Chapter 3

It hit me like a bolt of lightning, my head throbbing with pain as I jolted awake.

Right. I did not have to end up like that.

It was my lovesick bravery that had me shield Samuel with my own body when the accident happened.

He walked away with scratches, while I was left with broken bones, a severe concussion, and trapped in a coma.

I had believed that my love would be returned in kind. However, I realized that if not for my clear, bright eyes, I might have left the world two years ago.

I guessed my death was the reason that my soul could finally drift away from the hospital room that had been my cage.

I followed my mother, my ghostly eyes wide as I watched her sort through the mess I had left behind.

My mother, who always took such pride in her looks and never seemed a day over 50, had aged a decade overnight, and her hair turned to silver.

Her shaky, frail silhouette made my heart feel like it was being crushed.

The day they closed my account with the world was bright and sunny. The harsh sun seemed to weigh heavily on my mother's hunched shoulders.

Out on the street, my mother ran into Amelia.

You know how they say love can make someone bloom? Well, Amelia was living proof. She was nothing like the skinny, timid girl she used to be. Decked out in fancy clothes that screamed money and swinging a designer bag, she strutted like she owned the pavement.

However, when she spotted my mother, her bright eyes scrunched up like she had smelled something foul.

My mother did not hesitate, though. She bolted over, calling out, "M-Ms. Brown!"

Fidgeting with her clothes, my mother whispered, "Do you remember me? I'm Yocelyn's mother. The corneas—you got them from her..."

Amelia just brushed my mother's hand aside and shoved her. My death certificate fluttered to the ground with a soft sound.

Without a word, Amelia stomped on it, sneering, "Get lost, you lunatic! I don't know you..."

My mother's eyes went wide with shock, and she dove for Amelia's leg, yelling, "Don't touch that!"

My mother barely touched her. However, Amelia crashed to the ground like she had been hit by a truck.

Tears filled her eyes as she looked up. "Mrs. Carden, I'm so sorry, it's all my fault. I'll give them back! I-I'll give back the eyes!"

She clawed at her face, fingers digging into her eyes.

Then, out of nowhere, a hard slap cracked across my mother's cheek.

With a mere flick of his wrist, Samuel sent my mother tumbling to the ground, her elbow scraping a long, raw gash on the unforgiving concrete.

Blood oozed out in a scarlet flood.

However, Samuel, as unfeeling as stone, did not even flinch at the sight. He tenderly grasped Amelia's wrist, pressing it gently, his voice laced with feigned concern, "Amelia, don't be so hard on yourself. It pains me to see you like this… You're just too soft-hearted!"

He said, "I was the one who signed off on the cornea donation to you, and it's got nothing to do with you!"

He spun around, his eyes seething with disgust for my mother, dark and menacing. "Mrs. Carden, the only reason I'm even giving you the time of day is because you're Yocelyn's mother!"

His voice turned icy, each word deliberate, "However, that's no excuse to push Amelia around!

"Your daughter Yocelyn is alive today only because I'm shelling out a fortune every month to keep her going. Without me, she'd be gone. So what if I want her eyes?!

"Step out of line again, and I'll pull the plug on all her meds and the fancy equipment keeping her alive!"

My mother's eyes were glued to the death certificate under Amelia's feet.

She shook her head in denial. "That's mine! That's my daughter's..." A wail of anguish escaped her. "It's mine, give it back!"

My heart ached so badly that I could barely breathe.

I reached out, trying to wrap my arms around my mother, but she was just out of reach.

I wanted to tell her, 'It doesn't matter, Mom, it's just a piece of paper. I'm still right here with you. But why… why can't I touch you anymore?'

My mother's grief exploded, and she lunged at Amelia again, sinking her teeth into her hand.

Amelia cried out and shoved my mother away with a swift kick.

At last, my mother snatched the paper away. Her hands shaking, she tried to tuck my death certificate back into her bag.

In a flash, Samuel reached out and ripped the paper in half with a sharp tear. He shredded the half he held into a flurry of pieces.

"What's this garbage?" he snapped, his brow furrowed in annoyance. "What's the big deal?"

My mother was shaking like a leaf, her eyes red and furious as she screamed at Samuel, "That was Yocelyn's death certificate!"

A scrap of paper landed in Samuel's hand.

He glanced down to see 'Death Certificate' written in bold, black letters, along with my name.