"Tess, I'm here! I'm so sorry. It's all my fault for not getting here sooner to stop that scumbag," Rosalie said."Rosie? Is that you?" Tessa's eyes didn't focus. Her hand reached into the air, searching blindly.Rosalie felt like she'd been punched in the chest. She hurriedly grabbed Tessa's hand and asked, "What's wrong with your eyes? What happened?"Tessa relaxed when she realized that it was Rosalie. She tried to ease the latter's worries. "Don't worry. It's just temporary blindness. It'll pass in a couple of days.""What?" Rosalie grew panicked. "This never happened before!"Tessa's previous blindness spells had only lasted briefly and never this long.Rosalie picked up Tessa's chart and scanned her medications and IV fluids. Her expression soured. There was no doubt about it—Tessa's condition worsened because of the emotional trauma."Ethan, that motherfucker!" Rosalie ground out, her eyes rimmed red with tears.Tessa's hand searched again in the air. "Rosie…"Rosalie g
Zachary opened the bag and said gently, "I brought you some food. I wasn't sure what you liked, so I just grabbed a few things. Do you want to have some?"Tessa shook her head. "I don't have an appetite right now.""You still need to eat something." Zachary frowned slightly, clearly worried.Rosalie piped up thoughtfully, "Let me feed her."Zachary nodded and gave her room.He had bought light and mild food. Tessa only managed a few bites before her strength gave out. She said she was tired and wanted to rest. So, Rosalie and Zachary had no choice but to step out."Ms. Gray, you're Tessa's doctor, right?" As soon as they were outside, Zachary turned to Rosalie and spoke solemnly, "Since you're in charge of her case, how could something like this happen?"His questioning tone made Rosalie feel deeply guilty. She replied, "This was my fault. Right before the surgery, someone deliberately distracted me. I didn't see it coming either."She truly felt she had let Tessa down. However
Charlotte quickly corrected herself when she realized how inappropriate she sounded. She said, "Sorry, Ethan. I-I shouldn't take up your time. You must be really busy. I'm just… scared being here alone. It's fine, though. Go ahead and do what you need to. I'll be okay by myself."Seeing how obedient and understanding she was, Ethan reassured her, "The caretaker will be here with you. You'll be fine. If anything happens, just call me.""Okay, I will." Charlotte nodded, smiling.As Ethan exited the ward, he suddenly recalled running into Zachary there the other day. He knew that Zachary wouldn't have shown up for no reason, so he figured that he must've been there to see Tessa.That would mean that Tessa had been hospitalized.Ethan turned around and went to check the hospital's admission records, which took him little effort to access. As he had expected, he found Tessa's record. She had been discharged earlier that morning.After leaving the hospital, Ethan drove straight to the
"What a mess…" David sighed. "I never should've forced you two together in the first place. I ended up pushing you into a miserable marriage and let Tess down."Forget it. Come home tonight. I'll have Tess come too. I need to talk to you both."David hung up the phone after that.Tessa was in the kitchen preparing a meal when she got David's call."Tess, where are you? Did Ethan bully you again? Tell me what he did. I'll teach him a lesson for you."The sound of David's caring voice made Tessa's nose sting with emotion. After everything she had endured these past few days, she suddenly felt the urge to tell him everything."David…" Her voice trembled. "If I wanted to divorce Ethan… would you support me?"There was a long silence on the other end before David sighed heavily. "So it's come to this after all."He had always said that if things didn't work out, they could divorce. Nevertheless, deep down, he'd hoped they could make it work. But now that she had said it, it meant th
"I shouldn't interfere?" David let out a cold snort.Just then, the housekeeper came to remind him, "Mr. Ziegler Senior, dinner is ready."David then said, "Alright. Let's eat first."As he stood up, Tessa stepped forward to help him. It was then that David suddenly stared into her eyes and asked, "Tess, what's wrong with your eyes?""My eyes?" Tessa was caught off guard. She instinctively reached up and touched under them. "It's nothing. I probably just haven't been sleeping well lately."David frowned slightly. He sensed something amiss with her eyes. While she seemed sick, he couldn't quite put it into words. Yet the longer he observed, the more normal they seemed.Tessa helped David inside without sparing Ethan a single glance throughout.Ethan's expression remained unreadable as he silently followed them in.At the dinner table, David kept piling food onto Tessa's plate. "Eat more, Tess. You've lost so much weight. Has this brat been starving you?"It seemed that he still
There was a newfound resolve in Tessa's eyes as she spoke. With that, she turned and walked away.Ethan had an awful look on his face. He couldn't believe that she would bring this matter to court. He strode forward and grabbed her arm. "Where are you going?""Why do you care?" Tessa's voice was chilling. "You never did, so why pretend now?"Ethan looked into her eyes but saw none of the warmth that used to be there—only indifference. He froze. At some point, something between them had changed.Just then, Ethan's phone rang. When he pulled it out, Tessa caught a glimpse of Charlotte's name and let out a bitter laugh. She shook his hand off with force and left promptly.Ethan frowned at her retreating figure but eventually answered the call."Ethan? Where are you?" Charlotte's voice was shaky with tears. "Can you come to the hospital? My eyes hurt so much... I can't see anything... I'm really scared…""Don't be scared," Ethan said. "I'm on my way."He drove off, and in the dista
David was quiet for a moment before speaking. "The thing is… I know you've made up your mind about divorcing Ethan. But can I ask you for a favor?"Tessa quickly responded, "David, please don't say that. If there's anything you need from me, just say it. I'll do my best to help you."David sighed. "I'd like you to accompany Ethan to a birthday party. Would that be alright?" Outwardly, he'd tried to seem open-minded and told himself that if Tessa wanted a divorce, so be it. But deep down, he still hoped that she and Ethan could reconcile.Naturally, he now knew that hope was slim at best.Nevertheless, he wanted to give his disappointing grandson one last chance. He thought that it would be a blessing if Ethan and Tessa could mend things with this final opportunity. And if not, then he'd accept it and say nothing more.Tessa pondered for a while. She didn't want to be with Ethan but relented because it was David who was making this request."David, don't worry. I'll go with him.
Tessa's expression hardened, and her jaw clenched. Ethan was the one who had stolen her corneas and handed them to Charlotte. He would go to any lengths for her!"Oh, and do you know why your medical records disappeared from the hospital?" Charlotte asked, her voice thick with implication.Tessa whipped around to face her. "You did that?"She remembered opening up to Ethan about her eye condition, only for him to accuse her of lying.Charlotte smiled. "It wasn't me, of course. I don't have the kind of pull to wipe your medical records from the hospital. Only Ethan could manage something like that."Her voice dripped with feigned sympathy as she continued, "You gave him your whole heart, and this is how he repays you. How pathetic. He knew about your condition. But he just didn't care."And as for deleting your records? He didn't want Mr. Ziegler Senior digging into uncomfortable questions later. You're so smart. How did you miss it?""Are you serious?" Tessa's mouth filled with
Tessa and Jaxon went to see the same doctor as before—Sean.The moment Tessa stepped into the room, a soft hand reached out and grabbed hers. She recognized the touch instantly. It was Rosalie."Rosie!" She quickly reached back and held on."Yeah. It's me," Rosalie replied and guided her to sit down. "It's a good thing you remembered. I thought you forgot and were about to leave.""Sorry. You know it's not exactly easy for me to get out these days," Tessa said apologetically.Rosalie scolded, "Ethan is such an ass! Restricting your freedom like this is illegal! My brother's a lawyer. Do you want me to ask him to take your case? You'd definitely win the divorce."But Tessa shook her head. "Let's wait a little longer."Ethan's threat to get Rosalie fired was still fresh in her mind. She couldn't afford to take that risk. Before she had concrete evidence, she didn't want to drag Rosalie or her brother into this."What about the pills? Did you find anything wrong with them?" Tessa a
Tessa's stoic face looked even more formidable than before her blindness.Ethan was a bit surprised, but seeing her stand up for herself like that felt like progress to him.David's face darkened. "Alright, alright. Take Shannon home and teach her a lesson properly! Bring her back only when you've taught her well. Until then, she doesn't need to come again!"His words were harsh.Cameron and Aliana immediately paled. They wanted to plead for Shannon, but the look on David's face was enough to silence them. They hurriedly took Shannon and left.David pulled Tessa to his side. Holding her hand, he said guiltily, "Tess, I'm sorry you had to go through that. Don't worry. I'm on your side."Tessa smiled faintly. "I know, David. I wasn't upset."David sighed and looked at Ethan. "Have the corneas been found yet?"Ethan hesitated. "Not yet, but I believe we'll find them soon."Corey watched Tessa thoughtfully."Alright. Get it done as soon as possible. It's getting late, and Tess is
"You think just because Ethan's got your back, you can do whatever you want?" Shannon snapped."Shannon!" Aliana's face was stern. "Watch your mouth! Tessa hasn't even said anything yet. Where are your manners?"Tessa used to bite her tongue to preserve the family's harmony. But not anymore. She was done tolerating this nonsense.Shannon had twisted the truth so far. Tessa inwardly applauded Cameron and Aliana for raising a truly "good" daughter."You called me blind, said my father was a murderer, and said I deserved to go blind—that it was karma." Tessa's voice was cold and steady. "And you think I shouldn't have hit you?"The room fell into stunned silence. Every face in the room shifted.Lana watched Aliana and Shannon with glee.Who would've thought that the daughter-in-law she'd always despised actually had some use in a moment like this?"You're lying!" Shannon burst out. "I never said any of that! Tessa, you're an adult. How can you make up such horrible lies about me?"
"Tessa hit you? That's impossible," David said, frowning. "I know what kind of person she is. She's very kind. She wouldn't hit anyone without a reason. Did you say something that upset her?"Shannon sobbed. "I swear I didn't, Grandpa! It was just the two of us there. Who else could've hit me other than her? Why would I make this up?"Aliana quickly wrapped her arms around Shannon and looked at Ethan. "I believe Tessa isn't that kind of person either, but Shannon's telling us what happened. So what's going on here?"Ethan looked at Shannon calmly. "You left her there alone and came back by yourself?"Shannon froze. "What?"Ethan didn't say another word. He stood up and walked out of the living room.Out in the hallway, he spotted Tessa standing near the edge, facing the garden.The soft light wrapped around her like a veil. Her expression was unreadable, but Ethan could feel her turmoil. He knew that she was hurting.Suddenly, he realized that maybe forcing her to this family di
Once they reached the empty hallway, Shannon immediately let go of Tessa's hand."Ugh, how disgusting! Who knows if I'll catch some virus from you and end up blind too?" Shannon snapped as she wiped her hands and clothes as if they were tainted.Tessa's expression darkened, and she spoke coldly. "You really have no common sense, do you? Do more reading. What kind of virus can be transmitted through contact to make someone blind? You can say whatever you want to me, but don't go talking nonsense outside, or people will laugh at you."Shannon fumed. "Stop mocking me like you're so smart. You think I don't understand? You deserve this, you know? It's karmic retribution."Do you know how many people got hurt by your father's drugs? Derek's sister died because of your father's medicine! You're nothing but a criminal!"Shannon had a thing for Derek, and since he despised Tessa, she followed suit and hated her too."My father is innocent. But I know you won't believe me. Say whatever you
This was exactly why Tessa hadn't wanted to come to the family dinner.Cameron's family had long believed that David favored Corey's side, fueling constant tension between the two branches. They were always throwing subtle jabs.Tessa was utterly sick of it.Before long, Corey and Lana arrived. Everyone chatted for a bit, then it was time to eat.Halfway through dinner, Cameron suddenly brought up that Isaac was about to graduate from college and wanted to intern at Ziegler Group. He casually asked for both David's and Ethan's thoughts.The company belonged to David, but years ago, he had split his assets equally between his two sons. Cameron, however, mismanaged his share, and it saw little growth.Corey, on the other hand, had a sharp business mind and grew Ziegler Group to more than twice its original size.Corey himself largely built Ziegler Group's success. And after Ethan took over, he expanded it even further.By now, David had no real say in Ziegler Group's operations. C
Tessa let out a cold laugh but said nothing as she pulled her hand free from Ethan's grip. "I'll walk by myself," she said.She tapped her cane on the ground and took slow, deliberate steps forward.Ethan's words meant nothing to her. Not a single one was worth believing.Frowning, Ethan lifted her in his arms, placed her in the car, and told the driver to head off. Neither of them spoke during the drive.When they arrived at the Ziegler residence, Ethan helped Tessa out of the car.David was already waiting. When he saw them, he grinned widely. "Ethan, Tess, you're here!"David took Tessa's hand and asked, "Tess, how have you been? Has Sophie's cooking been to your liking?"Tessa smiled. "I'm fine, David. Sophie's cooking is delicious. I think I've put on a little weight lately.""Really?" David chuckled. "A little extra weight is good. You're too thin now. Come. Let's go inside."The evening wind was picking up. David was concerned Tessa might catch a cold from being outside.
"I don't feel like going," Tessa said coolly.David truly had been kind to her, but the idea of facing so many unpleasant people at the family dinner made Tessa hesitate.Especially Cameron Ziegler and his family—Ethan's uncle.They had never gotten along with Ethan's family. To make matters worse, his cousin, Shannon Ziegler, couldn't stand Tessa. Whenever they met, Shannon would inevitably give her a hard time.Back then, Tessa believed that being Ethan's wife meant giving her all in every way. She even tried to win over Cameron's family, but all she got in return were cold shoulders.Now, with her mind set on divorcing Ethan, she had no desire to attend any family dinner."I'll visit David some other time," she said."Some other time?" Ethan continued slowly, "After this, you'll leave only if I allow it. If I don't, do you think you'll get to leave too?"Tessa smiled. "So, you won't let me leave even if I want to see David? Is that what you're saying?""I'm taking you to the
Tessa was stunned. She asked, "What?"Charlotte sneered. "I drugged the wine for myself, but you ended up drinking it. And somehow, it brought you and Ethan together." Her face twisted with resentment. "Tell me. How do you get so damn lucky?""It was you!" Tessa hissed through clenched teeth. "It was actually you!"Because of that wine, Ethan and the entire Ziegler family had misunderstood her. She'd carried the blame for years, and no one ever believed that she was innocent.Not even she knew what had happened that night. It turned out that it had been Charlotte all along."But so what if you married Ethan? He still despises you. He doesn't love you. To him, you're invisible. He even leaves to sleep alone every night." Charlotte continued casually, "And now you're blind. Honestly, I almost feel bad for you. I guess that's your karma for stealing what was supposed to be mine.""Karma?" Tessa laughed coldly. "You schemed first, failed, and then blamed me for the fallout. Don't you