The Blind Wife's Desperate Sacrifice

"You are a blind, useless weight on this family, Adriane."

The heavy, suffocating scent of Chanel No. 5 hit Adriane's nose. Her stomach churned. She gripped the smooth wood of her white cane until her knuckles turned stark white.

The marble edge of the second-floor staircase dropped off just inches from the toes of her cheap flats. In her vision, the world was nothing but a thick, swirling gray fog. She could not see the stairs, but she could feel the empty space pulling at her.

Sharp high heels clicked against the marble floor. Drucilla Barnett stepped closer. The sound was loud, deliberate, and full of threat.

Adriane took a small step back. Her breathing grew shallow.

"Move out of my way, Drucilla," Adriane said. Her voice shook, but she forced her chin up.

"Kassidy is back in Manhattan," Drucilla said. Her voice was cold and flat.

Adriane's shoulders went completely stiff. Her chest tightened as if an invisible band had snapped around her ribs.

"I am still Chase's legal wife," Adriane said. She squeezed the wooden handrail with her free hand, trying to find a way to step around the older woman.

"Not for long."

Drucilla stepped sideways, blocking the narrow gap. She stood directly in front of Adriane, forcing her right to the edge of the dangerous drop.

Suddenly, the heavy oak front doors downstairs slammed shut. Familiar, heavy footsteps echoed in the grand foyer. Chase was home early from his meeting.

Adriane heard the footsteps. A wave of relief washed over her. She opened her mouth to call out his name.

Before she could make a sound, Drucilla's hand shot out. Long, sharp fingernails dug violently into Adriane's wrist.

Adriane gasped. The sudden pain made her jerk her arm back instinctively. Because of her blindness, she had no balance. She pulled hard.

Drucilla did not let go. Instead, she used Adriane's pulling motion. Drucilla yanked Adriane's hand hard against her own shoulder.

A piercing, blood-curdling scream ripped from Drucilla's throat.

Drucilla let go of Adriane's wrist. The older woman threw her upper body backward.

Adriane's white cane slipped from her sweaty palm. It clattered loudly against the marble, echoing sharply in the vast space. The sudden noise was instantly drowned out as Drucilla threw her weight backward.

A heavy, sickening thud echoed through the massive estate. Then another. And another.

Adriane froze. Her empty hands hovered in the air. Her lungs stopped working. The gray fog in her eyes offered no answers. She had no idea what had just happened.

Downstairs, expensive leather shoes scraped violently against the floor.

"Mother!" Chase's voice roared.

Chase sprinted into the foyer. He stopped dead. His mother lay in a twisted heap at the bottom of the stairs, groaning in pain. Blood pooled on the expensive rug beneath her head.

Chase's head snapped up. His eyes locked onto the top of the stairs.

Adriane stood there. Her empty hands hovering in the air where her wrist had just been grabbed, her body frozen in a state of shock.

A soft gasp came from the front door. Kassidy hurried inside, her hands flying to her mouth in perfectly timed horror.

"Oh my god! Drucilla!" Kassidy cried out.

Kassidy dropped to her knees beside the bleeding woman. She pressed her soft hands against Drucilla's forehead, whispering sweet, calming words. She looked like an angel of mercy.

Chase did not look at Kassidy. He took the stairs three at a time.

Before Adriane could lower her arms, a large, hard hand grabbed the collar of her sweater.

Chase yanked her forward and slammed her back against the wall. The impact knocked the air out of her lungs.

"How sick are you?" Chase hissed. His voice was absolute ice. "She is an old woman!"

"Chase, no!" Adriane shook her head frantically. Hot tears spilled out of her empty eyes. "I didn't push her! She grabbed my wrist-"

"Shut up." Chase cut her off. His grip tightened, twisting the fabric against her throat. "I saw you with my own eyes."

Adriane reached out, her trembling fingers searching for his suit jacket. She needed to feel him. She needed him to listen.

Her fingers brushed his sleeve.

Chase ripped his arm away as if she were covered in acid. He shoved her backward.

Adriane lost her footing. She crashed hard onto the cold marble floor. Her knees slammed into the stone, sending a sharp spike of pain up her legs.

Chase turned his back on her. He walked down the stairs and scooped his mother into his arms.

"Get the car ready. Now," Chase yelled to the butler.

He stopped at the front door. He did not turn around.

"Pack your trash and get out of my house, Adriane. If you are still here when I get back, I will have the police drag you out."

The heavy doors slammed shut.

Adriane sat alone on the cold floor. The silence of the massive house pressed down on her. She pulled her knees to her chest, buried her face in her arms, and sobbed until her throat bled.

The heavy oak doors of the penthouse study slammed shut behind her.

Adriane stood frozen on the thick Persian rug. Two massive bodyguards had just dragged her out of the elevator and shoved her inside. The air in the room smelled of cold mint and expensive cigars. It was Chase's scent. It made her stomach twist into a hard knot.

Behind the massive mahogany desk, Chase sat in silence. He watched her tremble like a frightened animal. A muscle feathered in his jaw.

He picked up a thick stack of papers and threw it onto the desk. The heavy slap of paper against wood made Adriane flinch.

"Sign it," Chase ordered. His voice left no room for argument.

Adriane took a slow, blind step forward. Her fingertips brushed the edge of the cold desk, then found the thick paper.

"This penthouse is worth ten million dollars," Chase said coldly. "Keep it. It's your compensation. Just sign the divorce papers and disappear."

Adriane's jaw clamped shut. The humiliation burned the back of her throat.

"I don't want your money," Adriane whispered. Her voice cracked. "I just want you to believe me. I did not push her."

Chase let out a harsh, mocking laugh. "Still playing the victim. You really don't know when to quit."

Suddenly, a loud, shrill ringtone cut through the silence.

Adriane jumped. She fumbled with the pocket of her cheap jeans and pulled out her phone. The screen reader announced the caller ID in a robotic voice.

New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Her blood ran cold. She answered the call, pressing the phone hard against her ear.

"Ms. Owens?" a nurse's panicked voice came through the speaker. "It's your brother, Barry. His kidneys are failing rapidly. We need to schedule the surgery tomorrow, but you must deposit the two hundred thousand dollar surgical fee within forty-eight hours, or we cannot proceed."

Adriane's legs gave out.

She collapsed against the edge of the mahogany desk, her knees hitting the floor hard. The phone slipped from her fingers, the nurse's frantic voice still calling her name from the tiny speaker before the line went dead.

The room went dead silent. Only Adriane's ragged, desperate breathing filled the air.

For Barry. She had to do this for Barry. He was all she had left.

Adriane swallowed her pride. She placed both her hands flat on the desk, feeling her way toward where Chase sat.

"Chase," she begged, her voice raw and broken. "Please. I need two hundred thousand dollars. Lend it to me. I will sign anything you want. I will leave New York. Just please, save my brother."

Chase stared down at her. His eyes turned into chips of black ice.

He stood up. His tall frame cast a dark shadow over her.

"You really think I'm that stupid?" Chase sneered. "A perfectly timed phone call. A tragic story. You finally show your true, greedy face."

"No! It's real!" Adriane shook her head wildly. Tears streamed down her face. She reached out and grabbed the bottom edge of his suit jacket. "Call the hospital! Ask them!"

The study door clicked open.

Kassidy walked in, carrying two cups of pour-over coffee. She wore a perfectly tailored designer dress.

Kassidy stopped in her tracks. She let out a soft gasp. "Oh, Adriane. Are you still bothering him for money?"

Chase heard Kassidy's voice. Disgust flashed across his face. He slapped Adriane's hand away from his jacket.

Adriane lost her balance. She stumbled backward, her spine crashing hard into the solid wood bookshelf. Pain exploded in her back.

Chase walked over to Kassidy. He took the coffee from her hands. His voice softened instantly. "You shouldn't be carrying these."

He turned his head back to Adriane. The softness vanished.

"Get out," Chase commanded. "I'm having the lawyers draft a new agreement. You get nothing. Not a single cent."

Adriane opened her mouth to scream, to beg, but the two bodyguards stepped in. They grabbed her arms tightly and dragged her backward.

As she was pulled through the door, Kassidy stood behind Chase. Kassidy smiled. It was a cold, victorious smile.

The study doors slammed shut again. Adriane was thrown into the elevator, the countdown to her brother's death ticking loudly in her ears.

The smell of bleach and rubbing alcohol made Adriane's stomach roll.

She dragged her white cane across the linoleum floor of New York Presbyterian Hospital. Her fingertips still felt cold. They held the memory of her brother Barry's freezing skin. She had just left his intensive care room. The machines beeping around him sounded like a countdown to the end.

Ten minutes ago, the head doctor told her the brutal truth. No check, no operating room.

Adriane stood in the corner of the crowded billing hall. She pulled out her phone with shaking hands. She dialed her old college roommate.

"I'm sorry, Adriane. I just bought a house. I don't have that kind of cash." Click.

She called another friend.

"Wow, that's a lot of money. Let me ask my husband..." Click.

She quickly dialed Deandre Garrison, her old college friend, praying he would pick up. The line rang endlessly until it hit voicemail. She left a breathless, begging message.

Three calls. Three rejections.

Adriane leaned her back against the cold tile wall. She pressed the palms of her hands against her eyes, trying to push the tears back in. A choked sob ripped from her throat.

Down the hall, the heavy double doors of the VIP wing pushed open.

Sharp, rhythmic high heels clicked against the floor. Kassidy walked out, holding tightly to Chase's arm. They had just finished accompanying Drucilla for her brain scan.

Kassidy's eyes scanned the crowd. She spotted the cheap, worn-out trench coat instantly.

A malicious spark lit up Kassidy's eyes. She tugged on Chase's arm, steering him directly toward the billing hall.

"Oh my goodness, Adriane?" Kassidy called out. Her voice was loud, dripping with fake shock and pity.

Adriane's spine went rigid. She quickly wiped her wet cheeks with the back of her sleeve and gripped her cane tightly. She stood up straight.

Chase followed Kassidy's gaze. When he saw Adriane, his jaw clenched. A deep scowl formed on his face.

Kassidy stepped right up to Adriane. "What are you doing here? Are you following us?"

"No," Adriane said through gritted teeth. "I am here to see my sick brother."

Chase let out a harsh breath. He stepped between the two women, towering over Adriane.

"You followed us to a hospital?" Chase's voice was low and lethal. "Your tricks are getting pathetic, Adriane."

Adriane's chest heaved. Panic and anger mixed in her blood. "I am not following you! I have the billing notice right here!"

She reached her hand into the deep pocket of her trench coat, her fingers brushing against the crumpled piece of paper.

Kassidy moved fast. She stepped forward, her body completely blocking Chase's view of Adriane's pocket. Kassidy's hand shot out and clamped down hard on Adriane's wrist, pinning it inside the coat.

Kassidy leaned in close. Her sweet perfume masked the smell of the hospital.

"Stop embarrassing yourself, you blind beggar," Kassidy whispered venomously into Adriane's ear.

Adriane's blood boiled. With a sudden burst of strength, she yanked her arm free and shoved Kassidy's hand away.

Kassidy stumbled backward. She threw her arms up and let out a fragile, terrified shriek.

Chase reacted instantly. He wrapped his strong arm around Kassidy's waist, catching her before she fell.

He turned his head slowly. The look in his eyes was pure murder.

"If you ever touch her again," Chase said, his voice dropping to a terrifying whisper, "I will make sure you never walk the streets of New York again."

Adriane's fingers gripped her cane so hard her joints ached. Her fingernails bit deeply into her own palms.

She stood tall, facing the darkness where his voice came from.

"You are pathetic, Chase," Adriane said. Her voice did not shake.

The words hit Chase like a physical blow. His eyes darkened. He took a threatening step forward, but Kassidy quickly grabbed his lapels.

"Chase, please," Kassidy pleaded softly. "Drucilla is waiting for us. Don't let her upset you."

Chase stopped. He glared at Adriane one last time, then turned and walked away with Kassidy.

Their footsteps faded down the hall. Whispers erupted from the patients watching nearby.

Adriane stood alone. Inside her pocket, her fingers crushed the billing notice into a tight, useless ball. She had to find another way.