Episode 2

Mag remembered it had been 10 years.

Taking care of her seemed to have become a routine for him, a habit she always hoped would be more than that.

As he wrapped the bandages around her feet, Mag looked at him.

He looked up and lowered his head, finishing bandaging her feet.

Adam, with a furrowed brow, seemed lost in his thoughts. He didn't ask about the origin of the injuries; instead, his voice sounded low and filled with frustration:

"Knowing you're deaf, why don't you just stay home?"

The words cut through the air like a blade, and Mag felt a chill down her spine. He then seemed to realize that she couldn't hear him. He frowned again, but this time with a coldness that chilled her heart:

"That's why I don't want to marry someone like you."

Those words reverberated in her mind like a distant, painful echo. Mag felt her heart clench inside her chest, as if it were being crushed under the weight of rejection.

She remembered her adolescence, when she was in high school and a group of children followed her, laughing and joking. She couldn't hear anything they said; everything was just whispers muffled by the silence around her. The feeling of isolation was almost palpable, and yet she kept walking, acting as if nothing was wrong.

But Adam, who came to pick her up, couldn't contain himself and ran to fight.

In the end, he was covered in bruises and carried her in his arms, worried.

She didn't understand and asked why he fought.

He said: "Because they called you deaf. Mag, you're not dead, you have ears.

I will be your ears."

He cried a lot that day.

It was on that day, for the first time, that she truly understood that the world of the deaf is so dark and cruel.

Now, in that vivid memory, Mag realized that she had built walls around herself to protect herself from pain. But each word from Adam was a crack in those walls, revealing the fragility of her self-esteem.

But she didn't care, because Adam had promised that he would always be hers.

So why did he break the agreement?

The tears could hardly be contained.

She squeezed her palm tightly.

Maybe her expression wasn't right.

He pursed his lips and quickly signed:

Does it hurt?

Before she could answer, his phone vibrated.

In front of her, he opened a voice message from Catherine.

"Mr. Watson, you're so bad you left my legs wobbly."

Catherine and Adam were college classmates.

After returning to the country, she became his secretary. They often exchanged voice messages.

Even if some were sent late at night, because of her trust in Adam, Mag always thought they were discussing work.

"Want to try something even worse?", Adam replied to her message, and the smile on his face never disappeared.

"Who are you talking to?"

Suddenly, Mag signed, and Adam was surprised.

But he quickly calmed down and signed:

"A client, there's a rush on some goods."

After signing, he immediately sent a voice message to the other person.

"I bought a set of lingerie for Mag, it looks good, I'll buy another next time and you can wear it for me."

Disgusting.

"I would never want to wear the same thing as that deaf girl"

Unable to bear listening to their vulgar conversation any longer, Mag limped towards the bedroom, hugging the family photo with her parents and curled up in bed, covering her ears with the blanket.

She let the overwhelming despair drown her.

But the door was too thin, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't block out the two laughing and video-calling outside.

Each word felt like torture.

This man is truly filthy.

I don't want him anymore.

Adam and Catherine hadn't exchanged many virtual words before the tall door of the living room opened, revealing a moment that Mag didn't want to witness.

Sitting on the bed, she felt the weight of loneliness settle in her chest. The clock on the wall struck midnight, and the awareness of what they were doing was like a sharp knife cutting through her heart.

The night breeze entered through the window, bringing with it temporary relief, gradually dissipating the fog that enveloped her emotions.

Mag looked at the bedside table, where the golden wedding invitation was carefully positioned. The embossed letters shone under the soft light, but for her, they were just a reminder of the pain to come.

With an impulse to seek comfort, Mag picked up the phone and dialed her adoptive parents' number. The ringtone sounded twice before someone answered:

"Mom, Dad, I want to visit you both, Grandpa and Grandma."

Their voices on the other end of the line were full of concern, as if they sensed the agitation in her tone:

"What happened? Did something go wrong?"

They quickly remembered that she couldn't hear, and silence took over the conversation, except for the sound of their fingers typing responses on their cell phones. She took a deep breath before answering:

"No, I just miss you."

The sincerity in her words made her voice tremble with suppressed sobs.

The connection with her adoptive parents was a safe haven amid the emotional storm she was facing. As she spoke, tears began to slide down her face. Longing invaded her heart like an overwhelming wave; she needed them more than ever in that moment of vulnerability. The call turned into a space where Mag could be authentic, without barriers or judgments.

Adam and Catherine were on the sofa, caught up in their own emotions, laughing and whispering intimate words. Their noise, laughter, and sighs echoed through the room, a symphony of moments and moans that they thought Mag couldn't hear.

It was as if they were in a world apart, completely oblivious to what she was going through, while loneliness settled in Mag's heart.

***This work has been signed with NovelToon, and piracy such as reprinting without permission is strictly prohibited.***

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***