A wave of hurt washed over the girls heart.
Daniel slowly closed the flat door, let out a heavy sigh, and sank onto the sofa. His insides burned with anger and confusion. Hed just had a blazing row with his girlfriend, all because of a stray kitten.
The last half-hour had been a blursharp words thrown back and forth, accusations, attempts to defend himself. It felt like the ground had vanished beneath his feet, leaving a weight on his chest.
Emily had always drawn him in with her gentle nature, kindness, and openness. Theyd clicked instantly, balancing each other perfectly. But lately, shed been distant, wrapped up in caring for some random stray shed found.
At first, Daniel had brushed it offfair enough, women love animals, especially the small, helpless ones. But over time, her obsession took a worrying turn. Every conversation revolved around the kittens treatment, its health, its needs. It was like all the attention shed once given him had shifted to this scruffy little blind cat.
When the argument finally blew up, Daniel laid it out plainlythe kitten was taking up more space in her life than he was. To him, pouring time and money into a disabled animal was pointless. Why not get a healthy, proper pet they could both enjoy? Why waste effort on a creature thatd never have a normal life?
Emily took it badly. Called him heartless, accused him of not understanding what really mattered. The harder he tried to reason with her, the clearer it becamethey just didnt see eye to eye.
It had been an ordinary morning when Emily first heard the pitiful mewing outside her flat. At first, she thought shed imagined it, but curiosity got the better of her. Peering out the window, she spotted a tiny, shivering ball of fur huddled by the doorstep. Without a second thought, she threw on her jacket and rushed outside.
The kitten was in a sorry statematted fur, painfully thin, with crusted eyes and sores around its nose. His tail trembled as if fighting just to stay upright. Gently, Emily scooped him up and brought him inside. Straight to the vet they went, where she got the grim newsthe little thing had a severe eye infection, one that could leave him completely blind.
“Youll have to put in a lot of work to save him,” the vet warned. “Treatment isnt cheap, and even then, theres no guarantee…”
But Emily refused to give up. She spent a small fortune on meds, IVs, and vet visits. Every day, she patiently cleaned his eyes, dressed his wounds, and fed him by syringe since he could barely eat on his own.
After a month, the infection cleared, but the damage was donethe kitten was blind for good. Friends suggested handing him over to a shelter or even putting him down. “Why drag it out?” theyd say.
Emily couldnt do it. Shed saved him once; now he needed her more than ever. She decided to keep him.
And so began the new life of the little cat she named Oliver. The first few days were roughhe bumped into everything, stumbled, got lost in corners. But soon, it was clear how clever he was. Within a week, Oliver navigated the flat like a pro, dodging obstacles and finding his food bowl without fail. A fortnight later, hed mastered the litter tray, never once missing his mark.
Before long, Oliver showed just how kind and intuitive he was. The moment Emily sat down, hed hop onto her lap, curling up in her arms. If she was upset, hed sense it straight away, purring softly to soothe her.
Everything was perfectuntil that evening with Daniel. Hed snapped, calling her foolish for wasting money on a “hopeless case.” Said she shouldve just got a proper, healthy cat instead of pouring resources into a lost cause.
His words cut deep. How could anyone say that about a creature who gave nothing but love? She tried to explain what Oliver meant to her, but Daniel just scoffed and walked out, tossing one last cruel remark about wasted time and money.
Thats when the hurt truly hit her. Suddenly, she realised who the real blind one was. Not Oliver, who, despite his limits, brought nothing but joy. Noit was Daniel, who couldnt see the worth of loyalty and love in its purest form.
The breakup was quiet, no regrets. Emily knew she didnt need a man who couldnt value kindness. But she did have something bettera little cat whod stand by her, no matter what.
