Used as Payment, Kept as His Own

Fighting back tears, I forced a smile in front of him. So, this was what it felt like to have your heart truly betrayed.

Elliot's deal with the village only lasted until I gave birth to a child. But he never specified who the father had to be. Since Alexander had given me to someone else, I wouldn't refuse either.

So the next night, when the man appeared again, I no longer reacted violently. Instead, I walked over and leaned into his embrace, removing my clothes piece by piece.

"Alexander, we don't need protection anymore. Let's have a baby."

Day after day, this deceptive relationship between the man and me continued for an entire year. I pretended not to know he wasn't Alexander, and he pretended to be Alexander.

Alexander during the day, this man at night. They coordinated so perfectly that they never appeared in front of me at the same time.

Every time Alexander held my hand during the day, the man would exhaust me even more thoroughly that night, leaving me unable to get out of bed the next day. He forced me to say I loved him over and over again in bed, and he would respond each time that he loved me too.

He wouldn't let me call him "Alexander", only allowing me to call him "honey" in the darkness. I heard his murmurs when he thought I was asleep.

"Why do you have to marry him? Do you love him that much? You can't even tell the difference."

Actually, I wanted to ask him the same thing. Why was he deceiving me along with Alexander? I didn't even know who he was.

When I thought of him as Alexander, what did he think of me as? I was afraid I'd hear that he only saw me as a tool, too, so I didn't dare ask.

The next day, Alexander came home early. He said Elliot's party tonight specifically requested my attendance. I was dressed up like a doll, with people fussing over me, until Alexander finally helped me into the car.

When the door closed, my body tensed. There was another person breathing in the car.

The perfume was sickeningly sweet. It had to be Kayla. Was she really this impatient?

Halfway through the drive, the sticky sounds of kissing began, followed by Alexander's muffled groans as his zipper was pulled down. This made it impossible for me to pretend nothing was happening. After all, I was only blind, not deaf.

"Alexander, are you feeling alright? I thought I heard you making some noise."

"No... Ah... Lyddie, you heard wrong... I... mm... might have a slight cold."

I knew Kayla was trying to provoke me, but I really didn't want to listen to their live performance.

"Did you catch a chill last night? I told you we shouldn't have done that by the window..."

I pretended to be shy, and Alexander's side went quiet. He probably pushed Kayla away. Well, nobody likes hearing about being cheated on.

We soon arrived at the party, where Elliot led me around for introductions. Most people were polite for a moment before leaving.

I knew they looked down on me. My background was already humble, and I was blind on top of that.

"Mr. Hayes Senior has excellent taste. This young lady is quite beautiful."

A male voice spoke, and my pupils trembled slightly. It was that man.

"Elliot, who's this?" I asked with feigned curiosity, and Elliot laughed heartily.

"This is the head of the Foster family, Vincent Foster. Let me tell you, Vincent is exceptionally capable.

"At the same age as Alexander, he's already taken the Foster family to new heights. If only Alexander could learn from him, then I'd have peace of mind."

Vincent seemed to have only come to say hello. After exchanging pleasantries, he left. Midway through the party, I followed a server to the restroom, but the server was nowhere to be found when I came out.

Unfamiliar with the layout, I felt my way forward. Just as I reached a corner, someone wrapped an arm around my waist.

A hand covered my scream, and I caught his scent. It was Vincent.

"Did I scare you? How can you not even recognize your own honey?"

He was incredibly bold, daring to impersonate Alexander at such a crowded party. Seeing my silence, Vincent simply chuckled softly and kissed me.