Eyes for Another’s Heart

Things had turned out as Josie had predicted. I had nothing to guarantee that I would defeat her—my identity was the only thing going for me.

"Using your identity as Jordan's wife to stay by his side isn't smart. Do you feel happy sleeping beside a man who doesn't love you?" Josie smiled. "Why don't you guess whether he'll drop everything to come after me if I were to leave?"

She'd been correct again. She'd paid a much higher price than expected, though. None of us had seen it coming.

Josie became depressed after losing her sight. She would scream about wanting to take her own life whenever Jordan wasn't by her side. And so, no matter where he was, he would head to her as quickly as possible.

He'd even left me in a fire to go to her. I'd called him, but he'd merely said icily, "A fire? Can't you call the fire brigade? Do you have to get jealous whenever I'm with Josie, Hazel? Will you only be happy once she's dead?"

He hung up without waiting for me to explain. The fire wasn't major, and the firefighters arrived in time. However, I'd fallen down the stairs in my panic. It was only after I'd been taken to the hospital that I was informed of my miscarriage.

My child had come and left without a word, leaving me lost and helpless. I felt like the heavens were playing a prank on me.

The only other thing that felt as ridiculous as that to me was when Jordan told me, "Josie needs a pair of eyes. Why won't you help her, Hazel?"

"Why do you need my corneas for this? What makes her deserve this?"

His expression turned ugly when he saw that I was mad. "She doesn't have friends or family, and she's lost her vision at such a young age. What do you expect her to do?"

His tone had softened. "You're not the same as her, Hazel. You have me—I'll be your eyes. I'll hire someone to care for you and never leave you."

It was mocking to me how serious he looked. "So, her vision matters, but mine doesn't?"

"She's depressed now. She can't see, and she doesn't want to live anymore. How do you expect her to make it through this when she's so fragile?" His heartache for Josie was practically oozing from his eyes.

He continued, "You're strong, Hazel. Besides, I'll care for you for life, even if you've lost your eyes. You can't sit by and watch a young woman die just like that, can you?"

He'd looked at me earnestly, but I hadn't been moved. Ultimately, he'd heartlessly kicked me out of the car, allowing the rain to drench me.

The storm clouds loomed over the city, and the torrential downpour blurred out the cityscape. It would soon wash away my love for Jordan, too.

I looked at the gray sky, feeling dizzy. Then, I passed out in the rain.

A kind soul sent me to the hospital. The first person I saw when I opened my eyes was Landon Boyd. I smiled wanly at him. "It's you again, Dr. Boyd."

"You can't delay your treatment any longer. You won't make it past this month if you continue like this!" Landon looked grim.

I rarely saw him smile. I was the one with the terminal illness, but he was the distressed one.

"I can't make it to my 30th birthday, so I might as well enjoy the rest of my days to their fullest," I said.