My Fiancé Betrayed Me, So I Became His Uncle's Contract Wife

For three years, Camila Torres had lived in darkness. This was the first time she could clearly see her home again.

Her doctors had warned her that her vision would need time to fully adjust after the surgery, but she couldn't wait another day. She had to see her fiancé, Leo-the man she had loved for five years.

The moment she opened the door, her body froze. On the sofa in their living room, her fiancé, Leo, was holding another woman in his arms. The woman wore a white dress that was almost a wedding gown, and her platinum blonde hair was unmistakable.

Ashton Mathews. Camila's rival.

Worse, sitting prominently on the coffee table was a small booklet with a bright red cover, almost deliberately displayed like a trophy. A new marriage certificate. The photo on it showed Leo smiling brightly, and Ashton looking equally radiant.

The world tilted. A wave of nausea churned in her stomach.

She involuntarily took a step back. The white cane slipped from her numb fingers and hit the marble floor with a loud crack.

The sound shattered the silence.

Leo's head snapped up, his brows furrowing in annoyance. Ashton, however, moved like a victorious cat. She slowly sat up, pulling herself away from Leo's embrace with lazy elegance. There was not a trace of panic on her face, only open, shameless provocation.

Ashton elegantly lifted a glass of champagne and raised it toward Camila. Her red lips curved into a perfect, cruel smile.

"Oh, look who's back." Ashton's voice was sickly sweet. "The little blind mouse of the house? No, wait, I forgot. You just had a corneal transplant. You can see now."

A complicated storm of emotions crossed Leo's face-surprise, irritation, but not a single trace of the joy Camila had dreamed of. For a brief second, his eyes met hers. Then his gaze shifted away, choosing Ashton.

He stood up, but he did not walk toward Camila. He walked to Ashton and stood slightly in front of her, shielding her like a protective barrier.

Ashton leaned against his back, her eyes locked onto Camila's pale face. Her cruel smile deepened, and in that silent, triumphant gaze, Camila understood one vicious word.

Surprise.

Camila's lips trembled, but no sound came out. She stared at Leo, the man she had loved for five years, the man she had once believed was her entire world. Her eyes begged him for an explanation, for anything except this.

He finally spoke, his voice as cold as the marble beneath her feet. "Camila, you're back. We... need to talk."

Talk? A bitter, silent laugh caught in her throat. In their home, after marrying another woman, he wanted to talk?

Ashton giggled, tightening her arm around Leo. She rested her head on his shoulder, showing off the huge diamond on her ring finger. "Darling, don't be so serious. I'm sure Camila is a reasonable person. She'll wish us well, won't she?"

Camila's vision blurred, not because of her former blindness, but because of the burning tears she refused to let fall. She felt like a joke, a fool who had wandered into the wrong story.

She bent down, her trembling fingers reaching for the fallen cane. It felt like the only solid thing left in her world.

Ashton's foot moved forward, pinning the end of the cane to the floor. She looked down at Camila, pure contempt on her face. "Don't be in such a hurry to leave, Camila. Why not stay and have a celebratory drink?"

Camila's hand reaching for the cane curled into a fist. Her nails dug deeply into her palm, the sharp pain strangely becoming a welcome distraction.

Leo only frowned. "Ash, stop it." His words were merely a gentle reprimand, filled with indulgence rather than anger.

That gentle rebuke shattered something deep inside Camila. Stop it. He had said it to Ashton. He had watched this entire cruel performance unfold, and his only reaction was to tell that woman to stop causing trouble.

The setting sun poured warm, golden light through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the room in beautiful radiance. But none of it could reach the cold, empty hole that had just opened in Camila's chest.

Ashton, clearly not finished, picked up the marriage certificate from the table. She waved it like a trophy.

"See this clearly, Miss Torres?" she said softly. "From now on, this is Mrs. Montgomery's home."

Camila's eyes locked onto the marriage certificate. The date printed on it was the exact day she received her corneal transplant surgery.

A metallic taste filled her mouth. She swallowed it down, her body trembling from a rage so intense it felt like an illness.

Ashton watched her, enjoying her collapse. Then she delivered the final blow, her voice a victorious whisper.

"By the way, I bet Leo that you would cry and beg for mercy when you found out the truth. Looks like I'm going to win again."

The words "win again" were like a bucket of ice water. The grief should have broken her. Instead, those two words burned through it, replacing the pain with a chilling, razor-sharp fury.

Camila's head snapped up. The trembling in her body miraculously ceased. She didn't cry. Instead, her newly clear eyes, cold and hard, fixed on Ashton.

In the stunned silence, Camila didn't bend down to pick up her cane. She hooked it with the toe of her shoe, flicking the handle upward. It slapped neatly into her waiting palm.

Her target wasn't Ashton. It was the glass of champagne Ashton held, the symbol of her victory.

Crack.

The sound was sharp and satisfying. Camila swung the cane with all the strength she could summon, striking the delicate glass with precision.

Amber liquid and shards of crystal exploded, splashing all over Ashton's expensive white dress, leaving a large, ugly stain.

Ashton shrieked, looking down at her ruined dress in horror before her gaze flew to Camila. "You psycho! Do you have any idea how much this dress costs?"

Camila's voice was quiet but carried across the room, dripping with ice. "No matter how expensive it is, it can't wash away the cheap, dirty stain you are."

The sudden violence finally jolted Leo into action. He didn't look at Camila. He rushed to Ashton's side, his hands hovering over her anxiously, checking for cuts.

"Camila! What the hell is wrong with you?" he roared, his eyes filled with disappointment and accusation. "Did you come back just to cause a scene?"

Cause a scene? Her heart felt like it was being methodically shredded. He was asking her what was wrong?

Ashton collapsed against Leo's chest, her body trembling. Tears welled in her eyes instantly. "Leo, I'm scared... Her eyes, they look like she wants to kill me."

Camila tightened her grip on the cane, raising it slightly. This time, it was aimed at Ashton's lying face. "You're scared? Where was your fear when you ran me off the road and left me for dead?"

It was a suspicion she'd harbored for three years. The car accident had been too convenient, too clean. Ashton was the only one who benefited. Now, she was using the accusation as a probe, a bluff.

Ashton's face changed. For a single, unguarded second, something flickered in her eyes-surprise, fear, or recognition. Camila couldn't tell. But it was enough.

Then, just as quickly, the mask was back. Ashton even laughed. "Car accident? What are you talking about? I think your eyes are fixed, but your brain is broken. Leo, she's slandering me!"

She broke away from Leo and lunged at Camila, her hand raised to slap her. "I'll teach you some manners for Leo's sake, you ungrateful bitch!"

Camila instinctively brought the cane up to block the blow, but Leo was faster.

He didn't stop Ashton.

He grabbed Camila's wrist too tightly and pulled her back, forcing her away from Ashton.

Her body, still weak from surgery, was no match for his strength. She stumbled backward, her back slamming hard against the wall. A sharp pain shot up her spine.

Leo pulled Ashton completely behind him, shielding her as if she were a precious jewel. He glared at Camila, his face a mask of fury.

"That's enough, Camila!" His voice was laced with disgust. "Ashton is my wife now. She is the lady of the Montgomery household. You will show her some respect!"

Wife. Lady of the Montgomery household. Each word was a fresh cut. She had once believed those titles would be hers.

From behind Leo's protective form, Ashton shot her a look of pure, triumphant contempt.

Camila pushed herself off the wall, slowly straightening her body. She looked at the perfect couple before her, and the last lingering embers of love for Leo were finally extinguished, leaving nothing but cold ash.

She ignored them, her movements becoming slow and deliberate. She smoothed the front of her simple dress, a small act of dignity in the midst of the chaos.

This home, the one she had poured her heart into for five years, was no longer hers. There was nothing left for her here.

She lifted her head, her gaze sweeping over Leo and Ashton, utterly devoid of emotion. "Leo Montgomery," she said, her voice flat and even. "I wish you a very 'happy' marriage."

Without another glance, she turned. Holding her white cane, she walked toward the door, her back straight, her steps measured and unwavering. Her lone figure was a stark contrast to the wreckage of the living room, exuding a desolate but unbreakable resolve.

Her hand was just about to touch the doorknob when Ashton's voice, silky and venomous, slithered through the air behind her.

"Wait. You don't think it's over, do you? About that 'bet'... aren't you curious?"

Camila's hand froze an inch from the doorknob. She didn't turn around. The word "bet" held her in place, a physical anchor of dread.

Ashton sauntered out from behind Leo, relishing the power she held in this moment. She circled Camila, inspecting her like a piece of merchandise.

"Three years ago," Ashton began, her voice a soft, conspiratorial whisper that carried the most vicious poison, "I had just gotten back from Europe. At a party, all my friends were saying how Leo had become completely mesmerized by some boring little orphan with nothing but a pretty face."

Camila's gaze flickered to Leo. He stood frozen, his face pale and tight, but he said nothing. His silence was an admission.

A fresh sting of pain. So that's all she was to them. A boring orphan.

"So, we made a bet," Ashton continued, enjoying herself. "I bet that I could have Leo back at my side within a month. And the stakes..." She paused for dramatic effect.

She leaned in close, her lips brushing against Camila's ear, her voice dropping to a near-inaudible murmur. "...were the thing you cherished most."

Camila's mind roared. One month. Three years ago. The thing I cherished most. Besides her relationship with Leo, it was her sight. The bizarre, hit-and-run accident had happened on the very last day of that one-month period.

She spun around, her hand shooting out to grab Ashton's wrist. Her grip was so tight that Ashton's face contorted in pain. "It was you! The car accident-you did it!"

"Let go!" Ashton shrieked, trying to wrench her arm free. "You're hurting me! What proof do you have? It's your own fault for not knowing your place, for clinging to a man who didn't want you! Stop throwing around wild accusations just because you lost!"

Leo's face went white. He rushed forward, trying to pull Camila's hand away. "Camila, calm down! Don't listen to her nonsense!"

Camila ignored him. Her eyes, burning with a terrifying intensity, darted from Ashton to Leo. Her voice was a raw, trembling whisper. "Is it true, Leo? Were you part of this bet?"

"No!" he denied it instantly. "I didn't know she would do something so extreme! I thought it was just a stupid game, a meaningless bet between you two. I never imagined she would take it this far!"

"A game?" A horrifying, broken laugh escaped Camila's lips. "A game that left me blind for three years? A game where the prize was my eyesight?"

Ashton, rubbing her reddened wrist, sneered. "Of course Leo didn't know the details. That would have spoiled the fun. But he certainly enjoyed playing along with me, didn't you, darling?" She shot Leo a seductive look.

Leo's face cycled through shades of green and white. He couldn't deny it. He had been drawn in by Ashton's wild, "exciting" personality, a stark contrast to his comfortable, "boring" life with Camila.

Seeing his reaction, Camila understood everything. The last piece of her shattered heart turned to dust. She released Ashton, stumbling back a step. She looked at the man before her, a man who now seemed like a complete and disgusting stranger.

"So," she said softly, as if to herself. "My entire five years were a joke. The man I loved was a coward who would gamble with my life for a cheap thrill."

The word "coward" struck a nerve, wounding Leo's fragile ego. "I'm not a coward!" he snarled, his shame turning to anger. "Camila, it's already happened! Why can't you just accept reality?"

"I admit, I wronged you. But Ashton and I are in love now. We're married. That's a fact. Making a scene won't change anything!"

Strangely, his words brought a wave of calm. The calm of absolute finality. There was nothing left to feel for him. No love, no hate. Just a vast, empty void.

She gave him one last look, her eyes as blank as a winter sky. Then she turned, her steps firm and resolute. There was no hesitation this time.

Her decisive departure sent a strange jolt of panic through Leo. This total lack of control was something he'd never felt with Camila before.

"Camila, where are you going?" he called out instinctively. "Your eyes just healed, you have no money! Where can you go? Your gambling addict of a father still owes a fortune. What will you do without me?"

His words were meant to be chains, reminding her of her dependence.

Camila didn't answer. She didn't even pause. His voice was just noise now, meaningless and distant.

She opened the door and stepped out, shutting the arguments, the betrayal, and the ugliness behind her.

The cool air of the hallway was a shock to her system, clearing some of the fog from her brain. She leaned against the cold wall, gasping for air as if she'd been holding her breath for years.

Her strength finally gave out. She slid down the wall to the floor, burying her face in her knees. The sobs came then, silent and wracking. She wasn't crying for a lost love. She was mourning five years of her life, wasted on a lie. She was mourning the eyes that had been the stake in a rich girl's cruel game.

In the middle of her silent grief, her phone vibrated.

She pulled it out. A new message from Ashton. It was a photo. Leo was kneeling, tenderly dabbing at a small cut on Ashton's foot, presumably from the broken glass.

The text beneath the photo read: Forgot to tell you, to make it up to me, Leo also used the money for your grandmother's kidney transplant...