The Girl He Didn't See

The day she found out about the tumor, Noemi Rosales made one wild choice—she'd give her corneas to her blind husband, Daniel Gomez. Quietly. No spotlight, no drama. Too bad Daniel only cared about Ivanna Lopez. He ate up every lie she fed him and iced Noemi out like she was nothing. "I want you out of my life." Cool. Noemi could do that. "Ms. Rosales, are you certain you want Mr. Gomez listed as the cornea recipient?" "Yeah. Give them to him. Once I'm gone, the hospital can use the rest of me for science or whatever." She scrawled her signature. "Don't tell him." Chapter 1 Aventora, Montavia "Ms. Rosales, are you certain you want Mr. Gomez listed as the cornea recipient?" "Yeah." Noemi Rosales smiled, even though her skin looked like paper. "Give them to him. Once I'm gone, the hospital can use the rest of me for science or whatever." She'd just gotten hit with the worst news—brain cancer. Malignant. Surgery odds? Pathetic. So she dropped the treatments. Made her choice. "If you're certain, sign here." She signed. "Don't tell him." Outside, her phone buzzed—Daniel Gomez's name lit up the screen. "Miss, it's pouring. Where you headed?" the driver asked. Noemi glanced at the downpour, smile twitching at her lips, heart racing like she had a secret. "I'm picking up my husband." The driver chuckled. Said the guy was lucky. That got to her. Daniel had actually texted her today. Maybe because his cornea transplant was around the corner? She didn't wait around. Bolted out of the car and dashed into the storm, slipping into the bar soaked and breathless. Her shawl clung to her like plastic wrap. After a quick stop in the bathroom to dry off, she headed to the private room. "Daniel, I'm here to take you home." A snort, then full-on laughter. "She really came? In this weather?" The room was thick with smoke and mockery. Faces everywhere—his friends, drunk and entertained. Daniel sat center stage, white shirt too clean for this place, cigarette loose in his hand. His eyes were unfocused. "Noemi, I dropped you a random pin, and you actually showed. Like a dog. Pathetic." The whole room cracked up. Pain stabbed through her chest, but she swallowed it down and smiled anyway. "Daniel, let's go home." Daniel ignored her and kept drinking like she wasn't even there. Noemi stumbled forward and yanked the glass from his hand. "Your surgery's around the corner. You can't drink." He scoffed. "You think you can tell me what to do?" Even blind, his glare was ice-cold. She could feel it cut straight through her. "You're getting your sight back. You'll finally have your life back. Aren't you even a little happy?" Nothing. She inhaled deeply. "I heard Ivanna's back..." He snapped. "You think you're even worthy to say her name?" Before she could react, he grabbed an ashtray and whipped it at her. It hit. Blood spilled down her temple. Silence. Everyone in the room froze. Then, awkward glances. One by one, they slipped out, leaving the two of them behind. "If it weren't for you, Ivanna would still be here. I wouldn't be blind." His voice was poison. "You should've died instead. You're a manipulative freak who never deserved to live." Noemi went pale. Her chest felt shredded, but she still managed a shaky smile. "Even if you hate me, I never once regretted taking you from her. Ivanna was never—" "Shut up! Don't say her name!" He stood, wobbly and furious. Noemi pushed past the pain and crawled toward him. For a split second, he reached out—and her heart jumped. Maybe he wasn't shutting her out. Then his hand clamped around her throat. Hard. Her vision blurred as her face flushed red. He didn't ease up. "Just the thought of seeing your disgusting face once I can see again? Makes me sick. Unless you vanish for good, don't ever show your face again." Chapter 2 Right as the world started to fade, Daniel's grip loosened. "Get lost!" Noemi hit the floor with a thud. She gasped for air, coughing like her chest was about to explode. Daniel didn't flinch—just pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his hands like she was dirt. Then came the heat. Her nose burned, then bled—fast. Thick, dark red, with a sharp pain stabbing through her skull. She wiped at her face, hand coming away soaked in blood. Panicking, she stumbled into the restroom, hiding before he could noticed. She didn't even know how long she stood at the sink, rinsing and breathing through it, waiting for the bleeding to stop. When she finally stepped back out, the room was completely empty. A faint smile flickered on her lips—then the tears came, slipping down her cheeks. It was still pouring. Daniel was gone. No ride. No goodbye. Just... gone. She had no choice. So she called Carmen—Daniel's mom. The second Carmen heard she was stranded at a bar, she freaked and sent their family chauffeur ASAP. Noemi waited by the door, legs shaky. Then everything spun. She collapsed. Out cold. When she finally came to, Carmen and Esteban—Daniel's dad—were hovering over her, faces tight with worry. "Noemi, you had a fever. How are you feeling?" She gave a weak nod, head still swimming. Her stomach flipped—she clutched her chest and dry heaved. Esteban and Carmen exchanged a glance, then asked gently, "Noemi... are you pregnant?" She froze, then smiled and shook her head. She used to dream about giving Daniel a kid. But that was never in the cards. Back when they got married, he made her get an IUD. Always used protection. Even had her take pills after, just in case. Pregnant? Not a chance. Carmen ran a hand over her hair, voice soft. "That idiot. Leaving you like that—he needs someone to knock some sense into him." The door creaked open. Daniel walked in, brow tight. He reached out, hand brushing her forehead, pausing over the heat and the bandage. His stomach dropped. That ashtray must've actually hit her. Esteban couldn't hold back. "If you care about her, why'd you leave her like that?" Daniel's jaw clenched. His hand fell to his side, curling into a fist. "Honey, stop," Carmen cut in. "Let them talk." She gave Esteban a look, and the two of them stepped out. At the door, Carmen gave Daniel a quick nudge. "Be gentle, okay? The sooner you two work things out, the sooner we'll have grandkids." As soon as they were alone, the warmth drained from Daniel's face. "You planned this, didn't you?" He didn't even hesitate—totally convinced. "You had my parents send the driver, then faked fainting to look pathetic in front of them?" His sneer cut deep, voice colder by the second. "What's the angle? Trying to get pregnant? Fishing for sympathy? You're seriously shameless." "No... I didn't—" He didn't let her finish. "I'd rather die without kids than let someone like you carry mine." It seemed like she was trash. "And I'll never touch you again." Noemi had nothing left to say. Her head pounded, her temple throbbed, and the tumor behind it all stabbed like fire. Her whole body felt like it was giving out. "Daniel, I didn't... I never thought of that..." "You better not have." He scoffed, then yanked her up by the arm. "Get home. Now." Esteban and Carmen couldn't stop him. His grip on her wrist was unrelenting. He dragged her along, and she barely stayed on her feet. Chapter 3 The ride home was dead silent. Noemi sat up front with the driver. Daniel stayed hidden in the curtained back, like always. He never let her sit with him. Said she was dirty. But she always made sure she was clean. Wore his favorite perfume, even. Just in case. She stared down at her hands, fingers twisting like a kid who got caught doing something wrong. When they finally pulled up to the house, she hopped out and rushed to help him. "I'm not useless. Stay away from me." He jerked his hand from hers like she'd burned him, stepping back fast. She wasn't ready for that. Her hand smacked the door, hard. Blood started to bloom across the back of it. The sting brought tears to her eyes, but she blinked them back. "Daniel, I'm home." The voice behind them was all sugar and sweetness. Noemi froze—every muscle locked up. "Ivanna!" Daniel spun, panic flashing across his face. His normally unreadable eyes flickered with urgency. "Ivanna? Is that you?" "It's me, Daniel." She strutted over in heels, her face radiant with a smile. Noemi just stood there, frozen. Her brain jumped back to two years ago. Ivanna looked exactly the same—gorgeous, untouched by time. Bitterness rose in Noemi's chest like bile. Rage. Grief. She was dying, and now this? Ivanna stopped right in front of Daniel and gently placed her hand on his cheek like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Daniel, have you been well all these years?" Her voice wavered like she actually cared. Noemi clenched her fists, shaking. If Ivanna really cared, why had she run off and married someone else the second she left Montavia? Noemi remembered that day clear as glass—Ivanna in a wedding dress, cold and smug. Noemi had begged her to come back, even said she'd walk away if Ivanna would just stay and care for him. And Ivanna? She'd slapped her hand away. "I'd never marry a blind man. I'm not spending my life taking care of him." She left Daniel in the dust. And now she was back, playing soft and sweet like none of that ever happened? Noemi's face drained of color. Her whole body trembled. They were already holding hands, voices low and full of fake emotion. Just as Daniel leaned in for a hug, Ivanna shoved him back. "Daniel, don't. You're someone else's husband. I just came to check on you, not ruin your life. I'm leaving." "Ivanna, wait!" He reached out blindly—caught nothing but air. Noemi lunged, grabbing his arm like a lifeline. Her voice was tight with panic. "Daniel, let's go home." "Get off me!" Daniel shoved her away and stepped past, pulling Ivanna into his arms like she was the only one that mattered. Ivanna melted into his chest, then shot Noemi a smug little smirk over his shoulder. Noemi's lungs locked up. Her vision blurred. Something inside her snapped. She charged forward, trying to pry them apart. "I'm your wife! Your legal wife! Get her out of here!" Daniel, already touchy about being blind and now humiliated by her yelling, completely lost it. He slapped her. Hard. "Are you insane?!" Her head snapped sideways, pain crashing into her skull. The world spun as she clutched her head, groaning. Ivanna flinched like it wasn't exactly what she wanted. Then, sweet as ever, she brushed a kiss against Daniel's cheek. "Daniel, I'll see you next time." He didn't stop Ivanna. Didn't care about Noemi, still on the ground, shaking and sobbing. He turned to head inside. But Noemi grabbed the hem of his pants. Her face was ghost-pale. Her lips were bleeding where she'd bitten through them. Her chest rose and fell fast, mouth twitching like she was barely holding it together. Her voice came out raw and cracked, scraped from somewhere deep inside. "Daniel... spend one last week with me as husband and wife... and I'll sign the divorce papers." Just saying it drained everything she had. Her whole body felt ripped apart. "If you don't agree... I'll die before I ever give up being Mrs. Gomez." Daniel froze. Processing. Then finally, quietly, he said, "Fine. One week. After that, we're done." Done? Noemi smiled. She'd give him exactly what he asked for. Chapter 4 Lying alone in the big, empty bedroom, Noemi couldn't stop replaying that nightmare from two years ago. Her family had set her up with Daniel, and she had no clue he was already head over heels for someone else—Ivanna. The second their engagement went public, Ivanna dipped. Daniel had chased her all the way to the airport, wrecked his car, and came out blind. Noemi had stayed by his hospital bed, watching him sleep, feeling like her chest might cave in from the weight of it all. She even flew across the globe to find Ivanna—only to catch her getting married. Noemi had begged her. Promised to back off if she'd just come home and take care of him. But Ivanna had stared her down, stone-cold. 'He's blind. Why the hell would I go back?' That look? Burned into Noemi's brain. Now Ivanna was back. Just like that. Why? Noemi rolled over, checked the time, and got up to fix Daniel's meds. She paused outside the study—voices. One was Daniel. The other? Raul Pedron, his childhood best friend. "Ivanna's back. Will you get a divorce?" Daniel snorted. "Yeah. Surgery's in three days. Time for a new chapter." He sounded almost relieved. Like freedom was just around the corner. Noemi's chest tightened. Even after everything, it still hurt. Raul sighed, clearly fed up. "You could've fixed your eyes ages ago. Why now? "You ever think about what Noemi's been through?" Daniel laughed, cold. "I couldn't stand looking at her. She didn't deserve a healthy husband. I wanted her trapped—begging, miserable, just like me." Pain slammed into her chest like a truck. He'd stayed blind just to mess with her. For two freaking years. Sure, she got what she wanted—being by his side. But at what cost? Every day was a guilt trip. She popped melatonin every night, but the nightmares still came—Daniel crying blood, choking her like some raging beast. 'Noemi, you should just die!' She'd wake up drenched in tears. And now? All that pain? Totally avoidable. Her wrist shook. The glass slipped and shattered on the tile. "Who's there?" Daniel's hearing had gone razor-sharp since going blind. He caught the noise instantly. Raul opened the door and greeted her. Noemi froze, fumbling. "Daniel, I brought your meds... Dropped the glass by accident." "You're useless," he snapped. "Tell Paulina to clean it." Paulina was the housemaid. Noemi crouched down fast. "No need." Tears blurred her vision. She reached for the shards—then came the nosebleed. Her knees gave out. Everything spun. Raul's voice was the last thing she heard before blacking out. When she came to, Daniel's face hovered close, stiff with worry. "Daniel..." "Raul said you lost a lot of blood. What's going on?" Her heart pounded. The certainty she'd clung to was gone. She was scared—of everything, especially losing him. "I... I'm sick." His brows pulled tight. "What kind of sick?" "I..." She started, but his phone went off. A ringtone she knew all too well. He picked up without thinking. Ivanna's broken voice came through. "Daniel, I'm going into surgery... Noemi met me at the restaurant, then pushed me. I was bleeding so bad. The doctor says I need a kidney. I'm scared..." Chapter 5 Ivanna was the one who wanted to meet. Noemi flashed back—downtown café, across the table, Ivanna all sugar-sweet with something sharp hiding underneath. "It's been two years," she'd said, smiling like a cat. "Now that I'm back, it's time you gave Daniel back." Noemi eyed her. "Did you get divorced?" The flicker in Ivanna's face said it all. "Back then, you wouldn't even set foot in Montavia. Why now?" No answer. Just cold eyes. Then she dipped. Noemi hadn't thought much of it—until now. Pale and shaky, she dragged herself onto the bed and knelt beside Daniel, fingers clutching his sleeve. "Daniel, please. She asked to meet. We just had coffee. I swear I didn't touch her." He didn't budge. Just clenched his jaw. Then he pulled her hand off, face darkening. "You're faking being sick to cover what you did, aren't you?" "I didn't..." Tears streamed as she shook her head. "We can check the cameras. I didn't do anything." Daniel inhaled sharply, trying to keep it together. "Alright. We'll go off the facts." He called his assistant. "Juan, check the café stairwell footage from today. I want everything." Raul stepped in, catching the tension. "What's going on?" Noemi gave him the short version. Raul let out a heavy sigh. He clapped a hand on Daniel's shoulder, firm. "Noemi's not like that." Yeah, Daniel had changed after two years in the dark. But Noemi? She'd been the same—steady, kind, never giving up on him. Raul had watched her love that guy, even when he didn't deserve it. A girl who kissed their marriage certificate like it meant everything? No way she pushed anyone. After a while, Juan sent over the footage. Daniel hit play on the voice message. Juan's voice shook. "M-Mr. Gomez... the video shows M-Mrs. Gomez pushing Ms. Lopez down the stairs." "No way!" Noemi darted over, Raul close behind as she replayed the clip. There it was—someone in her exact outfit shoving Ivanna hard at the stairwell landing. It looked legit. Too legit. But how? Noemi's head pounded. Eyes red, she replayed it again and again, searching for anything off. "Daniel, it's fake. Someone edited it. Please, just—" Smack. His hand cracked across her face. Her cheek ballooned. Blood trickled from her lip. He didn't hold back. Raul shot up. "What the hell, Daniel?!" Daniel didn't even blink. Frozen solid, eyes dead cold. He grabbed Noemi's wrist and yanked her hard. No warning, no words—just dragged her down the hall and straight down the stairs. She stumbled the whole way, knees and arms catching bruises. He didn't stop, didn't slow down. At the car, he shoved her in and barked at the driver. "To the hospital." Chapter 6 Ivanna lay pale on the hospital bed, blood soaking through the bandages on her waist. The doctor didn't sugarcoat it. "She's crashing. Massive internal bleeding from a ruptured kidney. We need a transplant. Fast. Find a match—if anyone—" Daniel shoved Noemi forward. "Use hers." She tried to fight back, but he didn't flinch. He barked at the bodyguards, and they dragged her off. Blood tests came in. The doctor's face lit up. "It's a match! We can save her!" Daniel didn't miss a beat. "Use hers. I'm her husband—I'll sign." And just like that, the first time he ever owned up to being her husband... was to hand her over like a spare part for Ivanna. "No. I'm not doing it. I don't care who needs it—it's not going to her." Noemi pushed back, but her body was wrecked. Still, she forced the words out, jaw tight. No way was she giving a part of herself to that backstabbing snake. She'd kept quiet for too long. Always scared of hurting Daniel. But now? Screw that. "I went abroad to find Ivanna. She said no because you were blind. Then she married some foreign guy. She never loved you." Each word burned coming out, hoping maybe—just maybe—it'd hit him where it hurt. But then he spoke. And it wrecked her. "So what? I'd do anything for her. You... everything you do disgusts me." Her mind went numb. Like someone dropped a brick on her head. Everything inside her just... shut down. The bodyguards held her down, forced her into a hospital gown, then locked her in a private room. Surgery was in three days. They took her phone. No calls. No way out. Two blurry days dragged by. The night before the surgery, Ivanna strolled in like she owned the place. "Big day tomorrow, huh? Daniel's finally getting his cornea transplant—from YOU." She stood there glowing, nothing like the fragile wreck from before. "How do you even know that?" Noemi forced herself upright, head spinning. "You were never hurt, were you? Why do you even want my kidney?" Ivanna tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, way too calm. "Oh, I'm sick—end-stage renal failure. Framing you just made scoring your kidney easier." Noemi shook, rage bubbling up. "You're wondering how I knew about the cornea donation, right?" Ivanna smirked, stepped in, and brushed her fingers across Noemi's cheek. "They typed me overseas. Once you signed that donor form, your info hit the system. And guess what? We're a perfect match. Isn't fate just wild?" Noemi's jaw clenched. Her eyes blazed. "So..." Her voice cracked. "So—" Ivanna finished for her. "I came back for YOUR KIDNEY. Needed it to survive. And the cherry on top? I get the guy who still worships me. Foreign guys? Meh. Daniel always loved ME more." "You actually threw yourself down the stairs just to frame me." Even dying, Ivanna gambled like it was nothing. Ivana grinned. "Who said I was the one who fell?" Chapter 7 Everything finally snapped into place. Every suspicion, every gut feeling—it all made sense now. Noemi couldn't hold back anymore. She charged forward and slapped Ivanna. Twice. Her whole body shook, fists clenched so tight her nails dug into her palms. "So Daniel and I were just your little pawns?" Ivanna shoved her hard. Noemi staggered—and then felt it. Warmth spreading between her legs. She looked down. Blood. So much blood. The bodyguards rushed in, yanked them apart, and hurried Noemi off for a check-up. The old doctor squinted at the test results, frowning. "Miss, you can't treat your body like this. You're three weeks pregnant." The grief cracked open, swallowed up by joy. She never thought she could get pregnant. And now, she had something to fight for. Noemi clutched the papers and bolted out of the room—only to see Ivanna fake-crying in Daniel's arms. "Daniel," she sobbed, voice shaking, "don't let Noemi give me her kidney. She went crazy and attacked me. And..." Her lip trembled. "She's pregnant. With your baby." Daniel's heart sank. His voice came out furious. "I did everything right, and you still managed to trap me with a pregnancy." He pulled Ivanna closer. "No, that's not it!" Noemi tried to explain, but the pain hit hard when she moved, tears springing to her eyes. "Ivanna told me herself—she has kidney failure. I didn't push her. She wants mine." For a second, his face shifted. Hope flared in her chest—then died as he sneered. "Kidney failure? Seriously, Noemi? That's your excuse?" "If you don't believe me, test her again. You—" "Enough!" His voice cut like a blade. "Even if that's true, you STILL owe her a kidney." She stopped. No more words, no more strength. The pregnancy report slipped from her hand. "Fine. I'll do it. Hand me the divorce papers. I'll sign." Daniel didn't get what kind of game she was playing. He just nodded for his assistant to hand her the papers. Noemi breathed hard, eyes closing as two years of chaos flashed through her mind. Being his wife had always felt like living in borrowed time—like some dream she was never meant to keep. Now it was over. Time to wake up. "Goodbye, Daniel." She signed without blinking and turned, dragging her broken body back toward her hospital room. Daniel's chest clenched. Sharp and sudden. He grabbed at his shirt, confused. Why did it feel like something was tearing inside? He shoved the feeling down. Forced his mind to go blank. *** The next day, the surgeries went ahead like clockwork. Same hospital. Three people underwent the operation simultaneously. Noemi's corneas—straight to Daniel. Her kidney—to Ivanna. Lying on that freezing table, Noemi felt like her soul was bleeding out. If she could do it all over again, she wouldn't love him. Not even a little. Loving Daniel had destroyed her. Left her empty. There was nothing left to give. Before the surgery, she'd begged her best friend, Vera Mendoza, to get her out—no matter what. Even if it meant dying, she never wanted to see any of them again. *** Outside the OR, Juan stared at the two labeled containers pulled from Noemi's surgery. One kidney. A set of corneas. His chest tightened. Every buried suspicion locked into place. It was Noemi. She'd given his boss her corneas. He dropped to the ground, breath catching, frozen in shock. After Daniel's surgery finished, he called out. "Juan." Juan stumbled in, eyes down. "Mr. Gomez... your surgery and Ms. Lopez's were both successful." But Daniel's stomach twisted. He only cared about one thing. "Where's Noemi?" Juan's jaw locked. He couldn't keep it in anymore. He dropped to his knees, voice cracking. "Mr. Gomez... Mrs. Gomez gave you the corneas!" Daniel, usually all ice and pride, completely snapped. He ripped the IV out and shot off the bed, fists clutching Juan's shoulders. "What did you just say? WHERE IS NOEMI?!"