What He Stole, I Took Back in Blood

The phone blared, and my husband's voice crackled through. "Come to the hospital! Karl had an accident!"

That call hit like a sledgehammer, yanking me back to the day that shattered my life. I was reborn, thrust into the moment where it all began.

In my last life, my husband and our son had conned me into giving up my corneas, leaving me blind and broken.

I took a steadying breath and replied, "Got it."

My voice was calm, but inside, my heart pounded with purpose. I grabbed my purse, headed downstairs, and hailed a cab to the hospital.

In the ward, Tyler Finley threw his arms around me, his sobs theatrical and rehearsed. "What are we gonna do? Karl's lost his sight in a car crash."

I peeled myself from his clammy embrace and walked to the bed. Karl Finley lay there, his cheeks flushed with a healthy glow that screamed he was faking. He didn't look like someone who'd just survived a wreck.

His injured vibe was a total sham, but I'd fully trusted them in my past life, offering up my retinas without a second thought.

To ensure a clean donation, the doctors had removed my entire eyeballs, but the searing pain of losing my sight was nothing compared to the betrayal I overheard later.

It was all a twisted scheme to save Tyler's mistress, Rachel Huffman.

I let out a shaky sigh, gratitude for this second chance flooding my veins. They'd crushed me once, but this time, I'd make them pay a heavy price.

Tyler's sweaty hands clamped onto my shoulders. "Don't fall apart, honey. We gotta stay strong and save our boy."

I ripped the blanket off Karl and slapped him hard across the face. His cheek ballooned instantly, my handprint glowing red.

He didn't even blink, but a tiny twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed his act.

Tyler grabbed my wrist, his eyes wide with shock. "What are you doing? He's hurt. You think he's faking this?"

His words only stoked my fury. Still not satisfied, I grabbed my purse and swung it at him like a baseball bat, each hit fueled by years of betrayal.

Tyler, desperate to keep their charade intact, lunged to stop me.

I collapsed to the floor, covering my face and sobbing for effect. "You went racing cars like some reckless idiot! Now you're blind because you wouldn't listen to me. I begged you to stay home and study. What am I supposed to do now?"

Tyler's tense shoulders eased slightly. He thought he'd dodged a bullet. "Honey, calm down. What's done is done."

I spun and cracked him across the face. "This is on you! You pushed him to race those damn cars!"

His jaw dropped, his eyes bugging out in disbelief. Then he stammered, "It was my fault. Hit me if it makes you feel better."

Watching him choke down his pride felt like sweet, ice-cold revenge.