Chapter 1

I had been with Ethan for eighteen years. In the third year of his blindness, his mother came to me with his fiancée, asking me to stop interfering with their lives. I heard him say with my own ears that he would rather stay blind forever than marry me — the daughter of a maid.

Our friend furiously reminded him that he had once promised me a future together after he recovered. But he just replied indifferently that those were foolish words spoken in a moment of weakness.

“People should make smart choices,” he said, “ if she doesn’t mind, she can simply stay that way.”

That moment, something inside me died completely. The Sterling family paid generously for my eighteen years of devotion, and I decided to walk away from everything.

But just as I was about to leave, he found me — right before being wheeled into the operating room — and told me he wanted me to be the first person he saw when he regained his sight; he begged me to stay by his side, to never leave.

***

It was the third year of Ethan Sterling's blindness.

His friend joked, "After the surgery works out, aren’t you gonna make your friendship with Vivian Hsu official?"

"I’d never stoop to marrying a maid’s daughter—even if I had to be blind for life."

I had the prepared medicine in hand, ready to push the door open when I heard that.

But now, the hand that should have been on the doorknob was frozen in mid-air.

Ethan's is always indifference and coldness, even when expressing disgust.

Another voice came from inside the room. It was Leo Carter, Ethan's childhood friend.

He was the only person allowed in Ethan's room after he went blind.

Leo clearly didn’t expect that answer. He paused a while before speaking,

"Vivian grew up with us. None of us ever saw her as just a maid’s daughter. How’d you get so petty after being blind for a few years?"

Ethan's expression didn't change. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying—" Leo's s face looked terrible, but there was no anger in his voice. "She loves you so much, and she's taken care of you for three years without any complaints. You can’t just dump her now that you’re getting better."

Ethan looked confused, not understanding the connection.

"She likes me, so I have to like her back?

First, I never asked her to take care of me. Second, we can settle this with money—I don’t need to bet my whole life on it."

I clutched the medicine box. It felt like the air around me had stopped moving, that even the breath in my chest was trapped.

Leo shot to his feet. "I told her you're a heartless monster. But she was naive enough to think she could move you with her devotion.

She even told me you promised to be with her once your eyes healed."

Ethan leaned back in his chair. "People say foolish things when they're vulnerable.

One mistake in my life is enough. Marrying Vivian is not part of my life's plan.

After a successful surgery, my life will get back on track, and I will marry someone suitable."

He paused, like he’d thought long and hunsure if this decision was right, then kept going.

"If she doesn't mind, she can stay by my side.

If she's really not willing, I'll give her a huge sum of money to live a comfortable life."

Leo couldn't get through to him. "You've gone too far, Ethan!"

He took a few quick steps, then turned back at the door.

"In that case, you wouldn't mind if I pursued Vivian, would you?"

"I'm not like you. I think she's loyal and devoted, perfect in every way."

Ethan didn't turn around. After a long moment, he replied flatly, "Whatever you want."

Chapter 2

When Leo burst out, the force was immense.

I used the force of the opening door to hide behind it.

He was gone for a long time, but I still stood there, frozen.

My mother started working for the Sterling family when she was very young, so you could say I was born and raised in the Sterling household.

In ancient times, someone like me would have been called a hereditary servant.

Thankfully, feudalism was over. I didn’t have to be a lifelong servant to the Sterling family.

But none of this could change the huge gap in our social status.

If he hadn’t gotten into that car accident and lost his sight, we’d never have had these three years together.

When it came to intelligence, Ethan was crazy smart. Study was a piece of cake for him, and how far he'd pull ahead of second place depended entirely on his mood.

Once, during a monthly test in 9th grade, he accidentally ate some eggplant for breakfast, which he hated.

On that test, it was no surprise when he left the second place nearly 100 points behind.

Since we were kids, Ethan had always called Leo and me "idiots", and Leo just laughed it off.

But when I was young, I would always secretly work hard for the sake of my foolish pride.

Back then, I was studying with extreme diligence, determined to surpass Ethan just once and make him see me in a new light.

But after trying and failing countless times, I had to admit that talent was something you just couldn't gain through effort.

Ethan was born at the top, whether in academics or family background; no matter how hard I tried, I could never catch up.

But young girls always have crushes, and I’d secretly pined for him at night.

And I never spoke these thoughts aloud, except for when he held my hand... He must have been truly out of his mind for this cold man to ask if I wanted to be with him.

Too bad I didn’t get to answer. By the next day, when he was sober, he’d already forgotten everything

The memory was erased it like it never happened, just like one of my usual dreams.

And now, this dream was also coming to an end. Ethan...

I stood in the doorway, looking at the man sitting by the window.

Maybe he could feel my gaze; I stared too long, and he turned his head slightly.

Too bad his eyes couldn't see—so he didn’t notice me standing right in front of him, my eyes red and tears silently rolling down my cheeks.

I stood there quietly, so quietly I didn't make a sound.

So Ethan turned his head away again. He always stared out the window like that, even though he couldn't see a thing.

Chapter 3

In the end, I didn’t go in. As I was heading downstairs with the medicine, I saw Ethan's mother Eleanor Sterling.

She was still so beautiful, just as I'd seen her since I was a child. Time hadn't left a single trace on her face.

"Bringing Ethan his medicine?"

She looked at the medicine in my hand, then turned and said, "Vivian, you can give Isabelle the medicine to do it."

That’s when I noticed the girl standing next to her—she was looking at me with a smile.

"He... he doesn't like strangers in his room."

I clutched the medicine, saying something that wasn't my place to say.

"It's alright. You probably don't know, but he and Isabelle have spoken on the phone. That's why I brought her here."

Eleanor smiled and patted my hand, easily taking the medicine from me.

In the twenty years I had known Ethan, he’d been cold even before he went blind—no one could make him spare a second glance.

After he lost his sight, he became out of control; he’d kick anyone out if they got near his room.

Later, when he learned to control his temper, he still hated people getting close. Even I’d been told to “get out” so many times before he finally let me in.

Sometimes, even Eleanor was stopped at the door.

But now, I looked up and watched that girl went upstairs. I heard a knock, and then the angry outburst I expected from Ethan never came. Neither did the sound of things being thrown.

I could even faintly hear them having a very pleasant conversation.

Ethan was starting to become normal, and as he did, he drifted further away from me.

"Vivian, sit."

Eleanor spoke up.

I looked back at her, knowing she had something to say.

She looked at me, sizing me up. "You've grown up, and you've gotten prettier."

"You can reconsider what I told you last time. Don't waste your energy on something you can't have. A girl's time is very precious."

She spoke with an elegant grace and gentle voice, not at all pushy.

When Ethan was five, Eleanor noticed he had almost no emotional needs. When he saw his own mother fall and get hurt, he just said coldly, "What a hassle."

The doctor diagnosed Ethan with severe emotional detachment and mild antisocial personality tendencies, recommending early intervention.

To make him a normal child, Eleanor brought over many kids his age, but none of them could get a single word out of Ethan.

When I accidentally spilled milk on Ethan, I stammered, "M-M-Mr... Ethan, I-I'm s-sorry."

That was the moment.

A flicker of emotion crossed his face, and he opened his mouth. "So stupid."

Eleanor kept me. "Who knew so many talkative kids wouldn’t work, but a little stutterer like you would?"

From then on, I became Ethan's shadow, went to the same school, lived in the same house, ate the same meals as him.

All these years, Eleanor has never treated me poorly.

Even the offer she made three years ago, after Ethan started acting like a normal person, was made with my best interests at heart.

Studying abroad, a bank card with a huge sum of money, and a job at their Group when I returned—for the daughter of a rich family's maid, this was a dream path.

And that offer is still valid today.

I'm not that stubborn, especially when I'm absolutely sure Ethan doesn't like me.

"I accept your offer."

I didn't hesitate anymore.

Seeing my decisiveness, Eleanor was actually taken aback for a moment. "Good. The items will be delivered to you tomorrow."

"Where have you been?"

Hearing the door open, Ethan turned around.

His eyes were beautiful, alluring eyes that tilted up slightly. They should have been full of passion, but most of the time, they were ice-cold.

Right now, unable to focus, they held a hint of confusion.

When he first went blind, whenever I came near him, he would coldly tell me to get lost.

Back then, I could only watch him from a distance, running over to help him up only when he stumbled and fell.

At that time, the doctors determined that there was a high probability his eyes would never recover.

But Ethan refused to believe it—he wouldn’t learn any skills for the blind. Even though he couldn’t see a thing, he still turned the lights on and off on schedule.

He wanted to be like a normal person, so I became his invisible cane, his eyes.

"The surgery is in three days. The doctor said you need to take this medicine on schedule."

I poured a glass of water and placed it in his hand.

He held the glass, his gaze lowered. We had a silent agreement not to mention the girl who had been in the room.

I didn't care anymore, and as for Ethan, he probably just didn't feel the need to explain anything to me.

"Didn't you say you wanted to go to The Alps?"

He rubbed his fingers on the glass, then said, "There's a card on the table. Go book a hotel and a flight."

I turned to look, and there was a black card lying quietly on the table.

"For one person or two?"

I asked, wanting an answer.

Ethan paused. "You want me to go with you?"

I twisted a small smile, suddenly feeling like I was humiliating myself. I was about to say “never mind” when he cut in.

He said, "Book it for two."

"You don't have to..." I hesitated. "You probably won't have time then. It was my idea to go, anyway. You're not interested in this stuff. I can just go by myself."

"I said to book for two, just do it. Vivian, why can't you understand me?"

I don't know what I said to set him off, but his face fell and he looked annoyed.

I took the card, but in the end, I didn't even book a ticket for one.

That evening, while Ethan was taking a shower, I still waited outside the door. It had pretty much become my habit for the last three years.

The first time he took a shower in the bathroom after he went blind, there was an accident.

I had rushed to push the door open, and then I saw the mess all over the floor and a completely naked Ethan.

It was the first time I'd ever seen a man's body, and on top of that, it was the normally prim and proper Ethan.

I froze on the spot, my gaze sliding from his handsome face, across his well-defined chest, down to his sexy abs, and following his V-cut abs downwards...

Ethan just let me stare, his vacant eyes turning toward my breathing. "Seen enough?

Vivian."

He'd had more than one embarrassing fall while trying to live a normal life, but none were as humiliating as that one.

I held the clothes, leaned against the door, and waited quietly.

A moment later, Ethan called my name.

"What's wrong?"

I straightened up and asked, but I didn't rush in like the first time.

After a while, Ethan finally asked, "Why aren't you talking?"

That's when I remembered. Before, whenever Ethan was in the bathroom at night, I'd be scared he'd have an accident, so I'd always be chattering away outside the door.

I’d pour out everything: small trivialities, gossip I’d heard that day.

Ethan wouldn't reply most of the time, but later he would occasionally chime in with a few comments.

But tonight I hadn't said a word. I replied, "Just thinking about some things."

"On the day of the surgery, you need to wait outside."

He paused. "If the doctors have any questions, you’re the only one who knows my situation best."

I thought of my promise to Eleanor. I was supposed to leave on the day of his surgery.

But I agreed anyway, "Okay... okay, I get it."

Chapter 5

The bathroom door was yanked open. Ethan had a bathrobe wrapped around his waist, his head bowed. "You're lying?"

I pursed my lips and said nothing.

"You've been this way since you were little. You stutter whenever you lie and get nervous."

He walked a few steps and sat on a chair, as if he could see.

When I was little, I had a bad stutter. For a long time, my nickname was Little Stutterer.

Eleanor told me to follow Ethan, so I trailed behind him, stuttering, "E-Ethan... drink your milk... M-Mrs. Sterling will be angry..."

He never drank it, and all the delicious food the chef made ended up in my stomach.

Growing up, it was always Ethan doing his homework with a blank expression, while I sat nearby, finishing all the food.

Since I was eating his food, I gradually became the spokesperson for the quiet Ethan, and my speech gradually became fluent.

But sometimes, when I got too nervous, I'd still falter.

"No, I'm fine. Why would I lie?"

I recited the words I had prepared, one by one, smoothly.

He didn't press the issue. "There's something... never mind. I'll tell you later. We have plenty of time."

He muttered the last few words almost to himself; I couldn't even make out a single one.

On the day of Ethan's surgery, not many people came, mostly just those closest to him.

"Vivian—" Ethan called my name as he was about to be wheeled in.

When no one answered, he turned his wheelchair to face the crowd, tilting his head as if searching, and raised his voice, "Vivian?"

That's when I snapped out of it and walked over to him. "I'm here."

Ethan's hands tightened on the armrests. He couldn't understand where this strange nervousness was coming from. He'd had this kind of surgery many times; there was no reason to be nervous.

He thought for a moment, then instructed, "When they take the bandages off, you stand on my left. You hear me?"

Everyone turned to look at me at the same time. If Ethan could see, he would have noticed the plane ticket in my hand and that I was dressed for travel.

It was a shame he couldn't see, but it was also a good thing.

I clutched the plane ticket and replied softly, "Okay, I will."

The moment the operating room doors closed, Ethan's figure vanished behind them.

I stared blankly for a few seconds, then turned and left without a moment's hesitation.

Ethan, this is as far as my love can take you.