The day Warren Cline became the e-sports champion, the host asked him who he wanted to share his victory with the most.

Without hesitation, he called me.

"Ivy, I made it. You left me because I was poor—do you regret it now? If you tell me you had your reasons back then..." His voice trembled, thick with emotion.

I chuckled softly. "You must have a lot of money now. Lend me $50,000?"

The line went dead.

On the live broadcast, Warren wiped his tears. "Now... there's no one to share this with."

What he didn’t know was that when he almost lost his e-sports dream due to his failing eyesight, I was the one who gave him my cornea.

——

The harsh light outside streamed in, making my eyes sting again.

Maybe it was just the instability of the new technology. I didn’t hesitate—I needed to find my attending physician immediately.

My vision blurred, a wave of panic creeping in. But then, I thought I heard Warren’s voice.

I wasn’t sure, but instinctively, I didn’t want him to see me like this—vulnerable. Clutching the wall, I quickened my pace.

Then, someone collided with me.

Warren’s voice grew clearer, carrying an unmistakable warmth. “Why are you running so fast? What if you fall?”

A girl’s lighthearted laugh followed. “It’s fine. Don’t you always have my back? You’ll catch me first, right?”

“You’re so careless,” he sighed. “You’re about to be a mother, and you’re still this reckless.”

After steadying her, he turned to me, apologetic. “I’m sorry, my wife bumped into you. Let me—”

He suddenly stopped. A moment of silence. Then, disbelief edged into his voice.

“Ivy… why is it you?”

I couldn’t see his expression, but I didn’t need to. I knew exactly what he was thinking.

A good ex should be as silent as the dead.

Yet here I was, standing right in front of him and his new love.

I turned toward him, my voice calm. “Warren, lend me $50,000.”

I heard the sharp intake of breath, the sound of his teeth grinding. His voice was laced with anger.

“So that’s all you came to say? After everything, all you care about is money?”

The woman beside him clung to his arm, shaking it playfully. “Warren, is she the ex who dumped you?”

She let out a soft laugh. “Why do you look so miserable now? But I should thank you—if you hadn’t walked away from such a great man, I wouldn’t be here today, carrying his child.”

Their words cut deep, a sharp ache blooming in my chest.

Back when we had nothing, I worked three jobs just to support his e-sports dream, barely scraping by.

Then, the nightmare struck—Warren’s cornea deteriorated from years of staring at screens, leaving him blind.

Yet, his team was on the brink of breaking into the national top 50. He was so close to stepping onto the public stage. How could he accept losing everything now?

I took him to every specialist, desperate for a solution. No matter how much it cost, I was willing to pay.

But cornea donors were scarce. And eventually, the doctor shook his head. “I’m sorry. There’s nothing we can do.”

I watched as the fire in Warren’s eyes dimmed, his once-unbreakable spirit withering away.

And so, I made a choice. A reckless, irreversible choice.

I gave him my cornea—so he could see again. So he could chase his dream.

So he could stand where he is now, looking at me like a stranger.

“Yes,” Warren said, his voice gentle, filled with warmth. “Thanks to you, I met Belinda. She has always encouraged me, supported me, and celebrated my success without hesitation.”

His tone was exactly the same as the one he used to reserve for me, back when I was the one by his side.

Ignoring my presence, the two of them openly flaunted their love.

“Look at this huge diamond ring.” Belinda stretched out her hand in front of me. “It cost a million. Warren said only a diamond this big could match his love for me.”

My vision was too blurry to make out the ring, but I was sure it was dazzling. And I was sure Warren adored her.

After all, I had once told him, If I ever get married, you must give me a big diamond ring.

Back then, he had looked at me so seriously. Then I’ll give you one at my award ceremony, so everyone will know how much I love you.

Belinda’s voice pulled me back to the present. “Warren and I are getting married next month. You’re welcome to come.” She stuffed something into my pocket. “The address is on this card.”

As I withdrew my hand, something else caught onto my sleeve and slipped out.

Belinda instinctively bent down and picked it up.

She read the words aloud, her voice full of confusion.

"Instructions for Use of Implanted Artificial Cornea."

A tense silence followed.

Warren stiffened. His brows furrowed. “Your cornea…”

Then, as if snapping out of it, his expression twisted in anger. “Are you playing the sympathy card now?” His voice rose, sharp and accusing. “Do you expect me to believe your cornea is damaged? Do you love money that much?”

His words struck harder than I expected.

“You left me for money, and now you’re spinning this ridiculous lie to scam me?”

"Ivy, you’re so cruel—"

Warren yanked a check from his pocket and flung it at me. The paper was weightless, but it felt like a slap across my face.

"Isn’t it just money? Fine, take it!"

The check fluttered to the ground, but the sting of his words lingered.

"Warren, don’t be mad," Belinda cooed, slipping her arm through his.

"Maybe my sister is really struggling. Let’s think of it as charity—an act of kindness for our unborn child." She sighed dramatically. "After all, we once met a generous person who donated money. But Ivy… now she suddenly appears here, claiming to have the same condition you did years ago. What a coincidence, don’t you think?"

Warren’s expression darkened, his gaze turning sharp as ice.

"People like her—those who look down on the poor and chase after wealth—deserve to be blind." His voice was filled with disgust. "The blind should stay blind forever. Let them rot in darkness, locked away in their own misery!"

With that, he pulled Belinda close and strode away toward another department in the hospital.

I didn’t chase after him.

Instead, I slowly sank to my knees, tears slipping down my face.

So he had remembered my claustrophobia.

But he never realized—

The corneas he saw the world with were mine.

And for the past few years, I have been drowning in an endless, inescapable darkness.

Five years ago, Warren’s career reached its peak—his moment of glory.

And for his success, I didn’t hesitate. I agreed to undergo artificial cornea implantation surgery.

But the surgery was far from perfect. The artificial cornea was still an experimental technology, flawed and unreliable. No one could guarantee the results.

I was little more than a test subject. The materials used were cheap, and now, after years of wear, my vision was failing. Everything before me was a blur—I could barely make out shapes, let alone faces.

Blindly, I reached down, fumbling for the check. When my fingers found it, I let out a quiet, self-deprecating laugh before making my way to the payment counter.

But when I tried to cash it, I was met with cold indifference.

"The check is invalid. It can't be processed."

For a moment, I stood there in stunned silence. Then, almost instinctively, my thoughts drifted back to Warren.

When we broke up, I made sure he hated me. I sneered at his gaming dreams, mocked his future, and told him I wanted nothing to do with someone who couldn’t even see the path ahead.

I walked away without looking back.

The boy who never cried—no matter how hard life was, no matter how exhausted he became—fell to his knees that day, begging me to stay.

But I knew the truth.

We had loved each other too deeply, and I couldn’t bear for him to suffer, not even for a second. If I stayed, he would have found out about the cornea transplant. He would have worried, taken care of me, sacrificed his dreams.

I didn’t want to be the reason he was held back.

So I left.

Even if it meant being hated. Even if it meant never being forgiven.

Fortunately, he achieved his dream.

My thoughts snapped back to reality. Just as I was about to leave, Belinda appeared beside me, holding a medical report. Her eyes widened in surprise upon seeing me, but then, with a smug smile, she shook the pregnancy test results in my face, flaunting them like a trophy.

"See this? If you have any shame left, don’t ever appear in front of Warren again."

I had no intention of engaging with her. Without a word, I stepped past her.

But the next moment, she lunged forward, crashing to the ground with a dramatic gasp. Panic filled her voice as she clutched her stomach.

"My child! Ivy, how could you be so cruel? I know it upsets you that I’m pregnant with Warren’s baby, but the child is innocent!"

I froze.

Before I could even process her act, a sharp slap landed across my face.

The force was staggering, sending me a step backward. My ears rang, and my skin stung.

Warren stood before me, his eyes burning with anger and disappointment.

"Ivy, I never thought you’d stoop this low!"

Belinda whimpered, and I watched as he gently helped her up, his touch filled with concern.

It was in that moment that everything became painfully clear.

"Warren, after all these years, do you really believe I would do this?"

His expression remained cold, unmoved.

"If it wasn’t you, then what? Are you saying Belinda fell on her own and framed you?" His voice dripped with sarcasm. "I thought maybe you had your reasons, maybe you were struggling—but first, you beg for money, and now you hurt people? How could you be so heartless?"

A sharp pain stabbed through my chest. After everything, was this truly how he saw me?

"It's okay, Warren," Belinda said weakly, clutching her stomach. "I don’t blame her… Fortunately, the baby is fine. But I—I feel a little uncomfortable. Let’s see a doctor, just in case."

"Of course. Let’s go."

Without sparing me another glance, he carefully supported her as they walked away.

I watched them disappear down the hall, my vision blurring—not just from my failing eyesight, but from something far deeper.

This time, I truly wanted to give up.

He was doing better, moving forward with his life. Maybe it was time for me to stop holding onto the past. Maybe I could finally accept the darkness.

But life has a way of forcing you to start over just when you’re ready to surrender.

That evening, while I rested in my small rental room, a loud knock startled me awake.

The landlady stood at the door, arms crossed, holding a roll of bills.

"Two thousand. Pay up."

I swallowed hard. I had spent every last cent on medical expenses. There was nothing left.

She studied me for a moment, then sighed.

"I’ll arrange a job for you," she said finally. "Work hard, and you’ll find a way forward."

The job she found was audio editing. She knew about my worsening eyesight and chose something I could manage—something that relied only on sound.

At that moment, I wanted to thank her.

She didn’t say much, only reminded the others to look after me.

But fate wasn’t done with me yet.

Because that was when I met Warren again.