STIGMA

The night before their third wedding anniversary, Cary Gibson emerged victorious from a high-end auction, securing a pair of rare sapphire earrings.

He said softly, "This is for the person I owe the most—my beloved."

From home, his wife, Evelina Marsh, felt tears pooling as she watched the auction on television. Tomorrow was their third anniversary, and maybe, at long last, Cary had realized her devotion.

Cary's grandmother, Demi Gibson, exhaled in quiet satisfaction. "At long last, Cary's learned how valuable his wife truly is."

The next evening, Evelina had barely set the finishing touches on an extravagant dinner when Cary stepped through the door.

She hurried to greet him, swiftly taking his briefcase before reaching out for his coat.

"Quite a feast tonight," he said lightly. "Did something happen?"

Tall and captivating, Cary carried himself effortlessly. Even the simple act of loosening his tie appeared like a polished gesture from a high-fashion shoot.

Yet, somehow, he always managed to chill Evelina with just a few words. Her fingers paused uncertainly, and she quietly said, "You didn't forget, did you?"

No, that couldn't be right. He had purchased those priceless sapphire earrings to make amends, hadn't he?

Cary's eyebrows knitted together slightly. "Forget what exactly, Evelina?"

"The sapphire earrings... you bought them, didn't you?" Her heart trembled with unease, but hope stubbornly remained.

"How do you know about those earrings?" Cary appeared genuinely startled. He clearly didn't expect his mild-mannered, invisible wife to keep tabs on such extravagant things.

A faint smirk tugged at his lips, hinting at contempt.

Certainly, Evelina possessed natural beauty—gentle features, eyes soft and expressive—but she refused to flaunt it. She dressed plainly, appearing perpetually dull and overlooked, like a flower that had ceased to bloom.

Even the Gibson household maid seemed more refined than Evelina.

Yet, Evelina gathered her courage, eyes shining cautiously. "I saw the auction broadcast. Those earrings are really lovely—"

Cary interjected her abruptly, "They're for Esme."

At the mere mention of his first love, Esme Barton, Cary's voice softened noticeably. "She's finally agreed to return to me. Naturally, I needed something special to welcome her back."

Evelina felt her chest tighten painfully, her breath hitching.

So, the one he felt indebted to was Esme Barton, the very woman who had abandoned him?

And what did that make her—the devoted wife who had stood beside him for three years without complaint, never even asking for recognition?

Unable to bear it, Evelina's voice wavered with hurt. "Cary, have you forgotten whose fault the accident was—the one that blinded you?"

On that terrible day, Esme had thrown a tantrum over something insignificant, distracting Cary and causing him to crash.

When news broke that Cary's sight was likely permanently lost, Esme swiftly disappeared, crafting a flimsy excuse before fleeing overseas the same day. She left no trace, vanishing completely.

Their wedding had already been announced, invitations sent. Neither Esme nor her family could be located.