed, not even noticing that they were his love letters to me.

“You can’t see now. Could you stop causing trouble? Would burning down the house finally satisfy you? How many times do I have to tell you? Indya is my friend. She’s here to help us with the wedding. Can you stop being so paranoid?”

Anthony’s accusations came one after another.

I sat on the floor, pain radiating from every part of my body.

As Anthony walked out of the room with Indya in his arms, I couldn’t help but call out to him.

“Anthony, did I really lose my sight because of the car accident?”

If I could see at that moment, I would’ve noticed how unnatural his expression was.

“What else would it be? What are you thinking about all day?”

“Then why did Indya regain her sight just after I lost mine?”

As if I had exposed his secret, Anthony’s breathing turned rapid.

“You mean Indya took your eyes? Nina, can you stop being so unreasonable? Indya’s corneas were donated by a kind person. They have nothing to do with you. Now apologize to Indya.”

Anthony walked over, yanked me up, and dragged me in front of Indya.

“Apologize!”

“No need, Anthony. I understand Nina. It’s not easy to remain calm after going through something like this. Nina, if you really want, I’m willing to donate my corneas to you. It’s okay. I just want you and Anthony to be happy.”

Her voice choked with emotion, while Anthony felt his heart ache.

“Your eyes are yours. You’re not allowed to donate them. She just needs time to calm down.”

After that, they left the room without another word.

Seven years of love vanished completely as the door slammed shut.

I told myself that I was paying the price for not being able to see what kind of person Anthony really was.

I called Rio.

I asked her to help me book a flight.

"You're just going to let him off like that?"

I heard Rio's cold voice from the other end of the line. I froze for a long moment, swallowing the lump in my throat.

"You know... even now, after he's lied to me, insulted me, and hurt me, what still lingers in my mind is how he looked when we first met—clean, quiet, and distant."

My teeth bit down hard on my lower lip, until the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

The craziest revenge I could carry out... was to leave alone, dragging this broken body with me.

"Am I pathetic?"

Rio didn’t answer right away. After a long silence, a deep sigh came through the receiver.

"Hold on for two more days. I’ll arrange everything for your departure."

After hanging up, I slumped to the ground and sat there for a long time.

I couldn’t see the light outside fade from day to night.

At dinner time, Anthony came upstairs and walked into my room on his own.

"Nina, I know it’s hard to accept losing your sight. But we’re about to get married. Can you try to be happy?"

He gently pulled me into his arms and patted my back again and again.

I knew this was Anthony’s way of making peace.

Every time I got upset before, he would do this.

But now, I knew he was just putting on an act.

After acting for so long, it was time for the curtain to fall.

I gave him a soft smile, and he left the room reassured.

Anthony planned the wedding on a grand scale.

The venue was a church near the university we went to.

It was the place I had once dreamed of walking down the aisle with him, hand in hand.

On the wedding day, he brought Indya to the house to pick me up.

When he opened the door, all he saw was the wedding dress I had taken off.

For a moment, Anthony panicked, but quickly forced a smile and called toward the bedroom.

"I'm here to pick you up, Nina. I know you can’t see, so stop messing around. I’ll just take you straight there."

The room was eerily quiet.

Only then did Anthony realize something was wrong, and he frantically began searching the bedroom.

Everything was still in place, not even a single piece of clothing missing—except for me.

"Nina, stop playing around. Don’t hurt yourself."

He raised his voice, but silence was the only reply.

"Nina! Will you stop it already? Everyone’s waiting for you!"

He began to lose control. Indya instinctively reached out to hold him, but he shook her off.

"Nina! Our schedule will be delayed if you keep this up! Didn’t you always want to marry me?"

His voice started to tremble, tinged with a barely noticeable panic.

At that moment, I was already boarding the plane with the help of the staff.

Anthony slumped down on the stairs in defeat, while Indya clung to his arm.

"Anthony, if she’s gone, let her go. I can still go through with the wedding in her place. We can’t let the Jackson family become a laughingstock, can we? Besides, we were always in love. I was supposed to be the bride in the first place..."

Anthony stared blankly ahead, lost in thought.

"Nina can’t see... where could she go? What if she trips or gets hurt? Did she find out something? Nina loves me so much... she wouldn’t leave me that easily..."

Maybe my recent behavior had been too strange. Compared to those happy days preparing for the wedding, I seemed like a completely different person.

Back then, Anthony thought I just hadn’t gotten over the trauma of going blind.

But now, looking at the empty room, it felt like the truth was on the verge of bursting out.

"I was the one who told her."

"I told her that you dug out her corneas for me."

Indya clung to Anthony’s arm, speaking the coldest words in the gentlest tone.

"I know you feel guilty toward her, but love is something uncontrollable. Anthony, I can’t accept you marrying her, even if it’s just to make amends."

What Indya said was touching.

If it had been the old Anthony, he would’ve been deeply moved.

Almost the very next second after hearing her words, Anthony’s expression turned cold.

"What did you say?"

His hands clamped tightly around Indya’s neck, and his eyes turned bloodshot.

"The corneas were already given to you—why did you have to tell Nina! Do you have any idea how much that would hurt her!"

So, Anthony had known everything all along, and still chose to hurt me without hesitation.

A flash of disbelief crossed Indya’s eyes, and then she burst into a mocking laugh.

"I know. But Anthony, weren’t Nina’s corneas offered up by your own hands? Now you want to play Mr. Nice Guy?"

Anthony’s expression became extremely unpleasant as he stared hard at Indya.

The two of them, who had been so affectionate just yesterday, now looked like enemies.

"If anything happens to Nina, I won’t let you off."

With those harsh words, Anthony ordered someone to keep watch over Indya and walked straight out of the villa.

He began calling me nonstop.

But all he got in return was the cold, repeating tone of an unanswered call.

He drove to my workplace and called each of my close friends one by one, but none of them knew where I was.

The unease in Anthony’s heart grew stronger and stronger.

A scheduled email sitting in his inbox finally crushed him completely.

It was a divorce agreement I had prepared before leaving, and my signature was clearly written on it.

Anthony sat in his car, reading the email over and over.

Aside from the cold legal terms, I hadn’t left him a single word—not even a curse.

"No... no, this can’t be. Nina loves me so much—she wouldn’t leave me. We’re about to get married. Our life is just beginning. She promised me she would be with me for many years."

He collapsed completely, and cried uncontrollably.

The cars behind him honked, urging him to move.

But Anthony was drowning in his sorrow, unable to recover.