Part 3My Ex Came Back for Revenge, Only to Find Me Dead

"Not my eyes," I corrected softly. "Just the corneas." My voice was raspy. "She wasn't born blind. The doctors said transplants could work. Healthy corneas, she sees again." I took a shaky breath. "Couldn't do the surgery while she was pregnant. Had to wait till the baby was safe."

I looked at Alex, trying to make him understand. "Black market corneas cost a fortune, maybe twenty grand each. I didn't have that kind of cash. Waiting for a legal donation… could take years. Maybe never." My gaze drifted towards the delivery room door. "I want her to see our kid grow up. So… I signed the donation papers. Voluntarily."

"And that's why you never went to see her? All this time?" Alex finally got it. He ran a hand through his hair. "Jake, you're certifiably nuts!"

"She's my wife, Alex," I whispered. "Besides me… who else in this world would love her this much? Enough to do this?" I managed a weak clap on his shoulder. "Don't worry. She didn't ditch me when I was dumpster diving for scraps back in the day. Being blind… it's just a thing. We'll figure it out. Even if we end up begging on street corners, long as we're together, the three of us… we'll be happy."

…

Coming out of surgery, the world went black. Permanently. Alex stuck by me, a lifeline in the darkness. He'd visit, tell me how Chloe and the baby were doing. Said she could see perfectly, that the baby was small but strong.

Then, about a month later, he showed up, quiet. Too quiet. My gut clenched. "What is it? What's wrong? Is it Chloe? The baby?"

"Chloe's getting married, Jake." Alex wouldn't meet my non-existent gaze. "Some rich guy, Tom Vance, just showed up out of nowhere. Proposed. She said yes. Just like that." He sounded choked with anger.

Silence stretched. Then, finally, I found my voice. Calm. Too calm. "Someone willing to take care of them… That's good." My throat felt thick. "I'm useless like this. Can't drag them down."

"Jake, snap out of it! Nobody's gonna love her like you do!"

I shook my head, cutting him off. "Take me to see them, Alex. Just once. From a distance. Please."

Outside her hospital room door, we heard him. Tom Vance. Voice smooth, concerned. "Don't you worry, Chloe. Liam's heart condition… we'll handle it after the wedding. Top specialists. We just need to find a suitable heart donor match…"

My legs gave out. I slid down the wall, the world spinning, a roaring in my ears. Heart condition? My son? How?

Alex hauled me up, pulling me away before they heard. Back in my own bleak room, the shock wouldn't fade. Alex did some digging. Found the baby's chart. Congenital heart defect. Severe.

"It's fate, Jake. Just damn rotten luck," Alex muttered, helpless.

But I knew what I had to do. A terrible certainty settled in my chest.

Two weeks later, they were prepping me for another surgery. As they wheeled me towards the OR, Alex grabbed my arm, his face grim. "You sure about this, man? No regrets?"

"He's my son, Alex," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. "Of course."

"If Chloe ever finds out…"

"She won't." I gripped his hand, pleading. "Promise me. Make sure she never knows. Let her hate me. It's better." A final thought surfaced. "One last thing… Can I hear her voice? Just one more time? Call her… please?"

My life, twenty-six short years. Lost so much, gained so little. All I wanted now was the sound of her voice.

"Yeah, okay, Jake. Okay." Alex fumbled with his phone, dialed. It connected. Then Chloe's voice, cold as steel.

"Alex? Are you calling to plead Jake's case again?" The bitterness dripped from every word. "Let me tell you something. A man who abandons his blind wife and sick child deserves whatever hell finds him. I will never forgive him."

"Wait, Chloe, you don't understand, he—" Alex started, desperate.

"Unless he's dead, Alex," she cut him off sharply, "don't ever mention his name to me again!" Click. The line went dead.

Alex cursed, furious. "Damn it! This is all wrong! I'm calling her back, explaining everything—"

"No." I squeezed his hand. Forced a smile I couldn't see. "It's okay. Really. This way… it's better." I let go. The nurses pushed the gurney forward.

If I couldn't protect her anymore, maybe her hating me was the next best thing.