Chapter 1

"We found another cornea match for Sophia! The donor was very young. They passed away six hours ago, and the cornea has already been extracted and properly preserved."

Sophia Ardolf had just taken fever medicine and was drifting in and out of sleep when she heard Anthony say those words. Her heart leaped with joy.

Anthony Freeman was her family doctor and also a friend of her husband, Jeremy Graham.

He'd told her before that once they found a suitable cornea, she could regain her sight after surgery. Now, after such a long wait, that chance had finally come.

But before Sophia could celebrate, Jeremy's voice cut in sharply.

"No need."

Jeremy spoke fluent Ferranian. His voice was pleasant, but his tone carried clear impatience. It was nothing like the gentle tone he had used just moments ago while coaxing her to take her medicine.

"I've told you before not to keep matching corneas for her. She doesn't need it. She's fine the way she is!"

When Sophia first arrived in Lyonburg, Ferran, she couldn't understand Ferranian and had to rely on Jeremy to translate for her.

She'd wanted to learn the language, but Jeremy had always insisted it was unnecessary. He'd be her translator for life.

Sophia, however, was stubborn. Once she decided to do something, she refused to give up easily.

Even without Jeremy's approval, she secretly taught herself. Learning anything as a blind person was exponentially harder than it was for sighted people. Still, after two years of dedicated study, she could now understand quite a bit.

She'd planned to surprise Jeremy once she became fluent. She never expected him to shock her first.

The second Sophia understood what they were saying, an intense chill swept through her body. Just minutes earlier, she'd felt hot from the fever. Now ice flooded through her veins.

Jeremy knew how desperately she wanted to restore her vision. Why would he say she didn't need it?

From their conversation, this wasn't the first cornea that had matched Sophia successfully. Jeremy had rejected all the previous ones too.

Why?

Sophia felt her heart being squeezed mercilessly. The pain made it hard to breathe. Her fingers clutched at the bedsheets beneath her, gripping so tightly her hands trembled uncontrollably.

"The longer Sophia's eyes go untreated, the lower her chance of recovery becomes. There have been so many opportunities these past two years. Why do you keep refusing to let her have the surgery?"

Anthony sounded equally baffled. "You're already married to Sophia. Why can't you let go of Charlotte?"

"Enough!" Jeremny snapped, furious. "This is none of your business!"

"But it isn't fair to Sophia!" Anthony raised his voice as well. Both men were growing heated.

"You know Charlotte stole Sophia's corneas, yet you're covering for her. Even if you have feelings for Charlotte, you can't treat Sophia like this because of her!"

So Charlotte Kensington had stolen her corneas! And Jeremy had known all along, but he chose to protect Charlotte because he had feelings for her!

When did his heart change? How had she never noticed?

Sophia's face went completely pale. She squeezed her eyes shut and bit down hard, forcing back her tears.

Sophia and Charlotte had been switched at birth.

Sophia had grown up in Jormville with the Kensington family until she was ten years old. Only then did she discover she wasn't actually their child. Charlotte, brought back by her birth father, was the Kensington family's real daughter.

Later, their identities were corrected. Sophia returned to her biological mother, Abigail Ardolf, while Charlotte became the Kensington family's young lady.

The hospital's negligence had caused the mix-up, but Charlotte somehow believed Sophia had deliberately stolen her life. She'd harbored resentment toward Sophia ever since. Even after Sophia left the Kensington family, Charlotte never stopped targeting and tormenting her.

During Sophia's loneliest times, only her mother and her childhood friend Jeremy stayed by her side. Jeremy had been gentle and attentive. He cherished and protected her, giving her a sense of security she desperately needed.

Sophia inevitably fell for Jeremy. When she turned 20, she accepted his confession. But not long after they got together, she was suddenly kidnapped. When she woke up, she'd lost her sight.

She had been completely devastated. Jeremy had stayed with her through those darkest days. He had even gone against his family to marry her and moved with her from Jormville to Lyonburg for treatment.

Sophia had believed Jeremy was her salvation, but now she realized it had all been a lie!

Jeremy had known from the start that Charlotte stole her corneas but never told her. Worse, he refused to let her have the surgery, refused to let her restore her vision.

He had feelings for Charlotte, so he helped her. He deceived and hurt Sophia without a second thought, trampling all over her love.

The two years of marriage Sophia thought had been happy and fulfilling was nothing but a carefully crafted illusion.

She should have seen it coming. Why would Jeremy give up a real heiress like Charlotte for someone like her?

As Jeremy and Anthony continued arguing, a phone rang. It wasn't Jeremy's usual ringtone.

Sophia recognized it immediately. Every time that ringtone played, Jeremy would leave the room to answer it.

In the past, Sophia had trusted Jeremy unconditionally. She'd never suspected anything or questioned that ringtone.

But now, knowing the truth, her instincts told her that special ringtone had to be connected to Charlotte. Sure enough, Jeremy stepped outside to take the call and came rushing back shortly after.

"Lottie's in trouble. I need to fly back home immediately! If Sophia asks, just tell her there's an emergency at the company back home, and I have to handle it."

Sophia listened as Jeremy instructed Anthony on how to deceive her. Under the covers, her hands clenched into tight fists, her nails digging into her palms.

So all those times he claimed there was an urgent matter at the company requiring him to return home, he'd actually been going to see Charlotte?

Hatred and fury churned relentlessly inside her. Jeremy now seemed utterly hypocritical to her, like a stranger wearing a familiar face.

Jeremy had no idea Sophia was awake and had understood their entire conversation. After saying his piece, he hurried out.

Anthony sighed beside the bed but ultimately said nothing more and followed Jeremy out of the room.

Sophia waited a while. Once she was certain Anthony had really left, she fumbled for her accessibility phone on the bedside table and got out of bed to lock the door.

The moment the lock clicked into place, grief and disappointment flooded her heart. The tears Sophia had been suppressing finally broke free.

She had never imagined that the man she married, the person she'd loved throughout her entire youth, had been deceiving her all along.

Sophia desperately wanted to confront Jeremy, to demand why he treated her this way, and then leave him for good. But she was blind, had very little money, and was alone in a foreign country.

If she confronted him now, she'd be completely helpless. Any danger that arose would be nearly impossible to handle. So she forced herself to stay calm and pretend she hadn't discovered anything.

Everything would have to wait until she safely returned home.

With that thought, Sophia gripped her phone tightly. When she was 18, Abigail had died suddenly in an accident.

Devastated with grief, Sophia was sorting through her mother's belongings when she found a ring and a letter.

In the letter, Abigail wrote that if Sophia ever found herself in trouble, she should call the number inside or go to Kingsport with the ring and find the Ardolfs.

Sophia suspected Abigail must have had some important connection to the Ardolf family. But she also knew that all these years, no matter how difficult things got, Abigail had never sought them out.

That meant her mother didn't want to find them.

She didn't want to do something her mother had chosen not to do. So no matter how much she struggled or suffered, she'd never considered looking for them.

That ring had later been exchanged with Jeremy as a token when they got married, though she never told him about the Ardolfs. Before leaving, she would get it back.

Now, with nowhere else to turn, Sophia could only make that call.

Chapter 2

The keys on Sophia's accessibility phone had braille markings. She fumbled as she dialed the number she'd memorized by heart.

The call connected almost immediately.

"Hello, are you with the Ardolf family?" Sophia spoke first, feeling somewhat nervous.

A hoarse, elderly male voice answered, tinged with excitement. "Who is this?"

"My name is Sophia. I'm Abigail's daughter."

The moment Sophia finished speaking, she heard a loud crash from the other end, as if something had fallen to the floor.

Then the man suddenly raised his voice. "You're Abby's daughter? Where is she now?"

"My mother passed away four years ago," Sophia replied, her voice caught with emotion.

Even the slightest injury to Sophia would distress Abigail so much that she'd cry. If her mother were still alive and knew what Sophia had endured, she would be heartbroken.

The man stayed silent for a long while before speaking, his voice thick with tears. "Child, my name is Nicholas Ardolf. I'm your grandfather. Where are you now? I'll come take you home!"

Nicholas's tone was gentle, yet heavy with grief. Hearing those words, a bittersweet feeling welled up in Sophia's chest, but her anxious heart finally relaxed a little. She quickly explained her current situation.

Learning what Sophia had been through, Nicholas became furious. He immediately wanted to bring people to Lyonburg to get her, but Sophia wanted to settle things there first before leaving.

"Grandpa," she said softly, "could you help arrange a surgery for me?"

Sophia would never again love someone who deceived and hurt her. She wanted to completely sever ties with Jeremy before returning home. But while she remained blind, many things were too inconvenient to handle.

Since a suitable cornea was available, she wanted to have the surgery as soon as possible to restore her vision and avoid any complications.

Nicholas agreed immediately. "I'll arrange it for you right away!"

"Thank you, Grandpa," Sophia responded softly, relief washing over her.

Less than two minutes after the call ended, her phone rang again. The voice prompt announced an unfamiliar number. The moment Sophia answered, she heard a young male voice on the other end.

"Sophia?"

The man called her name softly. His voice was attractive and pleasant, his casual tone giving nothing away.

But just from saying her name once, there was an undeniable sense of authority about him.

"Yes, this is she. Who's calling?" Sophia frowned in confusion.

"I'm Timothy Dyer," the man replied. "I happen to be on a business trip in Ferran. Mr. Ardolf Senior asked me to handle your situation. The surgery is scheduled for tomorrow. Be ready."

Sophia hadn't expected Nicholas' version of "right away" to mean this fast, but she quickly recovered.

"Alright, Mr. Dyer. But tomorrow I might need to trouble you to arrange for someone to help me put on an act."

The bodyguards Jeremy left behind would monitor Sophia's movements. She didn't want him to know about her surgery yet. She had to keep it from them first.

Sophia explained her plan. After listening, Timothy fell silent for a few seconds. He didn't ask why she needed to do this, simply responding with a casual, "Alright."

The call ended there.

Sophia didn't mind his cool attitude. Her mind was completely occupied with the thought that after the surgery tomorrow, her eyes would finally heal.

She felt both excited and anxious. She didn't sleep well that night and woke up early the next morning.

Sophia had lived in Lyonburg for two years. Apart from hospital checkups and treatments, she rarely went out.

Even when she insisted on going somewhere, Jeremy would reserve the entire venue—no matter where it was—and assign numerous bodyguards to follow her.

She had once believed Jeremy did this to protect her. Now, looking back, she realized Jeremy was afraid she might secretly run back home and disrupt Charlotte's privileged life as a wealthy heiress.

He'd essentially kept her under house arrest!

Fortunately, she now knew the truth. She would find a way to completely escape Jeremy's control and stop being blind to his deception.

As usual, the bodyguards escorted Sophia to the hospital. But this time, after her examination, the doctor said Sophia's eyes had suddenly deteriorated and she needed immediate hospitalization.

This was the script Sophia and Timothy had arranged yesterday. The bodyguards couldn't interfere with medical decisions. They could only help Sophia with the admission paperwork and contact Jeremy to inform him.

But after returning home, Jeremy had gone completely off the grid. Even the bodyguards couldn't reach him. It wasn't until three days after Sophia's surgery that Jeremy, who'd been unreachable for two days, finally contacted her.

"Honey, why did your eyes suddenly get worse? Why didn't you contact Anthony for treatment?"

His tone sounded anxious, as if he was very worried about Sophia. "How are you feeling now? Is anything else bothering you?"

In the past, hearing Jeremy's concern would have made Sophia happy and grateful. But now, she felt only disgust. She didn't even want to say another word to him.

"I'm fine," Sophia replied flatly.

"That's good. I'm almost done here. I'll be back in Lyonburg tomorrow—"

"Jeremy, which dress do you think looks better on me?" A woman's voice suddenly cut him off.

"Honey, the client's calling me. I'll call you back later." He quickly hung up.

Sophia knew Jeremy had gone back to be with Charlotte. Hearing her voice came as no surprise.

She didn't bother asking him anything. She simply saved the recording of their conversation. These things would be useful later.

Jeremy didn't come back early as promised. On the fifth day after Sophia's surgery, he finally came to visit her at the hospital with a bouquet of red roses she liked.

"I was only gone a few days. How did things get this bad?" Jeremy sat by the bed, looking at the bandages wrapped around Sophia's eyes with apparent distress.

Cornea transplant surgery required at least a week before the bandages could be removed. Sophia was still completely blind.

"Honey, did the doctor say anything else?" Jeremy took Sophia's hand. "Like finding a donor so you could get a cornea transplant or something?"

Sophia caught the probing tone in his voice. She pulled her hand away deliberately. "No. I've been waiting two years with nothing. It's not that easy."

"You're right, it's not easy." Jeremy nodded in agreement.

Sophia knew that he didn't want her eyes to heal, but hearing Jeremy's obvious relief still left a bitter taste in her heart. This was the man she'd genuinely loved for two years. A complete liar!

"Are you wearing my mother's ring?" Sophia asked suddenly, not wanting to continue this topic. "If you have it, give it to me now."

"Why bring this up now?" Jeremy froze, looking at her in confusion. "That was the token we exchanged when we got married…"

"I've been thinking, it's the only keepsake my mother left me," she replied. "I should probably wear it myself."

She then added, "I've prepared a new gift for you. It'll arrive in a few days. We can consider it a replacement token."

The new gift she mentioned was the divorce papers she'd already signed.

Jeremy vaguely sensed something was off, but seeing Sophia's calm expression, he thought perhaps he was overthinking.

"Alright," he said. "But the ring's at home. I'll give it to you when we get back."

Jeremy paused, then spoke again with some hesitation. "Honey, I have a client visiting Lyonburg. She doesn't like hotels. Could she stay at our place for a few days? She's only here for a short visit before heading back. She won't stay long."

Sophia knew the female client Jeremy mentioned was Charlotte.

Chapter 3

Jeremy seemed to be asking for Sophia's consent, but he was really just informing her. He'd probably already brought Charlotte to Lyonburg.

They thought that because Sophia was blind, they could play her for a fool!

Sophia sneered inwardly.

She'd originally planned to deal with Charlotte after returning home, but now that Charlotte had delivered herself to Sophia's doorstep, she certainly wasn't going to pass up the opportunity.

"Sure."

Sophia tightened her grip on the bedsheets. A faint smile curved her lips as she fought to suppress her rage. "Since she's your client, let her stay."

Jeremy froze at her response. This was clearly what he wanted, so why didn't he feel as happy as he'd imagined?

"Honey, you're not jealous?" Jeremy grabbed Sophia's hand again, staring intently at her. "A female client staying at our place, and you don't think there's anything wrong with that?"

"You already said she's a client. I'm not that petty." Sophia remained indifferent.

"But…"

"Or did you want me to refuse?"

Jeremy found himself at a loss for words. Of course it was good that Sophia agreed, but in similar situations before, she had always shown at least some signs of jealousy.

Jealousy meant she cared about him, and Jeremy liked seeing her jealous. But now Sophia seemed completely unbothered by the whole thing.

An uneasy feeling rose in Jeremy's chest. For a brief moment, he wondered if she had discovered something that was causing her to act this way. However, the thought vanished just as quickly.

He was confident he'd hidden everything perfectly. Sophia would never know the truth.

"No, that's not it." Jeremy smiled with relief. "Don't worry, honey. I won't let her bother you."

Sophia hummed in acknowledgment without saying anything more, simply pulling her hand away. She clenched her fists, and her nails dug deep into her palm. It hurt, but it was nothing compared to the ache in her heart.

She needed to remember this pain. She absolutely couldn't forget it.

Sophia had originally planned to stay in the hospital for a few more days. But now that Charlotte had already moved into her home, she had no intention of staying any longer.

She checked out and went home that same day.

The moment she got out of the car, Sophia heard the sharp sound of high heels approaching.

"What took you so long to get back?" Charlotte asked, speaking to Jeremy in a coquettish tone. "Didn't you say you'd spend quality time with me?"

Sophia recognized her voice instantly. Her hand tightened around her white cane.

To avoid tipping them off, she pretended not to recognize Charlotte. "Jere, who is that? Why is she talking to you like that?"

"It's Ms. Shaw, the female client I mentioned," Jeremy replied.

She supported Sophia while speaking nervously to Charlotte in Ferranian. "What are you doing? Are you trying to make sure she knows you're here?"

"So what if she knows?" Charlotte responded in Ferranian as well, her tone filled with indifference. "She's blind. She can't see anything. How could she possibly know it's me?"

Charlotte glanced at Sophia's bandaged eyes, smug satisfaction flashing across her face.

Jeremy's expression darkened, but in the end, he said nothing more and escorted Sophia back to the bedroom first.

Feeling thoroughly disgusted, Sophia pushed him away as soon as they entered the room, then immediately asked him for the ring. But after searching everywhere, Jeremy couldn't find it.

"Honey, I forgot where I put it," he said apologetically. "I'll look for it more carefully when I have time."

Sophia frowned deeply, extremely displeased.

That was her mother's only keepsake. Jeremy knew perfectly well how important the ring was to her, yet he hadn't kept it safe. Now he couldn't even find it.

Fury surged through Sophia, and her voice turned cold. "I'm giving you one day. Find it as soon as possible!"

Though Jeremy found Sophia's attitude unusual, considering the ring's importance to her, he could understand. He remembered wearing the ring before he returned home. It had very likely ended up with Charlotte.

"I'll go search the other rooms right now," he said and hurried out of the bedroom.

Sophia knew he was probably going to find Charlotte. She didn't rush to follow him. Instead, she called the housekeeper, Fiona Chambers.

Fiona was a housekeeper Sophia had chosen herself after arriving in Lyonburg. She'd been personally attending to Sophia for the past two years.

Though Sophia had trusted her before, even Jeremy had betrayed her. Now, Sophia was wary of everyone.

During her hospital stay, Sophia had hired a private investigator to look into Fiona. Only after confirming that Fiona wasn't Jeremy's person and could be trusted did Sophia approach her and make her an ally.

After all, there were some things she couldn't do alone.

Night fell quickly. During dinner, Jeremy helped Sophia eat while chatting with Charlotte in Ferranian, his words laden with flirtation.

They thought Sophia couldn't understand, so they held nothing back. But what they didn't know was that hidden cameras had been installed in every common area of the house. Every single word of their conversation was being recorded.

Sophia truly hadn't imagined people could be this shameless. Rage churned relentlessly in her chest, but to collect more evidence, she could only force herself to endure it.

Suddenly, Charlotte cried out, "Jeremy, I got in! I can participate in the Dancing Lily Award!"

Sophia was shocked by this news. The Dancing Lily Award was held every two years and was the highest honor in the country's dance world.

She had started classical dance at four. Throughout her life, she'd won countless dance gold medals, and by 18, she had become the principal dancer at the Royal Opera and Ballet Company.

Before losing her sight, Sophia had already won the Dancing Lily Award gold medal three times in a row. She had even received the committee's special performance award, which ranked higher than gold.

These were supreme honors. And Charlotte previously hadn't even qualified to participate in the Dancing Lily Award!

"With Sophia out this year, the gold medal is definitely mine!" Charlotte said excitedly.

When she returned to the Kensington family and learned that Sophia studied classical dance, she'd insisted on learning it too. Whatever competition Sophia entered, Charlotte had to enter as well.

Charlotte's talent and dedication were nowhere near Sophia's level. Every time she competed, she was just there to make up the numbers, yet she remained blindly confident, convinced she was better than Sophia.

Sophia finally understood. So Charlotte had stolen her corneas two years ago to prevent her from competing in this year's Dancing Lily Award?

Jeremy knew how much Sophia loved dance and that even after losing her sight, she still practiced on her own. Yet he still chose to help Charlotte hurt her.

The more Sophia thought about it, the angrier she became. She nearly flipped the table right then and there.

Charlotte thought that just because Sophia couldn't compete, she'd definitely win the gold medal?

How ridiculous! She would absolutely not let Charlotte succeed.

"That's wonderful." Jeremy laughed.

"A blind person doesn't deserve to be a principal dancer anymore!" Charlotte leaned against Jeremy, taunting Sophia smugly in Ferranian. "This is just the beginning. Everything that was hers will be mine."

Not just the position of principal dancer, but also the title of Jeremy's wife. It would all belong to her.

"Of course," Jeremy replied indulgently.

Then Sophia heard strange sounds close by, accompanied by Charlotte's coquettish moans, making it especially suggestive.

They were actually kissing right in front of her!

She was so disgusted by them that she nearly threw up. If she could still tolerate this, she'd be too much of a pushover.

Chapter 4

Sophia slammed the table. The loud bang startled both Jeremy and Charlotte.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Jeremy immediately leaned in with concern, his tone somewhat guilty.

"What were you and Ms. Shaw talking about?"

"Just some work matters."

"Since Ms. Shaw is also from Helvetia, why can't you speak Helvetian? You two keep speaking Ferranian, and I can't understand."

As Sophia spoke, she forced out a few tears, pretending to be hurt as she accused Jeremy. "It feels like you're saying things you don't want me to hear."

"You're overthinking it," he said, trying to soothe her. "Ms. Shaw grew up in Ferran and is more comfortable with Ferranian."

He then told Charlotte, "We should be more careful. Let's talk less in front of her."

"What does it matter?" Charlotte snapped. "She'll find out about us eventually. Are you planning to hide it forever?"

Jeremy didn't respond. He'd never considered divorcing Sophia.

Charlotte was dissatisfied with Jeremy's silence and wanted to press him further when everything suddenly went dark.

"Why did the power go out?" she asked.

"Probably a tripped breaker. I'll go check." Jeremy reassured her as his footsteps gradually faded away.

The entire villa was pitch black. Nothing was visible.

For ordinary people, it would've been disorienting. But Sophia had lived in this kind of darkness for two years. She was long accustomed to it.

"Don't be scared, Ms. Shaw. The power will be back on soon." Sophia's words were comforting, but she quietly set down the silverware. Her hands moved with practiced ease as she slipped on a pair of gloves.

Charlotte didn't notice Sophia's unusual behavior. Sitting in her chair, she scoffed disdainfully.

"I never imagined that when I casually said I didn't want your eyes to heal, Jeremy would actually refuse to let you have the surgery. Looks like you'll be blind for the rest of your life. How pitiful."

Her words sounded sympathetic, but her tone dripped with smug satisfaction. But the moment she finished speaking, a sharp crack echoed through the darkness.

A slap landed hard across her face.

The force was brutal. Both Sophia's palm and half of Charlotte's face went numb from the pain.

Sophia had ordered Fiona to cut the power. This slap was one she'd been wanting to deliver for a long time.

She had been holding back her anger for days. Now, she desperately needed to let it out.

Charlotte froze in shock. A few seconds later, she screamed shrilly, so flustered she started yelling in Helvetian.

"How dare you hit me!"

She flailed her arms wildly like a madwoman, trying to grab Sophia. But in the darkness, she wasn't as agile as Sophia. She caught nothing.

Charlotte had been targeting and bullying Sophia since they were ten. Later, she stole her corneas, had an affair with her husband, and wanted to keep her blind for life.

Sophia despised them both.

One slap wasn't nearly enough to vent her anger. Moving swiftly, she caught Charlotte's wildly swinging arms and took advantage of the darkness to slap her several more times.

Only when the lights were about to come back on did Sophia release Charlotte and deliberately fall to the floor. As she went down, she tucked the gloves into an inner pocket of her clothing and knocked a glass of water off the dining table.

Shards scattered everywhere, and the lights came on at the same moment.

"Sophia! I'm going to kill you!" The instant the lights returned, Charlotte lunged at Sophia like a maniac.

Sophia scrambled backward, her face pale with fear. "Ms. Shaw, what's wrong with you?" she cried. "Please don't do this!"

Jeremy ran back quickly, arriving just in time to witness this scene. He immediately stepped forward and grabbed Charlotte's wrist. "What are you doing?"

"Sophia, she— Jere, it hurts."

Sophia interrupted whatever complaint Charlotte was about to make, calling out to him pitifully. "I don't know what happened to Ms. Shaw. She suddenly pushed me and started throwing things."

She reached out, groping around blindly. She nearly touched the glass shards on the floor. "Jeremy, where are you? I'm scared."

Jeremy quickly helped her up first.

"She's lying!" Charlotte screamed, her eyes wide with fury. "She's the one who hit me!"

Jeremy looked at the red, swollen handprints on Charlotte's face, then at Sophia, whose eyes were still covered in bandages. For a moment, he didn't know what to believe.

Sophia noticed his hesitation. She immediately played her trump card.

"Ms. Shaw, when I was younger, someone tried to frame me just like this. Once was enough, I won't be framed a second time! Go ahead and get a forensic exam. Let them check for my fingerprints on your injuries!"

When Sophia was 15, Charlotte had thrown herself down the stairs and claimed Sophia pushed her. Charlotte had been bedridden for a month.

The incident caused quite a stir. If Jeremy hadn't investigated and uncovered the truth later, Sophia would've ended up in juvenile detention. Even so, Charlotte never apologized to Sophia.

Now that Sophia brought this up, both Charlotte and Jeremy recalled the incident. Their expressions changed at once.

Charlotte had never stopped trying to set Sophia up over the years. With that kind of track record, Jeremy found it very difficult to believe her.

Moreover, Charlotte cared too much about her image to go for a forensic exam looking like that. Even if she did, Sophia had worn gloves when she hit her. There would be nothing to find.

Sophia had known both these things, which was why she came up with this plan.

"I really didn't do it this time!"

Charlotte realized something was wrong. Panicking, she reached out to grab Jeremy's arm, but he had already scooped Sophia up into his arms.

Looking at Sophia's pale face and trembling body, Jeremy's heart softened despite himself. He held her tighter.

He gave Charlotte one long look. Then, he turned and carried Sophia upstairs without saying a word.

Abandoned downstairs, Charlotte was so furious she nearly exploded. She screamed and swept everything off the table.

On the way back to the bedroom, Sophia's heart finally felt lighter thinking about how Charlotte had taken those slaps and still got blamed for everything.

However, she wasn't planning to let Jeremy off the hook.

"Jeremy." Sophia gripped his collar tightly, her voice trembling. "Why does Ms. Shaw's voice sound so much like Charlotte's? Is she really Ms. Shaw?"

Though Jeremy had taken Sophia away, he was still concerned about Charlotte. He was startled by her sudden question, and his heart seemed to miss a beat.

"Of course. Who else could she be if not Ms. Shaw?" Jeremy forced himself to stay calm. "Plenty of people look identical without being related. Similar voices aren't that unusual. You know Charlotte and I aren't close. Why would she ever show up here?"

"Right. And you know I hate Charlotte more than anyone. How could you bring her into our home?" Sophia said, and she couldn't help but grip Jeremy's collar even tighter.

The Kensington and Graham families were close. With Sophia and Jeremy being the same age, they'd spent nearly every day together since birth and had been in the same class until high school, when classes were divided.

He had always been gentle and patient with her. Even after Charlotte was found and brought back, even after Sophia left the Kensington family, Jeremy's demeanor never changed.

In fact, because Charlotte constantly targeted Sophia, Jeremy was extremely disgusted by her. He ignored her advances and even came to dislike the Kensington family as a result.

But that Jeremy, who used to surprise Sophia in creative ways, who promised to always take her side, had changed at some point. Sophia could feel that the Jeremy of the past had genuinely loved her. She could also feel his change of heart now.

That boy who loved her was already dead. He died the moment Jeremy completely betrayed her.

Chapter 5

Thinking it over, a bittersweet feeling welled up in Sophia's chest. She lowered her head to hide the tears that threatened to spill over.

"You're right," she said quietly. "I was overthinking."

Jeremy fell into a guilty silence at her words. He didn't dare continue the topic.

Though he stayed by her side, his thoughts drifted downstairs to Charlotte. After staying for a while, he used the excuse of needing to handle work in his study and left the bedroom.

Sophia knew he was going to find Charlotte again and suppressed the hatred in her heart. Once she confirmed he'd left, she immediately opened the surveillance feed on her phone.

In the dining room, Charlotte sat in a chair while Jeremy held an ice pack, trying to press it against her face.

"Get away from me!" Charlotte snapped, swatting his hand aside. "Didn't you choose Sophia? Don't touch me!"

"What are you talking about? When did I choose her?" Jeremy sighed helplessly.

He grabbed both of Charlotte's wrists with one hand while carefully pressing the ice pack on her face with the other, his tone gentle and coaxing.

"You can be mad at me, but you can't ignore your injuries. Your face is so swollen. You need to ice it properly."

Charlotte huffed unhappily but stopped resisting, though she still looked displeased. "You didn't believe me! I told you Sophia was the one who hit me!"

"I believe you." Jeremy nodded. "But no matter what, Sophia is still my wife in name. I can't openly take your side in front of her. Lottie, please understand my position."

Despite his words, he still sided with Sophia. He didn't believe a blind person like Sophia could have done all that.

Charlotte heard the insincerity in his words and grew even angrier.

"Jeremy, I want you to say you love me and not Sophia!" Charlotte grabbed Jeremy's tie. "And I want you to say Sophia is disgusting and that staying with her every day makes you miserable!"

"Don't be childish." Jeremy laughed helplessly but still repeated her words, his tone full of indulgence.

Charlotte laughed in satisfaction. The anger in her heart finally dissipated a little.

Listening to Jeremy tenderly appeasing Charlotte and cooperatively saying degrading things about her, Sophia felt a sharp pain in her heart.

After all, she had once genuinely loved Jeremy, and he used to dote on her in the same way. However, now that Sophia had seen through his true nature, there was no point in mourning someone like him.

Right now, she just wanted to extract more useful information from their conversation. Enduring the disgust, she watched for a while longer and finally got something useful.

"Are you sure Mr. Ardolf will come to Lyonburg?" Jeremy asked Charlotte, anticipation clear in his voice.

"Of course. My brother said it himself," Charlotte said smugly. "Not only him, but Mr. Dyer will be here too! You couldn't even get a meeting with them back home, but now's your chance.

"If we can secure both families, the Graham–Kensington project can get the biggest investment!"

The Ardolfs and the Dyer family? Sophia immediately thought of her grandfather Nicholas and Timothy, who had helped her. Could they be talking about those two?

From their tone, these two people seemed very important to Jeremy and Charlotte. Though she still didn't know who exactly they were referring to, Sophia had already decided to find a way to sabotage this.

She couldn't let Jeremy and Charlotte get what they wanted.

When they left the dining room and returned upstairs, Sophia could no longer hear their conversation and had to exit the surveillance feed. After saving all the audio and video recordings in a private folder, she created an anonymous email account.

She sent the intimate photos of Charlotte and Jeremy back home that her private investigator, Philip Green, had secretly taken to the official email address of the Dancing Lily Award.

Sophia's marriage to Jeremy wasn't a secret. Anyone could verify it with a quick search.

The Dancing Lily Award had always been fair and just, valuing dancers' technical skills and artistic expression. But it also placed great importance on character.

A dancer who interfered in someone else's marriage wouldn't just be denied the gold medal. She wouldn't even qualify to compete.

Charlotte's dream of winning the gold medal was nothing more than a fantasy.

After finishing everything, Sophia took a shower and went to sleep.

Late that night, Sophia was drifting in and out of sleep when she felt the mattress sink down beside her. She knew Jeremy had returned.

"Honey." He pulled her tightly into his embrace.

The embrace was still warm and familiar, but the perfume clinging to him could no longer make Sophia feel at ease. She didn't want to smell that disgusting scent and shifted away.

"Where's my ring?" Sophia asked. She hadn't forgotten its importance.

Jeremy handed her the ring he'd found in Charlotte's bag, lying without a hint of guilt. "Found it in the study."

Sophia said nothing. She ran her fingers over the ring carefully several times. Only after confirming it was her mother's ring did she breathe a small sigh of relief.

This time, she would take good care of it. She would never be foolish enough to entrust the ring to someone else again.

"Go take a shower," she said, pushing him away. She didn't want him near her.

"No, I just want to hold my wife right now." Jeremy smiled and leaned closer. "Honey, I love you. I love you so much."

Sophia found his sweet words utterly ironic. He'd just been with another woman and could act like nothing happened while professing his love to her.

People online said late-night declarations of love were just guilt after cheating. They were absolutely right.

"I'm exhausted." Sophia pushed him away again. "Go sleep in the guest room after you shower."

Jeremy wanted to refuse, but Sophia had already closed her eyes and fallen asleep. He sensed something was off about her but assumed she was just in a bad mood because of the argument with Charlotte earlier. He didn't think much of it and went to sleep in the guest room after showering.

The next morning, as soon as Jeremy woke up, he went to the bedroom to find Sophia. He found her directing the housekeepers as they packed clothes and jewelry into box after box.

"What's all this?" Jeremy asked, both confused and nervous.

"These clothes and bags are so outdated," she replied calmly. "I don't like them anymore."

"I thought I'd upset you somehow, and you were running away from home." Jeremy breathed a sigh of relief, half-joking as he put his arm around Sophia's shoulders. "If you don't like them, just throw them out. I'll buy you new ones."

Sophia had some savings of her own, but her ongoing eye treatment would require a substantial amount of money. Though the Ardolfs were helping, she didn't want to rely entirely on others.

She planned to sell all these luxury items for cash. The more money she could save, the better.

"Sounds good." Sophia agreed quickly.

Since Jeremy was willing to buy her new things, that was even better. After all, newer items could be sold for more.

Jeremy had no interest in managing these details. Yawning, he headed to the bathroom to wash up, only to discover all his toiletries were gone.

"Honey," he called, frowning. "Where are my toothbrush and towel?"

"I threw them out," Sophia answered flatly. "Use new ones."

Many of their daily items were matching sets. Now that Sophia found using these things with Jeremy repulsive, she'd had everything packed up and thrown away.

She didn't just detest Jeremy. She found this entire house disgusting. Before she left, she wanted to erase every trace of herself here, one item at a time.