Chapter 1

They say that love is blind.

However, what they don’t tell you is how dangerous it is to be the blind one in love.

My name is Mara, and as far as I can remember, I had beautiful blue eyes, delicate soft skin, and long wavy black hair that every girl my age dreamed of. I wasn’t born blind. When I was thirteen, blossoming in beauty and pride, I suddenly woke up to a dark world.

My life became a living nightmare, but Kenny Ace came into my life during that painful time. His love filled my world completely, and never once did I feel inadequate.

Through his eyes, I felt safe. So, when his mother sneered at me on our wedding day, I never cared. His sister, Braine, couldn’t stop taunting me as a poor blind beggar, but I smiled through it all because I had all the love I ever needed. I had Kenny.

Kenny assured me that no one else mattered, that he would love me, protect me, and fill my life with warmth and brightness. The only thing I could give him was my love, and at that, I surrendered wholly to the man who made everything possible.

However, this was the beginning of my downfall, a sore wound that never planned to heal.

It all started on our wedding night.

The first time we made love, I cried, not because of pain, but because Kenny made me feel seen and loved. His touches were soft, his caresses gentle and passionate. He whispered my name every time the passion between us became too intense. His warm breath tingled at the back of my neck, and his caresses were never enough.

I honestly felt on top of the world. I couldn’t ask for more.

“I love you, Mara,” Kenny would whisper into my ears. “I’ll be your light in this world, and my love for you will never fade, like the bright evening star guiding your every path.”

It was a promise I held onto with my life because honestly, my dark world needed every ray of sunlight to brighten it.

Life was sweet. Or perhaps I had become too comfortable, too confident in his love.

So, when things began to change, I blamed myself.

Our nights started to change.

At times, he became cold and urgent in bed. His touches grew rough and demanding. He never bothered whether I was satisfied or not, neither did he whisper the beautiful words my ears had grown accustomed to.

He would fall asleep right after making love, no longer holding me close to his heart like the delicate egg he once wanted to protect.

I told myself maybe he was stressed, or perhaps this was just a phase every new couple experienced. I still had a lot to learn about living in this new family.

Once, I whispered his name, but his response came too quickly, almost like a different person. Still, I brushed it off. What could possibly go wrong? It was our marital bed, with my in-laws in the same house. Surely, they would have complained, especially since nothing ever escaped their ears and eyes.

Things became more tense. I could no longer tell whether Kenny was changing or if it was simply my imagination.

Even his scent changed. Some days he smelled of cinnamon, other days citrusy. I even confirmed his cologne, but found nothing unusual.

Was Kenny cheating on me?

I couldn’t confront him, afraid of what I might discover. Instead, I pretended everything was fine until I overheard the whispers.

“What a stupid blind woman. How can someone be this dumb?” Braine said.

They were on the balcony.

“Braine, be careful with your words,” Kenny’s mother, Caren warned.

“But Mother, don’t you think whatever is happening will cause trouble one day?”

“What trouble? It’s not like she’s capable of anything. Let her be. I think she enjoys being tossed around by the brothers.”

“How wicked can my brothers be? Sharing one filthy blind girl. Can’t Kenny find a better woman?”

I stood behind the curtain, frozen.

How was that possible? Kenny would never do something like that, sharing me, his wife, with another man.

“I told you she was stupid. She hasn’t even realized she’s pregnant,” Braine added.

Nausea suddenly overwhelmed me. I stumbled back to my bedroom and vomited.

Was I really pregnant?

Had I shared two brothers?

That was impossible.

Braine had to be lying, trying to force me out of the house. She had tormented me countless times before, and this had to be another one of her cruel tricks.

Was Mother part of this too?

Lately, she had become too quiet.

That night, I waited.

I had to confirm it for myself, so I pretended to be asleep.

Someone entered the room.

His footsteps were heavy and deliberate. He didn’t utter a single word before climbing into bed. The air in the room shifted instantly, but soon my thoughts blurred under his imposing presence.

He grabbed me roughly from the edge of the bed and pulled me into his embrace. His chest felt harder, rougher than I remembered, and his kisses were hungry and demanding. He crashed his lips against mine, devouring them greedily.

I cursed myself for how my body responded to his touch.

Before long, I was consumed by a night of passion, letting him drive me higher and higher until I completely lost myself in it. It felt like two lost souls were finally reuniting.

Yet something felt strange.

The feeling was raw, more satisfying than I had ever imagined. And this feeling… I had experienced it once before since marrying Kenny.

Just what the hell was happening?

Shame consumed me.

How could I lose myself in passion when everything inside me screamed that it wasn’t Kenny in my bed?

The next morning, I woke up to the cold emptiness beside me, as though no one had slept there at all.

Nausea hit me again, and I rushed to the bathroom.

It had to be true.

I was pregnant.

A rush of emotions flooded my heart. A little life was growing inside me. Finally, I was going to become a mother.

And Kenny… he was going to become a father.

Disgust twisted my stomach at the thought of him.

I sat at the edge of the bed, pulling my knees to my chest. Just what kind of mess had I gotten myself into?

Kenny walked in carrying breakfast, just like always. He once told me he would never allow me to share a table with his family because they would ruin my appetite.

Now I realized he was the one who had ruined me.

“How many of you are sharing my bed?” I asked quietly.

Kenny froze.

The tray slipped from his hands and crashed onto the floor.

He didn’t need to answer. His silence confirmed the painful truth.

“For how long?” I asked, my heart trembling violently.

“Since the first month. But I didn’t mean to, believe me, Mara. I had to agree with his demands. It was the only way I could protect you. I never thought it would go this far,” Kenny said.

I screamed.

I threw punches and kicks at him, not caring where they landed.

I wanted to end everything.

I hated Kenny. I hated myself even more.

Last night, I already knew it wasn’t Kenny, yet I still let him touch me. Worse, I enjoyed every second of it.

And now the ugly truth stood before me.

Kenny had been sharing me with his twin brother; a twisted pact they had sworn to each other while growing up.

To him, I was nothing more than part of their sick game.

Broken, suffocated, and furious, I asked, “Do you love me, Kenny?”

But honestly, it no longer matters.

“You know I love you, Mara. More than anything,” he replied desperately.

“You love me enough to share me with your brother?” I asked, tears streaming down my face.

Our love wasn’t real, let alone our marriage.

I had been married to him while unknowingly entangled with another man, with his full knowledge.

I heard him exhale shakily as he sat down on the bed.

Silence followed.

“I’m sorry, Mara. It was supposed to be only one night, but...”

“Get out!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

Deep down, I already knew it.

No one would ever truly love a blind woman like me.

Even my own family didn’t want me. How could I expect strangers to love me unconditionally?

Ignoring Kenny’s protests, I packed a few clothes and walked out of the room.

The entire house had awakened because of the commotion.

I heard Caren sneer at me while Braine’s insults pierced my skin for the first time.

And Kenny…he had left me exposed. His words meant nothing now.

Everyone else had known the truth while I remained the only fool trapped in darkness.

“What a pathetic woman. Finally, you can drag your filthy self out of our house,” Braine mocked from the staircase.

Honestly, I felt disgusted with myself. How could I have been so naive?

“Kenny, you need to get rid of that child in her belly. There’s no way I’m allowing my grandchild to have a blind mother like her,” Mother spat.

“Mara is pregnant?” Kenny sounded shocked and happy at the same time.

How disgusting.

“You can’t leave,” he suddenly said in a cold tone I barely recognized.

He rushed down the stairs and grabbed my hand roughly.

I wanted to scream, cry, break apart completely, but my body only trembled as I fought against his grip.

“Let me go, Kenny,” I said shakily.

“You can’t leave, Mara. Not with my child.”

I almost laughed bitterly.

“You must be insane, Kenny. How do you even know it’s your child?” I burst out.

An awkward silence filled the house.

Taking advantage of it, I walked out.

“Mara, you can’t do this to me. It was my mistake. I’ll never allow it to happen again. Please come back to me, Mara. I love you. I can’t lose you.”

His broken voice followed behind me. The same soft voice that had destroyed my life.

“Let her go, Kenny,” Braine sneered. “She’s a curse. What kind of woman entertains two men in the same bed? She’s disgusting. You deserve someone better.”

I ignored their insults.

Perhaps I truly should blame myself for allowing all this to happen.

I wandered through the empty streets while light rain soaked my body in the freezing morning breeze.

Eventually, I found myself standing before a familiar gate.