Chapter 9
Oliver pulled out his phone and scrolled through the photos he'd taken just now.
The notebook, the empty medicine bottle, the thin blanket, and the moldy walls.
He flipped to the last page of the notebook.
It read, "Still eleven thousand dollars short for Ethan's cornea surgery."
Oliver put his phone down and started the car.
He didn't head back to the company. Instead, he drove straight to Eastside General Hospital.
At the nurse's station in the ophthalmology ward, he gave my name.
The nurse glanced at the system and said, "Luna Jones? Yeah, her name's in the records. She registered as a cornea donor eight months ago."
Oliver asked, "Who was the designated recipient?"
The nurse hesitated and replied, "Sorry, that's confidential. Hospital policy."
Oliver handed over his business card and said, "I'm the executive assistant to the CEO of Smith Group. Luna was Mr. Smith's wife, and she's passed away. We need to check a few things."
The nurse glanced at the card, then went to ask her supervisor.
A few minutes later, the supervisor came, looking much more serious than the nurse.
"You said Luna has passed away?" the supervisor asked.
Oliver replied, "Yes. Three days ago."
The supervisor pulled up a file on his computer. As he looked at the screen, his expression shifted.
He said, "We do have Luna's cornea donor registration on file. She signed up eight months ago."
Oliver asked, "Who was the recipient?"
The supervisor stared at the screen, not answering right away.
Oliver noticed the expression on his face. This wasn't the usual pause because of hospital policy.
It was something different, like he'd stumbled across something completely unexpected.
"I need to verify the recipient's information. Leave your contact info, and I'll let you know once I've confirmed it," the supervisor replied.
Oliver left his number and headed out of the hospital.
He sat in his car, running through everything he'd learned today in his mind.
I had registered as a cornea donor. Grace was about to get a cornea transplant.
Was there a connection between the two?
He didn't know. But he decided to keep digging.
*****
On Saturday, Grace's birthday party was set at the city's most luxurious hotel downtown.
The hall could easily hold two hundred guests, and Derek reserved the entire second floor for the event.
White roses lined the entrance. The warm golden light from the crystal chandeliers spilled down, giving everyone's skin a radiant glow.
Oliver had gone over the guest list three times.
It was all Derek's business partners, Vivian's friends from her card games, and Grace's inner circle. Out of the 120 guests, not a single one knew me.
I had never existed in this world. I never showed up at any party, dinner, or family gathering.
Derek and Vivian never told anyone he was married. Everyone thought Grace was his partner.
The party was set to start at seven, and by six-thirty, guests were already trickling in.
Vivian was standing at the entrance in a dark blue dress, flashing a gracious smile as she greeted everyone.
If someone complimented her on how beautiful she was, she'd reply, "Thanks."
And whenever someone asked, "Where's Mrs. Smith tonight?" she'd casually wave toward Grace, who was busy inside, and say, "She's right there."
No one asked about me. Because nobody knew I existed.
At seven sharp, Derek appeared at the entrance of the banquet hall, holding Grace's hand.
Grace was dressed in a light champagne-colored dress, her hair elegantly pinned up, and two teardrop-shaped diamonds dangling from her ears.
Her smile was warm and poised, every tooth gleaming perfectly under the lights.
Everyone knew about her eyes. She had a degenerative eye condition, and her vision was getting worse every year.
Derek had gone all over the country, searching for the best specialists to help her.
Tonight, Derek had a surprise to announce.
Halfway through the party, Derek stood up and raised his champagne glass.
He said, "Today is Grace's birthday. I'd like to take this opportunity to share some good news with everyone."
He looked at Grace, and there was a warmth in his eyes that Oliver had never seen Derek show toward me.
Derek continued, "Grace's cornea match came through. She'll be having the surgery next month. Soon, she'll finally be able to see the world clearly again."
The whole room erupted in applause.
Grace covered her mouth, and her eyes widened in shock. Her eyes were rimmed with tears, and her voice shook.
She said, "I really didn't expect this. Thank you, everyone. Thank you, Derek. I honestly thought this was how my life would be forever."
Vivian walked over and took her hand, gave it a reassuring squeeze.
She said, "Sweet girl, you've suffered enough. From now on, you're one of us. No one's ever going to let you down again."
Oliver lingered quietly in the corner, nursing a glass of orange juice he never bothered to drink.
Earlier that afternoon, he'd gotten a call from the hospital supervisor.
The supervisor's voice sounded a little off on the phone.
He said, "Mr. Taylor, I checked the original records for Luna's cornea donation. There's a particular detail that stands out."
Oliver asked, "What?"