After I Regained Sight, I Filed For Divorce

Chapter 3

The checkup went off without a hitch. My blindness had only been a sudden reaction to overstimulation in the first place, so it made perfect sense that my vision would snap back just as abruptly.

Gavin pulled the car door open for me smoothly, but the tips of his ears burned bright red when I held his gaze openly. Looking at that adorably flustered, innocent look on his face put me in a fantastic mood for the entire ride.

It wasn't until we reached the old family estate that I realized who the unimportant people Gavin had mentioned earlier were: Gideon and Alessia.

When Gideon showed up with Alessia in tow, Gavin was leaning down, carefully brushing stray strands of hair off my forehead. His warm, searing breath fanned across my face, and I couldn't help the faint heat that crept up my own ears.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of cold anger in Gideon's eyes where he stood off to the side.

Alessia caught on fast, cutting in with an overly dramatic gasp. "Valerie, there are so many people here! What on earth do you two think you're doing?"

I laughed and gently pushed the man in front of me away, watching Alessia's fake shocked act with cool amusement. "What's that supposed to mean? It's just a little couple's fun between husband and wife." I patted Gavin's arm gently, keeping my eyes on Gideon. "Besides, Gideon and I are married now. There's nothing we haven't done, is there?"

I dragged my words out on purpose when I said that, my smile sharp and seductive.

Just as I'd expected, the rage in Gideon's eyes boiled over even more. He yanked a cigarette out of his pack furiously, and it lit with a sharp click.

Only then did I act like I'd just noticed he was there.

"You must be the twin brother, right? I haven't seen you in years, you've gotten so thin!" My eyes darted to Alessia's hand, which he was squeezing so tight his knuckles were white. I put on a look of surprise. "Wait, are you two together?"

Alessia's eyes lit up with unmistakable pride, the corner of her mouth tilting up smugly. "Yep!" She glanced over at Gideon, her gaze soft and adoring, looking every bit like the sweet, lovestruck girl. "And we're so happy together. He says I'm his favorite, the only one he'll ever love."

When she turned back to me, her eyes were sharp with challenge, carrying an unmissable hidden jab.

My eyes flicked between the two identical twin brothers, then I let out a casual, offhand comment like I was just thinking out loud. "You two really look exactly alike. If I only looked at your faces, I'd never be able to tell you apart."

Too bad their performance in bed is worlds apart, night and day with no comparison at all, I thought.

A flash of panic skittered across both Gideon's and Gavin's faces so fast it was nearly gone before you could blink. Meanwhile, Alessia wore a smug, unreadable look like she was waiting for a show to start.

Gideon's face darkened like thunder. He hauled Gavin outside, muttering an excuse about needing to discuss business.

Alessia dropped her nice-girl act immediately, switching to that stuck-up, condescending sneer she loved so much. "You think you won just because you married Gideon?" Her eyes were swimming with cold calculation and pure malice. "But… such a shame, isn't it…"

I had zero interest in playing silly mind games with her. The second a crackle of sound came through my bluetooth earpiece, I stood up and walked away.

Gideon's disgusted voice came through the earpiece clear as day. "Gavin, did you actually sleep with Valerie?"

"Mhm, obviously. You were the one who said you needed her to have a kid, right?"

I heard Gideon suck in a sharp breath on the other end, followed by the faint flick of a lighter. He was quiet for a long, heavy moment before he finally spoke, his voice rough and gravelly, thick with nicotine. "Good. You did good. Just don't forget what you promised me," he said. "She got what she deserves. She owes Alessia this. I'd never touch a vicious, scheming woman like her."

I heard Gavin ask point-blank, "So when the time comes, you're just gonna take Valerie's kid and give it to Alessia to raise?"

Gideon's voice sharpened with clear irritation. "What the hell else would I do? Gavin, are you actually feeling sorry for Valerie? Don't you forget she's the kind of person who'd stoop to anything to get what she wants! Or is that little first love you have been liking still for years suddenly not measuring up to Valerie?"

A split second later, a sharp whoosh cut through the audio in my ear. Gavin had just swung a fist right at Gideon's face.

I pulled the Bluetooth earbud out of my ear and tapped open the divorce agreement my lawyer had sent me in our chat.

Back when I found out Gideon was willing to marry me, that news had swept away all the agony of my blindness in one go.

I'd been such a fool to think if I poured all my heart into him, he'd finally be moved.

I'd way overestimated how much of a conscience that man even had.

This whole stupid charade, with all its shifting truths and lies? I was so sick of playing along.