I Nursed Him Back to Sight, He Chose My Sister

I snatched the pearl from the stranger’s palm, my fingers trembling violently.

"Thank you," I choked out, shoving the tiny sphere into my pocket.

But one loose bead wasn't a necklace. It wasn't proof. I turned away, leaving the man standing on the pavement, and started the long walk back.

Every step sent a sharp spike of pain through my bare heels. My shoes had rubbed my skin raw, forming angry blisters, but I barely registered the physical sting. My mind was trapped in the past.

"Leave me alone!" Neo's furious roar echoed in my memory.

Then came the deafening crash of shattering porcelain.

"I'm not going anywhere," I had told him, kneeling on the hospital floor to pick up the jagged pieces of the vase he threw.

He had been a monster in those early days of blindness. He cursed the nurses. He shoved the doctors. My own father had pulled me aside in the hallway.

"Give it up, Eddy," Dad had said. "The man is broken. You're wasting your youth."

But I stayed. I guided his spoon to his mouth. I let him grip my arm until bruises formed just so he could practice walking down the corridor.

"Don't go." His rough, desperate plea from three months ago played on a loop in my head. He had finally reached out, his large hand wrapping around my bruised fingers. "When I see again, Eddy, I'm marrying you."

Now, that promise belonged to Fiona.

I pushed the heavy front door of my family’s house open. Warm yellow light spilled into the foyer. The clinking of crystal glasses and bright laughter drifted from the dining room.

I dragged my bleeding feet toward the archway.

"Eat up, Fiona," Martha, my stepmother, cooed. She piled another slice of glazed ham onto my half-sister’s plate. "You've been so stressed taking care of Neo. You need your strength."

"I didn't mind, Mom," Fiona replied, her tone dripping with false modesty. "Neo is worth every sleepless night."

Dad raised his wine glass. "We should book the country club for June. The gardens are perfect for a wedding. Neo, does that work for your schedule?"

Neo sat at the head of the table. He looked immaculate in a crisp navy shirt. "Whatever Fiona wants. She gave me my life back. I owe her everything."

My stomach violently twisted.

I stepped fully into the light of the chandelier.

The laughter abruptly stopped.

Dad lowered his glass, his smile vanishing. "Eddy. You look like a mess. Where have you been?"

Neo turned his head. His striking gray eyes locked onto mine. There was no warmth. No spark of recognition. Only the polite, guarded expression of a stranger.

"You must be Fiona's sister," Neo said.

The words struck me like a physical blow. My knees buckled slightly.

"Neo," I whispered, my throat tight. "It's me."

Fiona slammed her fork down. "Eddy, stop it! We talked about this at the hospital. Why are you trying to ruin my night?"

"Ruin your night?" I stepped forward, my hands curling into fists. "You stole my life!"

Martha stood up, her chair scraping harshly against the hardwood. "That is enough, young lady. Go to your room. You are embarrassing yourself in front of our guest."

"He isn't a guest!" I shouted. "He's my fiancé!"

Neo's jaw hardened. He placed his napkin on the table and stood, towering over the room. "I asked you politely at the hospital to drop this delusion. Fiona warned me you had a habit of acting out for attention. I didn't want to believe a sister could be so cruel, but I see she was right."

"She's lying to you!" I cried out.

"Go to your room, Eddy," Dad barked, pointing toward the stairs. "Now."

I looked at Neo. He stared back with absolute indifference. The man who had wept in my arms now looked at me like I was garbage.

I spun around and fled up the stairs.

I slammed my bedroom door and locked it. Sliding down the wood panels, I pulled my knees to my chest and let the darkness swallow me.

Hours passed. The house grew quiet.

My throat felt like sandpaper. I needed water.

I crept out of my room and tiptoed down the carpeted stairs. As I passed the living room, a soft murmur of voices drifted through the open French doors leading to the patio.

I froze.

Pressing my back against the wall, I edged closer to the glass panes.

Fiona stood on the balcony, wrapped in Neo’s large suit jacket. She leaned her head against his chest. Neo held her close, his chin resting on top of her hair.

"She scares me, Neo," Fiona whimpered, burying her face in his shirt.

"She can't hurt you," Neo murmured, stroking her back.

"You don't know her," Fiona said, her voice trembling with manufactured fear. "Eddy has always hated me. She wants everything I have. When she found out you were the wealthy heir to the estate, she started plotting."

"Plotting what?" Neo asked, his tone dropping an octave.

"She wanted your money," Fiona lied smoothly. "She bragged to her friends that she was going to trick the blind billionaire into marrying her. She only came to the hospital today to secure the bag."

My nails dug into the plaster wall.

"She won't get a dime," Neo stated.

Fiona sniffled, wiping away imaginary tears. "I'm just terrified she’ll try to ruin our wedding. She’ll do anything for a payout."

Neo went completely still. His gray eyes, illuminated by the moonlight, turned cold and ruthless.

"If she ever dares to bully you again, I won't let her get away with it," Neo said.

I clamped both hands over my mouth, stifling the agonizing sob ripping up my throat.

He believed her. He believed every single toxic lie. The man I loved was slipping further into Fiona's trap, and I was entirely powerless to stop it.