Leopold Cliburn's voice came through the phone. "Really, Rhea?! I never stopped looking for you. Your father was useless—if he hadn't ditched your mother, we wouldn't have lost all those years. I've heard everything. With your talent, carrying on the Cliburn legacy will be easy."

Rhea dropped the photo of her and Eddie into the trash, laughing bitterly.

"Yeah. Thanks, Grandpa."

Three years ago, she was the prodigy everyone talked about.

Every stage, every spotlight—she owned it.

Then a single crash wrecked everything—took her hearing, killed her shot at the life she'd trained for.

The competition was the very next day.

Two years of grinding, prepping, aiming for that one title—top-ranked pianist in the country —just vanished.

Leopold kept going. "In seven days, I'll send someone to bring you home. We'll handle your name change and everything else."

"Okay, Grandpa. Got it."

Seven days. Just seven more days and she'd be gone. From Eddie. From this whole version of herself.

Her phone buzzed—a pic.

Eddie and Glenna. Twisted up in bed, arms all over each other.

Yeah, no mystery who sent it.

[Miss Smith, Eddie was wasted last night, so I brought him home. He kept me up for hours... said we're going to Bali for our wedding.]

Rhea saved the pic and the text, then typed back.

[Congrats. You finally got what you wanted.]

She spent the whole afternoon packing.

Everything that screamed them hit the trash.

The apartment? Her mom's gift. Small, but prime location. Agents had been circling for years.

She never budged—too many memories of her and Eddie tucked in the walls.

Now? She called the agency herself.

They moved fast. Someone came to check it out the next day.

Once the price was set, Rhea personally walked them out.

She stepped outside—and bam, Eddie's car rolled up.

Window down. He spotted the group, frowning. "Who are they?"

One of the agents jumped in, "Ah! You must be Miss Smith's boyfriend—"

Rhea cut him off. "Nothing. Water heater broke. Just repair guys."

The agent blinked, confused, but backed off under her stare.

Inside, Eddie paused. The apartment felt... wrong. Too empty.

He signed, [Why does it feel so empty all of a sudden?]

She signed back, cool as ice. [Just tossed some useless stuff.]

Her face gave nothing away. Eddie didn't press.

He pulled her in, sat down like nothing happened.

[I drank too much, crashed somewhere. You didn't wait up, did you? Work's been insane lately. Company celebration's tomorrow. Wanna come?]

She didn't say no.

Every second looking at him now—every fake smile, every touch—made her stomach turn.

But with six days left, she couldn't risk blowing it.

She just needed out.

Three years of lies—about to be over.

At the Bowie Group celebration, Eddie showed up with Rhea on his arm.

Heads turned. Some stared, others snickered.

"So that's Eddie's girl? Deaf and basic. What's he even see in her? He brought her here?"

"So what? She met him when he was a wreck. Just dumb luck."

"Luck? Please. Glenna's the one with the ring—and a Bali wedding locked in."

Rhea didn't flinch. Played it like she couldn't hear a thing.

Eddie's frown twitched—he totally caught the whispers.

Didn't say a thing. Just steered her to a corner seat.

[Gotta talk to some people. Chill here. Grab food if you want.]

He signed that, then dipped into the crowd.

People swarmed him fast, but his eyes kept darting to the entrance.

Then boom—doors opened. Glenna stepped in, dripping in couture.

She and Eddie locked eyes, smiling like they owned the place.

They looked perfect together.

Compliments flew. Glenna soaked it all in, glowing like she lived for it.

Then her eyes found Rhea. Quiet. Alone.

She walked over, hand out.

"Hi, you must be Rhea Smith? I'm Glenna Digger. Hope we get along from now on."

Rhea shot her a glance but stayed still.

First time face-to-face, but Glenna's hate had always been loud.

When Rhea didn't budge, Glenna turned to Eddie, all faux-upset.

"Eddie, Miss Smith, she..."

He gave Rhea a look—half annoyed.

"She can't hear."

Glenna nodded, then leaned in, all sweet and smug.

"Eddie, I heard she used to be this rising piano star. Think she can play with me tonight? It's my first show since I got back, and I really want it to be perfect."

Rhea stiffened. She hadn't touched a piano in forever.

After the crash, just seeing one made her chest tighten.

The memories hit too hard. Too sharp.

Eddie knew that.

Still, she heard him say, "Alright."

Rhea bit her lip, blinking back the burn behind her eyes.

Of course it was always Glenna. She was the one Eddie really gave a damn about.

Even the crash—what Rhea once thought was some twisted rescue—that was part of the setup.

All so his girl could snag that win.

Didn't matter if it wrecked Rhea's future.

Nothing's changed.

Her pride, her past, her whole name—meant zero to him.

Eddie glanced at her, caught the way her face had gone ghost-pale.

Guilt flickered, but it was weak.

He hesitated, then started to sign—[Glenna wants to do a duet with you...]

Rhea cut in, voice steady.

"Fine. I'll play."

Eddie froze. Started signing again—[Rhea, I know you don't want to, but it's Glenna's first performance since coming back...]

Rhea stood and headed straight for center stage.

Eddie watched her, uneasy creeping in despite her calm face.

He reached out, signing, [After this, let's go home. Got a gift for you.]

She turned around. No words. No glance.

They sat at the piano. Rhea took a breath, turned to Glenna.

"Let's begin, Miss Digger."

Glenna lifted her hands, all elegance. The melody floated out smooth.

Rhea tried to sync with her, but the past hit hard.

The keys looked white—she saw blood.

In her head: 'Sorry, Miss Smith. Your hearing may never return.'

Her timing slipped. Whispers rose.

"She won awards? Doesn't even play well enough to teach."

"She's deaf. What'd you expect? Glenna's wasting her talent up there."

The piece ended. Glenna stood, bowed like a queen.

Eddie handed her flowers, smiling. "Beautiful, just like before."

Rhea met his eyes. He flinched like her stare burned.

[Rhea, tonight was Glenna's show. That's why the flowers were for her. I'll make it up to you.]

Make it up? CEO of Bowie Group couldn't find a spare bouquet in ten minutes?

He didn't even fake it.

"No need."

Even she was surprised by how raw her voice sounded.

She just wanted out.

This place wasn't hers.

To them, she was just the side act—the joke.

Applause echoed like thunder, but none of it hit her.

Only the mockery did.

She stood to go.

Glenna grabbed her arm.

Glenna yanked out her phone and flashed a message at Rhea.

[You probably don't know the car crash was Eddie's doing, huh? All for me. Even pretending to care after—that was just to make sure your hearing was wrecked for good. Those meds for your ears? I had him give them to you. You might've had a shot, but not after that. And you really thought you could compete with me?]

Rhea's fists curled tight, nails cutting into her palms. The pain snapped her awake.

She'd taken those meds for a whole year.

Back then, Eddie had quit Bowie Group. He was broke, barely scraping by, but still dropped money on her treatment.

She'd been so moved. Took every dose on time. He even drove her to every checkup.

In the end, she gave in—convinced her ears were done for.

Started easing off the meds.

Whenever Eddie asked, she'd just hold up the leftovers like everything was fine.

She just hadn't wanted to be a burden.

Funny how that choice ended up saving her.

If she'd kept taking those pills, how would she even be hearing now?

Those checkups? Just part of the scam—to prove she'd never get better.

Rhea felt stupid.

Three years she thought were redemption? Just one long setup.

She'd been played from day one.

Her eyes locked on Glenna. Blood dripped from her clenched fist, but the burn in her chest hurt worse.

She snapped. Right there, in front of everyone.

Walked straight up—and slapped Glenna across the face.

Her hearing, her dreams, her whole world died in that crash.

And the person who killed it? Living her dream.

The darling of the stage. The fake piano queen.

Rhea's hands shook with rage.

The slap wasn't even that hard.

But Glenna dropped like she'd been hit by lightning.

A loud thud echoed as Glenna hit the floor, crying out and tumbling off the platform.

Before anyone could even move, Eddie was already there, scooping her up.

Scrapes lined her arm and hand. She leaned into him, eyes misty. "It's my fault. I just told her I wanted to help her get back to her old self, that she could practice with me... Maybe that hit a nerve. I messed up. I'm so sorry..."

She sniffled and handed him her phone.

The message on screen? Total rewrite—just sweet, supportive words for Rhea. Like the venom never happened.

Eddie turned to Rhea, eyes cold.

"Rhea Smith, you're being completely unreasonable! Do you even get how important Glenna's hands are? If she can't play after this, I won't forgive you."

He spoke slow, every word exaggerated so she could read his lips.

Then he shoved her. Hard.

She stumbled back, crashed into the piano.

Her forehead smacked the edge. Sharp pain. Gasp.

Blood dripped down her face. Vision swam.

She looked at the red on her fingers, let out a bitter laugh.

Glenna's hand barely had a scratch.

And Eddie lost his mind over it.

When Rhea lost her hearing, all Eddie cared about was pushing those pills that wrecked any shot she had left.

Love? Yeah, that was never real.

In the beginning, when the silence first hit her, she was drowning—couldn't eat, couldn't sleep.

She even hurt herself.

And Eddie? He acted shattered.

Started staying in every day, trying to cheer her up.

"Rhea, promise me... don't do that again. It kills me to see you like this."

Back then, even a paper cut on her hand had him spiraling.

Now? He couldn't even look at her.

Held another girl in his arms, right in front of her.

Blood kept dripping. People stared, disgust plain on their faces.

Rhea didn't wait. She caught a cab to the hospital.

Asked a night nurse to patch her up.

But she was told every doctor and nurse was in the same room.

Eddie and Glenna's room.

She stood outside the door.

Heard Eddie inside, all worried.

"How's Glenna's hand? It won't mess with her playing, right?"

Glenna's voice, soft and sugary. "Oh, Eddie, I'm fine. Just a scratch. Aren't you going to check on Miss Smith? She looked hurt when we left."

Silence.

Then Eddie finally said, "She brought it on herself. If she hadn't hurt you, none of this would've happened. It's just a surface wound—she'll be fine."

The staff finally stepped out once Glenna's bandages were done.

"Mr. Bowie really spoils his fiancée," one nurse whispered. "Even a paper cut sends him into a frenzy."

Rhea was still at the door.

No one noticed the blood still trailing down her face.

No one saw how pale she'd gone.

A wave of dizziness slammed into her.

She reached out, grabbing a stranger's sleeve just to stay on her feet.