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.

"Are you alright, miss?"

The voice pulled both Eddie and Glenna to the doorway. Their conversation cut off.

"Rhea?"

Eddie.

But she didn't even look his way.

Still gripping the nurse's sleeve, she whispered, "Please... can you help me bandage this?"

The second she said it, her legs gave out.

When she came to, her head was already wrapped, the bleeding stopped.

A nurse called out, "Mr. Bowie, Miss Smith is awake."

Rhea stayed still, lying there as Eddie rushed to her bedside.

Eddie's face twisted into something complicated before he launched into his neatly packaged text.

[Rhea, I overreacted tonight. Glenna's been my friend for years. I just panicked when I saw her hurt—it wasn't on purpose, leaving you like that. But you're being petty. How could Glenna have known what you've been through? She's an heiress. And what if her hand had been seriously hurt? She might never be able to play piano again. You understand that, right? Playing is her dream. Just go over and apologize to her, and this whole thing can be over.]

Rhea stared at the screen and let out a dry laugh.

"No."

Her voice was low, steady. Eddie stiffened.

She'd always leaned on him. Rarely pushed back.

But now, over an apology, she shut down.

"You want me to say sorry? To her?" She shook her head. "Not happening. Glenna's dream matters, but mine doesn't?"

She raised her hand.

A faint scar stretched across her pale skin.

Two years ago, when Eddie got jumped by a hitman sent by some Bowie bastard kid, Rhea had taken the knife for him.

Straight through her hand.

A random bystander had called the cops—only reason they got out.

But her hand never healed right.

Sometimes it shook for no reason. That tiny tremble? It killed whatever dream she had left.

Still, she gave up her hand to save him.

No regrets.

Eddie had promised after that—never again.

But promises? They're just words.

With Glenna, his panic was instant. He saw her hand and thought, 'What about her music? Her future?'

With Rhea? Her future didn't even cross his mind.

She looked him dead in the eyes, smiling.

"Eddie, I just remembered something. Three years ago, that big competition—it was between me and Glenna. Then right before it, boom. Car crash. I lost my hearing. She won. You really think that was just a coincidence?"

Eddie stiffened. Panic flashed behind his eyes.

"It was just a coincidence. Why would you even say that?"

He was so shaken, he forgot she wasn't supposed to hear.

He stood, trying to brush it all off.

"You're tired, Rhea. Get some rest. I'm... disappointed in you."

She didn't answer.

Didn't have to.

She didn't care anymore.

Her phone buzzed.

New ID: approved.

Three days.

She'd be gone.