The new apartment was an instant mood booster for Alice. In the glow of her new home, even the divorce didn't feel like such a catastrophe anymore.
It had been two years since a woman called her out of the blue to claim she was pregnant by Alice's husband, Mark.
Alice hadn't believed it at first, dismissing it as a cruel prank. But then the woman—Chloe—described a very specific, hidden tattoo Mark had. She told Alice to just let him go and leave them in peace.
"Take him," Alice had replied. "I don't care. He'll just find someone else eventually. He betrayed me; he'll betray you too. Good luck."
When Mark came home from work that evening, he found a suitcase sitting in the middle of the hallway.
"I know everything. Don't bother making excuses," Alice said, her voice cold. "Get out. Just tell me one thing—what wasn't enough for you?" Her voice began to crack. "Was it because we don't have kids? You just had to wait. Do you understand? Just wait! Instead, you ran off and knocked up some random girl..."
"Al, I... I'm sorry," Mark tried to step toward her, but she shoved him back.
"Take your things and go. I never want to see you again."
Mark left, and for a long while, Alice's only companion was depression. However, the grueling divorce settlement eventually provided the funds to buy her own place. At least she'd gotten lucky in that regard.
The apartment was in an older building, but it was solid, and the price had been surprisingly good.
Alice spent the entire day cleaning and unpacking. That evening, she treated herself to a "royal" dinner: takeout and a bottle of wine. A good movie was supposed to be the perfect finishing touch.
Suddenly, she heard rustling in the entryway. Alice jumped up and saw a man hauling bags into her apartment.
"Who are you?" she shouted.
The man, clearly not expecting to see anyone, looked bewildered. "Who are you? I bought this place. You need to leave."
"Wait a second, you must be mistaken. I bought this apartment. I have all the paperwork right here. Let's compare."
As it turned out, their documents were identical. They had both been scammed; the same apartment had been sold twice.
"We'll have to live together for now until we get this sorted out. We can be roommates," the man announced. "By the way, I'm Blake."
"Alice," she muttered, retreating to her room.
***
The evening was officially ruined. Blake was busy with something in the kitchen. When Alice walked out, she noticed he had some bread, a tin of beans, and a few other uninspiring items on the counter.
"Blake," she called out. "Come have dinner. You must be hungry, and I ordered enough for two."
"That smells amazing! Did you cook?"
"No, it's takeout. I wanted to celebrate moving in. Who sold you the apartment?"
"A balding guy named Victor. What about you?"
"Same guy. Police tomorrow?"
"I wouldn't advise it yet. Let me explain—it'll cause a mountain of problems, and they'll keep us tied up at the station for days. Do we really need that? I just started a new job and can't afford the distraction. I have a friend who's a private investigator. I'll tell him everything, and he'll handle it. I promise."
"Fine. So... do you have a family or what?"
"Or what. I'm on my own. I take it you..."
"Had a husband. He turned out to be a real piece of work," Alice smirked.
It took Alice a long time to fall asleep that night. She kept thinking about how they had both been cheated, and about Blake. He wasn't exactly a movie star, but there was something magnetic about him, and he didn't feel dangerous.
***
For three months, the roommates lived in peace. They fell into a comfortable rhythm, and it felt like things were exactly as they should be. But one day, returning from work, Alice heard voices in the kitchen. Blake wasn't alone.
"I love you, don't you get it?" a woman wailed. "We can have kids, we can get a dog—whatever you want. Just come back to me."
Alice started to turn away to give them privacy—or perhaps because she didn't want to hear Blake's answer. But his voice made her freeze:
"You shouldn't have come here."
"Have you forgotten everything? We were so happy!"
"On the contrary, I remember everything. I remember how you got rid of my child."
"Blake, listen, it wasn't your child. Remember when you went away on that business trip? I went to a friend's birthday party. I was walking home alone that night... there were three of them, okay? I couldn't do anything."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I was scared! I love you so much."
Alice quietly crept to her room, catching a glimpse of Blake hugging the slender girl as she sobbed into his shoulder.
After that, Blake often didn't come home to sleep. Alice missed him, though she tried her best not to admit it.
***
One morning, Alice was woken up by the doorbell. She assumed Blake had forgotten his keys, but Mark was standing on the doorstep. He lunged toward her, falling to his knees and begging for forgiveness.
"Get your hands off me," Alice said, her voice hard and cold. "You betrayed me, and now you're betraying her, and you expect forgiveness?"
"Honey, Alice, please... I'll change! We'll be a great family. I realize that now!"
"Go back to your family. Leave me alone."
"Chloe's daughter was born sick. I don't want a kid like that! I want a healthy son, and I want him with you!" Mark grabbed Alice and tried to drag her toward the bedroom.
She tried to break free, but Mark was much stronger. He yanked at her robe, tearing the delicate lace. She braced herself, closing her eyes as she imagined him pinning her down, but the weight never came.
Alice opened her eyes to see Blake brawling with Mark. After a moment, Blake dragged her ex-husband out of the room and shoved him out into the hallway.
When he returned, Alice couldn't contain her emotions. She threw herself into his arms. He held her tight and kissed her.
"You haven't been sleeping at home. How did you get here? And what about your girlfriend?"
"What made you think I was with her? I'm a first responder—I've been on night shifts, it's not what you thought. She betrayed me twice. She can keep wanting me back all she wants."
"I'm sorry... I overheard your conversation."
"Let's not talk about the past, okay? I want to be with you," Blake said, kissing her passionately.
***
For several days, Alice felt like she was walking on air. Then, one evening, her phone rang from an unknown number.
"Hello?"
"Is this Alice Andrews?"
"Yes, speaking."
"Your husband is in the hospital in critical condition. You should come down here."
"What? Husband? Did something happen to Mark?"
"Mark? No, Blake Miller. Or do we have the wrong person?"
"Blake... I'm coming!"
At the hospital, Alice learned that Blake had been jumped by several men on the street. Passersby had called an ambulance and the police. He was lying there with a bandage over his eyes and his head wrapped in gauze.
"Who did this? Do you remember?" Alice sobbed, having no idea it was Mark's revenge.
A week later, Blake was moved from the ICU to a regular ward, but the bandage remained over his eyes. One day, his ex-girlfriend came to visit. She said she hadn't realized how bad it was. Alice stepped over to the window to give them space.
"The doctors said I won't see again," Blake told her. "Do you really want to spend your life with a blind man?"
"What? How? That can't be true!"
"It is."
The woman stood up abruptly and bolted out of the room. Alice walked over to him and took his hand.
"Don't worry. I'll always be with you. We'll find the best doctors, we'll get your sight back, and even if we can't—I'll always love you."
***
After he was discharged, Alice took Blake home. She cared for him and loved him more than ever.
"Al, sweetheart, will you marry me?"
"Of course," she laughed. "We have to raise this baby together, after all. I'm pregnant, Blake."
He scooped her up and started spinning her around the living room.
"I love you, Alice! I love you, I love you!"
"Be careful! It's not safe, you might trip," Alice worried.
Blake just smiled.
"You can see? You can see, can't you?"
"My sight came back three days ago. I just wanted to know if you'd still marry me if I stayed blind."
"You idiot! I love you, don't you get that?"
For a wedding present, the couple received an unexpectedly lavish gift—a stunning house in the suburbs.
"Blake, where did this come from?"
"Remember my investigator friend? He found that scammer. This house is our settlement."
Alice laughed and kissed her husband.
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