Chapter 3
Preston patted my hand. "Kendra, I'm going to socialize over there. Just stay here and don't move around."
I sat on the couch quietly while Molly worked the room with ease, talking to everyone.
Their gazes were full of mockery and curiosity, not even bothering to hide it as they stared at me, because everyone knew that I was blind.
"Ms. Mullen, could you maybe talk to Mr. Rowe about working together?" someone asked.
Molly loved being looked up to, nodding smugly as she soaked up the attention.
Just then, someone handed me another drink.
I stared at the swirling wine in the glass, a sarcastic smirk on my lips, then knocked it back without hesitation.
"Mrs. Rowe, you're a real sport," someone remarked.
Molly shot me a look, curled her lip, and gave a signal to the people around her.
Soon enough, glass after glass was pushed my way.
They kept calling me Mrs. Rowe, but the contempt in their eyes was impossible to miss.
I stared at the glass in front of me, forcing myself to ignore the storm raging in my stomach. With a trembling hand, I brought it to my lips.
The cold, sharp liquor burned its way down my throat and into my gut, and I couldn't help but shiver.
My stomach kept cramping, cold sweat breaking out across my forehead as my vision gradually blurred.
I bit my lip.
Molly watched me, a smug smirk curling on her lips.
I gritted my teeth, trying desperately to stay awake, but the stabbing pain in my stomach just kept tormenting me.
Suddenly, I crashed onto the floor.
Preston had just wrapped up his rounds and was chatting nearby.
A portly executive laughed and joked, "Mr. Rowe, someone as distinguished as you, how come you're using matching profile pictures with your girl?"
Preston smiled, a touch of fondness in his eyes. "It's what she likes, so I do it to make her smile."
"Careful, or your wife might catch wind of it," the executive joked.
Preston clinked his glass with the man. "Kendra's sweet and sensible. I'd never let her find out about any of these dirty little secrets. I'll make sure she's always safe..."
Before he could finish, Preston's eyes shot toward me, only to see me collapse in agony.
"Kendra!" he shouted.
Preston bolted over, scooping me up into his arms.
"Kendra!" he called out again.
His Adam's apple bobbed, his knuckles white as he clutched me desperately to his chest, refusing to let go.
"Somebody! Get her to the hospital, quick!" Preston shouted.
The room erupted into chaos, and Molly was frozen in place, not knowing what to do.
She never expected Preston to rush back so fast, and she never imagined he'd care about me this much, either.
"Preston, I didn't mean to..." Molly started, trying to explain herself.
But Preston cut her off, his voice sharp and angry. "That's enough!"
He shot Molly a frosty glare, picked me up, and strode out.
Preston never left my side for a moment, staying with me through every agonizing hour of surgery.
It wasn't until two days later that I finally woke up.
Preston was hunched over my hospital bed, still in the same suit from the party, his eyes red and tired.
When he saw me wake up, he quickly took my hand and asked, "Kendra, is your stomach still hurting?"
Preston was still rattled, haunted by what could've happened if he'd shown up even a second later.
I glanced at him. He had the same worried look as when Molly was making my life hell before.
But I was already sick of seeing him act like this.
A single tear slipped from the corner of my eye, tracing down my cheek before falling onto Preston's wrist.
I shook my head.
Preston wiped away my tears with genuine concern, his voice thick with guilt as he apologized. "I'm sorry, Kendra. It's all my fault for not staying by your side.
"But you know you have stomach problems. Why didn't you refuse?"
I let out a sarcastic smile. "Would it have made any difference if I had?"
Preston stared at me, and suddenly, it was like a chunk of his heart had been hollowed out, a heavy, suffocating pain spreading inside him.
He realized, with a jolt, that something was slipping through his fingers.
He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
"Preston, will you still be my eyes?" I asked.
He looked up, gazing into my sightless eyes, and didn't hesitate for a second. "Kendra, I'll always be your eyes. I'll be with you, taking care of you for the rest of my life."
I let out a small smile. If I hadn't been able to see all along, I probably never would've caught on to what was really happening between him and Molly.
Everything he said and did still reminded me of the Preston who once knelt before me, tears streaming down his face as he made those promises.
I nodded. "I'm tired. I just want to get some sleep. You should go home and clean up."
I buried myself under the blanket, the sharp smell of disinfectant filling the room, and let my tears quietly fall.
The hospital room door snapped shut, and just then, Molly's voice came from the hallway.