I was blind.
For three years, I never knew the boyfriend by my side was my worst enemy.
But now, my sight is back.
During my three unexpected years in darkness, I spent countless nights trying to picture the face of the man I loved.
Now I know. He looks exactly like Blake, the guy who hated my guts.
Blake, Serena, and I used to be best friends.
That day, Serena asked me for a birthday gift idea for Blake. I suggested the trendy sneakers all the guys were raving about.
Serena went to buy them.
But as she stepped out of the store, box in hand, a car veered out of control and slammed into her.
At the hospital, Blake’s fingers dug into my throat, his eyes blazing red as he slammed me against the operating room door.
He roared, “Why did you tell Serena to buy those shoes? If it wasn’t for you, she wouldn’t have been hurt!”
“You owe her your life!”
Later, Serena went abroad for treatment.
I never saw Blake again.
All I knew was that at his command, I was forced to drop out of school.
Blake’s enraged face was burned into my memory.
And today, I looked up, only to meet his smiling, warm gaze.
Blake set dishes on the table and called out, “Cassidy, what are you thinking about? Dinner’s ready.”
I stood up, startled.
My knee accidentally bumped the padded coffee table.
Blake gasped, rushing toward me, his face filled with worry.
“Why are you in such a hurry? What if you hurt yourself? Why didn’t you wait for me to help you?”
His gentle voice and the hoarse roar that had demanded I die were like two completely different people.
His warmth spread through my hand, but it felt scalding, making me snatch my hand back.
Seven years ago, Blake had forced me to my knees in front of that operating room, demanding an apology from me to Serena.
He’d slapped me, hard, three times, telling me to never appear before him and Serena again.
Why was he now here, telling me he was Ash, telling me he loved me?
Was it to play a trick on me, to deceive me, or just to see my pathetic blind state with his own eyes?
I couldn’t figure it out.
I just managed a stiff smile. “I forgot.”
After dinner, Blake put his arm around me on the sofa.
Taking advantage of my blindness, he openly chatted with his friend.
“Blake, come out and hang! What’s so fun about taking care of a blind girl?”
“You don’t get it,” Blake chuckled softly, “Watching her stumble around…”
Blake smiled slightly. “It’s pretty fun.”
My heart, which had been in my throat, dropped like a stone.
My eyes felt dry and painful, making me close them involuntarily.
“What’s wrong?”
Ash’s-no, Blake’s-anxious voice filled my ears.
“Are your eyes bothering you again?”
As usual, he reached out to touch my eyes.
But this time, I flinched back, dodging his hand.
Blake withdrew his hand from mid-air, his eyes turning dark.
A moment later, he typed on his phone. “Lucas, you’re right. Blind girls are pretty boring.”
“I’ll be there in half an hour.”
Then, Blake squatted in front of me, taking my hand and guiding it to trace his face.
“Company dinner came up unexpectedly, I have to go. You be a good girl and go to sleep, don’t wait up for me.”
I looked at my hand on his face, not resisting.
This was our ritual.
Every time Blake went out, he’d take my hand and make me trace his features.
He said it was so I’d remember his face, so I wouldn’t mistake him for another boyfriend.
But as happy as it was then, it was just as ridiculous now.
I pulled my hand away. “Go on, don’t be late.”
Late that night, Blake returned, smelling of alcohol. He held me tightly, murmuring softly.
I leaned closer, just catching the name he whispered. Serena.”
My blood ran cold.
How much longer would Blake play this game of being my loving boyfriend?
I didn’t want to play anymore.
The next morning, I picked up my phone and calmly said, “Ash, can you find Blake’s contact information for me, please?”
My words wiped the expression from Blake’s face.
“Why?” he cut in, his voice strained, “Why would you need to contact Blake?”
“I have something…”
Before I could finish, Blake waved his hand in front of my eyes.
Seeing my usual vacant stare, he let out a sigh of relief.
His tone lightened. “I won’t help you with that. Your boyfriend’s right here, and you’re thinking about another guy? I might get jealous.”
Even knowing it was all his sweet talk, my nose still stung.
I forced myself to keep pushing. “I want to get Serena’s contact info from him. I want to apologize to her in person.”
Only when Serena was mentioned would Blake back down.
He took my phone, quickly adding his own social media account.
His voice held poorly concealed delight. “Cassidy, you’ve finally come around to apologizing to Serena.”
“Now that you can’t see, you understand how hard things were for Serena back then, don’t you…”
Seeing Blake practically glowing with happiness, a bitter feeling twisted in my gut.
I couldn’t help but interrupt him. “Ash, why are you so happy?”
Blake froze, his eyes narrowing slightly as he calmed himself.
He gave a perfunctory explanation. “Well, Serena was hurt because of you. You owe her.”
I owe her?
Three years ago, I received a hate letter.
It cursed me, “Cassidy, you caused Serena’s car accident, you deserve to die, you deserve to suffer all of this instead!”
Holding that letter, I felt so wronged.
I’d warned Serena not to rush.
But she was worried Blake’s favorite hero character merchandise would sell out, so she dragged me along right after class.
Yet everyone blamed me.
Serena’s family resented me for hurting their precious daughter, and my family scolded me for offending Serena’s family.
Blake forced me to stand at the accident site, clutching those blood-stained sneakers, repeating over and over, “The one who should have been hit by the car was Cassidy.”
That day, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I poured out everything to Ash.
With tears in my eyes, I asked Ash, “Was it really my fault?”
I only heard his low voice, filled with accusation, “Of course. Did you apologize to Serena?”
Looking back, I should have known something was wrong then.
Blake was still babbling.
“Just stop talking, okay?!” I shot to my feet, unable to listen anymore.
But I tripped on a lifted rug, falling forward, my forehead slamming against the coffee table.
Three years of dependence made me instinctively glance back.
I saw Blake frozen, not moving an inch, a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes.
As blood trickled from my forehead, he mouthed silently:
“Karma.”
We lay in bed, still silent.
Blake leaned against the headboard, his gaze on me.
His expression was utterly flat.
And sometimes, that blankness hurts more than any anger.
I couldn’t help but probe again:
“Ash, are you really Ash?”
The air thickened with silence.
Blake froze, scrutinizing me with suspicion.
Finding nothing amiss, he slowly said, “Cassidy, what are you talking about? Of course I’m Ash.”
“Your Ash, who loves you more than anything.”
I looked him straight in the eyes, serious.
“If I ever find out you’re lying to me, I won’t forgive you.”
A flicker of unnatural light crossed Blake’s eyes, then he gave a confident smile. “Alright, why would I ever lie to you?”
“Don’t worry, that day will never come.”
He said, then rolled over me, his lips finding my forehead, then moving slowly down.
I closed my eyes.
A single tear slipped onto the pillow.
In Blake’s eyes, searching for a response, I offered a faint smile. “I love you, Ash.”
But I only loved Ash.
The next day, Blake disappeared.
Later, I saw a post on Ins that Serena was back in the country.
In a grid of nine photos, Blake was pushing her luggage, looking over at her with a gentle, adoring smile.
That evening, Blake came back with the new pastries from ‘The Sweet Spot,’ apologizing, “Cassidy, I was so busy today, I didn’t get to call you.”
As he spoke, he reached out to cup my face. “I’m sorry…”
I took a step back, cutting him off. “Ash, Serena’s back in town. She invited me to a party. Should I go?”
“If Serena wants you to go, then of course you should go.”
Blake didn’t hesitate.
I stared at him, a bitter feeling twisting in my gut, unable to hide my hurt. “But I don’t want to.”
After Serena’s injury, I became an outcast among all our mutual friends.
To get back at me, they forced me to apologize, pressured teachers to revoke my scholarship.
They even scrawled the word ‘killer’ in blood on my desk.
I didn’t want to go.
But Blake’s face hardened.
“Will you come with me, please?” I tugged on his sleeve, testing him.
Blake, who used to hover over me, afraid I’d trip on a pebble, snatched his hand back.
His eyes were dark. “Go by yourself.”
I wasn’t ready to give up. “But…”
“Tsk.”
Blake suddenly frowned, annoyed. “Why do I have to go with you? Are you really that helpless without me? Do you think Serena would actually harm a blind girl?”
My heart plummeted, shattering into a thousand pieces.
A deafening hum filled my ears, making me gasp for breath.
I suddenly remembered something from before.
People on the street used to whisper about me.
“Look, she’s blind.”
“Who cares how pretty she is, she’s still blind.”
Blake hated that word more than I did.
He’d always clench his fists, his voice filled with barely suppressed fury. “What the hell did you just say?!”
“She’s not blind! I am her eyes!”
“If I ever hear those words again, I’ll kill you!”
But Blake probably never imagined.
That one day, he would say those very words to my face.
I stared at Blake, tears streaming down my face, no longer able to control them.
Blake realized his mistake.
His eyes darted around in panic, trying to backtrack. “Cassidy, I mean… you, you’re so sweet, Serena wouldn’t dare hurt you.”
I wiped away my tears.
I had to admit – the three years I thought were so happy, were nothing but a joke.
Blake pulled me into his arms, his thumb brushing beneath my eyes, his voice gentle. “There, there, sweetheart, don’t cry and hurt your eyes more.”
A warm touch fell on my eyelids.
But my heart felt like a broken window, letting all the warmth drain away.
Time passed both quickly and slowly.
It was only on the day of the party that I understood why Blake didn’t want to come with me.
His fake identity as Ash? He wanted to shed it even more than I did.
Blake, with his arm around Serena’s waist, finally strolled in, fashionably late.
Like air, I was ignored by everyone. All I heard was them teasing and cheering for the two of them.
It wasn’t until dinner began that Serena suddenly called my name.
“Cassidy, why aren’t you getting any food?” she asked, too innocently.
Her hand, however, brushed against my white cane.
The metal cane clanged against the marble floor, a sharp, piercing sound.
The private room went silent for a second.
The next moment, the room erupted in laughter.
My former class president’s voice was mocking. “Serena, you don’t know? Our genius student Cassidy is blind now.”
“Yeah, yeah, she caused your accident, so now she’s getting her karma!”
Facing everyone’s accusations, I said nothing.
I just pretended to grope the floor, picking up my cane.
Perhaps finding me a buzzkill, the class president suddenly snorted.
“I wonder which hero was playing vigilante justice. I heard someone knocked Cassidy out cold with a stick and left her blind.”
Someone slapped their thigh, laughing, “Maybe it was someone secretly crushing on Serena, standing up for her!”
“Right, it must have been someone avenging Serena!”
“Enough!” Blake slammed his forks down.
He slowly twisted the ring on his index finger. His voice was quiet, but it cut through the noise. “If you’re not eating, get out.”
Serena’s curled eyebrows straightened, the smile vanishing from her lips.
Everyone thought Blake was standing up for me.
But only I saw through the act. The way he kept twisting his ring was his sign of guilt.
A piece of my favorite ribs landed in my bowl.
Blakes hand clamped around mine, guiding the meat to my lips.
Yet the succulent pork turned into a dry, painful lump in my throat, refusing to go down.
When no one was looking, I sent a message to the private investigator.
“Please re-investigate the truth behind my injury three years ago.”
“Focus your investigation on Blake.”
Out of the corner of my eye, Blake was laughing and joking with someone, holding a wine glass.
His body unconsciously leaned towards Serena.
I watched him, watching his happy expression, and decided to set him free.
I opened his pinned chat, staring at the blue fish emoji next to his name, ‘Ash,’ for a very long time.
Finally, I sent: “Let’s break up.”
Let him go, and let myself go.
Buzz! Blake’s phone screen lit up.
He reached for it.
“Blake!”
Serena suddenly called him, pouting and demanding, “Blake, I want ribs too.”
Her smile was filled with pure, pampered glee.
“Alright.”
Blake pulled his hand back to get her food, his voice soft with indulgence. “What else do you want? I’ll get it all for you.”
Serena smiled, chewing on a rib, and turned her head to look at me.
She made no effort to hide the triumph in her eyes.
I pretended not to see, my gaze unfocused.
Realizing I was blind, her eyes flickered, and she picked up a wine glass, walking towards me.
Amidst the noise, she leaned down to my ear and asked.
“Cassidy, how does it feel to be blind?”
“Back then, just because your grades were better than mine, everyone said you and Blake were a perfect match. Do you know how much I hated you?”
Serena gritted her teeth, then suddenly burst out laughing.
“Too bad, huh? The genius girl is blind now. You’re not even worthy of tying my shoes anymore.”
I dug my nails into my palms, forcing a smile onto my lips.
“What’s it to you?”
Serena chuckled. “Still so defiant.”
Before I could react, she let out a low shriek, “Ah! Cassidy, what are you doing?”
A glass of red wine was poured over her, staining her white dress.
It was a classic move, and effective as hell.
Blake’s brow furrowed, and he rushed over, taking two steps at a time, asking worriedly, “What happened?”
He checked Serena from head to toe as he spoke.
Serena’s eyes were red-rimmed. “It’s all my fault. I said something that upset Cassidy earlier, and she knocked over my wine glass.”
Blake immediately turned to me, his eyes cold and sharp.
He snapped. “If you can’t see, then stop moving around so recklessly!”
“What if you hurt Serena? Can you afford to compensate her?”
I stared blankly into space, offering no defense.
Of course, I couldn’t afford it.
I’d already lost my eyes; what else did Blake expect me to pay with?
Perhaps my expression was too calm.
Blake shot me a glance, then stormed out of the private room with Serena.
I waited a few seconds, then followed them.
Blake was too consumed with worry for Serena to notice me.
I stood silently outside the door, peering through the crack, watching their interaction.
Serena’s clothes were strategically disheveled as she pulled Blake to “talk things over.”
Tugging at his tie, Serena pouted, complaining,
“Why did you get Cassidy food just now? Do you feel sorry for her?”
Blake quickly denied it.
“Of course not! She’s just blind. How can that compare to what you went through? If I feel sorry for anyone, it’s you.”
My fingers dug into the doorframe, white-knuckled, my ears ringing with a deafening hum.
I was convinced I was numb, empty. Then, the truth hit me, a crushing wave I couldn’t escape.
In my distress, my clothes brushed against the door, making a soft thump.
“Who’s there?”
Blake turned sharply. Our eyes locked.
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