Chapter 1

Tags: Slow-Burn Romance, Forbidden Tension, Rational Male Lead, Mutual Pining, Happy Ending

A sudden car crash left me completely blind.

The only person left in this world who could even remotely be considered family was Clara, my distant cousin’s widow. She came to the city to take care of me.

One night, my vision unexpectedly returned.

What I saw left me completely breathless.

She was right there in front of me, completely uninhibited...

"Mr. Lee, I have to be honest with you. While your physical injuries from the crash are healing well, you are currently suffering from temporary blindness. We cannot guarantee when, or even if, your sight will return."

Hearing the doctor's words, I strained to open my eyes wide, but there was nothing—only an endless, terrifying void of darkness. Two lines of warm tears slid down my cheeks.

Seeing my reaction, the doctor gently offered some comfort. "Don't lose hope just yet. As long as you rest properly and keep your stress levels low, there's a strong chance your optic nerve will recover."

"Right now, the most important thing is that you need a family member or a close friend to stay with you and look after you during this recovery period."

A deep, hollow sorrow washed over me all over again. My parents had passed away over a decade ago. Ever since, I had lived alone in this sprawling metropolis.

Even after all these years, the city still felt foreign and cold. I had no real family here, no close friends to lean on.

Sure, I had coworkers I got along with at the office, but who among them would put their own life on hold to babysit a blind man?

"What about your parents?" the doctor asked cautiously.

I shook my head numbly.

"They're gone. Both of them, years ago."

After a long pause, the doctor pressed on, "A girlfriend, then? Any other relatives? Friends?"

I shook my head again. What few extended relatives I had either lived across the country or had passed away early, just like my parents.

If I had to name anyone remotely related to me who lived somewhat close by, the only person was Clara, my cousin’s widow, who lived in a small rural town a few hours away.

Thinking of her, I hesitated before telling the doctor, "There's... my cousin's widow. She lives out in the countryside."

The doctor let out a quiet sigh. "Let us try reaching out to her. We can see if she's willing to come into town and help you out for a while."

I didn't hold out much hope, but I unlocked my phone and handed it over to him.

The doctor stepped out into the hallway to make the call.

A few weeks ago, on my morning commute to work, an oncoming car blew through a red light and plowed directly into me. I suffered catastrophic injuries and barely clawed my way back from the brink of death.

The hit-and-run driver was still on the loose.

All the savings I had scraped together over years of hard work had been wiped out completely by the intensive care bills.

My cousin’s widow, Clara, was someone who had suffered just as much bad luck in life as I had.

Less than six months after she married my distant cousin, Sean, he got into a violent brawl with another worker on a construction site. Things escalated, and Sean ended up beating the man to death.

Sean went on the run for three whole years before the police finally tracked him down. He was convicted and sentenced to capital punishment.

After Sean was gone, everyone in the family assumed Clara would pack her bags and remarry. But to everyone's surprise, she stayed behind in that quiet rural house, taking care of Sean’s aging parents until the day they passed away.

To this day, she still lived alone in that old country house, keeping to herself in quiet solitude.

I had only crossed paths with her a handful of times—once at their wedding, and later at Sean’s parents' funerals. In all those years, we hadn't spoken more than a hundred words to each other. Why on earth would she drop everything to come care for me?

Even if she felt a shred of pity, social boundaries and gossip would surely make her think twice.

Just as I sat in the darkness, quietly wondering what would become of my ruined life, the doctor walked back into the room.

"Good news, Mr. Lee. Your cousin-in-law agreed to come stay with you for a while. Once she arrives, you can be discharged and recover at home. Hopefully, your vision will return soon."

Hearing his words, I could hardly believe my ears. She had actually agreed?

I took my phone back with trembling hands, needing to hear it again.

"Doctor... are you sure? Really?"

"Really," the doctor replied with a gentle smile in his voice. "She said she’s taking the next bus out today. Get some rest for now; I have other rounds to finish."

In that exact moment, amidst the endless black void before my eyes, it felt as though a tiny spark of light had suddenly ignited.

It was an indescribable feeling—like finding something precious you thought was lost forever. After feeling utterly abandoned and adrift in this world, suddenly having someone step forward to claim me as family warmed me to my core.

Clara arrived faster than I could have imagined. Just a few hours later, hurried footsteps echoed down the hospital corridor, stopping right beside my bed.

Then, a soft, breathless voice filled with raw concern sounded by my ear.

"Leo? Oh god, what happened to you? Why didn't anyone call me sooner? I would have been here in a heartbeat to take care of you!"

Hearing the sheer worry in her voice, whatever tough front I had been putting up completely shattered. Tears spilled over my lashes, hot and uncontrollable.

"Clara... I..."

"Hey, it's okay. Don't cry," she murmured gently, cutting me off as a soft, warm hand brushed the tears from my cheeks. "The doctor told me your eyes suffered nerve trauma and you're temporarily blind. You can't let yourself get worked up like this."

Her touch sent a rush of warmth straight to my chest.

"Let's get you home, okay? Don't worry about a thing. The doctor promised that if you rest properly, your sight will come back."