At that very second, it felt like my soul had been ripped out from my body. I collapsed onto the couch, utterly drained.

Still, I forced myself to ask with feigned concern, "How come you get a cold? Is it serious?"

When I spoke, my voice trembled and I felt so lonely. Sadly, Laura did not notice anything.

"No, it’s nothing," Laura replied casually. "I’ll just take some medicine and sleep it off."

Meanwhile, Jock kept fondling her body and Laura could not help but pout and shoot a reproachful glance at him.

With her eyes, she signaled him to stop. Yet, Jock scooped her up in his arms and took her to the guest room.

When they were out of sight, I reached into my pocket, pulled out my phone and discreetly took a few pictures of their affair.

Jock turned his head around to look at me, smirked at me and silently mouthed, "Blind."

For a split second, I nearly lost control. I almost rushed over and beat him up but I managed to hold back.

When they left, my nose turned sour and my eyes burned. Even though I had resolved to leave her, to put her behind me, the pain still cut deep.

Laura had once promised never to lie to me and never to betray me. Yet she did not keep her promise.

I took a deep breath and dialed my master’s number. I told him. "Master, this is Jerome. I'm ready to join you at the base."

"Are you certain?" my master asked. "Once you enter the base, you won’t be able to leave for years. You’ll be cut off from the outside world. Are you really prepared to leave Laura behind?"

"I’m certain," I replied without hesitation.

There was a long pause at the other end before he finally asked, "Does she know your decision?"

In the past, I kept stalling because I could not bear to part with Laura. However, it was she who made this choice for me.

I gave a quick glance at the guest room. Its door was tightly shut but I could still hear the continuous lewd sound of man and woman coupling.

I had wasted so many years wallowing in self-pity even though I had so many talents. Now, I have made a decision to move forward, took this responsibility and helped my master to solve problems.

"My decision doesn’t require her consent," I added.

"Good," he said, his tone filled with approval. "That’s the student I’m proud of! Don't disappoint me."

After exchanging a few more words, I hung up the phone. Just as I stepped back into the living room, Laura emerged from the guest room wearing Jock’s pajamas. Her neck and body were littered with hickeys, some were fresh and others started to fade. It was clear the affair had been going on for a long time. She did not care I would see them after all I was a blind man so I could not see them.

"Hubby," she said coyly. "Are you forgetting something? You forgot to kiss me goodnight."

Laura then pursed her lips.

In a flash, the sense of nausea l had never felt before surged within me and I puked.

Seeing this, Laura panicked and came near me. When she was near, I rejected her harshly because for me she was so filthy.

The nausea overwhelmed me, so I shoved her away. Still pretending to be blind, I groped my way toward the bathroom. It seemed I had started to resent Laura's touch.

Inside, I gripped the sink as my stomach twisted again, bile rising in my throat. Yet my heart was so bitter.

As I looked in the mirror, I felt I was so ridiculous and shameful. Back then, Laura had knelt in front of my master and vowed she would cherish me for the rest of her life. Her sincerity had convinced him to let me marry her. I didn't expect that in the end, it would be such a waste.

Disheartened, I hung my head and the things I did not notice before became clear. There was an extra towel in the hook. There were slippers that were not in my size on the floor. There is even a toothbrush and a cup.

It dawned on me. Is it possible Jock has been living here, under my nose, just because I'm blind?

It wasn't surprising, that in the middle of the night Laura kept vanishing from our room and I could not find her.

It seemed she stayed with me in the evening, then she stayed with Jock in the second half of the night. She was shamelessly flirting between the two of us.

Ever since I lost my sight, Laura and I had not had sex for half a year. She always used my blindness as an excuse not to be close to me. It turned out that she despised me for no longer being able to fulfill her idea of happiness.

Laura chased after me and wrapped her hand around me from behind. She looked panicky at me. "What's wrong with you? Jerome, are you okay?" she asked.

"When you pushed me early, I became panicked," she added.

Her two hands on my waist were shaking slightly, as if she was afraid I would disappear at any moment and she couldn't help but hold on tighter.

However, the more she acted like this, the more disgust in my heart became even stronger. After all, she had just had intercourse with Jock and the next second, she was being affectionate with me.

Laura is very good at acting, I pried open her hand, pulled away from her and kept a distance from her.

Then I said calmly, "Perhaps, I have a bad stomach. Lately, it become harder to keep anything down after I eat."

I did not know when I started to be so good at lying. This was so ironic, I used to hate that kind of people but, here I was, doing the very thing that I hated the most.

When she heard this, she felt she was facing her greatest enemy.

I’m so sorry,” she said guiltily. "I’ve been so caught up with work lately. I shouldn’t have left you eating alone and taking care of your needs by yourself so often.”

She cradled my face in her hands and furrowed her brow in sadness as she led me back to my room and took out new clothes for me to change into. When she tried to help me, I stopped her hand and put the clothes on myself.

My action left Laura frozen. This was the first time since our marriage that I did not want her help and this made her flustered.

She then lowered her head and tried to kiss my lips. "We haven't done the deed for a long time. Jerome, let's do it now," she whispered and in the next second, she pressed her body against mine.

Once again, I pushed her back. This woman was too dirty and I refused to be with her anymore.

Laura panicked. It was the second time, I pushed her away. She became worried I did not love her anymore.

I was already lying down on the bed, so Laura took the blanket and draped it gently over me.

“Are you mad at me?” she asked softly. "Are you blaming me for not having time to be with you?”

She continued, "How about this? I promise I’ll spend tomorrow with you. There is no work at all."

This woman, who was known as the ruthless queen and feared in the business world, could reduce herself to this pitiful state for me. I sneered because I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the absurdity.

Before I could reject her, her phone buzzed.

She hurriedly pressed mute because she did not dare to answer it. She then sat next to me and read the message that Jock sent her through WhatsApp.

[You little wildcat, you tore my underwear. Now, get me a new one immediately.]

Another message followed almost immediately. [Wait, it seems I don't have any more left here.]

Laura texted back. [Do you mind wearing Jerome's?]

Jock immediately replied. [Fuck, no! I can sleep with his woman but for the rest ….? Don't push it!]

[Fine. I’ll come by now.]

Laura glanced down toward me. She then stroked my face tenderly, got up and walked away.

I clutched the sheets and my tears broke through my defenses at this moment.

Back then, when Jock's company went bankrupt it was I who wanted Laura to help him. At that time, Laura hated him so much and told me to stay away from him.

In the end, Laura helped him for my sake. Yet now, here he was, repaying my kindness by stabbing me in the back when I was blind by screwing my wife. He was really an ungrateful person.

In an attempt to cheer myself up, I told myself that I would be alright because in seven days I would leave this place and never had anything to do with Laura anymore.

The next day, because Laura figured that I was still upset, she went out of her way to appease me. After breakfast, she forces me to go out.

She rented an entire bar and asked a lot of friends to come. Allegedly, she told them that she wanted to cheer me up.

Throughout the journey there, Laura never let go of my hand and gripped it tightly as if afraid I might stumble. She was recounting and on about the sweet memories we once shared.

I didn’t say a word. The bitterness and pain intertwined relentlessly within me.

I once believed I would grow old with her and never separate from her, only to discover it was all a cruel joke.

Laura believed that being a blind man there was no way I could satisfy her need. She craved excitement and a younger man so because I was over thirty years old, she moved her affection to Jock, who was four years younger than me.

The vow that she said on our wedding day had long forgotten.

However, the gaze that her friend threw at me was full of malice and disdain. I became even more heartbroken when I saw the banner that was hanging there.

It said "Happy Birthday, My Dear Jock!"

I pried her fingers off mine, one by one, with all the dignity I could muster. How ironic. Laura had promised the night was just for me, a gesture to cheer me up. However, it had all been a lie.

Her best friend openly showed her contempt and said, "What is your problem, Jerome? You’re just a blind man! Is there anything you can brag about? How dare you take your hand away from her."

Laura shot her a warning look to silence her. She picked up a glass of fruit tea from the coffee table and held it out to me.

“Come on, darling, smile for me,” she cooed. “It’s such a shame you can’t see. If you do, you'll recognize it as the place I proposed to you. Back then, I was madly in love with you.”

Her words dripped with nostalgia as she placed my hand against her cheek as her eyes turned red.

I knew she loved me in the past but now she shared that love with Jock.

Suddenly, the door burst open and Jock walked in. Seeing him, Laura, who just showed her love to me, looked at him with stars in her eyes.

He was wearing my tailored made suit. The same one that I wore on my and Laura's wedding day. He had stolen it himself, just as he had stolen everything else from me.

Seeing him come, Laura's friends rushed over, surrounded him and greeted him. They acted as if he was Laura's real husband. As for me? They treated me as an outsider. Luckily, I knew that and I also did not care.

Laura released my hand without a second thought and walked toward Jock. She had forgotten about my existence.

They both sat down. Laura perched herself on his lap while talking and laughing together.

Laura's friend teased her because she was afraid that I would understand their banter, she spoke in German with them.

"Please, don't say it in English. Otherwise, Jerome will know."

“Don’t worry! We all get it,” one of them replied.

Jock silenced her with a kiss, drawing gasps and cheers from the group. When they glanced at me, their eyes were filled with mock pity.

"This blind man, Jerome, is so pathetic. His wife and best friend are flaunting their love right in front of him and he’s clueless about it."

“Laura, aren’t you afraid he’ll catch on?” another friend asked. “You even brought Jock home! It’s such a thrill thing to do, but what if he finds out?”

Laura's lips were swollen from Jock’s kiss. “He won’t. I spend my days with him, my nights with Jock. I’ve got it all worked out.”

Her smug words immediately sent the group into fits of laughter.

"Laura is really brilliant."

At that very moment, the cup in my hand slipped and shattered on the floor. The sound attracted their attention. This made Laura so scared that she jumped down from Jock's arms and rushed toward me.

She asked in alarm, "Hubby, what's wrong? You don't look good. Are you having a cold?"

I stared at her coldly. She had no idea I had learned multiple languages just to integrate myself into her world, so I comprehended all the words they said.

Feeling discomfort, I excused myself from the bar.

Laura, reluctant to leave Jock’s side, called the nanny to come and escort me home.

When I stepped out of the bar, I dismissed the nanny, took a taxi and rushed to the Civil Administration Office to erase my identity.

The administrator kept urging me to think about this matter more carefully. After all, once my identity was erased, from that moment, Jerome Atkins was gone from the world.

I insisted firmly, "I'm sure."

An hour later, I left after my ID number was erased. Immediately, the stone that had been weighing me down for a long time was taken away and was immensely comfortable.