Chapter 1
Grace Parrish shoved the divorce papers across the table. “Antonio, our contract marriage is due in a month. Now that Lucile is back, why don’t we just end it now? Then you can marry her right after our divorce is finalized.”
Three to save the Parrish family, Grace agreed to a three–year
Years 900 contract marriage to Antonio Kaufman at his request.
He treated her well, but he had always been hung up on someone else.
Three months ago, Lucile Parrish showed up at the Parrish’s house. That was when Grace’s world crumbled. Her parents told her that Lucile was their biological daughter. Grace was nothing but a replacement.
And as fate would have it, Lucile was Antonio’s unrequited love.
From that moment on, Lucile became the apple of everyone’s eye. Grace, the substitute, naturally received the cold shoulder.
For the past three months, Antonio hadn’t returned home, and the Parrishes no longer acknowledged Grace as their daughter. As for Lucile, the sweet, innocent girl in everyone’s eyes, showed her true colors only when she was with Grace.
Grace had had enough.
She was done living in Lucile’s shadow, done with this sham of a marriage.
She wanted to leave for Auroville and find her real parents.
Just when Antonio was about to sign his name, he got a call from the hospital.
Chapter 1
“What? Lucile had a car accident? I’ll be right there!”
He grabbed his coat and bolted for the door.
Grace caught up to him. “At least sign the damn papers first.”
Antonio shot her a glare. “Lucile’s injured in a car accident. I don’t have time for this.”
He then jumped in the car and sped off.
Grace let out a bitter laugh as she watched his car disappear.
How long could signing a name possibly take? He wasn’t a doctor. Getting to the hospital sooner or later wouldn’t make a difference.
But she was too tired to dwell on it. She went upstairs, packed her bags, and waited for Antonio to come home. As soon as he signed the papers, she’d be out of here.
However, Antonio never came back, and he wouldn’t answer her calls. Eventually, she drifted off on the couch.
At midnight, Grace was yanked up and dragged toward the door.
Startled, she shouted, “Who the hell? Let me go!”
Antonio’s face came into view. “Come with me. Lucile needs you.”
“What?”
“She has Rh–negative blood. The hospital doesn’t have enough in stock. You need to donate.”
That was when it hit Grace that Lucile and she had the same blood type- another damn coincidence.
She felt like their fates had been entangled from the start, like she was
doomed to be Lucile’s shadow.
After Grace was forced to donate 1,000 ml of her blood, Antonio dropped another bomb. “Lucile’s eyes are injured, and she needs a cornea
transplant. Give her yours.”
Grace had been feeling dizzy after the blood draw. Antonio’s words sent shivers down her spine, making her tremble all over.
“How am I gonna live without my cornea?”
“It’s not like you’ll die. Lucile won’t be able to paint without her eyesight. Art is her life.”
Grace gave a bitter smile, thinking, “Did he forget that I’m an artist too? I’m having an exhibition in two weeks. If I lose my vision…”
For the past three months, he and the Parrishes had been siding with Lucile, giving Grace a hard time. Grace had fought back, but in the end, she always gave in.
After all, Antonio was the man she had loved for seven years, and the Parrishes had raised her.
But now, they actually wanted her corneas…
“Why should I?” Grace forced out the question.
“Because you owe her. You stole her life and her family. Giving her your cornea isn’t even enough to atone for your sins.”
His cold, biting words twisted like a knife in her heart.
