My Best Friend Faked Blindness to Steal My Boyfriend

My best friend, Melanie, lost her sight in a brutal car accident.

Her boyfriend, Tyler, died in the fiery crash.

When she woke up in the hospital and realized he was gone, she tried to end her life three times.

After her third failed attempt, her parents literally got down on their knees and begged me.

"Chloe, please," Mrs. Miller sobbed, clutching my hand. "She's our only daughter. If she dies, we won't survive either. Your boyfriend, Ethan, is about the same height and build as Tyler. Please, just until she recovers, let him pretend to be Tyler. Let him be there for her."

I looked at Melanie, pale and unconscious on the hospital bed.

I bit my lip until it bled, and finally, I nodded.

From that moment on, my boyfriend became my best friend's boyfriend.

To make it easier to care for Melanie, we all lived together in the townhouse Ethan and I had co-signed.

I basically became their live-in housekeeper, cooking and cleaning for them.

Six months passed. I came back early from a business trip, eager to surprise Ethan.

But as I stood outside the front door, I froze. I could hear voices coming from inside.

It was Mrs. Miller. "Melanie's eyes recovered three months ago. She's been binge-watching Netflix and shopping on Amazon every single day. If we keep this up, Chloe is going to find out."

Mr. Miller let out a heavy sigh. "If Melanie hadn't insisted on breaking up with Tyler, he wouldn't have killed himself. But thank God she didn't get dragged down with him."

The blood in my veins turned to ice.

Realizing that my boyfriend and I had been completely played, I pulled out my phone, my fingers trembling as I prepared to call Ethan.

But the next second, Ethan's voice echoed from inside the apartment.

"Don't worry, Mr. and Mrs. Miller. I'll handle the rest. I'll figure out a way to deal with Chloe. Melanie has suffered so much for me. I won't let her down."

I stood outside the door, clutching a handful of shopping bags, my knuckles turning white.

I looked down. In my right hand was a bottle of premium, expensive organic eye vitamins I had bought for Melanie.

In my left hand were local treats for her parents, and a limited-edition designer watch for Ethan that had taken me weeks to get.

Now, every single gift felt like a burning joke in my hands.

Inside, Mrs. Miller's voice started up again. "Melanie has always loved you, Ethan. She only broke up with Tyler because of you. You really can't let her down now. Now that you're finally together, you have to see this through."

My heart went completely cold.

Taking a deep breath, I pressed the doorbell.

The hushed chatter inside stopped instantly.

A few seconds later, the door swung open.

Mrs. Miller froze when she saw me. A stiff, incredibly forced smile stretched across her face. "Chloe? You're back! Perfect timing. My husband and I actually have to get going. Something came up at home."

She couldn't even look me in the eye. She grabbed her purse and practically ran past me out the door.

Mr. Miller followed right behind her.

Their hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway, as if staying a second longer would blow their cover.

I walked in, putting my things down on the console, pretending everything was normal.

On the living room couch, Melanie was curled up in Ethan's lap, just like she always was.

She was holding a slice of orange, about to feed it to him.

But when she heard me close the door, her hand shook, and the orange dropped to the floor.

She shrank back into Ethan's chest, acting terrified. "Tyler... who just came in?"

Ethan immediately wrapped his arms around her. He looked up at me, his brow furrowing deeply. "You could have warned us you were coming back early. Walking in without a sound like thatdid you want to scare Melanie to death?"

Melanie fumbled around to grab his arm, her fingers trembling in a display of sheer panic.

"The project wrapped up early, so I took an earlier flight," I said quietly.

I put the gifts on the coffee table and looked at Ethan. He was wearing the cozy lounge set I had bought him. On the collar of his shirt, there was a faint smear of baby-pink lipstick.

My gaze darkened.

"Well, thank you for bringing these back," Ethan said, his tone incredibly detached. "Eye vitamins? I heard these are great for recovery and pretty expensive. I'll thank you on Melanie's behalf."

Hearing my voice, Melanie seemed to calm down.

She reached out to grab the vitamin bottle on the coffee table.

Her hand perfectly bypassed the glass of water sitting right next to it, gripping the bottle on her very first try.

"Is this for me? Thank you, Chloe. You're always so sweet to me," she said, offering me a pure, innocent smile.

Ethan frowned at me. "You just got off a flight. Go rest in the guest room. I've got things covered with Melanie here."

This was the townhouse Ethan and I had spent six months picking out for our future.

Yet, the way he spoke made me feel like an unwelcome stranger.

I didn't say another word. I turned around and walked into the guest room.

Later that night, I got up to get a glass of water. As I walked past Melanie's room, I noticed the door wasn't fully closed. Every single word they whispered drifted out into the hallway and stabbed straight into my ears.

"Ethan, I feel so awful," Melanie whimpered. "Chloe and I have been best friends for ten years, but I fell for her boyfriend. I'm literally pretending to be blind just to stay in your house and steal you away from her..."

"Am I a horrible person?"

Ethan's voice was softer than I had ever heard it. "Don't talk like that, baby. Love has no rules. True love isn't a crime."

"If anyone's to blame, it's me. I'm the one who fell for you first. It has nothing to do with you."

"But Chloe is my best friend..."

"Forget about her," Ethan interrupted gently, shushing her. "Hey, if you're still feeling down, I won't go back to my room tonight. I'll stay here and hold you."

Melanie hesitated for a second. "But is that really okay? What if Chloe finds out? She'll be so hurt. I don't want to make her sad."

"Who cares?" Ethan chuckled, his tone completely nonchalant. "As far as the world is concerned, I'm your boyfriend. Sleeping in my girlfriend's bed is completely natural. Don't worry about Chloe. I have her handled."

Next came the sound of rustling sheets, followed by soft, breathless gasps and the unmistakable sound of wet, passionate kisses.

I stood in the dark hallway, my hand gripping my glass tighter and tighter.

The ice-cold glass sent a shiver straight to my heart. I was trembling all over.

Slowly, silently, I walked back to the guest room.

The water in my glass stayed cold all night. Just like me.

At breakfast the next morning, Ethan sat right next to Melanie, carefully peeling a boiled egg for her.

Back then, he always complained that peeling eggs was too tedious. I was always the one who peeled them and put them on his plate.

As it turned out, it wasn't that he found it tedious. It was just that I wasn't the right girl.

"Here, open up," he murmured, bringing the egg to Melanie's lips. She happily took a bite.

When a few crumbs got on her chin, he reached out and gently wiped them away with his thumb.

Only after doing all this did he finally look up at me.

His tone was as flat as if he were speaking to a random roommate. "Melanie wants some fresh orange juice. Go make some. It's dangerous for her to use the juicer since she can't see."

My grip on my fork tightened.

I didn't say a word. I got up and went into the kitchen.

When I brought the juice back out, Melanie was fumbling around the table, trying to find her glass.

Just as I placed the orange juice right next to her hand, her wrist suddenly jerked.

The glass tipped over. The cold, sticky orange juice splashed everywhere, mostly landing right on my chest.

The freezing liquid soaked through my shirt, making me shiver from the sudden chill.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so, so sorry!" Melanie gasped, jumping up and waving her hands around frantically, almost knocking over the hot soup.

"I can't see... I couldn't find the glass..."

"Chloe, are you okay? It's all my fault. I'm so clumsy."

Ethan immediately stood up, catching Melanie by the waist to make sure she didn't trip.

Once he was sure she was fine, he glared at me, his forehead creasing in anger. "What is wrong with you? Can't you even set a glass down properly? You know Melanie is blind. Why didn't you just hand it directly to her?"

"She's the one who knocked it over," I said quietly, a dull ache blooming in my chest.

Ethan let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Are you serious? If you had actually handed it to her, she wouldn't have had to grope around and knock it over! Just admit you messed up. Why do you have to be so stubborn?"

"Forget it. Just go change. Stop standing there throwing a tantrum and ruining Melanie's day."

Melanie pulled lightly on his sleeve, letting out a soft sob. "Tyler, please don't yell at Chloe. It's my fault. I wish I hadn't gone blind. I'm just a burden to everyone..."

Ethan's face softened instantly. He patted her back gently. "It's not your fault, baby. She's just being immature. Don't take it to heart."

I stood there, watching them play the protective boyfriend and the helpless victim. I almost wanted to laugh out loud.

I didn't argue. I turned on my heel and went to change my clothes.

When I came back out, I walked straight up to Ethan.

"I need to talk to you. We need to discuss things."

Ethan blinked, taken aback. Before he could say anything, Melanie suddenly gasped, clutching her chest.

"Tyler... I can't breathe... My head is spinning so fast."

In an instant, Ethan completely forgot I was even there.

He swept her up in his arms and strode toward her bedroom, not giving me a single glance as he brushed past.

"Why didn't you tell me you weren't feeling well? I'm taking you to bed."

"Did you forget your meds? You're always so stubborn. How am I supposed to leave you like this?"

My hand, which I had reached out to grab him, froze in mid-air. Slowly, I pulled it back.

Over the next few days, this exact drama played out every single day.

Every time I tried to get Ethan alone to end things, Melanie would conveniently have some sort of emergency.

After trying and failing a dozen times, I finally gave up.

The adult world isn't black and white. And not every question needs a dramatic confrontation to get an answer.

That night, Ethan went out to pick up some late-night cravings for Melanie.

I was sitting on the couch sipping water when a loud crash of shattering glass echoed from the bathroom.

Melanie's terrified voice followed.

"Chloe? Are you out there? I wanted to wash my glass, but I dropped it..."

"I can't see, and I'm scared to step. Can you come help me, please?"

I paused, setting my water down.

I walked over and pushed open the bathroom door.

Shattered glass was scattered all over the tiled floor.

Melanie was standing barefoot right in the middle of the mess, swaying slightly as if she were about to lose her balance.

I sighed and reached out to hold her arm. "Careful. Don't move."

The moment my hand touched her skin, she suddenly grabbed my wrist with terrifying force and slammed it downward.

Right below my hand was a large, razor-sharp shard of glass.

"Ah!"

She let out a piercing shriek of pain, losing her balance and falling backward onto the floor.

Blood immediately began to pool around her wrist.

Almost instantly, the bathroom door was kicked open.

Ethan stood there, holding a bag of takeout. When he saw the blood, his eyes went wide, and he dropped the bag, rushing forward.

"Melanie!"

He scooped her up from the floor.

When he looked up at me, the rage in his eyes was enough to burn me alive.

"Chloe! Are you out of your freaking mind?!"

Melanie clung to him, shaking with pain, but her voice was still dripping with fake sweetness. "Tyler, don't blame Chloe..."

"It was my fault. I broke the glass, and when I called Chloe for help, I just couldn't find my footing. It has nothing to do with her..."

"Look at your wrist! And you're still defending her?" Ethan's heart was clearly breaking for her. His glare grew even colder. "If she actually came to help you, how did you get cut this badly?"

"Chloe, did you think you could just abuse her because she can't see?!"

"I didn't push her," I said, looking at him. My voice was so calm it surprised even me. "She grabbed my hand and slammed it onto the glass."

Ethan laughed, a mocking, disgusted sound. "Do you really think I'm that stupid? She's blind! How could she perfectly target your hand and slam it onto the glass?"

"You're just jealous of her. You've been looking for a way to hurt her! I never realized you were this sick and malicious!"

The moment those words left his mouth, a flicker of guilt flashed in his eyes.

But before he could soften, Melanie began to sob hysterically. "It's all my fault... I should have just died in that crash. Then I wouldn't have made Chloe so mad..."

"Tyler, let me go. I'll go back to my parents' house. I don't want to be in your way anymore..."

Ethan held her tighter. Any lingering guilt he had vanished instantly. "Don't say that! You're not going anywhere."

He looked up at me, his voice absolute.

"Chloe, get out."

"Pack your bags right now and get the hell out of my house. I won't have a monster like you under my roof."

I looked at him for a long, silent moment.

I remembered him in high school, blushing as he slipped a love letter into my locker.

I remembered him at college graduation, promising to build a home for us.

I remembered him six months ago, holding my hand and asking me to wait for him.

Five years of memories flashed before my eyes, only to dissolve into the pure disgust on his face right now.

Suddenly, I smiled.

"Okay."

No shouting. No crying. No begging.

I turned around and walked to the guest room.

Ethan clearly hadn't expected me to agree so easily. He froze, opening his mouth to say something, but Melanie let out another weak cry in his arms. "Tyler... it hurts so bad..."

He immediately snapped his gaze back to her, carrying her off to her bedroom.

As I rolled my suitcase out the front door, the master bedroom door remained tightly shut.

Through the wood, I could hear Ethan's soft, soothing voice, and Melanie's sweet, whiny giggles.

Six months of silent suffering and humiliation finally evaporated into nothing.

I closed the door behind me, pulled out my phone, and sent a message to HR.

"The transfer to the London headquartersI accept. I'll start the paperwork tomorrow."

My company had offered me this transfer three times before.

The first time, I turned it down to support Ethan's start-up.

The second time, I turned it down to plan our wedding.

This time, I was going to live for myself.

I stayed in a hotel for two nights while completing all the relocation paperwork.

For forty-eight hours, Ethan didn't call me once.

He probably thought I was just throwing a tantrum and would come crawling back once I calmed down. After all, during every fight we'd had over the last five years, I was always the one to apologize first.

The day before my flight, I went back to the apartment complex to pick up some books I had left at the lobby mailroom.

As I reached the entrance, I ran straight into Ethan.

He was holding a box of pastries from my favorite bakery.

When he saw me, he froze, looking a bit awkward. "Where have you been? You haven't been home in days."

"Out," I replied coldly, trying to push past him.

"Look... about what happened," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck as he held out the box. "I was harsh. This is for you, to make it up to you. Don't hold a grudge against Melanie. She's sick. Once she's fully recovered, we'll start planning the wedding again..."

Mid-sentence, his phone started ringing.

The moment he picked up, his voice turned incredibly soft. "What's wrong, Melanie? Okay, don't cry. I'm coming right up."

He hung up and gave me a rushed look. "Melanie is scared to be alone. I have to run up. Take the cupcakes. We'll talk when I'm done."

With that, he turned and ran toward the elevator, his steps hurried.

I watched his retreating back, walked over to the nearest trash can, and dropped the box of cupcakes right into it.

The next day, I boarded my flight.

Watching the city shrink beneath the clouds, I whispered, "Goodbye, the last five years of my life."

"And goodbye to the Ethan I used to love."

Meanwhile, back at the apartment, Ethan spent the entire day watching movies with Melanie.

But when the night grew quiet, he couldn't stop thinking about Chloe. A strange, suffocating feeling tightened in his chest.

He admitted he had been too harsh that night.

She was a girl, staying out on her own for days. He wondered where she was.

He pulled out his phone and dialed Chloe's number, wanting to ask her when she was coming home.

"The number you have dialed is currently switched off..."

He frowned, assuming she was still just playing hard to get.

The next morning, he got up early. He bought her favorite breakfast sandwich and drove over to the jewelry store to pick up the custom diamond engagement ring he had ordered months ago.

He drove straight to my office, intending to surprise me.

The receptionist smiled as he walked up. "Hi there, how can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Chloe. She works in the design department."

The receptionist blinked, checking her database.

"I'm sorry, sir. Chloe is no longer with the company."

"She accepted a long-term transfer to our London office. Her flight was yesterday afternoon."