His Muted Bride

9 You are Just a Substitute

Birds were chirping and singing outside of the window. Ivan had lost his sight, but that somehow made him hear more clearly. Any small sound could wake him up these days. He opened his eyes but darkness was the only thing he saw. He could feel the soft long hair coiling around his arm and the rhyme of breath of the girl who was sleeping in her arms. She smelt great in the morning. He wished he could see her face in the morning as well. Ivan smiled as he remembered the days when they were both children.

He didn't know why. But recently, Stacy always reminded him of the days when they were little. After they had met and become a couple in their adulthood, Stacy just changed so much. However, the days they had spent together recently reminded him of the old days more and more.

Blindness could surely sharpen a man's other senses. Ivan knew what he felt. He couldn't help but tighten his embrace around his girl. Megan crinkled her nose and woke up. She saw Ivan's eyes when she opened hers. His eyes were glassy and dull, but they were still as beautiful as sapphires. Megan couldn't help but hold a hand, tracing her fingers across his brows. Ivan smiled, grabbing her hand and pressing a kiss on her fingertips, "Morning, beautiful." Megan propped up and kissed him on the side of his neck. He smelt amazing. Nuzzling at the curve of his neck, Megan wished she could spend the whole morning like this with him, for the time they could share together were limited.

Sometimes, Megan felt she was constantly struggling. She wished she could make Ivan see, yet a small part of her wished they could always be like this. From the bottom of her heart, she still knew that the day when Ivan could see again was the day she needed to leave him. So all she could do was take in his beautiful features and memorize them as best as she could.

…

When Megan was cooking herbal soup for Ivan in the kitchen, Stacy came around again, "How is Ivan now?" Megan was a bit startled as she turned to face her sister. Stacy was standing right behind her, arms folded, "Oh… I almost forgot you can't talk." Stacy snatched away Megan's notebook, flicking through from page to page, "Mute, you'd better try your best to make Ivan recover. Or I'll make Dad sell that crappy little clinic."

Megan wanted to protest but the soup was done. She wanted to bring the soup to Ivan and ignore Stacy, but her older sister took away the bowl from her hands, "I'll bring the soup to him this time. You just stand by and watch. Oh, I may need your help if he notices our differences."

Ivan was sitting on his chair. He turned to the door as he smelt the fragrance of the soup, smiling. Stacy couldn't describe how happy she was when she saw Ivan's smile. He had never smiled at her like this when he still could see. Ivan took the bowl and drank the soup spoon by spoon. Stacy just say beside him on the bed.

Megan was standing at the door, holding a tray. Her heart was broken. She even felt that she couldn't breathe properly…

Back in Dunn's house, she used to hide in the corner and looked at Ivan secretly when Ivan came to see Stacy.

The soup was made to heal Ivan's eyes and it was quite bitter. Megan would usually give Ivan candy when he finished the bowl. But today, Megan didn't even budge after he finished the soup. "Stacy… We don't have candies today?" Ivan asked carefully. Stacy only noticed there was candy on the plate until now. She took it and bring it to Ivan's lips. Ivan ate the candy and smiled at Stacy again. Taking her hand in his, Ivan squeezed it a little. But soon, Ivan started to feel wrong, "Baby… I thought your hand was hurt that day…"

He remembered there was a cut on the back of his wife's hand. His heart ached for the fact for a while. But now, her hand felt smooth and unharmed as if it were only his delusion. Megan sneaked into the room, ripped off a band-aid from the back of her hand, and plastered it on Stacy's other hand.

Stacy sent the band-aid hand into Ivan's hands. Ivan felt the band-aid as he let out an apologetically smile, "Sorry. I remembered it wrong. Do you feel any better right now? Does it still hurt?"

Megan couldn't bear to watch anymore. She went downstairs to the kitchen, eyes filled with tears. When Stacy finally got downstairs, her eyes were vicious and threatening, "What do you mean, b***h? Did you skip the band-aid thing on purpose? Are you expecting Ivan would recognize me that way? What do you think this is? Caldarella and her f*****g band-aids? Remember, Ivan only loves me and he will only marry me. You're nothing but a substitute."

Megan only stared at her older sister, not saying a thing.

Stacy hated the way Megan stared at her. This little mute seldom cried. Whenever Stacy tried to teach her a lesson, she would always stare back at Stacy with those clear green eyes she got from her slut mom. She didn't seem fearful or sad. Stacy somehow felt weak whenever Megan gave her the weird stare. But Stacy would never show it.

Pinching Megan's wrist with two pointy fingernails, Stacy hissed, "What are you looking at, mute? Remember your position and don't cross the line! Or I swear I'll destroy you!"