No Sight of Late Autumn, A Lifetime of Regret

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Brent Perez and I went all the way from school uniforms to a wedding dress.

In a car accident, I lost my sight saving Brent.

That night, Brent stayed by my bedside and said he would be my eyes, and would never leave me for the rest of his life.

Over those five years, my health kept getting worse, and he cared for me down to the smallest detail.

Then one day, I was diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer. When I came home from the hospital, I overheard a conversation between Brent and one of his buddies.

"Aren't you afraid Tabitha will find out, playing around this openly?"

"She's blind. Even if I did it right in front of her, she couldn't see. After all these years, I got bored of her a long time ago. Do I really have to spend my whole life stuck with a blind woman?"

...

Later, the doctor issued me a critical-condition notice.

All I could do was call Brent.

"Brent, we were husband and wife once. Do me one last favor. Please bury me beside my grandmother's grave."

When I got back from the hospital, I turned down the driver's offer to see me home.

I'd been blind for five whole years now. I'd long since grown used to the darkness, and I could manage on my own.

What's more, I knew every inch of this house better than anyone.

As the sound of the car's exhaust faded into the distance, I felt for the door handle and opened it, only to catch a sweet, cloying whiff of perfume drifting through the house.

After I lost my sight, my sense of smell and hearing grew sharper and sharper.

I never wear perfume with this scent, and neither does Brent.

So who could it be?

Once I stepped inside, I heard movement in the living room, and my heart went cold.

Soft, ragged little gasps.

And that voice I knew all too well.

"You're really something!"

"Easyyou've torn my clothes to shreds. What am I supposed to wear later?"

"Then don't wear anything..."

The filthy words carried clearly to my ears, and all I felt was a stab of pain in my chest.

So Brent's earlier words about not wanting to be stuck with a blind woman hadn't been something I imagined after all.

He figured that because I was blind, he could do whatever he pleased!

But my eyesI went blind saving him in the first place. He never used to be like this...

We'd been married five years, and he doted on me completely. All of Harbor City knew how tenderly he cared for me.

He said we'd go from school uniforms to a wedding dress together, from black hair to gray.

He would be my eyes.

Maybe he'd said it so earnestly back then that I never once doubted him.

But now?

I couldn't quite keep my footing. I accidentally knocked into the vase set by the entryway, and it shattered at my feet.

After a bit of rustling, I suddenly fell into a familiar embrace.

"Tabby, when did you get back?"

There was a trace of panic in Brent's voice, and then it smoothed over, full of concern.

"Are you hurt?"

As he spoke, he checked me over carefully for any cuts.

I started to move, but Brent scooped me up and set me gently on the sofa.

"I'm not keeping a vase by the door anymore. It's too dangerous."

As he talked, Brent expertly dabbed medicine on the spot I'd just scraped.

His touch was so gentle that for a moment I felt dazed, as if everything that had just happened had only been in my head.

"Tabby?"

Coming back to myself, I did my best to steady myself. "I'm fine. Didn't you say you had to work late today?"

"It's all wrapped up. Julius said he liked that red wine I brought back from France last time, so I had him over for a few glasses. I'm sorry, I should have come to pick you up."

Brent didn't flush, didn't skip a beat, his tone perfectly natural.

"It's fine."

Because I was blind, I couldn't see the look on Brent's face just then.

Was his conscience truly clear, or was there a sneer on his lips?

Before I could think it over, a familiar scent drew slowly closer.

Brent pressed a kiss between my brows, and feeling the warmth of it, I instinctively pushed him away.

He froze for a second, then spoke apologetically. "I'm sorry, I forgot you don't like the smell of alcohol. I won't drink anymore. Forgive me this once, all right?"

Maybe his acting was just that good, because I almost believed him.

I was about to say something when my hand happened to brush against clothing on the sofa.

These clearly weren't a man's clothes, and they carried the same perfume I'd smelled coming in.

My hand went still, and I forced the words out. "Did you bring a woman home?"

"How could that be?"

Brent said it almost without a moment's hesitation.

The next second my hand was empty; Brent had already taken the clothes from me.

"Julius must have left this behind. I'll give it to him tomorrow." Then Brent seemed to remember something. "By the way, didn't you go in for a checkup today? What did they say?"

"Nothing serious." I quietly put the checkup report away.

Brent patted my head. "Good. Our Tabby's going to live to a hundred."

Live to a hundred?

That probably isn't going to happen.

And besides, when he says things like that now, how much of it is really sincere?

"I'm going back to my room."

I was about to get up when Brent stopped me.

"Tabby, you just got back from the hospital. Why don't you go wash and disinfect your hands in the bathroom first?"

I understood.

So the person was hidden in the room.

It wasn't exactly something to be proud of, and I had no desire to make a scene with Brent in front of another woman.

That would only make me a laughingstock!

So in the end I said nothing more, and turned and went into the bathroom.

The next day.

When I woke up, Brent was long gone from my side.

After washing up, I suddenly felt like going out for a walk.

I came to a coffee shop nearby.

The moment I stepped in, a string of wind chimes rang out overhead, very lovely to hear.

Seeing that I had trouble getting around, someone came over right away to greet me and led me to a seat.

"Hello, my name is Louisa, and I'm the owner of this shop. Today is our first day open, so everything's twenty percent off."

As she spoke, she placed a menu in my hands.

I ran my fingers over it and was surprised. "Your menu actually has Braille on it?"

From her voice Louisa was a young girl, and there was something oddly familiar about it too.

She smiled. "Yes. My boyfriend gave me this shop. He even set up a foundation to help the blindhe said he hoped to do something for people who can't see."

"Your boyfriend is so kind." My heart warmed, and I felt a little envious. "He must love you very much."

My dream used to be to have a coffee shop of my own, with a string of wind chimes at the entrance, a bookshelf between the private booths lined with books, and two sunflowers on every table.

And Brent had once promised he'd give me a coffee shop just like that.

"Of course!" Louisa smiled. "By the way, ma'am, what would you like to drink?"

"A cappuccino, thank you."

As the footsteps faded away, a thought suddenly struck me, and I reached out tentatively to touch beside me.

Sure enough, there was a bookshelf. I picked up a book and felt it, and sure enough, there was Braille on it.

What a coincidence.

Suddenly the wind chimes rang.

The next second, a familiar voice spoke.

"Louisa, congratulations on the opening. This is for you."

It was Brent.

So that was why he'd gone out so early in the morningto buy her a gift.

"Sunflowers again?" Louisa's tone turned a little petulant. "I've told you, I like red roses, not sunflowers. Take all these in the shop and swap them out for me!"

"All right, all right."

The two of them kept talking, but all I could hear was a buzzing in my ears, and I couldn't make out the words anymore.

After a good long while.

"Your cappuccino."

Louisa set the coffee down in front of me.

My voice trembled a little. "May I askis your boyfriend named Brent Perez?"

"Yes," Louisa said. "You know him?"

"I do," my voice trembled. "But I thought he was already married."

"Married? Hmph. That so-called wife of his is just leeching off him because she once saved his life, and she won't leave."

Louisa's voice was full of contempt. "She's nothing but a blind woman. Sooner or later she'll have to step aside for me!"

I was about to say something more when footsteps drew closer.

Brent's voice was full of tenderness. "I've already had someone go buy rosesnine hundred ninety-nine of them"

Before he could finish, he suddenly caught sight of me.

I stood up, my voice cold. "Sorry to intrude."

Back home, I was far calmer than I would have imagined.

"When did this happen?"

"Three years ago, I was set up, and I happened to run into her," Brent said. "I'm sorry, Tabby"

He tried to come over and hug me, but I pushed him away.

"If I hadn't caught you, were you planning to hide it from me for the rest of my life?"

"I'm sorry, Tabby. Don't worry, no one can threaten your position. I'll settle her somewhere far away," Brent said. "That coffee shop, I'll make her give it back"

I reached out and slapped Brent across the face.

"Are you crazy?"

Brent shoved me to the ground.

"I'm sorry, I"

Slumped on the floor, I wiped away my tears. "Brent, let's get a divorce."

"What?" Brent seemed almost unable to believe it.

My voice was firm. "I went blind saving you back then, and you took care of me for five years.

The debts cancel out. We don't owe each other anything."

"You're nothing but a blind woman. Where could you go if you left me?" Each word drove into my heart.

"I already apologized to you, didn't I? And no one is going to fight you for the place of Mrs. Perez!"

"I don't want it!" I staggered to my feet and groped my way into the bedroom. "I'll move out tomorrow, and I'll find a lawyer"

Before I could finish, Brent came in, snatched away my phone, and flung me onto the bed.

The door slammed shut with a bang.

"I'll treat everything you said today as talk out of anger." Brent's voice came from outside the door. "Until you've thought it through, you're not leaving this house!"

I forced myself up and pounded on the door. "Are you going to lock me up for the rest of my life?"

"You can't see anyway, so it makes no difference where you are."

Brent's voice was colder than I'd ever heard it.

I slid weakly down to the floor, sobbing quietly. "Do you love her that much?"

"She's a lot like you were five years ago."

His footsteps gradually faded away.

I murmured his words over and over, and couldn't help laughing until I cried.

Even I had nearly forgotten how I'd been five years ago bright and full of life, my eyes curving into a smile.

I fell into a deep sleep, and when I woke again, I could feel the warmth of the sunlight. It must have been morning.

The door suddenly opened, but the person who came in wasn't Brent.

Smelling the perfume, I frowned without thinking. "Louisa?"

Louisa walked in slowly. "I really never expected that you'd be Brent's blind wife."

I stood up. "Let me out, and I'll divorce Brent and make way for you!"

"Do you take me for a fool?" Louisa's voice was mocking. "As long as you're alive, Brent will never let go of a dead weight like you!"

"What do you want?"

A bad feeling rose up in me.

Because I hadn't had a drop of water and my body was weak, Louisa dragged and hauled me all the way to the balcony.

"This is the second floor. Are you insane?"

She pushed me back against the railing, and I was terrified.

Louisa smiled. "Tell me, in Brent's heart, which of us matters more?"

I stayed silent.

"That day in your living room, you heard everything, didn't you?" Louisa went on. "Aren't you his wife? How is it you don't even have the courage to confront him?"

I bit down on my lip. "What exactly do you want?"

Louisa let out a cold snort, and suddenly her grip went slack.

"What are you two doing?"

It was Brent!

I was about to call out to him when I heard Louisa scream.

"Brent, save me!"

There came the sound of something heavy hitting the ground.

I stood frozen in place, and instinctively tried to explain, "No, it wasn't me"

I wanted to say more, but out of nowhere I was in terrible pain, and everything went black.

When I came to, I smelled the sharp sting of disinfectant.

"You're awake?"

My voice was a little hoarse. "Where's Brent?"

"You really are cold," Julius sneered. "You did something like that to Louisa, and you don't feel the slightest bit of concern or guilt!"

I frowned. "Louisa wasn't"

"Enough. Explain it to Brent yourself."

Julius cut me off, put my phone on speaker, and tossed it to me.

"Tabitha, don't think you can dodge this by pretending to pass out. I never imagined you were this kind of person!"

Brent's furious voice came through the phone. "You'd better pray Louisa's okay, or I swear I'll make you go to the grave with her!"

I forced down my grief. "She jumped on her own. I didn't push her."

"I saw you push her with my own eyes, and you still want to argue!" Brent scoffed. "You're just jealous that Louisa's healthy, jealous that I treat her well, so you hurt her on purpose!"

My heart was bitter beyond words. "Brent, is that really the kind of person I am to you?"

"Otherwise, I'll make you go to the grave with her!"

The words had barely left him when the call was slammed shut.

How ironic.

Just two days ago, Brent was saying we'd live to a hundred together, grow old side by side, and now he wanted me buried alongside Louisa!

In an instant the ringing in my ears grew worse, my breathing turned ragged, and I collapsed onto the hospital bed.

"Tabitha?" Julius jeered. "Brent isn't here. Who are you putting on this act for now?"

I didn't react at all; cold sweat kept breaking out on my forehead.

Only when Julius saw that something was truly wrong did he go out and shout, "Doctor!"

...

When I woke again, I heard Dr. Finch's voice beside me.

"Miss Henson, I told you before that with your illness you need to keep your spirits up, but now... sigh."

My voice grew even hoarser. "How much time do I have left?"

Dr. Finch's tone was full of regret. "Three days at most."

"Three days?" I laughed at myself. "That's actually longer than I thought."

"This is the critical-condition notice," Dr. Finch said. "I heard your husband is also in the hospital. Should I go call him?"

"No need. He's probably busy." I gave a self-mocking smile, then struggled to prop myself up. "Just tell me where to sign. I can do it myself."

With that, I fumbled for the paper and pen, and with Dr. Finch's help, I signed my name stroke by stroke.

My face stayed calm, betraying nothingonly the trembling of my hand as I signed gave away what I truly felt.

Seeing me like this, Dr. Finch couldn't bear it. "Miss Henson, I've heard a little about your situation. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Then please help me with the discharge paperwork." I smiled at him. "For these last few days, I'd like to get out and walk around."

"All right."

After I was discharged, I stood alone on the tactile paving, listening to the traffic rushing past around me, feeling the sunlight on my skin, and suddenly I felt a trace of release.

I took a deep breath, then dialed Brent's number.

It rang a long time before he picked up.

"Tabitha, what are you after now?"

My voice was utterly calm.

"Brent, for the sake of the marriage we had, do me one last favor. Bury me next to my grandmother's grave."