Chapter 2 Divorce Papers

Elora's POV

The joy drained from Sophia's face, leaving her completely bewildered.

"Divorce? Have you forgotten everything Daniel has done for you over the past few years? You have no idea how many people envy you for having the best husband in the world!"

"The best husband in the world?" I laughed bitterly. "My sight came back today, and the first thing I saw was him having sex with Chloe in my living room!"

Sophia's eyes went wide. "What?!"

Thinking back to what I'd seen at noon made my heart ache all over again.

It hurt, but I looked Sophia right in the eye. "Every time I close my eyes, I see the two of them tangled together."

"Those lying cheaters. I swear I'll make them pay." Sophia's expression softened. "Take a breath. I'll get the divorce papers ready for you."

Sophia came over and pulled me into a hug. "Your families' finances are tied together, so blowing things up now isn't smart. Let's draft the papers, keep gathering proof of the affair, and then expose him."

She was right. I rested my head on her shoulder and clutched her shirt. Before I knew it, I was crying.

For three years, Daniel had fed me, given me massages, and guarded me carefully every time we went out.

How could a man who got every little detail right not have feelings for me?

But whenever I pictured him on top of Chloe, what love I had left for him faded a little more.

I sniffled and pulled myself together. "Thanks, Sophia. I'm okay now."

"Elora, let's go to the hospital," Sophia said softly. "Whenever you decide to confront him, your eyes come first. Let's get you checked out right now."

I nodded. "Okay."

Sophia drove me to the hospital, where one of New York's top ophthalmologists examined me.

"The pressure on your optic nerve has completely resolved, and your body has reabsorbed the remaining blood clot in your brain," the doctor said in amazement. "Mrs. Mitchell, your vision has completely recovered."

The doctor gave me a few instructions, and I memorized every one.

When I stepped out of the exam room, Sophia was waiting by the door.

"I contacted a top corporate investigations firm in New York," Sophia said in a low voice. "They'll monitor every account in Daniel's name around the clock."

"Good," I said as we stepped into the elevator.

The elevator stopped on the OB/GYN floor. The doors opened onto a bitterly ironic sight.

Not far away, two familiar figures stood pressed close together.

Daniel had taken off his jacket and stood in his shirtsleeves, carefully holding the woman beside him.

Chloe's long hair hung loose and her face was pale. She was leaning her whole weight into Daniel's arms.

Daniel's hand rested protectively on her lower belly. His head was bent, and he was murmuring something to her.

He looked frantic, more genuinely worried than he'd ever seemed while caring for me during the years I was blind.

I guessed their reckless sex in my living room had put Chloe's pregnancy at risk.

Sophia saw them too and exploded. "Those two have the nerve to show up on the OB/GYN floor? I'm going to rip them..."

"Don't." I caught Sophia's arm, took off my sunglasses, and walked slowly out of the elevator. She hurried after me.

My heels clicked sharply on the marble floor, and Daniel noticed.

He looked up.

The moment our eyes met, he flinched as if he'd seen a ghost.

"E-Elora?"

As he said my name, he let go of Chloe and even took half a step back.

The next second, his breath caught.

No white cane. No one holding my arm. No sunglasses.

My gaze was clear, sharp, and cold as a blade.

"Your eyes..." Daniel's voice shook, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. "Y-you can see?!"

"That's right. Crystal clear." I stopped two steps away from him. "What's wrong? Aren't you happy I can see?"

Daniel swallowed hard.

He had to be wondering if my sight had only just come back, or if I'd been able to see for hours.

But within seconds, he'd buried the panic and put on a look of pure joy.

"Elora, what are you talking about? Of course I want you to see! I'm just so shocked I can't believe it's real. This has to be a miracle!"

He threw his arms open and lunged to hug me. I turned aside and let his arms hang awkwardly in the air.

"It really is a miracle." I shifted my gaze to Chloe. "But I'm more curious about something else. Why are you two outside OB/GYN in the middle of a workday?"

Once her initial panic faded, Chloe's eyes hardened with resolve.

She knew what I was capable of and how much influence I had over the family business. Now that I could see again, her time was running out.

Chloe stroked her belly, her eyes red. "Elora, please don't get the wrong idea. Mr. Mitchell and I were on our way to meet an investor today, and I suddenly got these cramps. That's the only reason he brought me to the hospital."

"That's right, Elora. It's all a misunderstanding," Daniel added. "The doctor checked her out. It's just cramps from a stomach bug. She's fine now."

"A stomach bug?" I raised an eyebrow and looked at Chloe again. "Really?"

When she saw me looking at her, Chloe immediately unfolded the ultrasound image she'd been clutching.

I couldn't make out the words, but I could see the gestational sac in the image.

"Actually, it wasn't only a stomach bug," Chloe said once she was sure I'd seen it. "The doctor says I'm pregnant. The bumpy drive threatened the pregnancy. If Mr. Mitchell hadn't brought me in, I might have lost it."

"Oh, please!" Beside me, Sophia rolled her eyes and snorted loudly.

"Elora, there's something I want to tell you." Chloe ignored Sophia and went on. "I want to keep this baby, but the father ran off. Mr. Mitchell is a man who takes responsibility, and you've never been able to have children. So I thought he could adopt my baby after it's born. You wouldn't mind, would you?"

The hallway went suffocatingly quiet.

My chest ached again. I bit my lip, determined not to let them see what I was really feeling.

"Adopt your baby?" I looked at the defiance and ambition written all over her face. My voice was frighteningly calm. "Are you sure?"