Doctor Morris' team kept me at the institute, monitoring my health data daily and studying any signs of rejection from the artificial corneas.
At noon, I sat in the staff cafeteria as usual, eating my meal while the television played a talk show in the background.
The host’s excited voice rang through the speakers.
"Miss Cassandra Pritchett’s bold decision to cast newcomers was absolutely the right choice! Harold’s moving performance in ‘Give Me Ten Days of Light’ is winning hearts everywhere. This film is bound to be a massive success. Congratulations!"
The camera panned to Cassandra Pritchett, the film’s director, who accepted the microphone with a blushing face.
"I auditioned countless professional actors," she said.
She then continued, "But they all felt too rehearsed. I needed someone raw, someone who could embody the emotions I was searching for."
Her eyes shone as she spoke, clearly proud of her discovery.
"And then Harold came into my life."
The audience let out teasing cheers, making Cassandra blush deeper.
The host chuckled and leaned in as he spoke, "Miss Pritchett, let’s put the movie aside for a second. Be honest with us. Is Harold your type in real life?"
For the first time in the interview, Cassandra hesitated. She smiled shyly, no longer as bold as before.
"Well," she began carefully.
After that, she continued, "Harold is such a hard worker. He’s always the first to arrive on set. Every day, he finds a quiet corner, listens to audio recordings and studies the script."
Her gaze softened as she kept on talking, "I think there’s nothing more attractive than a man who takes his work seriously."
Then, the camera immediately cut to Harold. The moment I saw his face, my heart clenched.
Snap!
The utensils in my hand bent.
Harold wrinkled his nose slightly, a familiar habit of his when he was annoyed. I knew that look all too well. He wasn’t interested in Cassandra, no matter how much she admired him.
The host, picking up on the tension, quickly handed the microphone to Harold, as he said, "Mr. Harold Wellington, Miss Pritchett just spoke very fondly of you. Do you have anything to say to her?"
Harold took a deep breath, his fingers tightening around the mic.
"First of all, I want to thank Miss Pritchett," he said calmly.
"Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I have always respected her as a mentor."
A polite answer. But then his tone shifted.
"’Give Me Ten Days of Light’ gave me lots of money. It helped me regain my eyesight. But…"
His voice wavered for the briefest moment.
"I also lost the person I loved most."
The studio audience let out a collective sigh. Cassandra’s expression soured instantly.
Harold turned to the camera, his gaze filled with sincerity.
"She was never part of this industry. She was just an ordinary girl. But when she saw me rise to fame, saw that my eyes had healed, she thought she wasn’t worthy of me anymore… and disappeared without a trace."
Silence filled the room.
Then, Harold spoke again, his voice firm but pleading as he said, "My love, if you’re watching this please come back to me. I will always wait for you."
