Chapter 143

Alexander's grip on the steering wheel tightened. He blinked hard, wondering if his vision was failing him. But no—it was Evelyn whose eyes had failed.

She was blind.

Truly blind.

Her earlier struggle with signing the divorce papers hadn't been an act. It was real.

Yet, she had been fine before. What had happened?

Alexander watched as Evelyn crawled on the ground, her fingers desperately searching for something while tears streamed down her face. His chest tightened, the air suddenly too thick to breathe.

Snowflakes swirled around them, mixing with a light drizzle. The street emptied as people hurried away, leaving Evelyn alone, still groping through the dirt.

She wept like a child who had lost something irreplaceable.

Alexander stepped out of the car, his legs heavy as lead. He moved toward her, but she didn’t notice him. Her frail body trembled as she kept searching, her hands now smeared with grime.

Dazed, Alexander bent down and picked up a stray photograph near his feet. He placed it in front of her.

The moment her fingers brushed the image, her despair melted into relief.

She clutched it to her chest, blowing away dust before pressing it to her lips. Only then did she rise, her expression easing as she followed the textured path beneath her feet.

Alexander stood frozen, the wind biting at his skin. Evelyn’s figure grew smaller in the distance. His eyes stung, and his breath came in ragged gasps.

News of Alexander and Victoria’s engagement spread like wildfire. It was Victoria who called Evelyn to gloat.

On the other end of the line, Victoria’s voice dripped with smug satisfaction. After flaunting her victory, she extended a mocking invitation.

"You should come to the party."

Evelyn’s grip on the phone tightened. "I’ll be there."

Victoria scoffed. What could a blind woman possibly do?

The engagement was set at Willowbrook’s most lavish hotel, the air crisp with the lingering chill of early spring.

Victoria stood radiant in an elegant gown, her arm looped through Alexander’s as cameras flashed. She glanced at him, her smile faltering when she saw his blank expression.

"Alexander, aren’t you happy?"

He forced a smile. "Of course. I promised to marry you, didn’t I?"

Her lips curved, but bitterness coiled in her chest.

He never said I love you. Only I promised.

And that promise hadn’t been meant for her.

Alexander moved like a puppet as they took the stage. The exchange of rings was a blur.

His mind wandered back to his wedding day—Evelyn in white, her eyes alight with love, her gaze shy yet full of longing.

Now, those same eyes were empty.

"Please exchange the rings."

The emcee’s voice snapped him back. Victoria beamed as she slid the ring onto his finger.

Alexander’s hand twitched, resisting.

Then, a voice cut through the murmurs of the crowd.

"Wait."

Evelyn stood at the edge of the room, her presence sharp as a blade.