A Bright Future

On the day before my wedding with Anthony Jackson, I was involved in a car accident. When I was semiconscious, I heard his conversation with the doctor. "Anthony, are you sure you want to give Indya Nina's corneas? Once it's done, then Nina will be blinded for the rest of her life." "I'm sure. Nina will still have me for the rest of her life, but Indya can't lose her eyesight. Make sure you don't leave any loose ends." As soon as he finished speaking, I felt a hand stroking my face. "Don't worry, Nina. I'll be your eyes for the rest of your life." It seemed that the person that I had deeply loved had always been loving another woman. If that was what they wanted, then I would fulfill their wish. Chapter 1 Inside the oversized hospital gown, my fists were clenched. Today was supposed to be the day of my wedding with my fiance, Anthony Jackson. But I was lying in a hospital bed because of a car accident. The day before the wedding, I received a phone call. On the other end of the line, Anthony was completely drunk. The bar owner asked me to pick him up and take him home. I dropped the wedding favors I was wrapping and rushed out after throwing on a coat. Just before leaving, I saw the car keys Anthony had left at the door. He had especially left them for me that day. "You're going to the station to pick up your friends today. It'll be more convenient if you have a car. I left the keys by the door for you." When he kissed my forehead, my heart was full of sweetness, grateful that I was marrying such a thoughtful man. The streets were deserted late at night. At an intersection, a truck swerved past in front of me. I didn’t have time to think. Instinctively, I stepped on the brake—but it was useless. I had a car accident. Anthony rushed to the hospital soon after. Seeing me covered in blood sobered him up quite a bit. "Where’s Calum? Get Calum here!" Calum was our university classmate and now a well-known surgeon at this hospital. I was wheeled into the operating room. Although I couldn’t open my eyes, I was still vaguely conscious. I really wanted to comfort Anthony, to tell him not to worry, that I was okay. My fingers moved slightly, but Anthony didn’t notice. "Calum, let’s begin." I heard Anthony’s voice. "Anthony, are you sure you want to give Indya Nina's corneas? Once it's done, then Nina will be blinded for the rest of her life." My heart began to pound violently. ‘Corneas? What corneas?’ "I’m sure. Nina and I are getting married soon. I’ll take care of her from now on. But Indya is different. She’s a painter. She can’t lose her eyes. That would be no different than taking her life." A tear slipped from the corner of my eye. I used all the strength I had to try and open my eyes. "I arranged this car accident just so Indya could get a cornea transplant. Don’t try to talk me out of it. Can you really bear to see Indya keep falling apart? This is what I owe her." Calum didn’t respond. I felt a warm palm press gently against my face. "Don’t be afraid, Nina. From now on, I’ll be your eyes." Chapter 2 After a long time, I opened my sore, stinging eyes. Darkness filled my vision. My tears wouldn’t stop falling. “Nina! Nina, you’re awake?” Anthony rushed to my side and gently wiped away my tears. “Nina, I’m sorry… the doctor said… your eyes… you might not be able to see anymore.” He lowered his head, a bit guilty, then remembering I couldn’t see his expression at all, he softly took my hand. “Nina, don’t be afraid. I won’t abandon you. I’ll be your eyes from now on. Our wedding will just be postponed.” Hearing that familiar voice made me feel nauseous. He and Indya Hickey had taken my eyes, and now I was expected to be grateful in return. Indya had always been Anthony’s childhood sweetheart—I had known all along. That confession recording etched onto a vinyl record, I had accidentally heard it once. A girl’s gentle, graceful voice made a firm promise about the future. My heart had skipped a beat. I had gone straight to Calum, demanding the truth. To be preserved like that—Indya must have been very important to Anthony. “Indya was Anthony’s first love. She broke up with him suddenly for a chance to study abroad.” Calum had said it casually. In his words, Indya had been the one who betrayed the relationship. I didn’t dwell on the past after that, just treated it as a piece of Anthony’s youthful memories. Until news about Indya came back from overseas— She had acid thrown at her during her own art exhibition. It caused her to go blind. She was a painter. The importance of her eyes went without saying. Anthony knew that too. For days, he had been absent-minded, staring blankly at a newspaper with the headline “A Rising Star Falls.” I brought him a cup of water. “It’s okay, Anthony. Didn’t they already catch the person who did it?” I just wanted to comfort him, but he grabbed my neck with red-rimmed eyes. “Okay? How can you be so calm? Those were a painter’s eyes!” That was the first time he lost control in front of me—and it was for another woman. Tears burst from my eyes as I struggled, slapping at the back of his hand. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Nina. I got too emotional… I haven’t been sleeping well these past few days.” He hugged me close, trying to soothe me, as the bruises on my neck throbbed with pain. Chapter 3 The first time I saw Indya was at Anthony’s company. The building was completely dark, with only a dim light still glowing in Anthony’s office. Indya was in his arms, and I could hear the sound of uncontrollable sobbing. “Is this the life you left me for?” Anthony’s voice was choked with emotion, his eyes filled with pain he could no longer hide. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Anthony... I can’t see anymore... I’m already useless...” Before Indya could finish speaking, Anthony silenced her with a kiss. “Do... you still want me?” Indya asked almost pleadingly, and Anthony answered her with nothing but gentle kisses, one after another. “Indya, do you know... all these years since you left, I kept dreaming of the moment you stepped onto that plane. I shouldn’t have held you back. Your world is so much bigger.” I stood at the door holding a meal box, looking like a complete joke. The sounds of their intimacy grew louder and louder. I silently hailed a taxi and went back home. It wasn’t until dawn the next day that Anthony came back, carrying breakfast. “Why did you sleep on the couch again last night?” “Didn’t I say you don’t have to wait up for me anymore?” Anthony handed me the breakfast and casually kissed my forehead, as if nothing had happened. I stared at him, bracing myself for the words “let’s break up.” His childhood sweetheart had returned—of course I was expected to step aside. But Anthony didn’t say a word. He just quietly had his breakfast, occasionally picking up something and placing them on my plate. “Let’s break up.” “Let’s get married.” We spoke almost at the same time. I couldn’t take the slow suffocation anymore and wanted a clean break. But the words that came out of Anthony’s mouth stunned me. “What did you say?” “Why break up?” Before I could respond, he started questioning me. “I saw you. You and Indya.” The next second, Anthony pulled me into his arms. I was completely confused. “I’m sorry, Nina. Indya and I... it’s not what you think.” “She wasn’t in a good state emotionally. I didn’t want to trigger her. It’s over between me and her. Now, the only one in my heart is you. You’re the one who’s been by my side all this time. You’re the one I want to be with. My proposal to you—it was to make Indya finally give up on me. Do you understand?” His voice was sincere, his eyes shimmering with tears. And I believed him. That very afternoon, we went to get our marriage certificates. The wedding was set for two months later. In those days, I was busy preparing for the wedding, and Anthony was swamped with work, often staying overnight at the office. “Isn’t it because I want to finish everything before the wedding, so I can enjoy the honeymoon with you?” All my friends were jealous that I had found a man who could both earn money and still care for his home. But none of us expected that I was marrying the devil who would drag me into hell. Chapter 4 "Nina, I know you're upset about losing your sight. Don't bottle it up—you can say whatever you want to me." I was the one who had lost my eyesight, yet Anthony seemed even more devastated than I was, putting on such a performance it made me sick. I smiled at him. "I'm not upset, Anthony. It's not your fault." "After we get married, you can quit your job and enjoy life peacefully at home. We'll have a few kids. Even if you can't see, I'll still make you happy." So, he had already planned out my entire retreat. There was a noise at the door, and I instinctively turned my head—but I couldn't see anything. "You must be Nina, right?" It was a familiar female voice. "I'm Indya, Anthony's friend. I came to visit you." My hand, holding the cup, tightened slightly. "I heard you lost your sight in an accident. I was once blind too. I understand what it feels like to struggle in the dark." She suddenly grasped my hand, and in the darkness, I could feel her smiling boldly and triumphantly. "But luckily, I was fortunate. I received a donation from a kind person and have regained my vision. I'm sure you will too." I couldn't see Indya's face, but I could easily imagine the smug expression she must've worn at that moment. Indya moved close to Anthony and sat directly on his lap. "What are you doing?" I heard Anthony's voice, low and strained, followed by the rustling of fabric. I pretended not to hear anything, staring blankly ahead with a stiff smile. Indya grew bolder, pressing her lips to Anthony’s. "Don’t be scared—she’s blind. She can’t see a thing." They whispered and tangled in front of me. Finally, Indya adjusted her dress, and Anthony helped her out of the ward. I groped around for my phone and asked the voice assistant to call my best friend. "Rio, help me get in touch with a hospital overseas. My corneas were taken and donated." Rio Jenson didn’t have time to ask what happened before she began helping me search for matching corneas abroad. I contacted a lawyer to draft a divorce agreement and asked him to inspect the car I had driven. As expected, Anthony had tampered with the brakes. Holding the maintenance report in my hands, I didn’t know whether to call him heartless—or just terrifyingly devoted. To help Indya regain her sight, he was willing to sacrifice my life. Our wedding had been delayed by a week due to my eye condition. Anthony even invited Indya to be my bridesmaid and had her stay at our home. "Indya has experience being blind. It'll be easier if she helps guide you on the wedding day." I ignored him and made my way upstairs, feeling along the banister, heading to rest. I sat by the bed, thinking about the years I’d spent with Anthony. Even now, I still didn’t understand how he could treat me so cruelly. He and Indya had grown up together—were my seven years with him just a lie? I had met Anthony in university. At that time, Indya was already gone from his life. He always ate alone, attended classes alone—he was notoriously aloof. It was Calum who helped bring us together. At first, Anthony had been indifferent toward me. His shift in behavior had been sudden, like he had fallen in love overnight. We got together naturally. One day after we started living together, Calum came over heartbroken, drinking himself into a stupor in our living room. While Anthony went downstairs to take out the trash, Calum suddenly leaned close to me. "Do you know the best way to get over a breakup?" I brushed him off, thinking he was just drunk and talking nonsense. "What is it?" "Fall in love with someone who looks just like her." After saying that, he collapsed on the couch and passed out. Back then, I hadn’t taken a drunk man’s words seriously. But looking back now, it was the truth slipping out. I had just been the stand-in—the medicine to help Anthony heal. I fumbled through the drawer on my nightstand and pulled out a metal box. Inside were all the love letters Anthony had written to me over the years, along with tickets from trips we had taken. Then, I lit a candle and tossed it into the box. Thick black smoke billowed out immediately, and I began to cough from the choking fumes. Chapter 5 Indya had appeared in front of me at some unknown point. She looked coldly at the fire burning in front of me. Then she kicked me. The sparks scorched my skin, and I instinctively stood up. But I bumped into the foot of the bed. “It’s Nina, right? I’ve heard about you. I thought someone who married Anthony must be someone very special, but you’re really nothing. “Looking at how pitiful you are now, I’ll be kind and tell you the truth—I was never blind. I just didn’t expect Anthony to actually make something of himself back home. I came back to see how he’d react. “Luckily, he didn’t disappoint me.” Indya looked down on me from above, her cold palm slapping my face. “You know, ever since I returned to the country, Anthony started renting hotel rooms with me. He married you, because he wanted the right to sign the cornea donation papers on your behalf. Every day since you got your marriage certificate, he’s been in my bed. All I have to do is beckon. As for your eyes—well, what can I say? You just happened to be by Anthony’s side. They’re more useful helping me than sitting in your sockets. From now on, just enjoy being the princess of this fancy little house. I’ll take good care of Anthony for you.” My emotions surged uncontrollably, and I lunged toward her. “Nina! What are you doing?” It was Anthony’s voice, and in the next second, a burning slap landed on my face. My head turned from the impact, and I didn’t need to see to imagine how pathetic I must have looked. “Anthony, I just came to check why there was smoke in the bedroom. I was worried about Nina’s safety. After all, she can’t see. But I didn’t expect... I didn’t expect her to misunderstand you and me.” Indya sobbed in Anthony’s arms, sounding utterly aggrieved. Anthony glanced at the ashes by the bed, not even noticing that they were his love letters to me. “You can’t see now. Could you stop causing trouble? Would burning down the house finally satisfy you? How many times do I have to tell you? Indya is my friend. She’s here to help us with the wedding. Can you stop being so paranoid?” Anthony’s accusations came one after another. I sat on the floor, pain radiating from every part of my body. As Anthony walked out of the room with Indya in his arms, I couldn’t help but call out to him. “Anthony, did I really lose my sight because of the car accident?” If I could see at that moment, I would’ve noticed how unnatural his expression was. “What else would it be? What are you thinking about all day?” “Then why did Indya regain her sight just after I lost mine?” As if I had exposed his secret, Anthony’s breathing turned rapid. “You mean Indya took your eyes? Nina, can you stop being so unreasonable? Indya’s corneas were donated by a kind person. They have nothing to do with you. Now apologize to Indya.” Anthony walked over, yanked me up, and dragged me in front of Indya. “Apologize!” “No need, Anthony. I understand Nina. It’s not easy to remain calm after going through something like this. Nina, if you really want, I’m willing to donate my corneas to you. It’s okay. I just want you and Anthony to be happy.” Her voice choked with emotion, while Anthony felt his heart ache. “Your eyes are yours. You’re not allowed to donate them. She just needs time to calm down.” After that, they left the room without another word. Seven years of love vanished completely as the door slammed shut. I told myself that I was paying the price for not being able to see what kind of person Anthony really was. Chapter 6 I called Rio. I asked her to help me book a flight. "You're just going to let him off like that?" I heard Rio's cold voice from the other end of the line. I froze for a long moment, swallowing the lump in my throat. "You know... even now, after he's lied to me, insulted me, and hurt me, what still lingers in my mind is how he looked when we first met—clean, quiet, and distant." My teeth bit down hard on my lower lip, until the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. The craziest revenge I could carry out... was to leave alone, dragging this broken body with me. "Am I pathetic?" Rio didn’t answer right away. After a long silence, a deep sigh came through the receiver. "Hold on for two more days. I’ll arrange everything for your departure." After hanging up, I slumped to the ground and sat there for a long time. I couldn’t see the light outside fade from day to night. At dinner time, Anthony came upstairs and walked into my room on his own. "Nina, I know it’s hard to accept losing your sight. But we’re about to get married. Can you try to be happy?" He gently pulled me into his arms and patted my back again and again. I knew this was Anthony’s way of making peace. Every time I got upset before, he would do this. But now, I knew he was just putting on an act. After acting for so long, it was time for the curtain to fall. I gave him a soft smile, and he left the room reassured. Anthony planned the wedding on a grand scale. The venue was a church near the university we went to. It was the place I had once dreamed of walking down the aisle with him, hand in hand. On the wedding day, he brought Indya to the house to pick me up. When he opened the door, all he saw was the wedding dress I had taken off. For a moment, Anthony panicked, but quickly forced a smile and called toward the bedroom. "I'm here to pick you up, Nina. I know you can’t see, so stop messing around. I’ll just take you straight there." The room was eerily quiet. Only then did Anthony realize something was wrong, and he frantically began searching the bedroom. Everything was still in place, not even a single piece of clothing missing—except for me. "Nina, stop playing around. Don’t hurt yourself." He raised his voice, but silence was the only reply. "Nina! Will you stop it already? Everyone’s waiting for you!" He began to lose control. Indya instinctively reached out to hold him, but he shook her off. "Nina! Our schedule will be delayed if you keep this up! Didn’t you always want to marry me?" His voice started to tremble, tinged with a barely noticeable panic. At that moment, I was already boarding the plane with the help of the staff. Anthony slumped down on the stairs in defeat, while Indya clung to his arm. "Anthony, if she’s gone, let her go. I can still go through with the wedding in her place. We can’t let the Jackson family become a laughingstock, can we? Besides, we were always in love. I was supposed to be the bride in the first place..." Anthony stared blankly ahead, lost in thought. "Nina can’t see... where could she go? What if she trips or gets hurt? Did she find out something? Nina loves me so much... she wouldn’t leave me that easily..." Maybe my recent behavior had been too strange. Compared to those happy days preparing for the wedding, I seemed like a completely different person. Back then, Anthony thought I just hadn’t gotten over the trauma of going blind. But now, looking at the empty room, it felt like the truth was on the verge of bursting out. Chapter 7 "I was the one who told her." "I told her that you dug out her corneas for me." Indya clung to Anthony’s arm, speaking the coldest words in the gentlest tone. "I know you feel guilty toward her, but love is something uncontrollable. Anthony, I can’t accept you marrying her, even if it’s just to make amends." What Indya said was touching. If it had been the old Anthony, he would’ve been deeply moved. Almost the very next second after hearing her words, Anthony’s expression turned cold. "What did you say?" His hands clamped tightly around Indya’s neck, and his eyes turned bloodshot. "The corneas were already given to you—why did you have to tell Nina! Do you have any idea how much that would hurt her!" So, Anthony had known everything all along, and still chose to hurt me without hesitation. A flash of disbelief crossed Indya’s eyes, and then she burst into a mocking laugh. "I know. But Anthony, weren’t Nina’s corneas offered up by your own hands? Now you want to play Mr. Nice Guy?" Anthony’s expression became extremely unpleasant as he stared hard at Indya. The two of them, who had been so affectionate just yesterday, now looked like enemies. "If anything happens to Nina, I won’t let you off." With those harsh words, Anthony ordered someone to keep watch over Indya and walked straight out of the villa. He began calling me nonstop. But all he got in return was the cold, repeating tone of an unanswered call. He drove to my workplace and called each of my close friends one by one, but none of them knew where I was. The unease in Anthony’s heart grew stronger and stronger. A scheduled email sitting in his inbox finally crushed him completely. It was a divorce agreement I had prepared before leaving, and my signature was clearly written on it. Anthony sat in his car, reading the email over and over. Aside from the cold legal terms, I hadn’t left him a single word—not even a curse. "No... no, this can’t be. Nina loves me so much—she wouldn’t leave me. We’re about to get married. Our life is just beginning. She promised me she would be with me for many years." He collapsed completely, and cried uncontrollably. The cars behind him honked, urging him to move. But Anthony was drowning in his sorrow, unable to recover.