Chapter 1

When I was twenty-three, I took a blow to the head saving Logan Henson, and lost my sight for it.

After that he became my human walking stick, refusing to let go of my hand no matter where we went.

But on our wedding day, Logan suddenly told me:

"Vivi, the way this works, the groom waits for you up at the front. In a minute you'll need to walk in on your own."

"Everyone's watching. Be brave, don't embarrass me, all right?"

I felt my way forward one careful step at a time, and still tripped on a stair.

Blood ran down my forehead, and somehow my sight came back.

The next second, the scene in front of me froze me where I stood.

No reception. No guests.

No Logan.

Just an empty, abandoned factory.

Two of Logan's friends were tucked off to the side, on a video call with him.

"Logan, Vivi knows you so well. What if she figures out you skipped the wedding?"

His voice was careless.

"Just don't let her hold anyone's hand, use the audio I recorded ahead of time, and she's blind. There's no way she'll notice."

"Debbie gave me a son. I promised her I'd give her a wedding."

Debbie Delgado. His secretary.

On the screen, Debbie leaned into his arms in a wedding gown.

Behind them was an Alice in Wonderland wedding theme, the one I'd always loved most.

So at the end of this aisle, no one had ever been waiting.

Then there was no reason for me to keep walking either.

...

The old speakers were still playing the wedding march.

It echoed, empty, through the abandoned factory.

I lowered my eyes and pulled my mouth into a bitter little smile.

Because he thought I couldn't see, Logan hadn't even bothered to get me a decent gown.

Some old thing dug up from who knew where, the hem yellowed and unraveling, now spotted with blood, like a rag torn to pieces.

The custom gown on Debbie, worth a million dollars, I was seeing for the first time, and yet I knew it well.

Logan had described it to me countless times.

"Vivi, I ordered you your favorite satin mermaid gown. I can't wait to watch you marry me in it. You'll look like the most beautiful mermaid bride."

But the truth was, his bride had been someone else all along.

As if only now noticing I was standing behind the concrete pillar, his two friends jumped.

"Vi—Vivi? We were just talking to Logan about something private. Did you hear anything?"

Maybe I wanted to see exactly how far Logan would push the lie.

I kept my eyes vacant and shook my head blankly.

"The music's too loud, I couldn't make it out..."

On the other end of the call, Logan visibly relaxed.

"Vivi, you're hurt. Let's stop the wedding for now, I'll have them take you to the hospital."

I clutched the hem of my dress and asked, not ready to give it up.

"Logan, I'm a little scared. Will you come with me?"

Before he could answer, Debbie hooked her arm through his with a wounded look, signaling that the ceremony was about to begin.

Logan pressed his lips together.

"Vivi, you can't depend on me for everything. You have to learn to stand on your own."

"The ceremony stopped so suddenly, I need to stay and settle the guests first. Be good, I'll come find you soon."

I slowly let go of the hem. My palm was cold.

In the end, he still chose Debbie.

On the way to the hospital, I kept my eyes shut and rested against the back seat.

One of them got bored and turned on the entertainment screen in the front, pulling up the livestream of Logan and Debbie's wedding.

The one driving hurried to lower his voice.

"Turn it off, Vivi's still sitting right behind us. What if she notices? Don't cause trouble for Logan!"

The other one glanced back at me and curled his lip.

"What's there to be scared of? She's asleep, I've got it on mute, and a blind girl can't see anyway."

"Besides, if you ask me, Vivi's Logan's biggest headache. She saved him once, so what? She didn't even die. Five years of him looking after her should be more than enough, and now he still has to spare her feelings, even hide his own wedding from her."

"Someone in Logan's position now, who's going to actually marry a blind girl? It's embarrassing. Debbie suits him better. A good-looking couple, a real match."

"This wedding today is way grander than that proposal back at the start of the year, that White Valentine's one. Logan really does treat Debbie well."

No one noticed the two lines of tears sliding down my face in the back seat.

That Valentine's Day, Logan hadn't come home.

He said something had come up at work, told me to sleep early.

At the time I was touching the blisters on my hand and said nothing, only told him not to overwork himself.

I'd wanted to cook him a special dish, and had been learning from Audrey Lambert, our housekeeper.

Because I couldn't see, I'd burned myself on the hot pan.

I opened my eyes and quietly watched the screen up front.

Logan slid a diamond ring onto Debbie's finger, saying something with feeling.

Debbie's tears came, moved, and he kissed them away gently.

I looked down at my own empty palm.

When I was twenty-three, out on a date with Logan at the mall.

A billboard overhead suddenly came loose. On instinct I shoved him out of the way, and it struck my head instead, and that was how I lost my sight.

When I woke, Logan sat at my bedside, holding my hand, shaking.

I touched his face, and my palm came away full of tears.

He said from then on he'd be my walking stick and my eyes, that he'd hold my hand everywhere we went, terrified I'd fall.

Later he threw himself into building his business, saying he'd give me the best life, the grandest wedding.

Now he finally had the means to do it.

Only it was to marry another woman.

While the two up front weren't paying attention, I took out my phone.

And sent a message to that familiar number.