Chapter 4

On the day of the grand opening, Boyd had someone put sunglasses on me.

The wound on my forehead couldn't be hidden, so he had the makeup artist cover it with layers of powder.

I stood at the flower shop door, repeating one line like a machine.

“Welcome.”

Guests asked about my eyes.

Violet jumped in to answer.

“Davina didn't sleep well last night. Boyd feels for her, so he let her wear the sunglasses.”

She hung on Boyd's arm and accepted the congratulations.

Someone recognized me.

“Why is Mrs. Donaldson standing at the door greeting guests?”

Boyd took the question.

“She ruined Violet's flowers. She's here to make up for it.”

Laughter came from a few mouths.

I didn't take off the sunglasses.

Violet handed me a pair of scissors.

“Davina, stand on my right in a moment.”

“Don't say I stole your spot again.”

I didn't take them.

“Stay away from me.”

Her hand stopped in midair.

Tears fell after.

Boyd grabbed my hand and shoved the scissors into it.

“Violet's giving you a way out, and you're still making that face?”

After the ribbon was cut, a server wheeled over the champagne tower.

I was about to step back.

But Violet linked her arm through my right one.

“Davina, let's get a photo together.”

I flung her off.

She let herself fall into the corner of the table.

The whole champagne tower came down.

The glasses smashed on the floor, and shards sprayed toward my face.

A piece of glass drove into my right cheek.

The sunglasses were knocked off by a falling glass too.

I raised a hand to shield my right eye, and my palm was soon soaked with blood.

Violet collapsed into Boyd's arms.

Her palm had only a single scratch.

Boyd cradled her hand and roared at me:

“You can't even stand up there without hurting her?”

“With this many people watching, you still dare to push her.”

I pulled the glass out of my cheek.

“She threw herself into it.”

Violet shook her head.

“I lost my footing. It had nothing to do with Davina.”

Boyd pressed a tissue to her wound.

“You, be quiet.”

“She's about ready to walk all over you, and you're still protecting her?”

I threw the glass in my hand down at his feet.

“Take me to the hospital now.”

“A scratch like that deserves a hospital?”

He hauled me by the arm toward the back of the shop.

“Go in there and think about what you did.”

“You come out when you're willing to apologize to Violet.”

I wrenched my arm free.

“Boyd, you promised you'd take me for the surgery once the opening was over.”

“You wrecked the opening, and you still have the nerve to set terms?”

He pushed open the door of the storage room.

I turned and grabbed the handle.

He pried my fingers loose and shoved me inside.

“No telling if that eye's blind, but your heart sure is black.”

The iron door locked.

The fluid running from my right eye soaked through the gauze.

I banged on the door a few times.

Outside there was only music and applause.

I pressed the emergency call button on my watch.

The location went to Alberta.

Ten-odd minutes later, there was a pounding at the door.

Alberta was shouting my name.

By the time the iron door opened, I couldn't stay on my feet.

She held me and called for the paramedics to bring a stretcher.

When I woke again, the doctor was tending to the wound.

He stood by the bed holding the test results.

“The right eye has already……”

I asked him:

“Can it still recover?”

The doctor didn't dodge it.

“There's no chance of regaining sight.”

He dialed the emergency contact and put it on speaker.

On Boyd's end, someone was still giving a toast.

The doctor cut him off.

“Mr. Donaldson, your wife missed the best window for surgery.”

“And she took another blow on top of it.”

“This eye can't be saved.”

From the other end of the line came the sound of a cake knife hitting the floor.