Obsession Across Three Lifetimes

The smell of disinfectant has finally faded somewhat. I sit on the sofa, my fingertips lightly tracing the woolen blanket on my lap. The car accident three months ago plunged my world into endless darkness. It wasn't until yesterday, when the doctor removed the gauze from my eyes, that the blurry shapes gradually became clear, and I once again saw this familiar yet strange home. The crystal chandelier in the living room is still the one we selected when we got married, casting fragmented light. The wedding photo on the wall shows Bella Scott in a pristine white wedding dress, smiling radiantly as she leans on my shoulder. Back then, she always said I was her whole world. "Eric, I'm stepping out for a bit." The bedroom door was pushed open, and Bella Scott stepped out. I looked up, and was instantly stunned. She wasn't wearing her usual work clothes, but a black lace lingerie set, draped with a translucent silk robe, the hem barely covering her thighs. Her long hair was loosely pinned up at the nape, revealing a slender neck and delicate collarbones. This wasn't her usual style. "It's so late. Where are you going?" I tried to keep my voice steady. Bella Scott froze for a moment, then picked up the bag from the hallway cabinet and touched up her lipstick in the mirror. "My best friend invited me for afternoon tea and some shopping." Her voice wavered slightly, and she avoided meeting my eyes. I glanced at the wall clock; it was already seven o'clock in the evening. "It's seven in the evening. Afternoon tea now?" I pressed her, asking again. Bella Scott's phone suddenly rang. She hurriedly answered and stepped out onto the balcony, lowering her voice intentionally, but I still caught fragments of the conversation. "...He just regained his sight; he didn't suspect anything..." "Don't worry, I'll be there soon..." "Annoying, the set you gave me last time was even sexier..." Her voice grew softer and softer; I couldn't catch the words clearly. But the word 'he' stabbed into my heart like a sharp needle. Bella Scott hung up the phone, and as she turned around, her expression had already returned to calm. "I'm leaving, will be back later." She quickly changed her shoes and hurried out the door. The moment the door shut behind her, I felt as if all the strength in my body had been drained away. The woman who had cared for me so attentively during my blindness, the woman who promised she'd stay with me forever, was wearing such seductive clothes to meet her best friend, speaking in ambiguous tones over the phone. I couldn't believe it, yet I had no choice but to face the reality. I walked to the balcony and watched Bella Scott's car leave the neighborhood. Her voice on the phone echoed relentlessly in my mind, while suspicion in my heart grew wildly like tangled vines. She was having an affair. Once that thought took hold, it became impossible to suppress. I had to find out who that man was.