Love Fades in Time

"Ada, be good. Just sleep, and everything will pass. I'm here—you’ll be fine."

Tears slipped silently down my cheeks. My body was numb from the anesthesia, but the pain in my heart wouldn't stop.

I closed my eyes in despair. In the darkness, I thought I saw Robert at eighteen, sitting by my bedside, eyes red from crying. He called me an idiot for taking the knife for him.

His young but determined voice echoed in my mind. "Adalyn, I swear, I’ll never let anyone hurt you again."

Yet, the person who hurt me the most, the one who nearly killed me, was him.

When I woke up again, I had lost my eyesight, lost the man I loved, and lost the chance to ever have children of my own. The hospital room was quiet except for the sound of my weak breathing.

Not long after, I heard muffled voices arguing outside.

"Adalyn was in a car accident—I have to take care of her! She’s always been so good to me. If it weren’t for her, I’d still be stuck in the slums. I owe her my whole life, and I’ll never stop repaying her! Don’t try to stop me!"

It was Lexi, Lexi Law, a poor student I had sponsored in the past.

Robert had never tolerated defiance from anyone, yet there wasn’t even a trace of anger in his voice.

"Lex, listen to me. Your eyesight just recovered, and the doctor said you still need to rest. You shouldn’t be moving around too much. Adalyn has someone to take care of her—you don’t need to worry."

My fingers tightened around the blanket.

Did Lexi go blind? Why didn’t I know about that?

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through the back of my hand as a needle was roughly jabbed into my skin.

"Stop moving!" the nurse snapped, her tone full of irritation. She pressed down harder, as if warning me to stay still.

"What a joke. Why do they get to take care of Mrs. Bain and Ms. Law, while I’m stuck looking after a blind woman like you?"

"If Ms. Law could just put in a good word for me with Mr. Bain, I wouldn’t have to waste my time with patients like you…"

Crash!

The sound of glass shattering cut her off.

"Aah! Who—who dares… Mr. Bain… why are you here…?" Her voice, once filled with resentment, trembled with fear.

Then, Robert’s furious voice echoed through the hospital room, cold and menacing. "Get out. Don’t ever let me see you again."

A familiar warmth surrounded me. His body was trembling slightly, and his voice was filled with guilt.

"Adalyn, I’m sorry. I was too late… I let you suffer. I’m so sorry…"

A bitter smile tugged at my lips.

Compared to having my corneas and uterus taken from me, this was nothing. But he seemed devastated, holding me so tightly I could hardly breathe.

"I don’t want to stay in the hospital. I want to go home."

His warm breath brushed against my neck. "As soon as the doctor discharges you, I’ll take you home."

He didn’t know the home I was talking about wasn’t his mansion—it was the McLeod's Manor in Umbragard.

Years ago, when the McLeods was thrown into chaos, my father hid me away in Stormhavn. Despite that, someone still managed to found out my whereabouts.

I was cornered in an alley when Robert appeared and took a knife for me. That was the moment I truly understood what it meant to fall in love at first sight.

Later, we got into the same university, fell madly in love, and became inseparable. Everyone envied us.

That was also when Lexi appeared.

I couldn’t let myself just stay idle, seeing her survive on plain steamed buns every day. I admired her talent. So, I helped her.