He Kissed His First Love in Front of My BLIND Eyes-Until I Watched Him Burn Chapter 03

He Kissed His First Love in Front of My BLIND Eyes-Until I Watched Him Burn Chapter 03

Grandpa Hawthorne’s birthday party came a week later, right on schedule.

The Hawthornes were the richest family in Crestwood. The party was huge, every big name in town showed up.

Me? As Cameron’s wife in name only, of course I had to be there.

Or rather, I was dragged there.

Cameron probably wanted to show everyone how pathetic I was, lay the groundwork for dumping me and marrying someone new.

The night before the party, he actually came up to the attic for once.

He threw a black dress at me. Old style. Rough fabric. Looked like something a maid would wear.

“Wear this tomorrow,” he ordered.

I fumbled for the dress and asked softly, “Cameron… what’s tomorrow?”

I think he smiled. A nasty one. “A day you don’t need to know about.”

I lowered my head and said nothing.

The day of the party, a maid yanked me out of bed and shoved me into that black dress.

No makeup. No hairstyle. They just pinned my hair up sloppy, and I looked like hell.

When Cameron came to get me, Sierra was hanging off his arm.

She was dressed like a princess, a pink designer gown, perfect makeup, glowing.

When she saw me, her smugness almost dripped on the floor.

“Sloane, you look… so simple today.”

I smiled my “blind” smile at her. “Sierra, you’re so beautiful. Like an angel.”

My compliment made her day.

Cameron just frowned, grabbed my arm hard enough to crush bone, and said, “Let’s go.”

Inside the ballroom, fancy clothes, clinking glasses, swirls of conversation.

Cameron sat me in a corner and warned me not to move. Then he took Sierra to the dance floor.

They were the center of attention.

Handsome man. Gorgeous woman. Perfect couple.

Everyone stared at them with envy. The looks they gave me were pity and disgust.

“That’s the CEO’s blind wife? How sad.”

“Sad? She’s just taking up space. If I were her, I’d get out of the way.”

“Heard her family went bankrupt. She’s basically a parasite living off the Hawthornes.”

The whispers floated right into my ears, loud enough.

I sat straight in my chair, back rigid, face blank.

I could see everything. Not far away, Cameron’s younger brother, Landon Hawthorne, was frowning at me.

He walked over with a glass of wine and sat down next to me.

“Sloane, you okay?” His voice had real concern in it.

Landon was the only Hawthorne who’d ever been kind to me.

I smiled my “blind” smile at him. “I’m fine. Thank you, Landon.”

“My brother is such an asshole.” Landon glared at the dance floor.

“It’s his choice,” I said flatly.

Before Landon could say more, Sierra appeared.

She carried two glasses of red wine, all smiles. “Landon, what are you two talking about?”

She handed one glass to me. “Sloane, have a drink. Cameron ordered this special for you—grape juice, no alcohol.”

I “looked” at the dark purple liquid. Didn’t move.

“What’s the matter, Sloane? You’re not gonna say no to me, are you?” Sierra’s smile sharpened with threat.

I knew that glass was spiked.

Slowly I reached out—fingers almost touching the stem.

“Sierra,” I said quietly, my voice hollow and lost. “I think I smell something burning.”

Sierra’s face went pale.

Cameron had just finished dancing and stalked over, frowning. “Sloane, what the hell are you talking about?”

I ignored him, just kept “staring” toward Sierra, nostrils flaring.

“I smell smoke. And… gas.”

My voice wasn’t loud, but in the quiet corner, it carried.

People at nearby tables turned to stare.

Sierra’s eyes flickered with panic. She glanced toward the exit, then laughed it off. “Sloane, you must be exhausted. You’re hallucinating. There’s no smoke.”

She shoved the glass into my hand. “Drink it. You’ll feel better.”

The second her fingers touched mine, I jerked like I’d been burned and knocked the glass to the floor.

Smash!

The sound was sharp as a gunshot.

Dark purple liquid splashed all over Sierra’s dress and onto Cameron’s expensive pants.

“Ahhh!” Sierra screamed.

“Sloane!” Cameron’s roar cut through the room.

He grabbed my wrist, crushing it. “What the hell are you doing?”

He yanked me off balance, but I just smiled, strange smile.

“Cameron,” I said, lifting my empty eyes to his. “Don’t you think the fire’s burning extra bright tonight?”

Before he could answer, screaming erupted from the other end of the ballroom.

“Fire! Fire!”

Smoke poured from the kitchen. Fire alarms blared.

The whole room went insane.

Guests screamed and cried, stampeding for the doors.

Cameron’s face went white. He shoved me away and spun to find Sierra.

But Sierra was faster. The second she heard “fire,” she shrieked, shoved through the crowd, and ran, first one to the exit.

Some delicate flower.

In the chaos, nobody noticed me.

I got knocked down, trampled. Heels and dress shoes stomped over me. I curled up and protected my head, pain exploding everywhere.

The smoke thickened, choking me.

I saw Cameron searching the crowd like a madman, screaming Sierra’s name.

But Sierra was long gone.

Then his eyes found me, sprawled on the floor.

His expression was complicated. Shock. Doubt. And something I couldn’t read.

Above me, the chandelier groaned. Wires sparked. It swayed.

And I was right underneath it.

Cameron’s pupils shrank.

He lunged toward me, instinct, maybe.

But he was too late.

The chandelier crashed down with a roar.

In the last second before darkness, I saw Cameron’s face—eyes bulging, hand reaching for me, fingers never close enough.

I smiled.

Cameron. The show you wanted? It’s just starting.