Chapter 3

The doctor’s office smelled faintly of disinfectant and cold metal—too clean, too quiet for the kind of truth I was about to hear.

“Yes,” he said finally, his voice breaking the silence. “Thomas paid me. He told me to make sure you never regained your sight… and all the other doctors.”

The words felt like a knife sliding between my ribs. “You… you mean I could’ve seen all this time?”

He nodded, guilt softening his features. “For years, I followed his instructions. But someone—someone else came forward recently. He paid more. Demanded I undo the damage and give you back what was stolen.”

My hands trembled. “Who?”

The doctor hesitated, then handed me a slip of paper. “He didn’t want his name mentioned. But… he left this number. Said you’d recognize the voice.”

That same day, after pacing for hours, I dialed the number. My heart pounded as the line clicked—and then I heard it.

“Shane.”

That voice. That calm, deep tone I’d never forgotten.

“Denver,” I breathed.

A low chuckle echoed through the line. “Regretting your choice now?”

I closed my eyes. “Why… why would you do this?”

“Because I never stopped caring,” he said simply. “Did you really think I’d let him destroy you completely? I told you years ago—Thomas didn’t deserve you.”

Back in high school, the three of us were inseparable—me, Thomas, and Denver. We studied together, shared lunch, laughed over stupid jokes. I used to think what we had was unbreakable—until both of them confessed they loved me.

What started as playful teasing soon turned into something darker. I still remembered the night it all fell apart—Thomas grabbing Denver by the collar after practice, accusing him of trying to steal me away. Denver punched him first, blood on his lip and fury in his eyes.

“You don’t deserve her,” Denver shouted. “You only want her because I do!”

Thomas laughed, cruel and confident. “Then may the better man win.”

I tried to stop them that night, standing between them as my voice shook. “Please, stop this,” I begged. “You’re both important to me. Don’t make me choose—not like this.”

But pride was stronger than reason. Thomas smirked, wiping the blood from his lip, while Denver’s eyes darkened with hurt. I told them both they could have a fair chance, that maybe, in time, I’d understand my own heart.

In the end, I chose Thomas. He was charming, passionate, reckless—and I thought that meant love.

Denver didn’t say a word. He just walked away, and by the next morning, he was gone. No goodbye. No explanation. Only rumors that he had taken over his father’s business abroad and built it into something bigger than Thomas’s ever would be.

Even after all those years, Thomas still hated him. Not just because they were rivals—but because deep down, he knew Denver had always loved me more purely than he ever could.

“If you want,” Denver continued, “I’ll pick you up in a few days. We’ll leave this all behind. I’ll marry you myself.”

I didn’t think. I didn’t even breathe. “Yes,” I said, the word leaving my mouth before reason could stop it. Then I hung up—before my heart could change its mind.

That night, I packed my bags quietly. For the first time in years, I wasn’t trembling in fear—I was steady, ready.

When I came home the next morning, Thomas and Carrie were in the living room, laughing over coffee like nothing had happened. My jaw tightened.

“There she is,” Thomas said coolly, standing up. “You’re going to apologize to Carrie.”

I blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” he snapped. “You hurt her. She’s family to me, Shane. You’ll apologize.”

Carrie folded her arms, her lips twisting into a smirk. “It’s the least she can do, Thomas. I mean, after everything—”

“No,” I interrupted sharply.

Thomas’s head jerked toward me. “What did you just say?”

“I said no,” I repeated, louder this time. “Why would I apologize when she’s the one who started everything?”

His eyes darkened. “Don’t push me, Shane. You’ve already cost me enough—the business deal was canceled because of your drama. You’ll do as I say!”

And then he grabbed my arm.

The sound of my palm meeting his cheek echoed through the room.

“No,” I hissed. “You don’t get to touch me anymore.”

He froze, stunned. Then his gaze dropped to my face—and realization flickered in his eyes. “Wait… you can see now?”

I smirked. “Yes, Thomas. I can see now. Why? Scared?”

He took a hesitant step toward me, his anger shifting to guilt. “Love, wait—why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve helped—”

I laughed bitterly. “Helped? You mean like when you paid my doctor to keep me blind? When you lied about our marriage? Oh, don’t bother pretending, Thomas. I know everything.”

His mouth opened, but no words came out.

Carrie shifted behind him, her face pale, her lips trembling.

I turned to her and slapped her, hard enough that her head jerked to the side. “That’s for every lie. For every time you smiled at me while sleeping with my husband.”

Tears welled in her eyes, but I didn’t care. I pulled off my wedding ring, held it up one last time, then let it drop to the floor with a metallic clink.

“We were never married anyway,” I said coldly. “The registry has no record of it.”

“Shane, wait—” Thomas started, reaching for me.

I stepped back. “No. You’ve already taken enough from me. This time, I’m the one walking away.”