002

002

Zoey:

Silence took over as everyone anticipated my words.

I let the tears fall, tired of keeping them in.

Defeated, I lowered my gaze, looking down at the papers as I wiped my tears with the back of my hand.

Was this the same man I loved? Was this the same man I gave my cornea?

How could he do this to me after all these years? After everything I've done for him!

A scoff from Chloe broke the silence and I looked up at her.

She stroked her ginger hair proudly as she looked at me, disdain in her eyes.

Short ginger hair! It all made sense to me now.

Seth made me change my looks when we got married, forcing me to cut my black hair short and dye it ginger.

I wanted to please him so I did it all for him but only to realize my nonidentical twin sister was the reason behind it.

She was supposed to be lost. She's been lost for five years now, nowhere to be found but five years ago was when I met Seth so I was only a replacement while she was gone.

I never wore clothes I was comfortable with. I preferred girly dresses while Chloe preferred oversized tomboy outfits.

That explains why Seth always got me mostly sweatpants, cargo pants and oversized shirts, claiming he didn't find my size at the boutique.

He knew what he was doing and I was nothing but her shadow, a substitute, a reminder.

To him, I was only to be fiddled with, while I was here trying to impress him. I even went as far as losing my sight for a whole four years just to make him see again.

Talk about hard to swallow pills.

I squatted, gathering the papers before stretching my hand for the pen, masking my pain up with a smile.

Chloe placed a pen in my palm.

I walked over to a table, placing the papers on it while I grabbed the pen hard, my hands trembling as I swallowed hard, the flesh of my neck caving in.

Tears blurred my vision as I gazed down at the papers, still wearing the plastic smile.

As I pressed the pen on the paper, signing, my hot tears dropped right on the pages but I brushed them off, returning to Seth and giving him the papers.

He smiled in contentment.

“Now listen, everything of yours in this building, I got them for you and I'm not going to let you lay a finger on any of them! I want nothing to do with you again.”.

The smile on my face began to waver but I managed to keep it there.

This marked the end for him and he forgot so quickly that my cornea was in his eyes and if I decided to take it back, he would be doomed.

I nodded, turning to leave. I walked out, the weight of the stares of everyone pulled my pride down.

The humiliation. The disgrace. The pressure. The embarrassment.

Everything I felt, including the heartbreak.

I masked it up with a smile, converting it to courage and pride when I knew I had nowhere to go.

All I just wanted to do was get away from this place and shed my tears elsewhere even though they were burning to get out.

Just how could Seth do this to me. I literally became a laughing stock.

If he had chosen a random woman, I wouldn't be so offended.

But he chose my twin sister!

If he had told me earlier, I wouldn't be heartbroken.

But he chose to use me for four good years.

Four years wasted, four years gone. I couldn't get them back.

I should have known he never loved me since he never supported me each time I asked to fix my eyesight.

I should have known he despised me as we've never been intimate for four years. I should have known.

As I got outside the gate, I halted when my face met Mom's.

My teeth grinded.

“Congratulations on your divorce,” she smirked, her brown eyes piercing into me as she rubbed her faux fur wrap softly.

“What sort of mother are you?" I spat.

She let out a dreamy sigh as if my words couldn't matter less. “The type that invites her daughter to her wedding,” she stretched her hand, a card staying in-between her fingers.

I took the card from her, staring at the words designed right in the middle of some doodle butterflies.

MARTHA AND GREGORY

I clenched my fist, clutching the card in it before tossing it away.

“I'm not coming!".

Her brows raised in surprise. “Then who's gonna pour the drinks and serve us at night?".

“I'm not your maid, Mom,”.

“I'm not your mother then. Decide not to come and we'll see who has more to lose.”.

I didn't respond, I watched her leave, swaying her chubby hips left and right.

She raised her hand as she walked off, yelling, “Tomorrow! 1pm at home!".