Chapter 2

[Ivy]

"Hunter?" I call again.

But all I hear are the sounds of two people gasping for breath.

There's also this scent... a mix of sweat and sex that I've only ever experienced with him—but it's different this time. Tainted by someone else.

People often mistake blindness for darkness.

They think of it as an absence—a void where light should be. But I've learned it's the opposite. When you can't see, your other senses become stars, each burning brighter with every year of sightlessness. My world is a constellation of sounds, a tapestry of scents, a universe woven from the pressure of air against my skin and the subtle vibrations in the floorboards. And today, those constellations are screaming a message I've never wanted to hear.

I stand at the threshold, my fingers gripping the doorframe, knuckles white.

"Ivy?" Hunter's voice is breathy and laced with a shock that doesn't quite conceal the panic. "You're home," he says, as if he's glad—but he can't fool me. Not today. Not now. "Why didn't you tell me you were on your way?"

I hear the rustle of clothing, the whispered curses, the frantic sounds of two people caught in the act. I want to scream, to throw something, to break something—but all I can do is stand there, my world shattering around me into a million pieces.

"I... I wanted to surprise you," I say, hearing light footsteps from my right. It's like someone is trying to test me, to make sure I'm really blind.

"Surprise me?" he asks, his deep voice coming from the left. I feel the weight of his hand on my shoulder. It takes everything inside me not to flinch. "You know you don't have to do such things, right? It's me who should be taking care of you and making sure you're the happiest wife in the whole damn world—not the other way around."

I laugh at his sweet promise. But I don't feel any happiness inside me.

All I feel is hatred and frustration and the pain of betrayal that's almost making it harder for me to breathe.

Gently, I pull his hand away and turn toward the other presence in the room. I start walking, as if mindlessly striding farther inside.

"I know, love." I walk with the intention of bumping into them, but they keep moving away. Frustrated, I reach for the face, wanting to know who the hell this person is, but end up touching the books on the shelf. I hear someone sigh from my left.

I smile and turn around with a book in my hand. "Oh, I almost forgot. Have you decided which book you're going to read to me next? We're almost done with the last one."

Every night, Hunter read me a chapter from a book of his choosing. It was one of the things he did after I went blind that made me fall harder for him. But now... now everything feels like a joke.

I hear his footsteps almost racing toward me. "Yes. Yes, I have." His arm comes around my waist as he starts guiding me away from the bookshelf, probably intending to keep me away from the person he has been fooling around with. "And you're going to like this one just the same."

He helps me into the chair. "So, what was the surprise you were talking about?"

From behind me, I hear the door close—and a quiet sigh leave Hunter's lips.

Looks like the person managed to get away, and I failed to recognize the woman by her scent.

I clench my fist. "Well, it's a surprise for a reason. Just wait for the right time, and you'll know."

He kisses the back of my hand. "Well then, I can't wait for it."

Neither can I.

During lunch, Hunter's phone keeps going off.

But every time it rings, he quickly cuts it off.

I think back to all the previous times it used to happen, and how I never suspected anything. But now, when I think about it, everything makes sense.

All those late-night calls, the urgency at the office he just couldn't ignore, the invitations from friends he couldn't say no to, and the weeks and weeks of business trips he seemed way too excited about for it to be work.

Have I really been that naive?

But I can't really blame myself, can I?

Seven years ago, when I lost my sight while saving him from a car explosion, he swore to stay by my side forever. At that time, I didn't expect him to stay true to his words. I honestly believed that after his determination wore off, reality would hit him hard enough, and he would realize he had no future with someone like me. But his honesty and eagerness surprised me and moved me deeply. And the day he proposed to me, he sounded so happy I could literally feel his excitement tingling the surface of my skin.

I couldn't say no—not to someone who fought his parents’ day and night just so he could keep me by his side and take care of me.

We married a few months later, and it wasn't just any wedding. It was the best this city had ever seen. I could hear the single women gasping, dreaming of marrying someone like Hunter and being spoiled the way he spoiled me.

So, I wonder—when did his love start to fade? When did he fall for another woman? I realize it couldn't have happened overnight.

"So, what do you think?" Hunter asks, and his familiar deep voice is enough to bring me back from my thoughts.

I put the fork down. "About what?"

"Haven't you been listening?" he asks, sounding slightly irritated. But then he pauses, takes a deep breath, and softens his tone. "I was talking about your birthday next week. I was saying we should throw an even bigger party this time. We should invite all your friends and family. They need to see how well you're doing—especially after they abandoned you following the accident."

I used to think Hunter said those things because he hated the way my family and friends treated me after I went blind and became useless. I used to think it was love—that he loved showing off how well I was doing, how good he was to me, and how happy we were.

But now that I think about it, maybe it was never about me in the first place. Maybe it was always his way of easing his own guilt, convincing himself that he was doing the right thing—that he was compensating me enough for what I lost for him.

I smile at the irony. "We'll do whatever you want."

"Great," he says, sounding excited. "I'll tell my assistant to start the preparations right away and send out the invitations as soon as possible."

His phone rings again, and I feel the warmth of his gaze shifting away from me, leaving me cold.

"I have to take this." He's already on his feet before the words fully leave his mouth. "Mina, help Ivy with some more juice, will you? I'm noticing she looks thinner than before."

"Yes—yes, sir!"

Footsteps rush around me, Mina's soft scent floating nearby.

Hunter has already left by now. I don't feel his presence anymore.

"It's okay." Before she pours, I reach for her arm. "I'm full."

"But sir said—"

"He just worries too much." I push my chair back and stand up. "I'm going for a walk in the garden. Can you send a message to Finn to see me as soon as he can?"