Chapter 1

After saving Adrian from the fire, I simultaneously lost my sight and my chance to study abroad.

The usually dignified and composed man lost his composure, holding me in his arms, his scalding tears burning my skin.

[Aria, don't be afraid. We'll get married. From now on, I'll be your eyes.]

I was deeply moved, and after our marriage, he treated me just as he had in the beginning.

Until the day I regained my sight and excitedly returned home, only to overhear him talking with a friend in the study:

[Felicity is coming back after finishing her studies. Are you going to divorce Aria?]

[Of course. If it wasn't for wanting her to give up her spot to study abroad, I wouldn't have orchestrated that big fire to make her blind, and then marry her.]

————————

At the hospital for an eye checkup, Adrian's interview was playing on the big screen in the waiting room.

The man who dominated the business world choked up when mentioning me.

"Aria lost her sight in the fire trying to save me, and even had to give up her chance to study abroad. I'll spend the rest of my life fulfilling my promise - I'll protect her forever."

"Seeing Aria, who could have continued to shine in her field, now struggling with daily life, it tears my heart apart."

A girl waiting for her checkup next to me exclaimed admiringly:

"Mr. Channing is the epitome of loving his darling. After so many years of marriage, they're still as in love as ever. It feels like he'd give his life for Mrs. Channing..."

Love?

My breath caught, and I crumpled the test form in my hand.

If I hadn't accidentally overheard his conversation with a friend, I might have really believed he loved me desperately.

That day when I woke up, I surprisingly found that my vision was no longer darkness.

I excitedly ran over, but caught sight of Adrian with an inscrutable expression through the crack in the study door.He murmured in a low voice:

"The only person I love is Felicity. I'll spend my whole life protecting her. Now that she's back in the country, I might still have a chance..."

Dashiell was somewhat surprised, struggling to squeeze out words.

"What about Aria? She became like this to save you. If you divorce her, aren't you afraid she'll uncover the truth about the fire years ago, and how you arranged for Felicity to take her place abroad?"

I saw Adrian freeze for a moment, my heart trembling with each movement of his lips.

"I can't worry about that now. I want to be with Felicity. I can't wait another second."

He mercilessly pronounced my death sentence.

Suddenly, a strange, sharp pain pierced my chest, like a blade etching into my heart, deep and heavy, splattering blood drops along the way.

My wrist trembled as I withdrew my hand from the doorknob.

I don't remember how I got back to my room, only vaguely recalling the ache in my heart from that day.

I thought back to the big fire at Adrian's mansion a few years ago, how I rushed in without hesitation, using my last ounce of strength to carry him out on my shoulders.

When I woke up again, everything before me was pitch black.I was terrified, confused, and lost when Adrian proposed to me, promising to take care of me for life.

What I thought was a perfect love story turned out to be nothing but his scheme all along.

No wonder Adrian's tone was a bit stiff when I was worried about the acceptance letter I had just received. He said he had already declined it for me, saying he wanted me to stay by his side.

At that time, he had already arranged for Felicity to take my place in school, secretly changing the name on the offer.

To ensure I had no chance to change my mind, Adrian arranged for me to move in with him the very next day.

Everything was simple; we had no wedding ceremony. Getting the marriage license was considered enough to be married.

Three years of marriage wrapped in honey, I suddenly woke up to find it was all poison inside.

Returning home from the hospital, Adrian immediately came to greet me, the concern in his eyes genuine.

"Why did you go to the hospital alone today? What if you had gotten hurt... How was the follow-up?"

I handed him the forged medical report.

"The doctor said I should continue taking the medication. The condition hasn't improved yet."

I saw him breathe a sigh of relief, then gently stroke my hair.

"Don't worry, Aria. Even if your eyes never get better, you'll always have me."After he finished speaking, he helped me back to my room, tucked me in, and handed me a glass of warm water.

"Take your medicine, Aria."

I stared at him with unfocused eyes, hoping for a glimmer of a chance to turn things around.

The moment I opened my mouth, the dull ache in my heart transformed into a sharp knife twisting inside me.

"Adrian, I don't think this medicine is working. Could you get me something different?"

He spoke to me as if soothing a child:

"Come on, sweetie. You need to take your medicine to get better quickly."

My breath caught, and I felt an almost tangible pain.

Knowing it was futile to argue, I swallowed the pills with tears in my eyes.

After he went to the kitchen to make me some soup, I took a deep breath and used the key hidden under my pillow to open the bottom drawer.

It was filled with scattered white pills.

If I hadn't gone for a check-up myself today, I wouldn't have known that Adrian had been secretly switching my medication.

He never intended for me to regain my sight, even as he was preparing to abandon me.

I had to admit, Adrian never had even a shred of genuine feeling for me from the very beginning.

I dialed my lawyer's number:

"Please draft a divorce agreement for me."