Chapter 4

As the flames spread, the smoke suffocated me, forcing me to the ground. My skin was being burned so badly that I could no longer feel the pain.

Sobbing uncontrollably, I crawled toward the front door with everything I had. "James, you useless fool! Don't you dare die here!"

If Wendy came back to a charred corpse, she'd never get over it for the rest of her life!

The comments that popped into my head frantically tried to guide me, "Blindie, over here! Crawl this way!"

I desperately crawled toward the direction the comments told me, but the smoke was simply too much. I slowly blacked out from asphyxiation.

When I came to, I was already in the hospital. Wendy showed up shortly after with Abel right behind her.

Wendy muttered, sounding completely drained, "I was only gone for a day. Why do you keep doing this to yourself?"

I nervously wrung my hands. "I'm sorry…"

A police officer harshly reprimanded Wendy, "What kind of guardian are you? How could you leave a blind man home alone? Do you know he almost died in that fire?"

I was about to defend Wendy when her bewildered voice sounded. "Could it be that every time I try to move forward with my life, you use reality to remind me that I can only be trapped by your side?"

Abel suddenly shouted, "James, you had me convince Wendy, then right when she was about to say yes, you pulled a stunt like this? You did this to make her feel guilty so she'd never leave you, didn't you?"

Although I couldn't see Wendy's bloodshot eyes, I still burst out laughing. "So what if I did? As long as my eyes don't recover, she has to stay by my side and be my guide dog for the rest of her life. Why else would I have brought her home?"

The crisp sound of a slap echoed throughout the entire ward. The force of Wendy's slap whipped my head to the side. I simply smirked.

Silly Wendy, why would your hands tremble if you were going to hit me?

"Wendy, trash like you has no business chasing dreams. I burned every painting you hid. You're not going anywhere!"

Right then, my phone rang. Mom's loud voice blared through the speaker. "I'll be at the apartment soon. Get your stuff ready and wait for me."

Before I could even answer, Wendy snatched the phone right out of my hand.

She then gripped my wrist tightly, seemingly overwhelmed by her emotions.

She screamed hysterically at me, "I really wish I had just died in the snow back then, James! It's been 20 years! I don't owe you anything anymore, you hear me?"

She yanked me right out of the hospital bed. The doctors tried to stop her. "He can't be discharged. His burns are very serious!"

No matter what they said, Wendy refused to let me go.

When we reached the entrance of our neighborhood, my mom, whom I hadn't seen in nearly a decade, had just pulled up.

Wendy dragged me over to my mom and shoved me forward.

Her voice carried a twisted sense of relief as she yelled, "Go with your mom and get as far away from me as you can! I hope I never have to see you again for the rest of my life!"

With that, she left. Deep down, I thought that I felt the same way.

I left with Mom. She kept her distance, looking at me like I was disgusting. "I only came because I'm your biological mother. You'd better keep your promise that I won't have to take care of you anymore after picking you up.

"And those injuries of yours have nothing to do with me. Your brother is in school and needs the money."

I simply smiled and wasn't upset. After all, the person who loved me the most had just given up on me today. "I won't, Mom. Could you drop me off at Corvial Park?"

That was where I found Wendy. The second we arrived, Mom dumped me and took off, terrified I'd cling to her.

There weren't many people around in the park since it was winter, so no one was around to yell at a blind guy for wandering where he shouldn't.

I just walked around aimlessly, letting the cold numb my burned body until I couldn't feel anything at all.

My head hurt so much. I thought I heard Wendy's weak cries for help coming from the snow. But then I remembered Wendy saying she didn't want to be saved by a blind guy.

I kept calling for help, but no one paid attention to me.

As Wendy's breathing grew quieter, I was overwhelmed with panic.

"I'm sorry, Wendy. It looks like this blind guy has to save you again."

I stumbled forward frantically, only for a barrage of comments to appear in front of my eyes.