Content Warning : This story contains mature themes and explicit content intended for adult audiences (18+) Reader’s discretion is advised.
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An accidental act of heroism reshaped Sera’s life entirely. She lost her sight saving the grandmother of a stranger. In return for her goodness, she was forced into marriage with the old woman’s grandson, Lucian Vitale. He was a mysterious businessman with no interest in love, and as people whispered, colder than ice. Given her circumstances, Sera had no choice but to accept. She became his pretend wife, bound by contract. It was a kind of relationship she’d never imagined living.
Sera had never planned to fall for a man she’d never seen. But with every touch, every murmur from Lucian, she was slowly pulled under by longing and feelings that should never have taken root. In darkness, she learned to love-and to bleed.
Then came the day her vision returned. She heard a truth that shattered her world and tore at her heart. Frightened beyond reason, Sera ran and vanished. She carried a secret in her womb: the child of their passionate nights together.
Four years slipped by. A man stepped back into her life. Same voice, same scent, same way his hands found hers… but he did not know her. He had amnesia. Can Sera escape the man who once meant everything to her? Or is this fate’s way of calling them back to settle what they began-in their beds, their hearts, and the secrets that still wait to be told?
Between lies, desire, and memories… will they choose each other still?
The Billionaire’s Blind Wife Chapter 1 Prologue
WARNING: This story contains mature content intended for adult readers only. Discretion is advised.
SERAPHINA’S POINT OF VIEW
“L-Lucian! O-Oh!”
A moan tore through me as his hand closed over my breast, sudden and firm. I tried to push him away, to still his fingers, but every touch only stoked the fire spreading through my skin.
“Your body responds to me so beautifully,” he said, his voice low as his hand glided down my left thigh.
My breathing grew heavy, ragged. I wanted to stop him. I wanted to see the look in his eyes. But my limbs had gone weak, and darkness was all I’d known since the accident that stole my sight. This man-my husband only by contract-was the one who’d taken me in.
“Ahh!” I gasped as his hand moved higher, tracing the inside of my thigh until I was trembling with sensation I’d never felt before.
I pressed my palm to my mouth to muffle the sounds building in my throat.
Since losing my sight, my other senses had grown razor-sharp-sharp enough to lead us straight to this moment.
I heard his soft laugh, warm and rich, the kind that settled deep in my bones.
“So this is how it is… your eyes are gone, but every other part of you is alive. Especially how you feel me.” I jolted upright as he lifted my shirt, his fingers brushing my skin.
“Lucian!” I tried to pull away.
It was a cruel truth-I’d never seen his face. All I knew of him was his voice, the way he touched me. Those were the only things that told me he was real, that he was here.
“Easy, Sera. Isn’t this what married couples do?” he asked, his breath warm against my neck as he drew closer.
I braced my hands on the bed beside me, fighting to stay steady.
“W-We’re not really married,” I whispered. “It’s just a contract. You don’t want this-you only agreed because your grandmother made you. This is just… payment. For saving her, for what happened to my eyes-“
My words cut off as something soft brushed my jaw. His lips. He was kissing me there, and heat flooded through me all over again.
“Papers don’t change the fact that you’re mine,” he murmured against my ear, sending shivers down my spine. “Contract or no contract, you’re my wife, Sera.”
He held my shoulders gently, then eased me back onto the mattress. I let him guide me-what choice did I have?
I felt his body press closer, and my heart hammered against my ribs.
Lucian… what are you thinking right now? What do you see when you look at me?
“You’re vulnerable, fragile. My grandmother made sure the contract keeps you safe.” He breathed me in, then kissed my neck, slow and deliberate. “So until your sight returns-I’ll be your eyes. Whether you think I want to or not, I’ll take care of you. I’ll be the one who touches you-” He laughed softly, kissing my neck again, moving up to my jaw, then to my lips.
I clung to his firm biceps as his mouth claimed mine, deep and hungry, like I was the one thing he’d been searching for. Without thinking, I kissed him back-if I didn’t, I’d have drowned in need.
When we pulled apart, I was gasping, my chest heaving with the force of it all.
“And I’ll be the one who gives you pleasure,” he said, his voice rough with desire.
My heart raced at his words. His hands slid down my legs again, then slowly pulled off my shorts and underwear.
I bit my lip to hold back a cry-my skin was on fire.
I want to see what you’re doing. I want to see your face.
Lucian… when did you start being so gentle with me?
I covered my mouth as his hands parted my legs. I was open to him now, and I knew he could see how my body had awakened under his touch.
“O-Ohh!” I cried out as his finger slid through me, slow and deliberate.
“You’re so wet for me,” he said. I was done for.
No matter how hard I tried to deny what he did to me-my body never lied.
Our relationship changed after that day. We grew closer, hotter, more passionate than I’d ever imagined possible.
Slowly, I learned to know him through touch alone. I found myself craving even the lightest brush of his fingers. And what I never saw coming… was that I’d fallen in love with him.
But where did it all go wrong? Was it because I knew so little about him? All I had was his name, the fact that he was a billionaire businessman. Did I fail to ask about the life he led before me?
I was shattered the day I overheard him talking. Words I never thought I’d hear.
Lucian planned to kill me once my sight came back.
The doctors said there was every chance I’d see again. That’s why the contract was only temporary.
Lucian… who are you really? You’re not just a businessman, are you?
So on the very day my vision returned, I ran. I hid from him, terrified he’d keep his word. I left without knowing I was carrying his child-the result of every passionate night we’d shared.
I ran away with his heir. I tried to forget him, and it wasn’t hard. After all, I’d never seen his face. I only knew his scent, his voice, the way he touched me.
But why?
Why is there a man here now-who smells like him, sounds like him, touches me the same way?
A man with no memory of who he was.
LUCIAN’S POINT OF VIEW
“Fuck me! It’s been years! How long since we were last here?! Shit, I forgot how much I missed the smell of this place!”
We all winced as Kidd-one of my closest associates-shouted loud enough to turn heads. We’d barely stepped off my private jet, and he was already making a scene.
Kieran, my other friend, smacked him upside the head. “Chill the hell out! You’re yelling like a lunatic,” he snapped, and we all laughed under our breath.
“Someone’s on their period,” Kidd shot back. “Go find a woman and fix that mood of yours! Dammit.”
“Believe me, I will! Better than you-you’re a coward! How did you let that blonde in Russia slip away without a kiss? You’re useless!” Kieran fired back.
Kidd’s jaw tightened. “Coward? I’m not the idiot here-just like our old man!”
That pushed Kieran over the edge. “Bullshit! He’s our dad!”
They were still going at it when we reached the terminal. No one would guess they were brothers-but they fought like this over everything.
“You okay?”
I glanced at Ace, my friend and right-hand man, walking beside me.
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” I asked as we moved through the crowd.
He chuckled. “Right… why wouldn’t you be?”
How long has it been since I left this country?
How long since I lost the only woman who ever mattered?
I remember her clearly-her smile, her scent, the way she spoke, the sound of her laugh. It all feels like yesterday.
Why did you run the moment you could see me, Sera?
Was I not enough for you?
I laughed bitterly, my mind drifting as I walked. I barely noticed who I was passing until I bumped into something small.
“Ouch!” a tiny voice squeaked.
I snapped back to attention and looked down. A little boy-maybe four years old-was on the ground, dressed in a fluffy bear costume, struggling to get up.
“You okay, kiddo?” I asked, kneeling to help him.
He didn’t speak, but his eyes were glossy with tears. He just nodded.
I scanned the area-no parents in sight. I lifted him into my arms with one hand.
“Are you lost?”
He nodded again, his voice trembling. “Mama and Leo… gone.”
Shit-he was alone.
“Hey!” I turned at the shout. Kidd was waving a giant chocolate lollipop, with Kieran scowling beside him.
“Holy fuck! Since when did you become a kidnapper?!” Kidd yelled, drawing stares from everyone around us.
Kieran smacked him again. “Idiot! Keep your voice down!”
Ace shook his head at the pair before walking over. “So? Whose kid is this?”
I chuckled. “No idea-we ran into each other. Looks like he’s lost.” The boy suddenly wrapped his arms around my neck.
What a sweet little guy…
We were about to head inside when another kid came running toward us, shouting.
“Bad boy! Give me Rio back!”
Ace and I exchanged looks.
“Leo!” the boy in my arms called out.
“Your brother?” I asked. He nodded.
Twins. And they understood English-impressive for their age.
“Rio! Wahh!” the second boy yelled as he reached us, hitting my arm lightly. Ace stepped forward and lifted him up-he was a mirror image of the first.
“Where the hell are their parents?” Kieran muttered.
“Let’s take them to-“
“Leo! Rio!”
We all looked toward the voice. A woman was running toward us, panic written all over her face. The boys lit up and called out “Mom!”
My whole body went still. I couldn’t move as I stared at her.
“Sera…” I whispered her name.
“Oh my God! Rio! Leo!” she cried as she reached us, tears streaming down her face. “Thank you so much! Thank you for looking after my boys.”
Boys? Sera… fuck-she has children?
“Hehe! Mom! They’re nice! They carried me!” the boy in my arms said, and our eyes met.
I’d know her anywhere. Every line of her face, her voice-everything about her was exactly as I remembered.
“Thank you so much! Really, thank you!” she said again, taking the boy from me.
Why do you have kids? Whose are they?
“Thank you! I just ran to the restroom for a minute, and they disappeared-I’ve been looking everywhere. Thank you!” she said once more. But nothing registered in my mind.
All I could see was her.
She didn’t recognize me-of course not. She’d been blind back then. She’d never seen my face.
My mind drifted again, and before I knew it, she was walking away with the boys.
“L! What the fuck?! Are you okay? You’ve been staring into space this whole time.”
I shook my head and didn’t answer. Instead, I started walking, a smirk spreading across my face.
Finally… we’re together again. Fate must have planned this.
No matter what life you have now. No matter who fathered your children. No matter why you left me four years ago.
I’ll win you back. You won’t escape me this time, love.
Because you’re mine.
Contracted or not-you’re my wife, Sera.
- HOT NOVEL: He Deposed Me For His Mate, Now I’m Bound To Two Hot Lycan Brothers! by Queen Muliana’s Pen
The Billionaire’s Blind Wife Chapter 2 The Accident
SERAPHINA
“Oh my god, Yuki! Get out of here! Shoo! Shoo! Go home!”
I shouted, hurrying toward Yuki, our familiar fluffy dog, who was tangled with a stray in the middle of the road. Disgust twisted my face as I raised my umbrella, using it to carefully separate the pair before things went too far.
I pointed at Yuki-our long-haired mutt Dad had begged his boss for years ago. “You horny little thing! We don’t have money to feed a litter of puppies if you get knocked up!” I snapped, my voice laced with exasperation.
Yuki whined, clearly disappointed her fun had been interrupted. I made a show of swinging my hand at the male dog, and he bolted.
I glared at her. “And you! You planning to stay out here all night?!” She flinched, tucking her tail between her legs, and darted toward our rickety wooden house.
I followed her inside, where I found Dad hunched over his phone-definitely gambling online again. I cleared my throat loudly, and he whipped around, his face paling.
“S-Sera!” He hastily stuffed the phone behind his back. “Been home long?”
I shook my head. “Just got here, Dad.”
If only I could tell Mom about this. He looked hooked on the damn thing, and it scared me. But he just raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence.
“Hmm. Well, get inside then. What are you staring at? The dishes are piled up in the kitchen-wash them before you cook dinner.”
I forced a smile, masking my frustration. “Yes, Dad. I’ll take care of it.”
He went right back to his screen, his thumbs already tapping away. Not a word about my day, if I was tired, or what I might want to eat. No surprise there.
I didn’t waste time heading to the kitchen. Even from the doorway, I could see the towering pile of crusty plates and pots-they’d clearly waited for me to get home before lifting a finger. I was drained from classes, and this was my welcome. I’d grown used to being treated like an outsider, but the familiar sting was still sharp.
As I scrubbed away at the grime, Mom walked past. Her face soured the moment she saw me.
“Really, Sera? What kind of young woman comes home this late? Good grief-you’re always nothing but trouble!”
It’s barely five o’clock. I bit back the retort. Arguing never helped; she’d just yell louder.
“I’m sorry, Mom. Classes ran long.”
“Tsk! Hurry up! Hera will be home soon, and you haven’t even started cooking yet.” She stomped off, heavy footsteps shaking the floorboards.
I sighed, the sound lost in the clatter of dishes, and kept washing. Hera was two years younger, but we were graduating college together-I’d had to take two years off when Mom made me quit to work. I’d had no choice but to agree, sacrificing my own ambitions for the sake of the family’s needs.
My stomach rumbled as I finished up-I’d skipped lunch to save my allowance. I got to work right away, boiling rice and frying up canned corned beef from the town’s relief supplies. The metallic tang of the meat filled the small kitchen.
“Mom, dinner’s ready. You should eat first,” I called out before heading to my room-the walls were cracked, the peeling paint revealing the cheap wood underneath, and the roof had a hole big enough to stick my head through. Rainwater stained the floorboards, a constant reminder of our poverty.
I changed clothes but stayed put, waiting for them to finish eating. I knew they’d never want me at the table with them-it was always this way, a silent agreement to keep me separate.
I still didn’t understand why they hated me so much. Even as a kid, they’d treated me like this. I’d asked if I was adopted, desperate for any explanation, but they swore we were blood-said a DNA test would prove it.
I let out a long breath and looked up at the sky through the hole in my roof. “Really, Lord? You love giving me challenges, don’t you?”
When I heard their dishes being cleared, I finally stepped out. I was starving, my stomach twisting with hunger.
“Mom, did you save me any food?” I asked quietly, trying to keep the plea out of my voice.
“There was some left, but we kept it for Hera. We forgot about you.” She laughed, the sound hollow and devoid of any warmth.
I dropped my gaze, focusing on the worn floorboards. Of course it’s for Hera.
“Okay, Mom. I’ll just go to sleep then.”
She raised an eyebrow, her expression challenging. “Fine, sleep. Why the long face? Are you mad you didn’t get any food?!”
I jumped at her sudden shout, flinching at the harshness in her tone, and shook my head. “No, Mom!”
“Don’t give me that look, Sera. Get a job if you want to eat! Dammit, you’re always bothering me.”
I turned away, jaw tight, just as Hera walked in from school. “Hey, everyone!”
Mom and Dad rushed to greet her. “Our beautiful girl! Even tired from class, you’re still stunning!” They kissed her cheeks, their voices softening as they cooed over her.
“Go eat, Hera-we saved your favorite for you,” Mom said, guiding her toward the kitchen.
I bit my lip, the familiar sting of exclusion pricking at my eyes, and headed back to my room, staring at the faded floral wallpaper as my mind raced.
That’s all I’ve ever wanted-for them to treat me like their princess too. We were both their daughters, so why was I so different? Why did they withhold every ounce of affection from me?
The pain was sharp, a dull ache in my chest, but I didn’t cry-I was used to it by now, the numbness a familiar shield. Even so, a part of me still ached for the warmth and love they showered on Hera, a longing that never seemed to fade.
I slapped my cheeks hard, then pinched them, trying to ground myself. “Come on, Sera. You’re tough-this won’t break you. The Lord must have big plans for you!” I forced a laugh, the sound hollow as I whispered the words to myself, seeking comfort in the familiar mantra.
Sleep was better than dwelling on things, a temporary escape from the constant ache. I had an event at school early tomorrow, and I needed to be up before dawn, a daunting prospect given my empty stomach and heavy heart.
“Mom, I’m heading to school!” I called out, raising my voice to be heard over the silence of the quiet house. She could be anywhere-her room, some corner of the yard-so shouting was safer, a way to ensure my voice reached her.
I waited a few seconds, the silence stretching, but no answer came. I scratched my head, a flicker of panic igniting within me-I was already running late, and the clock was ticking against me. I needed to ask her for a hundred pesos to cover an unexpected fee, a sum my meager savings couldn’t cover.
“Mom?” I called again, my voice tinged with urgency.
I was about to give up and leave, resigning myself to facing the day without her support, when I heard footsteps approaching. Mom rounded the corner, phone clutched in her hand, a strange, unsettling smile playing on her lips.
She looked me up and down, her eyes narrowing when she saw my backpack, her gaze lingering with an intensity that made my skin crawl.
“Mom, I have to go-“
“You’re not going anywhere,” she said firmly, her voice laced with an unfamiliar edge. My brow furrowed in confusion, trying to decipher the meaning behind her words.
“What do you mean I’m not-“
“Quit school, Sera.” She stared at me with a cold glint in her eye, her expression unreadable, then smirked, as if sharing a secret I wasn’t privy to. “There’s a better life waiting for you.”
My chest tightened with unease, a sense of foreboding washing over me. I forced a laugh, hoping to diffuse the tension, hoping it was all just a misunderstanding. “Mom, come on-it’s too early for jokes-“
She cut me off, grabbing my arm with a force that made me wince. I’d never seen her like this, her eyes burning with a strange, unsettling intensity.
“I said you’re not going. Do you understand me?!”
I gasped, a sharp intake of breath, then found the strength to pull my arm away, recoiling from her touch.
“I’m going to school,” I repeated, my voice trembling but firm, and ran for the door, desperate to escape the suffocating atmosphere of the house.
“Sera! Get back here, you little brat! I’m talking to you! Sera!” I blocked out her shouts, the harsh words stinging my ears, sprinting down the dirt path away from our house, seeking refuge in the anonymity of the outside world.
What is wrong with her? She’d seemed almost happy just a minute ago-why was she taking it out on me again, unleashing her anger on me as if I were the source of all her problems?
I shook my head as I walked, knowing I’d never make the event on time now, the weight of disappointment settling heavily on my shoulders. I’d had to walk since I couldn’t afford fare, and the school was just ahead, a bittersweet reminder of the life I was fighting to build.
Great, Seraphina. Real smart. I messed up my hair in frustration, the gesture a futile attempt to release the pent-up tension. “Why do you always land yourself in this mess?!”
I muttered to myself as I trudged onward, just a few steps from the school’s back gate, the familiar surroundings offering a small measure of comfort. I could already picture my teacher scolding me and my friends teasing me-but none of that mattered when I saw the black van pull up beside an old woman, a scene that shattered the normalcy of the morning.
Then I saw the glint of a knife, a flash of metal that sent a jolt of terror through my veins.
My eyes went wide as they shoved her into the van, the brutality of the act unfolding before me. Kidnapping? Oh my god!
I acted without thinking, driven by instinct and a fierce sense of injustice, charging toward them as I screamed, my voice raw with adrenaline. “Stop! You can’t do this! Let her go!”
They turned to look at me-masked men, all of them, their faces hidden behind a wall of anonymity. I hurled my heavy backpack full of books at one of them, the books scattering across the ground, then rushed to the old woman, who was slumped against the van, bleeding, her eyes wide with fear.
“Oh my god! Are you okay? Breathe slowly!” I pulled out my handkerchief, my hands trembling, and pressed it to her wound, holding tight to stem the bleeding, desperate to offer some measure of comfort.
“Who the hell are you?!” one of the men snarled, his voice muffled by the mask.
“Help! Someone help us! They’re trying to kill her!” I yelled at passing cars, my voice cracking with fear, hoping someone would hear my desperate plea and come to our rescue.
The men panicked, their carefully laid plans unraveling, clearly not wanting attention. They started climbing into the van, preparing to flee. But my eyes-still sharp before the burn-locked on the passenger seat. Through the mask’s slit, the man’s stare cut through me like ice on fire.
Before I could think, a cloud of burning mist sprayed my face.
“A-Aughhh! M-My Eyes!”
I clung to the old woman, my eyes throbbing as darkness closed in-but not before I caught a glimpse of the silver thorn crest on their door. She gripped my hand tight, her voice a whisper against the ringing in my ears:
“It’ll be fine… m-my grandson will help you. He’ll know what to do.”
Then the world went black.
–
When I woke up in the hospital, my eyes bandaged tight, the doctor’s words hit me like ice: “There’s a chance you’ll see again someday.” But it was the nurse’s murmur that made my blood run cold-
“The Vitale family’s covering all your costs. Every last penny… but nothing in life is ever truly free.”
Because the day my eyes open again will be the day I learn what my life is really worth-and that the man I’ll marry plans to take it all away.
The Billionaire’s Blind Wife Chapter 3 Savior
SERAPHINA
Noise first-running feet, shouts that blurred into an incomprehensible cacophony. I fought to pry my eyes open, but the darkness remained, an impenetrable wall. I waved a hand before my face, fingers slicing through air I could feel but not see. Nothing. Just black, thick as water, suffocating in its totality.
“W-What happened?” The words fell flat in the quiet, swallowed by the void.
My head throbbed, each pulse a painful reminder of the chaos, every muscle singing with ache. I tried to sit up, my limbs heavy as stone, unresponsive to my will. Dead? Hit by a car? I clawed at memory, but it slipped through my fingers like soap, elusive and intangible. Car? What was I doing before…
I touched my forehead, then my eyelids-they were open, I could feel the stretch of skin, the delicate pressure. So why was the world gone, swallowed by this all-encompassing blackness?
Fragments clicked into place, sharp and sudden, piercing through the fog of confusion: the old woman hunched on the sidewalk, her face etched with fear, the glint of a knife reflecting the harsh morning light, the van’s rust-colored door slamming shut with brutal finality.
Right. I’d fought with Mom at dawn-her words like shards of glass, screaming about dropping out, said school was a waste of money I didn’t have. I’d stormed out, walking to campus, my anger a burning ember, when I saw them drag her in, saw the blade tear through her cotton shirt, leaving a crimson stain. I’d run without thinking, feet slamming against asphalt, propelled by a force I couldn’t control.
What came after? I squeezed my lids shut, chasing the ghost of it, desperate to reclaim the lost moments.
Then I remembered.
“He sprayed something in my eyes!” I jolted upright, a gasp escaping my lips, sheets twisting around my legs like a suffocating embrace.
My heart hammered against my ribs, each beat a frantic drum against my sternum, so hard I felt it in my throat, choking me with panic. I spun my head side to side, hands scrabbling over cool linen, searching for a sign, any sign. The dark didn’t shift, didn’t waver, remained absolute.
The truth landed slow and heavy, a crushing weight pressing the air from my lungs, stealing my breath.
“Am I… blind? Did I lose my sight?” My voice cracked, thin as spider silk, fragile and easily broken. Hot tears tracked down my cheeks, a burning trail of grief, and I didn’t bother to wipe them away, surrendering to the despair. Blind.
How will I finish school? My work? How can I make something of myself when I can’t even find my own hands? Fear coiled in my gut, tight as a spring, constricting my breath, stealing my hope. They’ll hate me more now.
If they’d resented me when I could see-when I’d scraped for every peso to pay tuition, sacrificing everything-what would they do now? What value could I possibly have to them now?
I drew a shaky breath, forcing my hands to unclench, fighting against the rising tide of panic. That’s when I heard it: a door opening, soft as a whisper, a gentle sigh against the silence, then closing with quiet deliberation. No footsteps, no words, only the hushed sounds of a presence nearby.
“H-Hello? Is anyone there?”
A pause, thick with unspoken tension, then a quiet clearing of throat. “I take it you’ve realized your condition, Miss Mortez.” The voice was calm, even-like pouring water into a glass, soothing yet detached. A doctor, maybe, or a nurse, someone accustomed to delivering bad news.
“Am I really blind?” My hands trembled in my lap, knuckles white, a physical manifestation of the terror that consumed me.
“For now. But it isn’t permanent. We expect full sight back within a year-maybe sooner.”
A year. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding, a small gasp of relief, but the knot in my chest didn’t loosen, the fear remained, a persistent shadow. A year in darkness… who would take me in? Who would want me?
“W-What about the woman I tried to help? Is she okay?”
Another pause-long enough I could almost feel her looking at me, studying me with an unseen gaze. “You’re worried about her, even now?” A hint of warmth in her laugh, a flicker of surprise. “She’s stable. Healing well.”
Something lightened in my chest, a small spark of hope amidst the despair. The doctor spoke of swelling, of treatment, of drops I’d need to take-but the words slid off me, meaningless sounds in the face of the one thought that consumed me: Mom.
“Would you like us to contact your family? We can have someone call them.”
I froze, the question hanging in the air like a threat. “I… I don’t know their numbers by heart.” My voice sounded small, lost, a child in the face of overwhelming fear.
“I see. We’ll find a way to-” The door slammed open with such force the frame rattled, wood groaning in protest, the sound echoing through the room like a thunderclap.
“Seraphina!”
My breath caught, a sharp intake of air that filled my lungs with dread. Mom.
“Ma’am, please-you can’t just enter without-“
“M-Mom?” I cut through the doctor’s protest, relief warring with dread so sharp it made my teeth ache, a conflicting wave of emotions that threatened to drown me. “How did you find me? I was so scared-“
A slap cracked through the air, landing hard on my cheek, the force of the blow sending my head reeling. I cried out, clutching my face as numbness spread over my skin, a physical manifestation of the pain that had always been present. I didn’t know where to turn-there was nowhere to look, no escape from the darkness that consumed me.
“Damn you! Useless enough before-now you’re blind and good for nothing!” Her voice bounced off the walls, harsh and sharp, amplified by the small space, each word a dagger twisting in my heart.
“Mom, I didn’t mean-“
Another slap, harder this time, a brutal assault that left me gasping for breath. My head spun, and I tasted copper on my tongue, the metallic tang of blood a familiar taste.
“You’ve never brought anything but curse to this house! Why did I even have you?”
Her words cut deeper than any blow, a searing brand on my soul, confirming the fears I had always harbored. I heard her shouting at the doctor, voice rising and falling like broken glass, a storm of anger I was powerless to control. It was nothing new. Mom’s anger had always been a storm I couldn’t outrun, a constant presence in my life. I mumbled for the doctor to let her stay, my voice flat and heavy as stone, resigned to my fate.
The air in the room thickened, warm and sour with anger, heavy with unspoken resentments. Without sight, every sense felt amplified: the shift of the mattress as she sat beside me, the rasp of her breath, the faint smell of sweat and cooking oil clinging to her clothes, all assaulting me with their intensity. I hunched against the headboard, waiting, bracing myself for the inevitable.
“Your Aunt Mila showed up at the house to tell me where you were, you fool!” She snapped, her voice laced with disdain. “What are we supposed to do with you now?”
“I don’t know, Mom. I don’t know.” My shoulders slumped, the fight draining out of me, and the cane beside the bed felt like a weight I’d already been carrying, a symbol of the burden I had become.
So close to graduating. I’d counted every day, every exam, every paper I’d written by hand because we couldn’t afford a computer, each milestone a testament to my perseverance. Now it all felt like smoke, insubstantial and fleeting. Even if my sight came back-if-would anything be the same? Would I ever escape this cycle of abuse and despair?
Silence stretched between us, long and tight, heavy with unspoken truths and bitter regrets. Then she spoke, and the words shredded what little hope I had left, tearing through the fragile fabric of my dreams.
“I’ve decided. I’m selling you to Don Tiago. You’re no use to us like this.”
“Mom! I’m not a thing to be sold!” I cried out, the words ripped from my throat, hands fisting in the sheets until my knuckles burned, a desperate act of defiance against the crushing weight of her decision.
She smacked my thigh, hard enough to make me flinch, a sharp reminder of her power over me. “What else? You can’t study, can’t work-you’ll just drain us dry. We need to take care of Hera, not clean up your messes!”
My chest tightened until I could barely breathe, the air thin and suffocating. How could she let me go so easy? What had I done to make her look at me like I was nothing more than a burden to be traded, a commodity to be sold?
“At least with the governor, we’ll get paid. You’ll finally be worth something-and you’ll live in a real house!”
Fear pricked at my skin, cold and sharp, a visceral response to the terror that threatened to consume me. Don Tiago… the stories drifted through my head-whispers of young women taken to his estate, never seen again, swallowed by the darkness of his depravity. Before I could speak, before I could beg or plead or fight, the world tilted, and darkness swallowed me whole, a welcome oblivion.
“Sera! Are you done yet? Hurry-Hera’s gonna fix your face so you don’t look like you’ve been crying all week.”
I dropped my head, fingers wrapped around the smooth wood of my cane. Two days had passed since I’d woken up blind. Dad had yelled until his voice gave out-exactly what I’d expected.
“I’m ready,” I said, voice flat as I sat on the edge of the bed. Footsteps approached, quick and light, then Hera’s voice cut through the air.
“Ugh. Why did you have to go and get yourself blinded? Now you’re gonna be that creep’s toy.” Her fingers were cold as she grabbed my chin, dabbing something sweet-smelling on my cheeks.
I said nothing. My heart was already in pieces-what more could she do to hurt me?
“Ah well. Thanks for the money, though! Finally getting out of this hole. Guess you are the breadwinner after all.”
I let her pull me to my feet, let mol adjust my dress-too tight, too fancy, nothing I’d ever wear on my own. When they said the governor was here, they guided me toward the door, their hands heavy on my arms.
“What’s wrong with you? Stop crying!” mom hissed, pinching my side hard enough to make me gasp.
Who wouldn’t cry when their own family is selling them? But I bit my tongue, letting her drag me forward.
“Stop it! You’re making us look bad!” Hera complained beside me.
I was almost grateful for the dark-grateful I wouldn’t have to see his face, or the greed shining in my family’s eyes.
“Don!” mom called out, her voice bright as polished glass.
“Oh, Mrs. Mortez! Is this the girl?” The voice was slick, oily-like warm grease sliding over stone. I could almost picture his smile, too wide, too sharp.
How do I get away?
“Yes, sir! Isn’t she beautiful?” mom trilled.
“Beautiful indeed. Perfect, just perfect.”
“Are you happy now, mom?” The words slipped out before I could stop them, quiet as dust.
She pinched me again, and I let out a laugh that sounded like broken glass.
What else could I expect from people who never saw me as their own?
I listened as they haggled, voices rising and falling over numbers I tried not to hear. Then a hand wrapped around my arm-warm, but firm enough to make my skin crawl.
“You’re a lovely thing, sweetheart,” he murmured in my ear, his breath hot against my neck.
I didn’t move, didn’t speak, letting him lead me toward what I assumed was his car. But before I could take another step, a voice cut through the noise-deep, cold, and sharp as a blade.
“Negotiating human trafficking… is that how you conduct business, Don Tiago?”
Even I froze, every muscle going tight. The hand on my arm squeezed hard with panic.
“V-Vitale! What are you doing here?” The governor’s voice shook.
Vitale?
“I’m here for Seraphina Mortez. And it seems you’re holding her against her will.”
The Don Tiago shoved me away so fast I stumbled, my cane clattering to the ground. Strong arms caught me before I hit the dirt, pulling me close against a chest solid as stone. His scent filled my lungs-clean pine, something sharp and warm like wood smoke.
“W-What do you want with me?” I asked, my hands finding his shoulders, fingers curling into the fabric of his jacket.
“Not now. We’ll talk later. Just hold on.” His voice was low, steady-impossible to resist.
“W-Wait! She’s our daughter-” Dad stammered.
“How much did he offer you?” The man cut him off, his tone leaving no room for lies.
“H-Huh?”
“I won’t ask again.”
“Five hundred thousand dollars.”
Five hundred thousand. I’d worked three jobs for a year to save a tenth of that. I wasn’t surprised-nothing about this should have surprised me.
“I’ll pay triple. In exchange, you forget Seraphina Mortez was ever your daughter. No claims, no contact. And if you ever try to find her…” He paused, and the silence that followed was more terrifying than any threat.
“You’ll regret it.”
I heard my family scrambling, voices rising in panic and greed all at once. Then strong arms lifted me off my feet, and I wrapped my legs around his waist instinctively, clinging to his neck. I said nothing as he carried me to a car, setting me gently on seats soft as buttered leather.
“Stay here. I’ll handle the rest.” He closed the door, leaving me alone in the quiet dark-wondering who this man was, and why he’d pulled me from a fate I’d already begun to accept.