It was Russ.

He stood beneath a streetlamp not far away, looking nothing like the person I remembered. He was thinner, stripped of that old reckless confidence. His slightly overgrown hair fell across one eye.

He had no umbrella. The rain had soaked through his white shirt, and he looked wretched and pitiful.

Then his body gave a small jolt, as if he'd realized I was watching him, and he turned to leave.

But something seemed wrong with him. He'd barely taken two steps before his legs buckled and he collapsed to the ground.

Every ounce of self-pity vanished from my mind. I ran into the rain and pulled him up.

"Russ, are you okay?"

Under the faint glow of the streetlamp, I finally got a clear look at his face and gasped. "What happened to your eyes?"

One of Russ's eyes had turned completely gray, clouded over like fog, without a trace of light.

He turned his head away, hiding his whole face in the shadows like a frightened puppy, his voice trembling. "This eye... I can't see out of it."

My heart ached. He had been the moonlight I'd chased in my youth. I never imagined he'd end up like this.

I helped him inside, grabbed a clean towel, and handed it to him. "Go take a hot shower before you catch a cold!"

Russ nodded silently, eyes lowered, and started undoing the buttons on his shirt.

I quickly turned around. "You go ahead. I'll get you a change of clothes."

I hurried to the closet and grabbed a set of Job's pajamas, only to come back and find Russ still standing outside the bathroom door, his fingers fumbling clumsily with the buttons.

When he caught my confused look, he lowered his head, embarrassed. "After I... after I lost my sight, my body stopped cooperating. The doctor said it's a sensory processing disorder."

As he spoke, a violent shiver ran through him. The color drained from his lips until they were white.

All rational thought left me. I set the clothes down and rushed over. "It's fine, let me help!"

Russ stood perfectly still, watching me undo his buttons one by one.

My fingers accidentally brushed against his ice-cold skin. He flinched, and the tips of his ears flushed bright red.

He grabbed my hand. "I-I can do it myself..."

The awkwardness hit me a beat too late. I was about to pull away when a furious voice erupted from the doorway.

"Karen, what the hell are you doing?!"

I turned around. Job stood in the doorway, his shoulders half-soaked with rain.

I frowned. "Why are you back?"

"If I didn't come back, what, I'm supposed to wait around while you make a fool out of me?!"

Job's face was twisted with rage, but all I felt was disbelief at how unreasonable he was being.

"Job, watch your mouth. Russ is an old friend of mine. There is nothing going on between us!"

"Nothing going on? I just watched you undress him with my own eyes. How is that 'nothing'?"

"Are you done? I already told you—"

I was about to tear into Job when Russ caught my hand.

"Karen, this is all my fault. Please don't fight with your husband because of me."

Then he bowed to Job.

"Sir, please don't misunderstand Karen. I'm not well, and she was only trying to help. I just wanted to see her, and now I have. I'll leave. I won't be any more trouble."

His voice shook with every word.

My resolve crumbled. I grabbed his hand and said, "Russ, ignore him. You're staying here for the next few days. I'm going to take care of you."

"Karen, have you lost your mind?! Who brings someone of the opposite sex home to 'take care of' them?!"

The words had barely left Job's mouth when a soft, fragile voice drifted in from behind him.

"Job, did you get into another fight with Karen because of me?"

Job's expression froze, and for a long moment he couldn't find a word to say.

When he didn't respond, Kay stepped forward. She caught sight of Russ and faltered for a second herself.

But the very next instant, her eyes turned red, and she spoke to me in a tone that bordered on begging. "It's all my fault, Karen. I shouldn't have mentioned that I'd never seen the ocean. Then Job wouldn't have left you behind to take me to the Maldives."

"Luckily there was a huge storm today and the flight couldn't take off. Let Job stay with you tonight. I'll leave right now."

Job's face immediately flooded with concern. "Kay, you don't have to leave. This is your home. Stay as long as you want."

Normally, I would have picked a fight with him right then and there, demanding to know how he could make that decision alone when half the house was mine.

But this time, I nodded in agreement without hesitation.

"Absolutely. Russ, same goes for you. This is your home. Stay as long as you like, and don't worry about what anyone else says."

Job stared at me in disbelief. "Karen, did you just call me 'anyone else'? Have you forgotten that I'm your husband?"

Before I could even react to that, Kay pressed a hand to her chest and whimpered, "Job, it hurts."

Just like that, he forgot everything else. He scooped her up and carried her back to the bedroom.

I let out a breath of relief and hurried to wheel Russ into the bathroom.

Then I dug out Job's most expensive set of silk luxury bedding and made up the guest room bed.

Once everything was in order, I went back and waited outside the bathroom door.

Russ had sensory processing issues, and I was worried he might need help.

While I waited, Job came downstairs to get Kay's medication.

He looked at me and let out a cold laugh. "Karen, you don't have to degrade yourself fawning over some other man just to spite me."

I was about to tell him he had one hell of a nerve, but the bathroom door swung open before I could.

Job's eyes went wide. His voice pitched higher in sheer disbelief. "Karen, you actually put my pajamas on this random guy?!"

Russ, fresh out of the shower, instantly looked flustered. He pressed his lips together. "Karen, I didn't know these were your husband's clothes. I'll go change right now."

I grabbed his arm. "You're not changing anything. Your clothes are soaking wet. You're wearing those."

Then I turned on Job. "Can you stop being so petty? It's one set of pajamas. You seriously can't spare them?"

Job's chest heaved, his breathing ragged with anger. "You think this is about the pajamas? Karen, do you even remember who the man of this house is?"

Right then, Kay appeared from the bedroom.

"Job, what's going on? Why did it take you so long to get my medicine?"

She was wearing the matching couple pajamas that belonged to me and Job. On her wrist was the bracelet Job had given me for my birthday. Pinned in her hair was the Miu Miu clip I'd bought just last week.

For once, Job went silent.

He placed the medicine in Kay's hand. When she tried to get him to stay, he said, "Get some rest. I have something to take care of."

Then he grabbed my arm and pulled me into the master bedroom.

He clearly had something he wanted to say.

But I didn't want to hear it.

I kicked him away, walked out, and shut the door behind me.

Only after I'd gotten Russ completely settled did I finally go back to the bedroom.

Job had been waiting for a long time.

He sat by the window, wreathed in cigarette smoke, the ashtray in front of him overflowing with spent butts.

I frowned, walked over, and shoved the window open.

"All you ever do is smoke, smoke, smoke. Why can't you be more like Russ? He's never touched a cigarette in his life!"

Job nearly choked on his own breath. He coughed for a long time before recovering, his words grinding out through clenched teeth.

"Karen, is Russ Harding the only thing you ever talk about?"

"Pretty much. Just like Kay is the only thing you ever talk to me about."

The moment I mentioned Kay's name, Job's expression shifted to irritation. He was about to accuse me of being petty again, but when he turned his head, his gaze landed on the anniversary cake sitting on the table.

Sitting there all alone. Untouched.

Only then did it dawn on him that today was our fifth wedding anniversary.

Job's tone softened immediately.

"Karen, I'm sorry. I forgot today was our anniversary. I'll make it up to you."

"I've already scheduled Kay's heart surgery. Once she's recovered, I'll send her on her way. Okay?"

When Job turned gentle, those deep, fathomless eyes of his could drown a person whole.

I almost said yes.

Then a knock came at the door, followed by Russ's voice.

"Karen, are you still up?"

I ignored the way Job's face darkened instantly and hurried over to open the door.

"I'm up. What's wrong?"

Russ stood there with his lashes lowered, fingers clutching the hem of his shirt, looking deeply unsettled. "Karen, I... ever since I lost my sight, I've developed anxiety. I'm a little scared. I can't sleep."

How could anyone in this world be so pitiful?

My heart ached beyond words. I took Russ's hand and murmured softly, "Don't be scared. I'll stay with you until you fall asleep, then I'll come back."

I guided him toward his room, but Job lost it. He stepped between us, blocking our path.

"Karen, you can't go sleep in another man's room. I'm your husband!"

Russ said nothing. His eyes just turned red. And with that, the scales in my heart tipped completely in his favor.

I pulled him behind me and glared at Job. "Job, can you show a little decency? Can't you see Russ isn't well? Would it kill you to give him this?"

The noise of our argument must have been loud enough to wake Kay. She appeared in the doorway clutching a stuffed rabbit, looking flustered as she stared at Job.

"Job, I just had the most terrible nightmare. I'm having trouble breathing. Could you stay with me? Just for a little while."

Job fell silent again.

Ever since Kay had moved in, he'd spent nearly every night keeping her company.

After a long pause, he finally spoke. "Kay, we're not kids anymore. It's not appropriate for me to stay with you. If you're scared, just leave the light on."

Kay's face went white. Tears pooled in her eyes in an instant, and she nodded obediently.

But I knew her. She was never that simple.

Sure enough, barely a minute after she went back inside, there was a loud crash.

Job kicked the door open and found Kay collapsed on the floor, limp and pale.

He didn't spare another thought for me or Russ. He scooped Kay into his arms and rushed to the hospital.

I couldn't be bothered to care. I took Russ back to his room.

Just as he'd said, his anxiety was truly severe. He kept jolting awake, and only after confirming I was still beside him could he settle back to sleep.

I stayed with Russ the entire night. Job stayed with Kay the entire night.

By the time he dragged his exhausted body home, Russ and I were already gone.

Russ said he wanted to see the stars. I took time off work and flew with him to Hawaii.

After we got back, Job and I were both buried in work. He still had Kay to look after, and I had Russ. Somehow, we didn't see each other even once.

After coming home for the thirty-seventh time to find me gone, Job finally snapped.

He had someone dig up everything there was to know about Russ Harding.

The moment he laid eyes on the file, he couldn't help but swear.

"Son of a bitch. He's three years older than me, and he has the nerve to call me 'bro'?"

He cursed for a good long while before finally reading on.

The further he got, the darker his expression became.

Halfway through, he dropped everything on his schedule and drove home.

I was at work. Kay was at the hospital. Russ was the only one in the house.

Job didn't alert anyone. He crept to the bedroom door and pushed it open silently.

His eyes went wide with shock.

Russ was in there, putting in colored contacts.