The Walking Spare Parts Refuses to Be Blinded

My fiancée’s first love went blind. Without even asking, she announced to everyone that I would donate my corneas to him, and she had already scheduled the surgery. Everyone in the room looked at me with mocking smirks, except for my mother, who was crying so hard she nearly passed out. I held my mother up, my heart turning ice-cold. Five years ago, I gave a kidney to her first love, thinking my sacrifice would finally earn her genuine affection. I never imagined she only saw me as a walking spare parts inventory for him. Taking a deep breath, I said in a low, firm voice, "I refuse." Furious, she snapped, "Ethan, if you don't do this, you'll lose me forever! Could you even survive without me?" I offered a numb smile, turned around, and walked away. I was no longer the man who couldn't live without her. The hospital room was packed with people. Everyone wore smirks as they stared at me. At that moment, Chloe was anxiously shouting, "Doctor, I need the surgery scheduled as soon as possible! I can't bear to let him suffer through the darkness, not even for another single day." She finished speaking and looked at her first love, Brandon, her eyes brimming with worry. The doctor paused, looking at me with hesitation. "Are you certain your fiancé is voluntarily donating his corneas?" My entire body trembled. I looked at Chloe, a silent plea in my eyes. Brandon was afraid of the dark. Did she think I wasn't? I wished so desperately that she would notice my anguish and regret the horrific words she had just uttered. Yet she merely frowned at me, her gaze bitterly cold. "Of course I'm certain! Just get the surgery scheduled right now!" My head spun, as though a massive boulder had crushed down on me. Pain radiated through every bone in my body. Meanwhile, the corner of Brandon’s mouth curved into a faint smirk—the triumphant grin of a victor stepping on my neck. "Son, you can't! Mom doesn't want to see you go blind!" My mother clutched my arm, her eyes bloodshot as she pleaded desperately. Seeing her state, someone in the crowd snickered. "Ma'am, don't waste your breath. Everyone knows your son is Chloe’s absolute lapdog. Whatever Chloe says goes. Even if you dropped to your knees, it wouldn't change a thing. Save your energy." "Seriously. Five years ago, just to win Chloe over, he gave Brandon a kidney. That was the only way a loser like him ever stood a chance with her." "If Brandon hadn't gotten sick, and if your son hadn't coerced Chloe into dating him by dangling a kidney, Chloe and Brandon would be happily together right now. Your son broke them up. Giving up his corneas is only fair." Chloe and Brandon’s mutual friends all chimed in, tossing sarcastic barbs my way. Chloe frowned slightly at their words, glancing coldly at me as if everything they said was the absolute truth—as if she believed it, too. I stood there limply. I felt like an utter clown. Right. In their eyes, I was just Chloe’s pathetic simp, the interloper who ruined her fairytale romance with her first love. Back then, even though I had a massive crush on Chloe, she was actually the one who reached out to me first. Crying, she had told me that Brandon was not just her first love, but also her best friend. Only if Brandon was saved could she move on and be with me in good conscience. I was so hopelessly in love with her back then. I couldn't bear to see her shed a single tear. I agreed to donate my kidney without hesitation, ignoring all of my mother’s tearful protests. I foolishly thought that once Brandon recovered, Chloe and I would share a sweet, loving relationship, get married, have kids, and live happily ever after. Yet once we were together, she grew visibly cold and distant toward me. In my stubbornness, I convinced myself that I simply hadn't given her enough. I believed that if I treated her well enough, she would eventually open her heart to me. So, I became the desperate doormat her friends laughed at. They mocked and belittled me whenever they had the chance. To keep Chloe from being caught in an awkward position, I never once pushed back. Deep down, I had secretly hoped that just once, she would step up and speak on my behalf. Not once did she do so. Yet whenever anyone playfully joked about Brandon being frail, she would flush with anger and snap at them for crossing the line. In those moments, a bitter pang always stabbed my heart. I made excuses for her, telling myself they were first loves and longtime friends, so it was natural for them to be closer than usual. It was Brandon's fragile health that brought out Chloe's protective instinct, I reasoned. And all I could do was treat Chloe even better. For five years, I never let Chloe lift a finger to do housework. Occasionally, late at night, she would lean her head against my shoulder and murmur that being with me made life so easy. I thought I had finally found a place in her heart. I thought I finally mattered as much as Brandon did. Who would have guessed that the day after our engagement party, Brandon would suddenly go blind? Chloe rushed to the hospital in a panic. Without a second thought, she demanded that I donate my corneas to Brandon. That was the moment I finally woke up. In her eyes, I didn't even measure up to a single strand of Brandon's hair. The towering wall of devotion I had built brick by brick over the years instantly collapsed into dust. I was exhausted. I didn't want to love her anymore.My mother was on the verge of fainting beside me, overcome with grief. Chloe cast an impatient glance at her, then turned back to the doctor to hammer out the surgical details. "Yes, I want the top surgeon on this. Put him in a private VIP room, use the best imported medications, and don't worry about the cost. I'll cover it." Hearing her words, I let out a dry, hollow laugh. Chloe moved in with me right after graduating from college. She came from an impoverished background and had never held down a real job for a single day. Yet here she was, grandly pledging funds she didn't have. She intended to use my money and my corneas to heal her precious first love. On what grounds? Was my entire existence merely meant to serve as a stepping stone for their epic romance? Was I just Brandon’s personal spare-parts dispenser? First it was a kidney, now my corneas—what was next? My heart? Taking a deep breath, I said firmly, "I refuse." The instant the words left my lips, the entire room fell dead silent. Surprised looks shifted toward me from every corner. Chloe finally looked directly at me. The brief flicker of shock in her eyes was instantly replaced by blazing fury. "Ethan, what did you just say?" "I said, I refuse. Brandon going blind is none of my damn business. If any of you care so much, donate your own corneas. You're not getting mine." I stared at her coldly. For the first time in our relationship, I took a hard stance and flatly denied her request. My mother froze in disbelief, wiping away tears with a glimmer of newfound hope. Chloe’s face flushed crimson with rage. She practically screeched, "Ethan, if you don't do this, you'll lose me forever! Could you even survive without me?" I smiled numbly, turned on my heel, and walked away. In the past, my greatest fear was making Chloe angry or having her leave me. Now, I didn't even want to waste another breath on her. "What is Ethan's problem today? Throwing a tantrum?" "What good will a tantrum do? Remember when Chloe went to Brandon’s friend's birthday and blew off his family dinner? Ethan gave her the cold shoulder then, too. What happened? He ended up groveling with flowers, gifts, and a written apology begging for her forgiveness!" "Right? Once a lapdog, always a lapdog. Let's see how long before he comes crawling back to beg Chloe." The bystanders dismissed my departure, convinced I was bluffing. "Ethan, how dare you walk out on me! Even if you get down on your knees and beg later, I will never forgive you!" Chloe stood with her hands on her hips, screeching venomously behind me. In their minds, I was an obedient stray that could never be driven away. I let out a bitter chuckle, feeling a suffocating tightness in my chest. Five years of what I believed was true devotion was nothing more than a joke to everyone else. I escorted my mother out, thoroughly enraging Chloe in the process. She barraged my phone with dozens of messages. Nearly all of them were filled with threats and insults. She even claimed that if I didn't step forward to donate my corneas, she would marry Brandon instead, and I would never have the chance to make her my wife. Face grim, I finished reading the texts. Looking up, I caught my mother watching me with a complex, hesitant expression. "Mom, our bodies are given to us by our parents. I made a huge mistake in the past. This time, there's no way in hell I'm donating my corneas." Tears welled up in my mother’s eyes. She nodded repeatedly. "Son... as long as you've finally seen the light." "Not only have I seen the light, but I'm also cutting ties with Chloe completely. Mom, pack your things and move back in with me. I'll box up all of Chloe's belongings and send them to her." My mother’s lips quivered as she gave me a deeply relieved nod. Looking at her lined face and graying hair, guilt washed over me like a wave. My mother used to take great care of herself and looked remarkably youthful. Yet ever since I started dating Chloe and gave away my kidney, her hair had turned gray overnight from the stress. When Chloe moved in, she constantly nitpicked and complained about my mother. To spare me from being torn in the middle, my mother chose to move out. All these years, I had poured everything into Chloe, constantly pandering to her whims, foolishly believing that love conquered all while neglecting the woman who raised me. I vowed never to make that mistake again. In an effort to spite me, Chloe made a show of staying at the hospital around the clock to care for Brandon. I had zero objections. I packed every single thing she owned into boxes and dumped them right in front of the hospital doors. She called me in a hysterics, demanding to know what I thought I was doing. I simply said, "We're done," and blocked her number. It was strange, really. I had loved her to death before. Yet once the disappointment piled high enough, I felt absolutely nothing for her.I canceled her authorized user card on my account. Unable to reach me, she sent her friends to corner me. Watching her friend stand on my porch, acting smug and entitled as if I ought to drop to my knees and apologize, I found the situation laughable. I simply slammed the door in her face without saying a word. My mother had initially worried that I might cave and run back to Chloe. Seeing my firm actions over the following days, her worried frown finally eased. Her mood brightened, and she looked years younger. Though I had no desire to keep up with Chloe, news about her still managed to reach my ears. Without my financial support, she was forced to check Brandon out of the hospital. She had no job, no savings, and no property of her own in this city. Her only choice was to cram into Brandon’s cramped, run-down apartment and live under the same roof as his parents. One day after finishing a workout at the gym, I received a text from an unknown number. "Ethan, I’m living at Brandon’s place now. His parents aren't awful and annoying like your mother. They treat me like royalty and can't wait for me to become their daughter-in-law!" "Ethan, we were together for five years. I know you only broke up with me because you were jealous. I’m willing to be reasonable. If you apologize right now and agree to donate your corneas, I’ll come home and marry you." Reading the text, I laughed at the sheer absurdity of it. Even now, Chloe genuinely believed I couldn't survive without her. Every single word dripped with unearned arrogance. Looking back, I realized how utterly foolish I had been over those five years. I thought endless patience and unconditional giving would earn me love. Instead, it only bred a woman who thought she had the right to trample all over me whenever she pleased. Refusing to waste any breath on her, I blocked the number immediately. A week later, her best friend ambushed me on the street. With a triumphant smirk, she shoved a formal invitation into my hands, inviting me to Chloe and Brandon’s wedding. My mother begged me not to go, but I decided to attend anyway. Not because I was still clinging to the past. Rather, I wanted to prove to myself that I could face her with absolute indifference. Marrying her had once been my greatest dream. Whenever I slightly upset her, she would threaten to never marry me. Every time she used that line, I would panic and scramble to soothe her. The mere thought of her becoming someone else's bride had once made it hard for me to breathe. Yet standing there now, watching her in a white gown beside Brandon on the altar... I didn't feel a shred of heartache. In fact, all I felt was an overwhelming sense of relief. When Chloe first spotted me in the crowd, a cold, mocking smirk played on her lips. Just like whenever she threw a fit in the past, she acted like a pampered princess perched on a pedestal, waiting for me to come groveling. Yet as the ceremony progressed through more than half its program and I remained seated, calm and unbothered, her composure began to visibly unravel. When the officiant asked if she took Brandon to be her lawfully wedded husband, her eyes remained glued to mine. I cast a brief, detached glance her way and said nothing. Suddenly, she gathered up her train and bolted straight down the aisle toward me, shouting angrily, "Ethan, are you seriously going to sit there and watch me marry another man? Aren't you terrified that you'll regret this for the rest of your life?" I looked at her face, warped by frustration and rage. I had once spent hours imagining how breathtaking she would look in a wedding gown. Seeing it now, I thought she looked entirely ordinary. Seeing no reaction from me, a flicker of panic crossed her eyes. She gritted her teeth, as if granting me a gracious concession. "Fine, Ethan. I'll throw you a lifeline. If you beg me to come back right now, I'll walk away with you." "On one condition: you have to agree to donate your corneas to Brandon." A faint smile touched my lips. Even at this very moment, she was still trying to dictate terms to me. I reached into my suit pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. Chloe’s expression softened instantly. She lifted her chin triumphantly, holding out her ring finger. "I knew it. You could never let me go. Get down on one knee and put it on." I looked at her calmly, took the ring out of the box, and casually dropped it onto the floor. She froze in place, the color draining from her face until she was ghostly pale.