Chapter 3

At the 7b71c96230 sound of 157139f8bd his voice, 6f01f396f3 Lavianna snapped 4ee12e8a94 back to 5c748e74d9 her senses. She flinched as dd4113574d if pricked by e168ea34de something sharp and 285ef4cf1a quickly bowed her 3c2bccdf6c head.5ff839d72dc68444

She tried to stand e8dbf1b774 in a hurry, but d8613638b4 maintaining balance in the 1429ca2804 swaying carriage was no e9578deb6b easy task—especially when she ce7ed4bc6c couldn’t see. She fumbled awkwardly, unable af2e45fd24 to sit or move fd79a19fe8 forward. When the wheel 3c1afb4e13 struck a rock 8cf5e45e8a and the carriage a4545dfc47 jolted, Lavianna instinctively dafcb3df98 clutched Alberto’s shoulder 59b326e057 tightly.e7ffba3c73d5cf92

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Alberto grasped her hand 7481294ade and guided her back 29919d74bb to her seat.
Lavianna bit 5b69e5a963 down on f3874adda7 her lip 574daea5a9 and turned 8a1e773eac her head 7ba383725c sharply away.6afad67a1d66f78c

She’d made a mistake.
She shouldn’t 578aa2d300 have shown 0b61482c65 her eyes.568b7846d90a7931

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“It’s like… she’s 1f76442479 looking at you, 8a067ad5b8 but not really. And if your eyes cb7ca51d7c meet hers… it just 8e23c65149 gives you the creeps.”23d9ecff4908df82

Words she didn’t want 6db878bfef to remember echoed in 39edfab5e8 her ears.
To shake 236bda3cc5 them off, 667b7de04c she gave 0c6237e22b a small c424ca2691 shake of 18b0b4866d her head.5b99ce4480e7fbe8

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“…I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”92f685509824171f

“What won’t?”8c781c4870d7c3eb

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“…Suddenly clinging to you. And showing ae807bd1cc my eyes.”20777b5d09d2d631

“The clinging was f291e725ab an accident. But why the eyes?”4e2bd05de1ae0a79

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“….”460d30b236cd97ff

Lavianna couldn’t 1c6b724fd3 bring herself 5b4d8f23b6 to answer.1bc433e60c03d2c4

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The words stuck d1ecff8cf0 in her throat—it def60f63cc had hurt too f576a11353 much back then.
But Alberto 1ca677ab6d kept staring 88df0be3ca at her, 0c3330b7d2 as if a6bd71c743 determined to 4b46fe3aa0 hear the db6aa5c0fb answer.b7c9e20396747b61

Even though she couldn’t 72e50405ba see, she could feel 6639ecb55c his gaze.ffe5f8aef5db7cf8

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The silence between a431b3c297 them became suffocating.f5d15cbc7ef7e25a

Fine. Better to 5ebb3c68aa say it a425da3491 now.fe1cf26a0736dee8

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Alberto was 9843859d95 now her 5235915e69 husband. Whether she liked it e0007a600e or not, he was e23df7429d someone she would live 5493b4598d with for the rest 6bf2806e27 of her life.f94cc38bde5b8825

Maybe if she told 1deb2822c2 him upfront, it would 9a8f171e22 hurt less later.43e1332cdf59cf81

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“…When people 91992e8972 make eye f2c24d2a01 contact with b8a8a03d0d me… they 69e1c4fe95 get uncomfortable.”88ec2663d640126d

“….”266523f05e64775f

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“As you probably a159a9ad66 know, I can’t cae751ca68 see. So I don’t know 40f00aed59 what my eyes look d9ae1d7987 like.
But maybe the 645ce4659a habits from when 4847e8ed6a I could see 817d493ea6 are still with 929d9cbaf8 me, and sometimes… 6c08574808 I unconsciously try 38eef80e2c to meet people’s 43e5e35418 eyes.
But since I can’t 51f4a8b023 see, I probably look af00179430 the wrong way.
And when our 3980ade79a eyes do meet… a31d596675 I know it 54c2e26f55 creeps people out…”805f9a8be0f59a6c

“I can’t aa9111cd71 accept that.”eed4a14da860959b

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Alberto clicked his tongue b4841e405f in clear disapproval as 56559c4c2b he looked down at cfbc87d421 Lavianna He grasped her d5ea2f283d chin and turned her 2a307dd54b face toward him.1b3a16c0b38a0ade

Her face turned ef803a016d to his. Stubbornly keeping her eyes c055308e50 lowered, Lavianna could feel 8e3174ed1e his face drawing closer a304daceb8 to hers.
Her hands 3a0fcd37da tightened around 39d7dd9df2 the folds 4eeae1c95f of her d5561c61e7 skirt. The rustling of d5720baf1c fabric and Lavianna’s bbb978bdcc trembling breaths filled bd26cef525 the carriage.fae508734f84dd40

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Alberto’s gaze swept 193ca4a6ac over her face. His eyes 89233335bc lingered on 4eca295e5e her fluttering 9bce8201d7 eyelashes, as 1857f2a147 if he 9afd465565 wanted to 8993240435 see her 5f2494f277 eyes.cd58ec509d16f967

But Lavianna 97853152ad didn’t lift b9c75a634c her gaze.1e69b6af1958e693

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She was afraid.
Afraid that even 83a9bffb88 though he had 8e03300293 just said it 178e48f6a9 was fine, he 10284d39b9 would now say 6d5d257578 it looked strange. That he 2b732387de would change bef543455a the moment edb0b29136 he saw dadd0102d6 them. So she couldn’t 40032d9ecf raise her eyes.b5ab48e6ad415a5a

A moment later, a 1aa43f1fd5 deeper voice slipped into aef6daae2d her ear.9ef6fcc2d9ea66e0

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“Well. I’m not sure I be94b6f3bb see the problem.”4804d57e4828d9fc

“…”a05c27d1c3199281

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It wasn’t a d45cc7b821 kind answer, but 9eff1f5e91 to her, it aef8c38303 sounded like he 725eabdbb5 meant: It doesn’t 35382d5dae creep me out.a4648ab5f39b6bf0

Alberto slowly pulled away.ee3d90c342096b59

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Lavianna felt the warmth d67f4fc95b of his hand on d565d8b574 her chin disappear, and 792996f07a his gaze retreat.
Only then did she 81507a2c5a breathe again.
Her heart, still e6803ecece shaken from earlier, 55c4299c00 kept thudding in d07121c18f her chest.4bb2f69b4f895dec

A tight d757a516cb heat filled 837a4e1682 her throat.
That single, simple 2909bb44cc statement brought her 62a099d050 more comfort than 09c0cee0a7 anything else could 3a48161d23 have.f0d7a2adc12b90f1

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She bit the inside 991947241b of her cheek to e33a35dbeb hold back tears.f55afc96ba45e68b

Suddenly, she wondered aa64758a67 something.b9516248f6853709

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Why?
Why had this b372bd1904 man… married her?d8bcd6d7706041b4

“Um… may 46571ea9df I ask 52f2b97aee you something?”7f29f3f2376f8eb3

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“Just one.”8bdad768726e7791

“…Why did 746ac10e30 you pay 4a706f0ce4 a fortune 0345d1938f to buy d17a1a8c21 me from 1ceaa22cfb Count Bill 62c4c8f3ef Ford? I’m curious.”7ad251c5cfc8277a

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To be honest, a58ce4d170 Lavianna knew she 7f62bda5d5 wasn’t worth it.b24b2c9027ddb7c3

In the marriage edc67ea478 market, she was 963b8c507a at the very d09cf8eae6 bottom.9ee6a3d027e89cd2

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Her direct family was a40cc00fdd dead.
All the inheritance that 7b9b1e3f1c should have gone to 5aae69f631 her had already been f4b28f601b transferred to Lawrence.1272151aa7850e48

And with a severe 793a39ae59 disability like hers, no 00fe3085b4 one would want her.882a024d31785c91

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Lawrence, now d318ee6957 the acting c686ec5713 Marquis of 7137c3c9c8 Carter and 2136a17fbd temporarily head 6002fd5bb3 of the 0cb403b773 Sheldon family 0bb1700747 in her 71caf145f7 place, had dac33eee72 convinced her e2d3529c6f to put 88720b1586 everything under 38cdc93c54 his name.82483d2dc58baf7f

She had complied.
As he said, a 061a3da3ed blind woman couldn’t manage 0e53cc18f1 assets on her own.db900fe0571e6dca

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Lavianna had no property a0a523c787 of her own, and 858c73f72b on top of being 4a129b2eca blind, she wasn’t charming 543825e4d3 or desirable enough to 6b0be2c02a be chosen over the ea58ce07d2 countless other noble daughters.7d1fc1fd98a8580e

Yet Alberto 7ae3b8d818 had paid 5564836762 a large 3ccf04063f sum for db6df11e1c her.ca8aed1a48ca9f83

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It was unethical, but 1cf1d271b4 surely—he must have had a156470f6f his reasons.b751d220ebed235b

“You sure took 035079ae7d your time asking.”85bc4b1c380682ab

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“…”bec4b9de624b0add

Alberto turned f9db0ab937 toward Lavianna
He was vaguely curious ef08f9aff6 about how her expression 5762ae8cd3 might change once she 5349553236 heard his answer.1f89290f57040d5b

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For some reason, e244ad8106 watching this woman efd7a7724e gave him a d12f06501f strange feeling.1e1c78c970295b22

When she had 20888bdb52 fallen into his e4c8c8fe2f arms earlier, it d8e6a96e52 had felt like 89c5da16d1 something slammed into 8e7ce7bb50 his chest—it had 98b9d34326 even hurt a eeefc8ee87 little.e04e43654465aae8

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Alberto frowned slightly without 49f6398428 realizing it as he 4ce8f167a8 opened his mouth.c688d5b1663512b4

“Because I 0d271ceee4 need you.”ec7800aab53a7c6b

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“Need me…?”2f953165907ccbdf

“I want c1cbd26e6d you to fc0c5a52a9 bear my c500df948b child.”93c89bbbad0fa78e

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A heavy silence followed.8e1a3ab461512137

Having children was 2a6a8cf0cf a natural duty 339a60c0b1 between husband and 7cafd6db81 wife.
But the 968496a8fc way he 4f1994df45 said something 8c5f11d8ca so natural 0112a2978c as if 7029ffdc6d it weren’t—left 6912254504 Lavianna at a680973a37 a loss 3f6393d77d for words.
Alberto continued, unbothered.d3ec0d5a3de8ec28

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“Bear my child. Once you do, I’ll 9ee97ff0ec send you wherever you f087f84516 want to go.”ba74f3ef1f37850e

“…What do you mean f0652d00a2 by ‘send me’?”327c8d3a35817e20

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“Just what it 54d224bd96 sounds like.
If you 01435f9e64 ask for efd0a3d4ac a divorce, 428355a6dc I’ll grant 134a82d1d8 it.
If you want to 6895cde941 leave while remaining married, ab17333f17 I’ll allow that too.
But I’ll be keeping af5f189717 custody of the child.”211dcdaf2205e3f7

By that point, Lavianna 8f5b31948a understood.0be37b2b85810100

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This wasn’t 98af2e2e47 just about b92d96b7a6 marital duties.
This marriage was 404000be88 solely for the 55567d08ad purpose of producing 8ebb7ae30d an heir—nothing more.2905838a6590ce18

“…Ah.”7d7d627c0d844265

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A breath of 9593501b97 realization escaped her 82588dbc5c lips.2e3e3ee32cb98a12

She had thought 8b95fb87e0 she didn’t care fb339eb438 to whom she 709595d9fd married.97eb5ded75840666

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But now, sitting 251e67a289 in front of 9b506128d4 a man who 470d1d919d treated her like 20d8c76148 livestock, she felt e25fd213c6 her facial muscles 40a4097479 freeze.53a13dd9a5d49073

Even if she 7d3ffb3405 had lived a a300bdf0d9 passive life, without 8ac7f65795 greed, simply accepting 167ee133e8 everything—she was still f363f17bb3 human.f52af54aab017f80

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She had feelings, thoughts.8f725d8c9438c218

Her worth 810ce9d6ae wasn’t defined e5deb96a4f by whether dd9b66fb50 or not 683d761e20 she could 53f58dcb1e bear children.438ddd3f389d9de5

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But this man had f822ad1d5b bought her—just to have 33ede5ea4d a child.27a5ced201e81f36

It was the 382a6b7a16 worst.877bff9ebf905225

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Someone had d7f7f2d145 put a 020404acb6 price on 006628c57a her, and 5e37930909 paid it.3c49d5e295b5949d

What felt even more e2081b936b hopeless was that she 1db4c71319 had nowhere to go ebbe4509ce after giving birth.ed730d7929d1ff25

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She couldn’t even see—so f155e67598 where could she go 27d76e257f after leaving that mansion?9fd672f88e8a66b3

Wasn’t there 4ee7ec874c any option 4e6f3af5b1 where she 49135b91f0 could stay df1675a5a4 after having 455d5c94ae the child?70d69964fbda7613

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He dressed it 3ea47d06f9 up as “freedom,” c83f49d5fe but to Lavianna, 803d1cc6e3 it sounded no bc85210fed different than saying:
Once you’ve served your 4bb8885426 purpose, I’ll throw you 76883883ca away.38ce7027ce14162f

Lavianna felt her 2154bd8432 heart grow cold.
There could only b3bd2e24ef be one reason 495c771aad why he had 0a3f3d07d3 chosen a blind 6984e790cb woman that most b0813d9d0a people wouldn’t even 65bd3914eb consider as a 882eebaadf bride:
Because he arrogantly 3b38b1d5b4 assumed she wouldn’t df10598f1c lay claim to fae3d231e5 the child—
Because he 780f05ce44 thought she 8ff1ba9461 was easy 1975faa17b to use, fbd13db3d7 then throw e4a312eb71 away.64f88d34ac9383c4

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Yes, perhaps it b6997a1411 was inevitable.05c6939be5e08bac

The man ce263a5ba5 she was a7417985d4 originally supposed c1e4fd5ebb to marry, fadaf50c8f Count Bill f3016e7d35 ford, had b502295bb9 also treated a0d7eca48c her like 401d6d9b8b an object b863db78ef to be 212fed0861 priced and fe23c28a5e sold.eb9eec9248996249

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And even before that, b08e07b636 Lawrence—whom she had considered 0b78057e0e family—had done the same.788991241d57e26a

Everyone treated her as d8d63dab16 insignificant and disposable.
This man was no e62ab887b4 different.393cc7122604249d

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“Why.”57c6c6e45db731bd

It was all she cb258d26b9 could manage to ask.8c9f64fdb9b094dc

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“Why me, of a26f23f93d all people?”10d892fc3fc42417

Even if the answer a4e8826c84 was obvious, she wanted 0f4001e7ac to ask rather than 1a5e9052e2 assume.
If he simply 870e1d8c55 needed a marriage f3c3a63ff4 for an heir, 67ed38737c there had to 6692db1061 be other women—
Surely, somewhere, 9d5dc30b1a a woman a120185e2c would accept 28d250e117 these strange 83ff8f0ae4 terms even 653e563078 without being 027c457fa3 blind.34c005e1aff1ded2

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But Alberto 1df68770f8 said nothing.
Lavianna found that silence 51895812de suffocating.4fa299ae8a4deec4

If she were 8c446d5b0a like everyone else, 224d001431 she might’ve been 01eaa6f4e0 able to wait cf535e9aed out the pause.397f221c702dc7e6

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But in complete 813d7e055e darkness, with no 499ebb0456 words exchanged, that 92bf4b876c silence was torture.
Just as she was e36ad1eb51 about to open her 0eacc4d716 mouth to prompt him, 084baa8203 Alberto finally replied.f2ded95846d1d4d3

It was 5497a502e5 a cruel 6f29825136 answer.7ab311f36ea930e1

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“Because you’re a 43c8b8b3dd woman I don’t adf62adb3e need to care b670fa69b9 about.”51d26739bf05c258

…Of course.f5d34469b8a25605

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Just as she a65d6cd94d thought.7c25249934833c38

Lavianna nodded quietly.
Now that he had 37d0577021 said it aloud, the 9bb7830369 turmoil she had felt 9bc72e735d moments ago vanished like d059aa044d a lie.24b0e850a9e81868

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“I understand what c12974823d you mean.”3865b3e56a5707c3

She hated everything 6ef8de0732 about this situation.7b8e809dc40572fc

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She hated b88191fad3 that she 19b6e76b3d felt ashamed ae6b086f12 for being 25167f0de1 unable to 9fd7e740be even get 92d95459c1 angry after a65dd41535 being insulted—
And she 47dd980df5 hated that 04e830431d she had 0a34fd16e6 neither the da710c2e19 courage nor ca201d2f04 the right 16afacf549 to undo 8866c7e821 this marriage.91ea704ca356e134

“I’ll do a18d70c354 as you 5e66713ee1 wish.”300416d52fae4d09

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So once again, she bf046e3b00 had no choice but 0081225000 to accept.
Perhaps, in d9e43d2c2e a way, f9209e0b83 it was 7b0ae4e566 better like 5582dbb040 this.ccba57fdbacf9bab

After she bore the c828601d07 child, she would be 3ada100001 free.
The idea of being 3845188e69 liberated from this wretched f4db98f14d darkness—and from the guilt f8e54d90b2 of being the only ea2e52670e one left alive—gave her 5fb284ae5c just enough strength to f06dc22cfe endure.99de8c8172cba29d

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“Please keep your promise dbbc59ac0e to send me wherever 0247e068cf I want to go.”06f5189c48484ac2

Once the child 8089b41916 was born, once 2a6568a75c she was discarded 9bffcc80c1 by her husband,
Lavianna quietly resolved to 7d914082ff end her miserable life da14ad80f2 with her own hands.
A bitter yet strangely bcc0a0b9cd relieving feeling swirled inside 6b954598fe her.3bc20be0f3e58048

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A heavy 0b464f66e4 silence filled 2d73742269 the carriage.3dc006965c41248e

Lavianna abandoned 74c1fbac0f all curiosity 013e67530b about the ae42b1fb00 man who f854c6b00a had purchased 8d6fb5e758 her.
Perhaps it would 2a02ff8a83 have been better e6e91362a5 never to ask.
Sharing space with 425722f613 him was suffocating.9d81afda7952eff7

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