POV HENRY

One day I saw her and I never imagined that my life would change so much after that day.

I was just a fourteen-year-old boy who was forced to move in with my negligent father, my scheming stepmother and my spoiled half-brother.

Despite this, he had a privileged life, a future already mapped out and all the foundations for success that money could provide.

However, when I saw Camille, I always felt something strange, it was as if I was missing something that I couldn't yet see.

Camille, the maid's daughter, who was a woman who worked like a slave in our house, working overtime and putting up with all my stepmother's futile whims and all my brother's disturbances, just to guarantee a future for her daughter, a future that would be nowhere near the future that awaited me.

Camille, the girl who hid behind the kitchen cupboards to study and when I saw her, she smiled sympathetically, even though I'd never even said good morning to her in my life and even though I knew I'd run the risk of telling my stepmother everything, which would surely make her mother beg her to let her daughter stay.

Camille, a strange girl, walked with a limp, wore orthopedic shoes because one leg was longer than the other, her spine was crooked and she also needed to wear an orthopedic brace and God, not thinking that her orthopedic problems were already too much, gave her some kind of tooth problem that forced her to wear a ridiculous set of braces, with a bunch of irons sticking out of her mouth.

And as misfortune would have it, Camille was still short-sighted.

I always wondered why she still smiled even though she was cursed with all those problems, which could be treated, but I think they're too expensive for her mother to pay for. I did some research... yes, I was so intrigued by that mediocre girl that I wondered if there was a solution to her problem.

I wondered why I felt so lacking when I looked at her, I should feel lucky to look at her, shouldn't I? I should think that my problems with my family were small, that wretched girl had too many problems.

But... Shit, she smiled, she always smiled...

Camille, that grotesque sight. That skinny red-haired girl who was bullied. That idiot who almost always appeared bruised from falling down on her own or, I suspect, from being beaten up at school, was the last thing I saw before I lost my sight...

I was obsessed with her, I wanted to find out what it was about her that made her smile... I was always hiding to watch her and one day, when I was hiding to watch her come home from school, that stupid girl just tripped and fell in the middle of the road.

I mentally cursed her, I mentally cursed myself for hiding and watching such a mediocre human being.

"Come on, get up!" I said quietly, but impatiently.

She tried to get up, but fumbled and fell again. I don't know if it was because of her orthopedic shoes, or her vest, I don't know... all I know is that at that moment she looked as clumsy as a dying animal.

And that's when I saw that a truck was coming. One of those big ones, you know. Camille was so mediocre and small, I doubt the driver would have seen her in time to brake.

I hesitated for a moment, but before I knew it, I was running. My mind kept asking me what I was doing, but my body moved against my will.

And it was on that day that I took the place of that condemned human being. And I took Camille's sentence for myself.

I didn't die, but I became worse than her, because she may have had mobility problems and needed to wear those things that made her look ugly and clumsy, but she wasn't disabled, whereas I, from that day on, could no longer see.

I hated it, Camille!

Because of her, my entire future literally disappeared from my vision.

I used to think that when I grew up, I would take over my father's company, which is rightfully mine, and go somewhere far away from that infernal family.

But thanks to Camille, my fate remained trapped in that place. My neglectful father left all my care in the hands of my stepmother and that was it, he did nothing to help me, if it weren't for that cursed Camille, maybe I wouldn't even have the basic care.

Yes, despite destroying my life, Camille did not leave me alone. She felt guilty for what happened and every day she was there in my room.

Even when I pushed her away, she was there, apologizing and crying, bringing food and trying to help me.

Despite being the same age, I was much bigger than Camille, but still, she tried to help me get up and be my support.

Oh, how I hated that stupid girl. "Why didn't she run away from there? Why did she subject herself to endure the fits of anger of a boy revolted with his fate? Why?"

I really hated her at first, but over time, she forced me to get used to her. To get used to hearing her limping steps and her low voice. She quickly knew me like no one else did and always knew what I needed even without communicating with each other often.

My stepmother didn't care, Camille wasn't on the payroll, the only person smart enough to advise her to leave that place was her mother, and many times I heard the two of them arguing in secret. Her mother begged her to get away from that house and chase after her future, but she insisted that I, without her care, would be condemned...

Yes, I would be doomed without her, I didn't know how to do anything alone, my world was only darkness, hearing the sounds of Camille's voice, hearing the sounds of her clumsy steps, feeling the touch of her ridiculously delicate and cold hands, and feeling her smell when she was too close.

She was trapped in my world and I was trapped in hers.

*HENRY'S POV*

Time went by, and in my own way, I began to notice the subtle changes. Camille's clumsy footsteps were no longer heard. Her scent had changed, and strangely, I yearned to smell it more and more.

My father passed away, my stepmother tried to get rid of me, and Camille and I ended up getting married to protect me.

Yes, that foolish girl, besides wasting her entire youth taking care of a blind and hopeless man, even married him, just so she would be legally responsible for me and no one could decide my fate without consulting her.

Our marriage wasn't just that—a protection, an agreement where only one party benefited. Naturally, we became intimate.

At first, I felt guilty; I felt like a scoundrel, taking advantage of someone who probably did everything here for me out of a sense of guilt that, for me, no longer made sense. If Camille carried any guilt about what happened to me, she had already atoned for it. Our relationship had become unfair to her. I don't know if it was time or some maturity I acquired, but I knew she wasn't to blame for what had happened.

Thinking this way made me feel like the worst man in the world, an exploiter. Camille didn't have to carry me on her back for the rest of her life.

Even so, even feeling like the worst man alive, I was cowardly enough not to put an end to it.

In the dark of night, I couldn't resist seeking her out. Maybe she wasn't the most beautiful woman in the world, maybe she wasn't the woman of my dreams, but she had an irresistible scent, her skin was as soft as velvet, her taste as sweet as honey.

When we were being intimate, it was the only time I felt in control. I didn't need to see to find her mouth, her breasts, her p---y.

I couldn't get the taste of her p---y out of my mind, how she trembled in my hands, the sounds of her breathing and the moans she tried to suppress. I couldn't resist the urge to thrust deeply inside her, how she became wet, hot, and utterly consumed by pleasure during our most heated nights.

In the moment, all I wanted was more of her, more pleasure, but after we reached the peak, I just wanted it all to end, for some miracle to happen and free me from this life of total dependence on another person, even for sex.

I didn't know other women and wondered if it was even good or if it would be much better with someone else. Camille wasn't exactly a beauty, an attractive woman. Maybe I only felt so much pleasure and attraction because I couldn't see her.

I started asking myself these questions, and from then on, the guilt I felt began to fade. I began to think that maybe giving her those nights was a fair trade for her services since she received nothing for all that she did for me.

I relaxed in the bathtub and let go of all the guilt. My hair fell into my eyes, and it bothered me. It was just a remnant of a habit from when I could see because, in reality, those strands didn't obstruct the vision I no longer possessed.

A while later, I sensed Camille's presence. Unlike before, she was extremely quiet now, always walking barefoot and with a gentleness that few would probably notice. It's strange, and I can't explain it, but blindness awakened a new sense in me, the sense of perceiving her presence.

She knelt down and, as if she had read my mind—well, she probably had—Camille brushed the strands of hair away from my face.

Skillfully, she began to sponge my body with liquid soap.

She moved lower, and I involuntarily grew warm. Being deprived of sight had heightened my other senses.

Each movement of her hands sent waves of heat through me. She moved down between my legs, and I was ready. My reasoning had already slowed, and I could only think with my lower head. She paused with her hand there and kept moving, clearly teasing me.

I couldn't take it anymore, so I grabbed her arm and pulled her towards me.

"Henry!" she let out a small cry that surprised me.

"What is it? Why are you scared? You were just teasing me a moment ago. Take off your clothes and get in the bathtub."

"Oh… was that it? I'm sorry, it wasn't intentional, I just got distracted… Not today, okay? I'm tired today."

It took me a few seconds to process; I had never heard Camille make any excuses to refuse me.

"Are you really trying to distance yourself from me? Am I ugly and disgusting, Camille?"

"No, Henry… You are… you are attractive, very attractive…" she said softly, her voice laced with shyness.

The air around us shifted, and before she could move away, I tightened my grip on her arm, pulling her closer.

"Then get in the bathtub. If you don't think I'm disgusting, you should take advantage, since I can't pay you with money for your services."

I felt her body tense instantly, and she gently broke free from my grasp and stepped away.

"Do you really see me as just your maid, Henry?" she asked, leaving me speechless for a moment. I swear, in all these years, she had never asked me such questions.

"How I see you?" How do I see her? "I don't see you, Camille, you know that."

"You understood what I meant, Henry. Please, I need to hear from you, how do you see me? What do you think of the woman I am?"

"Are you serious, Camille?" As they say, silence speaks louder than words, and that's exactly what she gave me.

I shifted uncomfortably in the tub, not thinking this was going to be a pleasant conversation. She waited patiently until I said, "I think… I think you're strange; I don't understand you. No one would dedicate themselves so much to another person in exchange for nothing. If it were the other way around, you know I would never do the same for you, right?"

She disguised it, but not well enough. My keen hearing caught the tremor in her breath. "Oh, damn it, she's not going to cry again, is she?"

I waited a while before continuing, "I remember you, Camille. I remember your reddish hair and your strange thinness. I remember your freckles and your awkward smile. I know people don't change much as they grow, and you probably became a very… let's say… an ordinary woman. I know the accident didn't leave any marks on my face, besides the blindness, and I know I probably have a far superior appearance to yours."

I took a deep breath, not feeling good about saying what I was about to say, but despite feeling like a scoundrel, I wouldn't be dishonest in my words.

"What do I think of you? Well… I think maybe you have some self-esteem issues, or maybe you've developed some kind of emotional dependence on me. It's not normal to have given up your dreams for someone who can't love you."

I heard her breathing carefully, probably trying to disguise her tears again.

"These things change, you know? Who knows, one day you might find out that you love me."

"No, Camille. It's impossible to love someone you can't see."

At that moment, she left the bathroom and left me alone. I waited for her to finish my bath until I felt the water turn cold. She didn't come back…

I was forced to try to manage on my own, with difficulty getting out of the bathtub. I knocked things over, slipped a few times until I found my bathrobe.

I went back to the bedroom, and even though I couldn't see, I knew I was alone there. She wasn't there…

HENRY'S POV

I patted the air until I found my bed and lay down. I wondered at that moment what I was going to do. I was like a big baby dependent on her, I didn't even know where my underwear was to get dressed. And to eat? What would I do for food without her?

Sometime later, I heard the door open and I heard Camille.

"Henry! Why did you leave by yourself? I was going to come back and help you. Please sit down, you're getting the bed wet."

She asks and I obey, not to mention that I got out of the tub because she took so long that the water was cold. Camille walks from side to side, looking a little trapped. She was different than usual, I could feel it.

After a while she came with a towel and started drying my hair.

"Henry, I'm sorry, I know it took me a long time to get back."

"Don't worry, sometimes I need to take so much responsibility off your shoulders."

"It's okay, taking care of you isn't that much of a sacrifice for me, it's just... I told you, I've been very tired."

Strangely, those words sounded like she wasn't talking about physical tiredness.

I stayed there for a long time, not knowing what to do, but as soon as she arrived, in no time I was dry, dressed and ready. It was bizarre how she had all the control of my life.

Hours passed and as the night deepened I hadn't slept. I could hear the muffled sounds of Camille's crying. It made me feel guilty, but at the same time, I didn't know why. "Why did I feel guilty? I didn't say anything wrong, I just told her things she already knew. I just told her what I had told her before in other conversations."

"Why is Camille acting so differently?"

Once again I acted on impulse, without thinking I hugged her from behind. She didn't react, she just became quieter and her body tensed up.

"What are you doing, Henry?", I asked myself, feeling strange doing that.

I let out my breath and pretending that I had just shown some kind of feeling, I pulled her to me. I kiss her neck inhaling her scent, Camille was extremely careful and smelled of moisturizer and perfume, she wore a soft fragrance that didn't bother me. Actually, her body's scent drove me crazy.

In a second I was ready, the desire was burning and consuming me completely.

I slipped my hand inside her shirt, reaching her breasts and squeezing hard. Her breasts filled my hands, they were firm and full. I massaged her breasts, while pulling her to me, making her feel how hard she made me.

I was like a volcano erupting, crazy to explode inside her, but Camille… Camille was like an icy iceberg.

Little by little, her ice was cooling me down as I realized that she was not responding to my advances.

I ended up giving up, frustrated, a few seconds ago I was really crazy with desire, but without reciprocity, it's no use…

"What's going on, Camille? Are you mad at me?"

I was met with her silence, until some time later she replied:

"I'm sorry, Henry… it's just, my head hurts so much."

"Oh, come on! That excuse is old, tell the truth, what's going on? Are you tired of me?"

Camille's silence and lack of response was worse than her lame excuses. Her silence made me feel her drifting further and further away from me.

"That's not it, Henry. I'm just... I'm just tired." - her voice gradually faded, as if she were really moving away.

"Want to know? I feel relieved that I don't want any more intimacy. I'm relieved that I don't have to pretend to enjoy you anymore."

There was no response from Camille. Which made me more uncomfortable. Of course I lied, I just didn't want to be down, I just didn't want to feel rejected.

Daybreak came and in silence, Camille helped me up, like every morning, she gave me breakfast.

After solving my problem by cutting my hair, she helped me to sit at my desk and went to work.

While she was gone, I tried to study, listening to the books that Camille made a point of recording in audio for me, however, I couldn't stop wondering why she was rejecting me.

And listening to those audios only made things worse, because everything I had to listen to was recorded in her voice.

Tired, I decided to go out for a bit. I walked instinctively to the bedroom door and walked a little, leaning against the walls. With my keen hearing I followed, listening to the voice of my stepmother arguing with my stepbrother.

"Idiot! Idiot! You're an idiot! How could you embezzle so much money at once? If anyone finds out you'll be kicked out of the company! You know very well that the company belongs to that cripple and you're only in front because I convinced the partners?!"

"Fuck it, if they find out, Mom! The ship is sinking! Soon this damn company will go bankrupt and when they find out, you and I will be long gone! I've already cleaned out the entire safe and the money is in a secure account in Switzerland."

"Are you sure we'll get away with this without anyone finding out?"