Chapter 1

Three years ago, a car accident left my boyfriend, Nathan, completely blind. Driven by a foolish love, I donated my corneas to him.

When his bandages came off, he wept. He traced my face and kissed my closed, useless eyelids.

"I will cherish you, Maureen," he promised. "I will protect you forever. I will be your eyes."

Today was supposed to be our fairytale wedding.

I stood at the altar. The scent of white roses hung thick in the air. I felt the warmth of the spotlight. I was smiling, my heart beating a frantic, joyful rhythm. I was waiting for the words that would bind us forever.

The officiant’s voice boomed through the microphone.

"Do you, Nathan, take Taylor to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Taylor. My sister? What?

The smile died on my lips. The silence in the room was deafening.

I froze. My hands trembled around my bouquet. "Wait," I gasped. "There's a mistake."

I stepped forward, reaching out into the black void. My fingers brushed against a tuxedo lapel. Before I could speak, a hand clamped down on my bare arm.

The grip was familiar, but the bruising force was new. It was Nathan. His fingers dug into my flesh. He pulled me close, his breath hot and frantic against my ear.

"Stop messing around, Maureen," he whispered.

"Nathan?" I breathed, panic rising. "He said Taylor. Tell him to fix it. What is happening now?"

"It’s just a formality," Nathan hissed, his grip tightening. "Keep your voice down. You’re making a scene."

"A formality?" My voice cracked. I tried to pull away, but he held me captive. "This is our wedding."

"Taylor’s health is fragile," he muttered. "She’s always dreamed of this moment. You know how sick she gets. She just wants to experience the ceremony. Let her have this one thing. She is your sister."

I shook my head. "Let her have my wedding? Are you out of your mind?"

"You’re blind, Maureen," he said. "You can’t even see the ceremony anyway," he continued, his voice devoid of empathy. "What difference does it make who stands here in the dress? You won't know the difference. Just step aside."

Before the shock could paralyze me, another set of hands grabbed my shoulders.

"Maureen, please," my mother whispered urgently from my left. "Don't be selfish today of all days."

"Selfish?" The word tasted like ash.

I gave up the sky. I gave up the stars. I gave up the faces of everyone I loved, just so the man holding my arm could see them. And she called me selfish.

"Your sister has so little joy in her life," my mother pleaded. "Her heart condition makes every day a struggle. Let her wear the crown today. Let her feel like a bride. You can sign the legal papers later in private. It changes nothing."

"Step down, Maureen," my father’s stern voice joined the chorus on my right. "Do this for your sister. Don't ruin the day."

I was physically pushed to the side, stumbling in my heels, standing in the suffocating darkness of my own making.

I heard the rustle of tulle and silk. Taylor. She stepped into the space I had just vacated. I heard her delicate giggle.

"I do," Nathan said.

His voice was strong. It was the exact same voice that had promised to protect me in the dark.

"I do," Taylor echoed, her voice dripping with sweet triumph.

The officiant pronounced them husband and wife. The crowd erupted into thunderous applause. The sound crashed over me. I heard the distinct sound of a kiss. A passionate, lingering kiss. My fiancé and my sister, sealing a vow meant for me.

The crowd cheered louder. The string quartet swelled. I stood in the shadows, cast aside, a discarded prop in my own tragic love story.

But I didn’t cry. Not a single tear fell from my sightless eyes. My breathing steadied.

The trembling in my hands stopped completely.

The truth was, the officiant didn't make a mistake.

I bribed him.

I paid the emcee a small fortune to say Taylor’s name instead of mine. It was a gamble. A final, desperate test.

For years, I felt Nathan slowly gravitate toward Taylor’s fragility. I felt his attention shift. I heard the lingering conversations. I sensed the subtle betrayal long before today.

I needed to know. I needed to see if the man I gave my eyes to would finally see me.

To see if he would choose me over her manipulative tears.

I lost the bet.