Sam and I have been married for ten years.

He always said he would give me the wedding of my dreams. However, three days before the ceremony, my eyes, which had been blind for the past six months after saving Sam’s life, miraculously regained vision.

The first thing I saw when I opened them was Sam tangled in bed with his pretty secretary, Alisa.

The bed was still shaking while Alisa typed on her phone. She showed it to him, smirking. [Sam, we're out of condoms. Why not ask your blind wife to grab one for us?]

Sam’s veins bulged at his temple. His eyes darted toward me in panic.

Alisa, however, scoffed and typed again. [What are you so scared of? Your wife’s blind. What’s she gonna see?]

Sam sighed in resignation. “Hazel, can you pass me the box of cigarettes from the nightstand?”

That cigarette box he mentioned was clearly labeled: Durex Ultra-Thin—Bare Feel.

My heart shattered, and I booked a flight to Rockbridge before the wedding.

When Sam came running after me, hysterical, I said coldly to him, “Sam. I can see.”

I’d been secretly pouring out the glass of milk Sam Kirk gave me every night. Each time I drank it, my head would get dizzy.

At midnight, the sound of the bedroom door creaking open jolted me awake. I opened my eyes, shocked to find that I could see again.

Six months ago, I’d gone blind in an accident while trying to save Sam, but now my vision had miraculously returned.

Tears welled up in my eyes. I turned, wanting to share this unbelievable moment with Sam when I saw her.

His personal assistant, Alisa Morton, was crawling into our bed, wearing lingerie that left very little to the imagination.

I recognized her from before I lost my sight. She had just graduated from college, and in a way, she even resembled me.

However, she was younger and prettier, and the lipstick stains she left on Sam’s collar were always bolder than mine.

Back then, I told Sam, “Either she goes, or I do.”

He didn't hesitate to let her go. I never expected she’d end up in our home instead.

Sam pulled her into his arms like it was second nature. In return, she used her toes to tease him. “Look closely. Who do you really want?”

“Alisa, stop it.” Sam glanced nervously at me as I lay there “asleep”.

She pouted, unsatisfied with his answer. “What’s the big deal? Didn’t you drug your wife’s milk? We’ve done this before. Doesn’t it make it even more exciting doing it while she’s right there?”

Sam didn’t respond. His breath grew heavy as he tore apart her white stockings.

As their bodies tangled, Alisa gasped, “Sam, I’ve been with you for a year now. When are you going to leave your wife?”

He paused.

His voice turned soft, even tender, saying, “Alisa, I can give you anything except marriage. Hazel’s been with me since she was eighteen. When I had nothing, and we lived in a run-down apartment that barely fit a bed and was crawling with roaches, she stayed. She was in that car crash because of me. I can’t betray her.”

Alisa bit down on his neck, her voice teasing. “You love your wife that much? Tell me, then. So, what if one day she finds out the truth and decides to leave you?”

Sam didn’t even flinch. “She won’t. As long as you behave, she’ll never know. She’s blind. Even if she found out, she wouldn’t leave me. My wife has a soft heart. If I beg her, she’ll forgive me.”

I felt hollow. His words hit me like a punch to the stomach.

I still remember waking up in the ICU after the accident.

The doctor informed me then that I could never be a mother. Waking up with my world pitch black, I had asked Sam, terrified, “Why won’t you turn the lights on?”

That day, Sam held me and cried like a child.

We came from a small, conservative town in the Midwest where traditions mattered.

When Sam’s mother, Mary Wendoll, found out, she tried so hard to convince him to divorce me.

Sam had always been a devoted son, but that was the first time he ever argued with his mom.

Mary even got on her knees, begging. “Hazel can’t give you children, and she’s blind now, too. We can’t let the Kirks end like this. If you won’t divorce her, at least find another woman to have a baby with. I’m begging you.”

But Sam stayed firm. “Mom, just give it up. I’ll never touch another woman in this life. And Alisa isn’t blind. From now on, I’ll be her eyes!”

Sam and I had known each other for thirty-eight years, dating for twenty and married for ten.

Mary used to treat me so kindly, like I was her own daughter. However, that was the day I learned no matter how good a daughter-in-law is, it would never be the same.

Still, I didn’t mind. I had Sam, who loved me.

He once swore I’d be the only woman he would ever touch.

He said he'd be my eyes for the rest of our lives.

Now, here I was, with my vision returned, and he was in bed with another woman.

Maybe he didn’t love me anymore.

I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek to stop myself from sobbing. However, the tears wouldn’t listen. They poured down my face, soaking into the pillow.

“Sam, let’s get a divorce.” I choked out, the words slipping out of me before I could stop them.

The room, filled with moaning and heavy breathing, went dead silent. Both of them turned to stare at me, eyes wide in shock.

…

Sam didn’t dare breathe.

He clamped a hand over Alisa’s cherry-red lips and then cautiously waved it in front of my face with his free hand.

Only when I didn’t react did he sigh a breath of relief. He reached out to stroke my cheek gently, coaxing me as he always did.

“Babe, are you having a nightmare? Don’t talk nonsense. I’d never divorce you, silly girl. I love you... I love you so much.”

I noticed his voice changed slightly on the word “love”. His eyes lingered on Alisa, clouded with desire, though I didn’t know if his declaration was meant for me or her.

His hand, still resting on my cheek, trembled slightly.

My eyes burned. I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms, forcing myself not to cry again.

I didn’t call him out. Instead, I asked, “Sam, what are you doing?”

“Babe, I-I was just watching a movie. Sorry if I woke you up…” He stammered, trying to explain his way out.

That excuse again.

He’d used it so many times—in the bathroom, the kitchen, the study, and the pool. I’d even heard it in the nursery we once decorated while dreaming about a future with children.

Back then, I thought he was just being cheeky, teasing me. Now I know how foolish and naïve I was.

The unfamiliar scent of a woman’s perfume should’ve clued me in. They'd been using this excuse to play out their little affair right under my nose, knowing I couldn’t see.

Alisa, clearly annoyed that Sam’s attention wasn’t on her, grabbed her phone and typed out a message for him to see:

[Sam, we’re out of condoms. Why don’t you ask your wife to grab them? Otherwise, as the star of this movie, I might just moan out loud!]

The bedframe gave a small tremble as she smirked and pressed her lips together.

Sam’s veins bulged at his temple. His eyes darted toward me in panic.

Alisa, however, scoffed and typed again.

[What are you so scared of? Your wife’s blind. What’s she gonna see?]

His breath hitched. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he struggled to keep calm.

Then, like a man who’d just given up, he let out a deep sigh. “Babe, can you hand me the box of cigarettes on the nightstand?”

That cigarette box he mentioned was clearly labeled: Durex Ultra-Thin—Bare Feel.

It turned out Sam wanted me to hand him condoms for him and another woman.

I froze in disbelief.

Just like that, a memory hit me.

I remembered a time I’d made a scene, crying and pleading for him to quit smoking. He’d held me tight and promised again and again that he would.

And he really had.

Now, it was clear that a lot of time had passed since then. So much time that this 38-year-old version of Sam didn’t feel like the man I married anymore. He was a stranger.

My nose stung. Still, I let out a miserable smile and reached for the condom box.

Without my usual fumbling, I handed it to him without missing a beat. I played dumb, kept my voice low and raspy. “Sam, smoking late at night isn’t good for your health.”

I didn’t grope around like a blind woman would. Also, when I spoke, I called him by his full name, something I hadn’t done in years.

However, he didn’t notice. His attention was still on Alisa.

“Babe, I’m just having a craving. It’s only one cigarette. I’ll go smoke in the bathroom and take a shower too. You get some rest.”

With that, he hoisted an impatient Alisa into his arms. She clung to his shoulders, a smug smile on her face as he carried her into the bathroom.

The sound of the shower echoed through the room, mocking me.

Sam always said I had a soft heart. I’d always forgive him as long as he begged.

This time, though, he was wrong.

When he was eighteen, clumsy and immature, I could forgive anything he did.

It would not be the same for the man Sam had become at thirty-eight, especially not after witnessing his betrayal with my own eyes.

I picked up my phone and called my parents.

“Mom, Dad. My eyesight’s back. I’ve made my decision. I want to go back to Northbridge, but I need a favor first. I want a divorce. The sooner, the better.”

I was kidnapped when I was a child.

After my adoptive parents passed away, my biological parents finally found me. They said they wanted to bring me home and restore my place in the family.

My biological parents were also the ones who spared no expense finding the best doctors to treat my eyes.

I hadn’t even had the chance to tell Sam about any of this yet.

On the phone, my mom sounded so emotional. “Hazel, you can see again? That’s amazing! Thank God!”

My dad was practically tripping over his own words. “If you’re willing to come home, your mom and I will be so happy. And don’t worry, I’ll find you the best divorce lawyer out there!

“We’ll be there in three days to bring you back to Northbridge.”

…

Coincidentally, the day I was supposed to leave happened to be the day Sam and I were finally going to have our long-awaited wedding ceremony.

When we first got married, we were broke. We couldn’t even afford a cheap zirconia ring, let alone a wedding dress or professional photos.

I still remember the day we registered our marriage.

Sam picked some roadside wildflowers, got down on one knee, and said, “Hazel, marrying me now probably feels like settling. But one day, when we’re doing better, I promise I’ll give you the wedding you deserve, one that’ll make everyone jealous.”

As the years passed, life got better and Sam became busier.

He went from Sam to Mr. Kirk, and his promise was pushed back.

It wasn’t until six months ago, when I lost my sight, that he finally wanted to throw that wedding. He said it might lift my spirits and bring me some hope.

Thinking back now, it all felt like one big, cruel joke.

At 1 a.m., the water finally stopped running in the bathroom.

I snapped back to the present just as Sam carried the secretary out in his arms. Then he gently laid her down on the bed before climbing right between us.

He turned to face me, reaching out like he wanted to hold me close. However, the moment he got near, I caught a whiff of her perfume on him.

It was sickening.

Bile rose in my throat. I swallowed it back and rolled away, curling up on the edge of the bed.

His hand froze midair.

No matter how hot it was in the summer, I used to cling to him when we slept. So, my sudden distance made him uneasy.

His voice trembled slightly as he tried to ease the tension. “Babe, maybe we should get some rest? When we wake up around noon, we can head over for the photoshoot. You’ll look so beautiful in your wedding dress.”

I hesitated for a moment. Since we’d already scheduled everything for the shoot, I answered flatly, “Okay.”

I used to think that if I ever caught Sam cheating on me, I’d totally lose it and make a public scene.

Now that the moment was actually here, I didn’t even want to make a fuss.

We’ve been together for twenty years. I don’t want our divorce to end in chaos.

…

The next day, noon.

At the wedding photography studio, the stylist helped me with makeup and accessories while I stood in front of the full-length mirror in a flowing white wedding dress.

“Miss Connor, this dress was made for you! Do you like it?” the manager asked, beaming.

Before I could respond, Sam came over with my cane, reaching out to wrap an arm around my waist.

I kept up the act of being blind and smoothly avoided his touch.

His hand awkwardly dropped back to his side, and he tried to cover his guilt with a gentle smile.

“You look amazing, babe. When your eyesight comes back someday, you’ll see how beautiful you look.”

The manager flinched at that, clearly realizing something she hadn’t before. “I’m so sorry, Miss Connor. I didn’t know you were blind.”

“It’s fine,” I cut in. “We’ll go with this one. Let’s start shooting.”

Just as we were getting ready to pose for our first shot, Alisa stormed in, waving a pregnancy test in her hand.

“Sam, what do we do? I’m pregnant! We just did it last night. Do you think it’s bad for the baby? Can you come with me to the hospital?”

At Alisa’s pouting, Sam’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Then, without thinking, he cradled the back of her head and kissed her.

They stood there, locked in a passionate kiss before me.

…

I had thought I was fully prepared to leave, and nothing he did could hurt me anymore. For some reason, watching him kiss her like that still pierced right through my heart.

“Sam, what’s going on? I thought I heard something weird,” I asked, voice trembling ever so slightly.

Startled, Sam quickly came back to his senses and pulled away from her lips.

He turned to me and explained, “It’s nothing, babe. Just another couple.”