The broken bond

My husband, Ryan Bailey, insisted that I donate my cornea to his childhood friend.

When I refused, he became enraged. "Sophie Young is an art teacher. She can't afford to have any problems with her eyesight. Why are you being so selfish?"

"If I had known you'd react this way, I would have never married you!" I shot back, my emotions boiling over.

Ryan then began to show affection toward Sophie right in front of me, declaring their love. Heartbroken, I ripped up my pregnancy test results and scheduled an appointment for an abortion.

Later, after Ryan's company went bankrupt, he sought me out everywhere, begging for reconciliation. I let him stand in the rain until he was soaked and shivering, completely ignoring him. I was determined to repay him for every humiliation he had put me through.

"Ella Wilson, it's just a cornea. If you agree to donate it, I'll take care of you for the rest of your life. I'll be your eyes," Ryan said gently, holding my hand. Each word sent chills down my spine.

Just because Sophie had lost her vision, he expected me to sacrifice mine. I pulled my hand away, my tone icy. "I won't donate it. Find someone else."

She may need a cornea, but how could I live without mine?

Seeing the situation turn against her, Sophie clung to Ryan's suit and sobbed, "I'm so sorry. It's my fault for coming between you two. I guess I'll have to live without sight."

Ryan frowned as he wiped her tears away, a look of anguish on his face that I had never witnessed before. "Ella, don't be stubborn. Sophie's eyesight is vital for her teaching. Do you even understand how important this is?"

"You don't even have a steady job! Why not help her out?" I shot back.

I looked at him in disbelief. How could he say that?

Sophie smirked at his words, pressing herself against Ryan and entirely ignoring my presence. I couldn't help but retort, "With how close you two are, anyone would think she's your wife."

Sophie froze, then dramatically covered her eyes and started crying. "I didn't mean it! He's always been there for me, and I've grown so dependent on him."

Ha! As if I would believe that. "You two must be close enough to share a bed, right?"

At that, Ryan yelled angrily, "Ella. What do you mean by that?"

"Just because you had a rough upbringing doesn't mean you can question our relationship." His words struck me hard, like a sharp dagger.

My parents divorced when I was young, and I faced many challenges growing up. When Ryan learned about my past, he promised to be my family.

Now he wielded that very same story against me. Tears welled up in my eyes.

Realizing his mistake, Ryan awkwardly reached out to wipe my tears. I turned away, wanting to create distance. "Leave me alone."

His expression turned cold, resentment radiating from him. As a public company CEO, he had never experienced such treatment before. He locked eyes with me before pulling Sophie into a passionate kiss. I watched, feeling utterly numb.

"There are condoms in the drawer. Make sure to use one-safety first," I called out as he stormed out.

Sophie supposedly went blind recently, but the fact that she was fully dressed and lightly made up made me suspicious.

No matter what, I wasn't going to donate my cornea.

I glanced down at the crumpled pregnancy test results in my hand. Since our engagement, Ryan had constantly asked more of me, never caring about my exhaustion or pain.

Finally, I had a child.

I had initially planned to share the news with him today, but now it didn't seem necessary.

I picked up my phone and scheduled an abortion for that evening.

In the spare bedroom, I stared at the room full of baby items, lost in thought. When Ryan loved me the most, he had gone all out to create the perfect nursery, complete with a starry ceiling, a high-quality wooden crib, and every conceivable item for mother and baby.

He would hold me close, the scent of his light, woody cologne filling my senses. "Ella, once the baby is born, I'll love them with all my heart."

But those sweet words had faded into nothingness.

I drove to the hospital alone and signed the consent form. The nurse asked if my family was nearby. "After the procedure, you won't be able to move around easily. It's best if you have someone with you." Her eyes were filled with sympathy as she looked at me.

I hesitated, my finger hovering over the message I had drafted for Ryan, finally telling him about the abortion.

Just so he'd remember to come see the baby one last time.

Yet, even after the procedure was done, he never arrived.

The nurse said I was weak and recommended I stay in the hospital for observation.

Lying on the hospital bed, I scrolled through my phone and happened to see Sophie's social media post. "My big brother loves me the most. He hasn't left my side since he found out I was hurt."

The photo was blurry, but I could vaguely see her wrist, bruised with two bright red scratches.

I quietly gave the post a like.

She'd added me just to show off, hadn't she?

I stared at my phone. Any moment now, Ryan's call would come through, just as expected. It was always the same.

Whenever we interacted, he would, without fail, criticize me and defend his precious childhood sweetheart.

Ella, you're acting up again, aren't you? Sophie can't see; I'm just taking care of her. What's your problem now?

She can't see, yet she knows exactly how to apply blush and foundation, looking perfectly flawless.

I looked around the empty hospital room and let out a bitter laugh. "The baby's gone. Just like you wanted."

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before he bit out angrily, "That's impossible. I haven't touched you in ages; there's no way you were pregnant!"

He could believe whatever he wanted.

With a click, I ended the call and ignored him.

The anesthesia hadn't fully worn off, and I drifted into a haze. I didn't know how long I'd slept before faint voices reached my ears.

It sounded like Sophie and Ryan.

"What do we do now? Sister Ella got rid of the baby. Our plan is ruined. Sophie may never regain her sight."

Ryan gave a cold snort, turning to console Sophie. "I'd thought we could use the baby to control her-wait until she gave birth, then take her cornea. It's her fault; she's so unreasonable, going and aborting the baby!"

A sharp pain twisted through my heart. I slowly opened my eyes to see Ryan's angry face looming over me.

"Ella! How dare you? That was our child-how could you just get rid of it?"

His eyes were red as he clutched the ultrasound report tightly. "Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant? I'm the father, after all."

I studied the man before me, suddenly realizing I didn't know him at all.

The person who had once wanted to raise a child with me had only wanted to use the baby to tie me down.

"Why would I tell you? So you could take my cornea? So you could use the child to control me?"

Ryan's face paled, and his clenched fists loosened.

"You... heard all of that?"

I struggled to sit up, looking at him with detached indifference. "You're not fit to be a father."

"Take your little childhood sweetheart and get out of my sight." He wanted to say something, but Sophie tugged on his sleeve, complaining that her wrist hurt. With a cold snort, Ryan scooped her up in front of me and walked out the door without looking back.