She Blinded Me For Her Lover

My divorce from my ex-wife was a bloodbath.

I threw her little lover down the stairs, leaving him fractured and bleeding out on the marble floor.

In retaliation, she orchestrated a car crash that put me in hypovolemic shock. While I was unconscious on the operating table, she ordered the surgeons to harvest my corneasnot to save another life, but to throw them to the dogs.

We met again five years later.

She was now a high-ranking military Commander with absolute authority.

And I was blind, scraping by as a masseur in a small, quiet parlor for the visually impaired.

When she looked at me, her breathing didn't even falter.

I served her just like any other client.

Only when she was about to leave did she finally speak.

"Isaac, you've been away from home long enough. Surely you've learned your lesson by now."

"Are you really intent on keeping my child and living like this?"

I rubbed my calloused fingertips together, keeping my mouth shut.

She didn't know.

That crash didn't just steal my sight. It took my baby, too.

My divorce from my ex-wife was a bloodbath.

I threw her little lover down the stairs, leaving him fractured and bleeding out on the marble floor.

In retaliation, she orchestrated a car crash that put me in hypovolemic shock. While I was unconscious on the operating table, she ordered the surgeons to harvest my corneasnot to save another life, but to throw them to the dogs.

We met again five years later.

She was now a high-ranking military Commander with absolute authority.

And I was blind, scraping by as a masseur in a small, quiet parlor for the visually impaired.

When she looked at me, her breathing didn't even falter.

I served her just like any other client.

Only when she was about to leave did she finally speak.

"Isaac, you've been away from home long enough. Surely you've learned your lesson by now."

"Are you really intent on keeping my child and living like this?"

I rubbed my calloused fingertips together, keeping my mouth shut.

She didn't know.

That crash didn't just steal my sight. It took my baby, too.

A long silence stretched between us before Diana finally let out a heavy sigh.

"Isaac, look at your hands. Theyre covered in calluses. Do you really think you can raise a child like this?"

"If you just apologize to Cody, I can take you both back to the estate today. Youll never have to worry about money again."

I didn't move. I simply pulled out my phone with practiced ease, tapping the screen to bring up the payment gateway.

"That won't be necessary, Commander Hogan. Just leave a five-star review if you're satisfied with the service."

Diana didn't move. I heard her knuckles tap rhythmically against the wooden deska heavy, impatient sound.

"Isaac, you're blind. What is this pride getting you?"

I blinked my useless eyes, the skin tight and dry. Just as I opened my mouth to respond, her phone buzzed.

Two tiny, innocent voices filtered through the speaker.

"Mommy, I miss you. When are you coming home? Daddy has a fever."

"Yeah, Daddy looks really sick today, his eyes are all red. Come home and watch movies with us."

Dianas voice softened instantly, wrapping them in a gentle warmth I hadn't felt in years.

"Mommy misses you too, sweethearts."

"Take good care of Daddy, okay? Im on my way."

She hung up. I could feel her lingering gaze, heavy with hesitation.

"Isaac, I..." her voice was raspy.

I offered a small, polite smile and took a step back, clearing her path to the door.

"Safe travels, Commander Hogan."

After a long, agonizing pause, the sharp click of her heels faded down the hallway. But at the threshold, she stopped.

"Isaac, you never used to be this cold."

Used to be?

I touched the corners of my eyes, where a phantom ache always seemed to linger. I used to cry, scream, and beg, using our child as a shield to keep her from walking away. None of it made her look back. In the end, my baby was gone, my eyes were dark, and all I got in return was a cold reminder that I had brought it on myself.

Only when the outer door clicked shut did I finally relax my shoulders and slip back into the breakroom.

My coworker nudged my shoulder.

"You two know each other? That was Commander Hogan."

I shook my head.

"Not really."

Another coworker chimed in with a chuckle.

"Not really? She just bought an annual VIP pass under your name, Isaac. Youre set for the year."

"Man, shes gorgeous. And she seems so incredibly devoted. If I had an ex-wife like that, Id never let her go."

A bitter irony twisted in my gut. I stayed silent.

But the gossip wouldn't stop.

"Seriously, though. Word is she traded a major military medal just to secure that luxury estate for her ex. What more could a guy want? People say shes still single, living like a monk. Thats real love."

The silence in my chest suddenly snapped. I couldn't help it.

"Real love?" My voice sounded hollow even to me. "Is it real love to cheat during a marriage and father twins with another man? Is it real love to move your mistress right into that luxury estate? Is it real love to leave the husband who stood by you for ten years without even ten dollars in his pocket to buy an ice cream?"

The room went dead silent. A sharp intake of breath.

"How... how do you know all that?"

I looked down, a self-deprecating smile on my lips. I pulled out an old, faded photograph from my walletthe last one taken before the dark took overand handed it to them.

"Did I have nice eyes?"

They murmured in agreement. "They were beautiful, Isaac."

I pointed to the hollow, scarred tissue beneath my brow.

"Diana Hogan took them. Do you still think shes a good woman?"

The silence that followed was suffocating. I didn't wait for an answer. I went back to work, letting the physical labor numb my mind.

When my shift ended, I grabbed my white cane. I bought a bag of sweets and small toys, and took a cab to the quiet cemetery on the outskirts of the city. I laid them out by the cold headstone, then slowly burned them in the small iron brazier, listening to the plastic warp and the paper turn to ash.

"Hey, baby. Are you warm over there?"

I traced the nameless stone with my fingertips.

"She came by today. She mentioned you."

"But don't worry. Shell never get to see you. Not in this lifetime."

The next morning, my phone rang. It was my day off, but the manager was panicked. Diana was at the shop, tearing the place apart.

When I got there, her voice was low and dangerous.

"If you don't get Isaac here in five minutes, Ill have this entire establishment shut down for a safety audit."

I paused at the threshold, then pushed the door open.

"Don't threaten them. Im here."

She didn't waste words. "Get your things. We're leaving."

I stood my ground.

"I won't ask twice, Isaac."

A cold smile touched my lips. "And if I say no?"

"What are you going to take from me this time?"

Dianas breath hitched. She swept a glass vase off the counter, sending it shattering across the tile. The mask of the calm, penitent ex-wife was finally slipping.

We had been childhood sweethearts.

When I was ten, my parents died in the line of duty, and the Hogans took me in. Back then, I was a ghost of a boy, sitting in a dark room staring at nothing. It was Diana, two years younger than me, who reached out and took my hand. She held onto it for ten years.

She watched partners come and go in her social circles, but I was the only constant by her side. On my twenty-second birthday, she dragged me to the courthouse the second it opened. I laughed, calling her a puppy eager for its bowl. She pressed the marriage certificate to her chest and whispered, "Ive guarded you for ten years, Isaac. Im not letting anyone else steal you. A husband belongs safely in my pocket."

At our wedding, as she walked down the aisle toward me, she was already crying. She threw her arms around me, sobbing out her vows: "Isaac, I swear, its only ever been you. It will always be you."

After we married, she learned how to cook the spicy Cajun dishes I loved. Because I liked walking barefoot, she carpeted the entire house so my feet would never be cold. Every morning, I woke up to find my toothbrush already prepped with toothpaste. I was drowning in sweetness.

Until she went away on a month-long deployment. Missing her terribly, I cooked a pot of her favorite soup and drove down to her headquarters. I pushed her office door open.

Her collar was undone, her hair slightly messy. She was sitting on a junior officer's lap, while he, holding a half-burnt cigarette, casually leaned down to kiss her lips.

My entire body froze.

"Diana, what is this?"

She snapped out of it, pushing him away and reaching for the soup container. "Isaac, honey, what are you doing here?"

My voice shook. I pointed at the man. "Who is he?"

"Just a subordinate," she said, trying to take my hand. I yanked it back.

"Since when do you kiss subordinates?"

The man stood up, a smug smile on his face. "You must be the husband. I'm Cody. Diana and I are strictly professional, don't sweat it. Man, you're handsome. If I were her, Id have locked you down early too." He reached out, his fingers brushing my jaw as if he wanted to lean in. I pushed him away, scowling.

Cody laughed. "Sorry, man. Just couldn't help myself. You're gorgeous. Besides, I'm gay. Dianas just my best friend. You have absolutely nothing to worry about."

He pulled out his phone to show me pictures of his supposed boyfriend. I looked at Diana, desperate for reassurance. "Is that true?"

Diana wrapped her arms around me, smiling. "Of course it is. Weve known each other for years. Hes like a sister to me. If there was anything between us, would I have married you? It was just a stupid joke, honey. Don't take it to heart."

I wanted so badly to believe her. So I did.

But after that, Cody was everywhere. Hed lounge around our house half-naked around her. When I voiced my discomfort, she brushed it off. "Hes just a gay best friend, Isaac. You're overthinking it. Even his boyfriend doesn't mind, why are you so uptight?"

Her casual attitude made me doubt my own sanity. Cody was always sweet to my face, calling me his favorite brother-in-law. I convinced myself to stop being petty. I treated him like a friend, cooking extra portions for him, buying him gifts on his birthday.

Then came our first wedding anniversary.

Diana had been traveling out of town for "work." I bought a beautiful silk pajama set shed teased me about, preparing a surprise. I went to her personal assistant, my eyes bright with excitement. But her assistant couldn't even look me in the eye.

"Isaac... maybe you shouldn't go."

"What do you mean?" My smile faltered.

The assistant sighed, looking away. "Shes not out of town. Shes in the city. Shes with Cody."

I got the address. It was a cozy little apartment. The very apartment Diana had bought in my name before our wedding to give me "financial security." Now, her lover was living in it.

My knees trembled as I walked up the stairs. Through the slightly ajar door, I saw Cody gently rubbing Dianas swollen stomach.

"Our boy is kicking hard today. Sorry he's making you so tired, babe."

Diana smiled, a look of pure tenderness on her face. "When hes older, Ill hand the entire Hogan legacy over to him."

My nails dug into the wooden doorframe until they bled. For a year, I had begged her for a baby. She always said she wasn't ready. Now I knew why. She was already carrying his.

I slammed the door open.

"So this is what 'busy' looks like, Diana?"

My voice sounded raw, like I was choking on glass.

"Isaac? What are you doing here?"

Diana immediately stepped in front of Cody, shielding him as if I were a monster.

I let out a harsh laugh. "I should ask you the same thing."

She frowned, her tone dripping with impatience. "Cody just broke up with his boyfriend. He was devastated. He said he just wanted to feel what its like to have a family. Im just helping him through it."

"Helping him?" My voice cracked. "Diana, where do I fit into your life?"

Cody stepped out, glaring at Diana. "Diana, how can you speak to Isaac like that?" He reached for my hand. "Isaac, I just wanted a baby. Since were all so close, I just borrowed Dianas womb for a bit. You don't mind, right? Weve never crossed any lines, I swear."

I wrenched my hand away, shaking with a violent, hysterical laughter. Right. No lines crossed. Except theyd slept together.

"I want a divorce, Diana."

I turned and walked away. Back at our place, I threw my clothes into a suitcase. Halfway through, she burst in, grabbing my wrists.

"Weve been together for over ten years, Isaac. Youre really going to throw that away over this?"

"Youre a spoiled rich kid whos never held a job. How are you going to survive out there?"

"Thats none of your business," I yelled, shaking her off.

She suddenly broke down, pulling me into a desperate embrace, wiping my tears. "Isaac, Im sorry. I messed up. Please, don't leave me. Not after everything."

"Then abort the baby!"

She hesitated, but finally nodded. "Okay. I will."

I gripped her collar tightly. "And I want you to get pregnant with my baby. Right now."

She stared at me for a long time, then whispered, "Okay."

I kept her locked in that house. Day and night, it was a cycle of desperate intimacy, fertility supplements, and endless remedies. Three months later, she got pregnant. She let out a sigh of relief, as if shed finally checked a chore off her list. But when she looked at her growing belly, there was none of the warmth shed shown Codys child. She treated the pregnancy like a transaction. She did whatever I askedprenatal exams, supplementsbut her mind was always elsewhere. I told myself it didn't matter. Once the baby came, things would fix themselves.

But by the fifth month, she started slipping away again. Ignoring my calls. One afternoon, she sneaked out while I was asleep. I followed her to the old Hogan family home.

Cody was rubbing her swollen legs as she lounged on the sofa, eating ice cream and scrolling through her phonea phone she never let me touch anymore.

"Only two bites," Cody said gently. "I hate that I can't be with you every day right now."

I pushed the door open, my hands shaking.

"Diana, you lied to me."

At the sight of me, Dianas patience snapped. "Isaac, enough! Ive done everything you wanted. I stayed home, I gave you a baby. Cody has severe depression. Hes unstable. Do you have any idea how painful it is for me to watch him suffer on the security feeds? Im carrying your child. Why can't you just leave him alone?"

"Because you promised!" I screamed, my fists clenched.

Cody smirked subtly. "Isaac, my phone died, so I was just using Dianas to pass the time. Even the doctor said Im doing great, coping with my depression. I tell Diana she worries too much. She won't let me join her missions or go on business trips anymore. But don't worry, I'm not a freeloader. Dianas already setting up my promotions. Soon, Ill be able to make her my little princess."

Blind with rage, I grabbed a heavy ceramic vase from the table and threw it at him.

"You disgust me!"

"Cody, watch out!"

Diana threw herself in front of him, catching the blow, then glared at me with pure hatred. "How can you be so vicious? You know hes sick!"

The fight drained out of me instantly. I turned and walked out. I knocked on my best friends door, sobbing as I told him everything. But he only frowned.

"Honestly, Isaac, youre being unreasonable. Codys a good guy. He just wanted a kid with Diana. Is it really worth this kind of reaction?"

I stared at him, unable to believe what I was hearing.

"You actually forced Diana to get an abortion? That was a human life, Isaac. Cody never tried to take your place. Youre the one making a scene." He turned back to his shopping bags. "By the way, its Codys birthday soon. What do you think I should get him?"

A thick, suffocating weight settled in my throat. My childhood friend of over a decade was taking Codys side.

I left his house and walked aimlessly. I wanted to buy an ice cream, just to taste something sweet, but my banking app showed a zero balance. I sat on a park bench near our estate from sunset to sunrise, freezing.

When I finally stumbled back home, Diana grabbed my arm, checking me over. "Where the hell were you? Ive been looking for you all night. You're pregnant with my child, and you're out running around like a child?"

I didn't look at her. I just held out my hand. "Your phone."

She hesitated before handing it over. I tried my birthday. Error. Our anniversary. Error.

She bit her lip. "0613."

Codys birthday.

My fingers trembled as I unlocked it and transferred five thousand dollars to my account. Diana looked shocked, then handed me a black credit card. "Theres no limit. Buy whatever you want, Isaac. Just stop running away."

I gripped the card, its sharp plastic edges biting into my palm. I pulled away when she tried to hug me, walking back to my room in silence. I stopped asking about Cody. I stopped caring.

My baby was finally born. But he never received a single warm glance from his mother, let alone her breastmilk. The day after giving birth, she checked out of the hospital to take care of Cody.

One afternoon, Cody came to see me. He held Dianas phone, a triumphant smirk on his face. "Isaac, did you know? Diana promised shed come take care of me once the baby was born. I told her I was just a little tired, and she held me so tight. She didn't even blink when she found out youd stayed out in the cold all night. It was all a show for you, Isaac. If I were her, Id never treat you like that."

My heart shriveled. All her panic, her frantic searchingit was all an act. How many times had she played me for a fool?

As I turned to leave, Cody screamed and threw himself down the stairs.

"Isaac, please! I just wanted to visit! You don't have to kill me just because you hate my friendship with Diana!"

"Cody!"

The next second, a stinging slap cracked across my face. Diana was already on her knees, cradling Cody in her arms. "Isaac, you are monstrous."

I wiped the blood from my lip, letting out a quiet, broken laugh.

That night, she stormed into my room and grabbed my wrists. "You broke his bones, and now his vision is failing! If you're going to be this cruel, you can give him your eyes!"

"I didn't push him! He jumped!" I screamed, shaking my head.

"Liar! Hes too innocent for a stunt like that!"

She dragged me toward the door. I lost all my pride. I fell to my knees, begging her. "Diana, please. My art exhibition isn't finished. I need my eyes. Just let me finish it, let me look at our baby a little longer. Please, just give me a few months."

I was sobbing, my whole body shaking.

She let out a cold laugh. "A few months? What about Cody? Can he wait?"

"And the baby? You're too malicious to raise him anyway. Youre better off blind. At least you won't ruin him."

She dragged me toward her car. I managed to break free, grabbing our baby from his crib and running into the street. How could I protect my son if I was blind? But the next second, headlight beams blinded me. A fleet of black SUVs charged at us. There was no escape. I held my baby tight, but the impact tore him from my arms. I watched him fly through the air...

She had me taken straight to the military hospital. I watched the surgical team approach me with their cold steel instruments, unable to move. I cried quiet, useless tears as they cut into my sockets, leaving nothing but trailing tracks of blood. She used to kiss those eyes. She used to tell me they were the most beautiful thing shed ever seen.

Afterward, she had us shipped off to a private asylum in the mountains, so our presence wouldn't stress Cody. It was freezing, damp, and neglected. My baby lay beside me, broken from the crash. For Codys sake, she didn't even care if her own son lived or died. I held his tiny, cooling body in my arms, stumbling toward the iron gates, screaming for help. But the guards only pushed me back, sending high-voltage shocks through my body every time I touched the fence. After dozens of shocks, I lay dying on the wet concrete.

Someone stepped over me, spitting on the ground. "You forced Commander Hogan to abort her lover's child, and you think shed let yours live? Dream on."

My heart seized, a physical agony ripping through my numb flesh. I reached out for my baby, but my fingers only met ice.

"Isaac, I just want you and our boy to come home. We can have a good life."

Dianas raspy voice pulled me back to the present.

I let out a dry, rattling laugh. "Our boy?"

Diana continued, oblivious. "Hes three now, right? I picked out a name for him. Jamie. Do you like it?"

"He needs to come home."

"Don't you know?" I whispered. "He died in that asylum because you refused him medical care."