Chapter 1
The day I caught Alex Carter and Sophia Turner tangled up in bed, Sophia accidentally struck my eye.
My vision went dark, and from then on, I couldn't take care of myself anymore.
My parents and Ben, my childhood friend, forced Alex to promise he'd look after me for the rest of my life.
Alex, his eyes reddened with guilt, admitted his mistake and vowed to compensate me, pleading with me not to make things difficult for Sophia.
From then on, he devoted all his patience to me.
Because I couldn't see, my moods swung wildly, but he never lost his temper. He kept soothing me again and again, taking care of my every need.
On the eve of our wedding, I underwent eye surgery. If my recovery went smoothly, I might be able to see again on our wedding day.
I was over the moon, looking forward to surprising Alex.
On the wedding day, my wedding shoes didn't fit, but my parents told me to tough it out.
The bouquet smelled awful, but Ben told me to put up with it.
It wasn't until we exchanged rings that my finger got stabbed, and it stung like crazy.
That was when I heard someone in the audience start heckling, "See? I told you this blind chick wouldn't realize it's Alex and Sophia's wedding. Pay up. I told you she wouldn't notice."
"Seriously, is Emily that clueless? We've been stringing her along for three years, and she still hasn't caught on," another person grumbled.
A shock ran through me, and in a haze, my vision suddenly cleared.
I saw myself in a bridesmaid's dress, and Ben was grinning ear to ear as he slipped a soda can tab onto my ring finger.
Meanwhile, Alex was sliding the pricey diamond ring I'd chosen onto Sophia's finger, with my parents standing by, all smiles.
The place was packed with guests, but I felt like I'd been plunged into a frozen pit.
I ripped the cheap veil off my head.
From today on, I'd be done playing their game.
*****
Some folks in the crowd were still whispering behind my back.
"Look at that tacky bridesmaid dress. She thinks it's a wedding gown, huh? Is she that foolish?"
"If Sophia wasn't so chill, she wouldn't have made it through the door today."
Their voices weren't loud, but their words sliced right through the noise and landed straight in my ears.
It felt like something was squeezing my chest so hard I could barely breathe.
A warm hand gently rested on my shoulder.
Alex carefully adjusted the veil back onto my head, his voice soft. "Emily, hang in there a little longer. The ceremony will be over soon."
He sounded as gentle and indulgent as he always did when he tried to soothe me these past three years.
Whenever I was in a bad mood, he never thought I was a bother. He was always there to soothe me, patiently talking me down every time.
Since I couldn't see, he always held my hand. If he moved any furniture around the house, he'd give me a heads-up, so I wouldn't bump into anything.
Back then, I always thought, 'If a guy does all this for me, he must feel guilty and truly love me.'
But I never realized the kindness I trusted for three years was his way of keeping me in the dark and playing me for a fool.
Before I could say anything, the emcee eagerly moved on to the next part. "And now, let's have the groom kiss his beloved bride."
I stood there, frozen.
In that moment, I couldn't help but cling to a tiny hope that Alex would pick me.
I wanted to be his bride more than anything. Three years ago, Alex and I were supposed to get married.
But right in our wedding suite, I caught him and Sophia hooking up.
Sophia freaked out and tried to bolt, but in the chaos, she slammed into me.
My eyes got seriously hurt, and I ended up blind and couldn't take care of myself anymore.
More than once, I thought about ending it all.
My parents and Ben made Alex stand in front of me and admit he was wrong.
Sophia, sobbing, promised she'd leave town and never cross paths with me again.
Back then, my heart softened, and in the end, I chose to forgive Alex.
After three years of Alex treating me like I was his whole world, I thought he'd moved on from Sophia and that we could finally start over.
But now, as I looked at Alex, he went straight to Sophia without a second thought.
He leaned in and kissed her, the two of them wrapped up in each other, totally lost in the moment.
The whole place erupted in applause.
Ben grinned and called out, "You two are a perfect match."
My parents, eyes shining with tears, said, "Three years we've waited, and now our precious girl is finally getting married. Seeing her find her happiness, we can die without regrets."
My heart gave a violent jolt. So, the daughter they loved most was the one who stole my man and left me blind.
Then what was I to them?
It turned out that all those years they stuck around my hospital bed, acting all concerned, were so their conscience would be clear if I didn't make it.
As if worried I'd catch on, Alex's buddies rushed up to the stage immediately.
Ben was still covering for them, saying, "Emily, hang tight. The groom's about to come kiss you."
The guys exchanged glances and snickered quietly.
"You want to do it, or should I?"
"Let's take turns. Say Alex gave her a few extra kisses. That idiot will be over the moon."
Mom looked at Dad, her eyes full of pity, but Dad kept his face cold. He said, "If Emily hadn't made things so hard for Sophia, do you think she would've left for three years?
"Anyway, Sophia's already put up with her enough. Emily's the one who had to make everything so difficult."
Mom nodded, her eyes red. "She's already a disabled person. If someone's willing to take her, this is as good as it gets for Emily."
My heart felt like it was being brutally torn open.
Who did this to me? Who made me end up like this?
How could my own family turn everything upside down like this?
The man in front of me was already closing in.
I instinctively stepped back, swallowing the surge of emotions, and asked, "Where's my elder sister, Sophia?"