The weeks continued to pass, and despite Wilson's attempts to maintain his facade, the tension between him and the truth grew unbearable. Every day he spent with Esther only deepened his feelings for her, but also his fear that his lie would destroy everything. The cracks in his armour were growing wider, and it seemed inevitable that the truth would find a way to slip through.
It happened one afternoon when Wilson and Esther were walking together in the park. It was a peaceful day—the sun was shining, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves on the trees. They had been talking about their childhoods, laughing about shared experiences, when Esther suddenly turned to him, her expression curious.
"Wilson, I've always wondered," she began hesitantly, "what's it like? You know… being blind? How do you experience the world?"
Wilson's heart clenched. It was a simple, innocent question, but one that cut too close to the heart of his lie. He had never discussed his "blindness" in detail with anyone, not even Mick. His response had always been vague and carefully crafted to avoid suspicion.
But Esther's question caught him off guard. He wasn't prepared for it, and in his flustered state, he slipped.
"I-I don't know," he stammered, his mind racing. "I mean, I guess… it's just… normal, you know?"
Esther furrowed her brow, confusion flashing in her eyes. "Normal? But how do you…?" She trailed off, clearly sensing something was off in his response.
Wilson could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He cursed himself silently. He had messed up, and now Esther was looking at him with suspicion in her eyes. He had to say something to fix it, but no words came to his mind.
Before Esther could press further, a jogger passing by accidentally bumped into Wilson, causing him to stumble slightly. Without thinking, Wilson reached out and grabbed a nearby park bench to steady himself.
It wasn't until after the fact that he realised his mistake. He had reached for the bench instinctively—without hesitation, without fumbling. He had reached for it as someone with perfect vision would.
Esther noticed.
She didn't say anything at first, but the look of confusion and doubt in her eyes grew deeper. Wilson could feel her watching him more closely, her mind undoubtedly piecing things together. He had slipped, and there was no taking it back now.
After a few moments of tense silence, Esther spoke again, her voice soft but laced with uncertainty. "Wilson… are you sure you're—?"
Wilson cut her off quickly, desperate to change the subject. "I'm sorry," he said abruptly, "I'm not feeling well. I think I need to head home."
Esther blinked in surprise at his sudden change in demeanour, but she nodded, concerned, flickering in her eyes. "Of course. Let me walk you back."
The walk back to Wilson's house was quiet, the air thick with unspoken tension. Esther kept glancing at him, clearly trying to make sense of what had just happened. Wilson, on the other hand, was consumed with panic. He had made a critical mistake, and he knew it. Now, he just had to hope that Esther wouldn't push further.
But deep down, Wilson knew that hope was futile. The truth was catching up to him faster than he could run from it.
The days following their park outing were strained. Esther couldn't shake the feeling that something was off with Wilson. She replayed the moment in her mind over and over again—his strange response to her question, the way he had reached for the bench so naturally. It didn't make sense. She had never questioned Wilson's blindness before; after all, why would she? But now, she couldn't stop herself from wondering.
One evening, she confided in Saffy about her doubts. They were sitting in Esther's small living room, sharing a bottle of wine and talking about everything under the sun when Esther finally brought it up.
"Saffy," Esther began cautiously, "can I ask you something? Something that's been on my mind for a while?"
Saffy looked at her curiously, setting her glass down. "Of course. What's up?"
Esther hesitated, biting her lip before speaking. "It's about Wilson. I… I don't know, something strange happened the other day, and I can't stop thinking about it."
Saffy's expression shifted to one of concern. "What happened? Did he do something to upset you?"
Esther shook her head quickly. "No, no, nothing like that. It's just… we were talking in the park, and I asked him what it was like to be blind. His answer was… odd. And then, he reached out and grabbed a bench to steady himself without any hesitation. Like he knew exactly where it was."
Saffy raised an eyebrow, her lawyer instincts kicking in. "Are you saying you don't think he's blind?"
Esther sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I don't know what to think. It doesn't make sense. I mean, why would he pretend to be blind? But at the same time… there were so many little things that didn't add up."
Saffy frowned, leaning back in her chair. "That is strange. But if he's hiding something, there's got to be a reason. Maybe he's afraid of something—afraid of how people would react if they knew the truth."
Esther nodded slowly, her mind racing. "That's what I keep thinking. But it just feels so… big. Why would he lie about something like that?"
Saffy shrugged. "People do strange things for all kinds of reasons. Maybe he thinks he needs to keep up the lie for some reason. But if you care about him, Esther, you need to talk to him. Confront him. You deserve to know the truth."
Esther sighed again, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on her. She knew Saffy was right. She couldn't keep dancing around the issue, pretending everything was fine when it clearly wasn't. But confronting Wilson about such a deeply personal lie felt terrifying. What if it destroyed whatever they had built?
Still, Esther knew she couldn't ignore the truth forever. If Wilson was hiding something this significant from her, she needed to know why. She needed to understand what had driven him to create this false life. And, more importantly, she needed to know if there was any hope for them moving forward once the truth was out in the ope
A few days later, Esther decided it was time. She couldn't continue to live in the shadow of her doubts. She had to confront Wilson, no matter how scared she was of what she might discover.
That evening, she went to Wilson's house, her heart pounding in her chest as she knocked on the door. When he opened it, she was struck by how normal everything seemed. He smiled at her, his usual calm demeanour in place, but Esther could see the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.
"Hey," he greeted her softly, stepping aside to let her in.
Esther forced a smile, stepping into the familiar warmth of his home. As they moved into the living room, the tension between them grew palpable. Wilson could sense that something was different—he could see it in the way Esther held herself, in the way her eyes darted nervously around the room.
They sat down on the couch, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence stretched on, heavy with the weight of everything unsaid.
Finally, Esther broke the silence, her voice soft but steady. "Wilson, I need to ask you something. And I need you to be honest with me."
Wilson's heart raced. He knew what was coming, and he wasn't sure he was ready for it. But there was no escaping it now. He nodded slowly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Okay. What is it?"
Esther took a deep breath, gathering her courage. "Are you really blind?"
The question hung in the air between them, and for a moment, it felt like time had stopped. Wilson stared at her, his mind racing as he tried to find the right words. But there were no more lies he could tell. There was no more hiding.
He closed his eyes, exhaling slowly before finally speaking the words he had feared for so long.
"No," he whispered, his voice trembling. "I'm not blind."
Esther's breath caught in her throat. Even though she had suspected it, hearing the truth out loud still sent shockwaves through her. She stared at him, her mind reeling with a mix of emotions—anger, confusion, hurt.
"Why?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. "Why would you lie about something like that?"
Wilson swallowed hard, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. "I… I never meant for it to go this far," he admitted. "It started out as a stupid mistake. I thought it would be easier—people treat you differently when they think you're blind. But then it just… snowballed. And by the time I realised what I had done, it was too late. I didn't know how to come clean without losing everything."
Esther stared at him, her heart aching at the vulnerability in his voice. She could see the pain in his eyes, the regret etched into every line of his face. But the hurt she felt was overwhelming.
"You lied to me," she whispered, her voice shaking. "This whole time, you've been lying to me."
Wilson reached out, desperate to touch her, to explain
Esther recoiled slightly, her body tense as she absorbed the weight of Wilson's confession. He reached out, his fingers brushing her arm gently, but she pulled away, tears welling up in her eyes. The betrayal was too fresh, too raw.
"I know," Wilson whispered, his voice trembling with regret. "I know I lied. And I'm so sorry, Esther. I never wanted to hurt you."
Esther stood up abruptly, moving toward the window to look out at the darkening sky. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to hold together the pieces of her heart that felt like they were shattering. "I just don't understand, Wilson. How could you live like this? Why didn't you tell me the truth sooner?"
Wilson remained seated, his hands clasped tightly together. His voice was soft, almost pleading. "I didn't know how. I was afraid—afraid of how people would see me, how you would see me. When I met you, I… I felt something real for the first time in a long time. But I was so deep in the lie by then, I didn't know how to get out of it."
Esther turned to face him, her eyes filled with a mixture of pain and frustration. "But you should have told me, Wilson. If you cared about me—if you truly cared—you wouldn't have let this go on for so long."
Wilson stood up now, stepping toward her, his face etched with sorrow. "I do care about you, Esther. More than anything. That's why this is so hard. I didn't want to lose you. But I realise now that I might have already lost you by keeping this secret."
Esther's heart ached as she looked at him, seeing the vulnerability in his eyes. She knew he was telling the truth, that he was genuinely remorseful. But the hurt ran deep. She had fallen for a man she thought she knew, only to discover that the foundation of their relationship had been built on a lie.
"I don't know what to say," Esther admitted quietly. "I don't know if I can trust you after this. How am I supposed to believe anything you say now?"
Wilson's heart sank. He cou
ld feel her slipping away, and the panic rose in his chest. "Please, Esther, give me a chance to make it right," he pleaded. "I'll do anything to earn your trust again."