Chapter 1

The very first thing I did after my hearing returned was go look for Jude Sterling.

But as I reached the VIP lounge, I heard his friends laughing inside.

"You really think I'd marry that deaf girl, Jocelyn?"

Jude's familiar voice cut through the air.

"If it wasn't for her father's inheritance, would I have spent years playing the devoted boyfriend?"

"Vivi is almost here, so keep your mouths shut."

Eventually, I did exactly what he wanted and walked out of his life.

That was when he fell to his knees, sobbing and begging me not to throw him away.

1

I was riding the high of finally being able to hear again.

But as I reached the lounge door, my smile died.

The door wasn't shut all the way.

Jude's cruel words drifted out from the gap.

I stood there, frozen and numb.

Even his friends seemed stunned by his bluntness.

One of them sat with his mouth open, unsure how to respond.

But Jude didn't stop.

"I've only ever loved Vivi," he said coldly.

"Honestly, she brought this on herself. If she wasn't so loose, her own family wouldn't have attacked her."

"I've been acting for years just to get my hands on her father's money."

"I'm in my prime. Why would I waste my life on a girl like her?"

Hearing him say those things felt like a physical blow.

Every comfort he had ever given me was a lie.

I thought we had bonded over our shared scars.

I thought we were building a future together.

Instead, he had just been sharpening a knife to stab me in the heart.

When I was eighteen, my stepfather tried to cross the line with me.

My mother was convinced I was the one who seduced him.

She slapped me so hard right in front of him that blood poured from my ear.

I haven't heard a sound since that day.

Inside the room, Jude took a casual sip of his drink.

I noticed a bottle of juice sitting among the expensive liquor.

It looked completely out of place.

A moment later, a girl in a white mini-dress walked in.

It was Vivi Porter.

She leaned into Jude's side and nodded.

"Jude is right. Life is too short to waste on someone you don't love."

Jude smiled as he pulled her into his lap.

He pinched her nose affectionately.

"Vivi, I wish I had met you first."

I knew that look all too well.

He used to look at me like I was his entire world.

Now, he was giving that same gaze to someone else.

I stood there listening, feeling like my heart was being shredded.

Our entire relationship was just a calculated move to him.

I couldn't take it anymore.

As I turned to leave, Jude caught a glimpse of me.

He quickly let go of Vivi, looking panicked for a split second.

Then he seemed to remember something.

I wasn't wearing my cochlear implant.

In his mind, I was still the deaf girl who couldn't hear a thing.

I watched him let out a sigh of relief.

Vivi noticed him let go and looked toward the door.

She gave me a mocking little wave and a smirk.

Jude's friends just nodded and turned away, looking guilty.

They all stayed silent, treating me like a fool.

Jude stood up and walked toward me.

I quickly hid my medical report in my pocket.

I had planned to surprise him with the news of my recovery.

Now, there was no point.

He started using sign language, his face returning to that gentle mask.

"Where is your hearing aid? It's late and freezing out here. Why did you come looking for me?"

Looking at his fake concern, I remembered the early days of my silence.

I had been in so much pain back then.

He was the only one who stayed by my side.

He used to write notes to communicate with me.

He even took sign language classes just for me.

"I'll be your ears from now on," he had promised while holding me.

I had truly believed him.

Jude waved his hand in front of my face when I didn't respond.

"What's wrong?" he signed.

I just shook my head.

The sight of his hands moving made me feel physically sick.

But I forced a smile and signed back quickly.

"I just missed you, so I came to find you."

Since he loved acting so much, I decided to play along for a few more scenes.