Chapter 2

I collapsed backward, completely drained and drowning in despair.

I was born with a rare cornea defect, and after all these years, no one had ever found a donor that matched me.

My mother Ashley Grant's corneas were the only ones that could ever work for me.

But now, Dylan had handed Ashley's corneas over to Sophia Moss—even though her eye problem could've been fixed with just some meds.

The three of us grew up side by side. They both knew exactly how much I longed to see the light.

But now, the two people I trusted most had teamed up to stab me right in my weakest spot.

It was true—those closest to you always knew exactly where to twist the knife.

When Dylan saw I'd stopped fighting, he let go of my hands, gently laid me back, and cupped my face, kissing me softly.

"I'm sorry, honey. Work's been a mess lately, so I lost my head. I didn't mean to yell at you. But don't worry, I'll do whatever it takes to help you get better," Dylan said, his voice gentle.

And then, he leaned in, deepening the kiss.

I forced myself to swallow the nausea, neither reciprocating nor resisting.

Did he actually want me to get my sight back?

Would I ever find a donor that was right for me? Would I ever see the light again?

The world was nothing but darkness, and I shut myself away in it, barely registering when Dylan finally walked out.

It wasn't until the door swung open again, and I heard the sound of a wheelchair and footsteps, that I finally came back to myself.

She was wearing the same strong perfume as Dylan. It was my so-called best friend, Sophia.

She faked concern as she asked, "Evelyn, I just heard you woke up, so I rushed over to see you. How are you feeling?"

She was not here to check on me—she just wanted to see me fall apart.

I said flatly, "I'm fine. But you—what's with the wheelchair?"

Sophia didn't answer right away. She waited until the nurse's footsteps faded before speaking again.

"My eye problem flared up, so I came to the hospital. Dylan was worried I'd have trouble walking, so he made sure the nurse brought me here in a wheelchair," Sophia said.

She deliberately stressed how thoughtful Dylan was, but I acted like I didn't hear it.

"If I'm not mistaken, it's been half a year since your last episode, right? So why is it suddenly acting up again?" I asked, keeping my voice neutral.

Sophia looked surprised that I remembered so well, but she quickly covered it up.

"It's just that I can't stand how bitter the medicine is, so I didn't bother taking it," she said, sounding a little spoiled.

Pain shot through me, so intense it hurt to even breathe.

She found my right hand and started shaking my arm, just like she used to whenever she wanted to act cute.

"Evelyn, don't scold me, okay? Dylan already gave me a lecture," she said, her voice sweet and playful.

If this had been before, I would've just brushed it off as her being childish.

But now, I finally caught the smugness in her voice, no matter how she tried to hide it.

Disgust twisted inside me, gnawing at my heart like a snake. I could barely stand it.

I gently pulled my left hand back, but out of nowhere, a loud crash exploded in my ears.

"Ah!" Sophia shrieked.

At the same time, the door swung open.

"Sophie! Evelyn, what are you doing? Why did you push Sophie?" Dylan shouted, his tone sharp.

I couldn't see anything, so I had to piece together what was happening from the scattered noises around me.

Between Dylan's angry outburst and the chaos, it wasn't hard to put two and two together—Sophia must've taken a spill.

But I knew exactly how much strength I'd used.

Besides, I hadn't eaten a single bite since I woke up—where would I even get the strength to push her?

Hearing my husband accuse me without a second thought, I let out a bitter, self-mocking laugh.

Sophia's voice trembled as she said, "Dylan, it wasn't Evelyn. I just tripped and fell by accident. Right, Evelyn?"

After all these years growing up together, I never realized Sophia was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

"Yeah, it really wasn't me. You fell on your own," I said, keeping my voice steady. I was just being honest.

But in Dylan's eyes, it looked like I'd shoved Sophia on purpose.

"Evelyn, what's with your attitude lately? Sophie came here out of kindness, and this is how you treat her? You're so cruel," Dylan snapped, his voice full of anger.