After four years, my hearing was finally restored. The first thing I wanted to do was share the news with my husband, Jeremy, who had been my constant support. With an envelope in hand containing proof, and a positive pregnancy test, I walked through Jones Corporation.

I pictured his reaction, the way his blue eyes would widen in shock, how he’d pull me into his arms, overwhelmed with joy. Heart pounding, I quickened my pace, eager to surprise my husband.

But then—

A voice, deep and familiar, cut through the air. Owen. Jeremy’s best friend. I slowed my steps, my heart skipping.

“Four years, man, and you still love Amber Lotte?” Owen’s tone was light, teasing.

My breath caught. Amber. My childhood friend. My husband’s ex.

Jeremy sighed. “I never stopped.”

My grip on the envelope tightened, nails digging into my palm.

Owen chuckled. “And giving her your company? That’s huge.”

“She deserves it,” Jeremy said. “I want to make sure she’s set for life. That was the best thing I could do, to show her that I still cared for her even though she chose Jack instead of me.”

“What about Cornelia?” Owen asked. “She’s your wife.”

Silence stretched between them before Jeremy finally spoke. “She’ll never find out. Plus—she’s deaf, useless, and just convenient because of her family’s money that I owned now. That’s all she is to me.”

The air left my lungs.

Jeremy’s voice turned smug. “She loves me. She’d follow me through hell if I asked.”

Owen hesitated. “And if she learns the truth? That you were the reason she got into that accident? The one that killed her parents and made her deaf?”

A sharp pain stabbed through my chest. My accident. My parents. No—this had to be a nightmare. I blinked, not knowing how to react. Am I really hearing the truth right now?

Jeremy laughed, low and careless. “She won’t. She’s stupid. And if she ever suspects anything, I’ll make sure she stays clueless.”

My body trembled. The envelope slipped from my fingers, hitting the marble floor with a sharp clack.

The voices inside the office stopped. A chair scraped. Footsteps approached.

“Shit—she’s here!” Owen’s voice was laced with panic.

Jeremy? He was calm. Too calm because he thought up until now that I was useless. “Relax. She’s deaf.” His voice dropped, amused. “You could scream in her face, and she wouldn’t flinch. Hell, I curse at her sometimes just for fun. She’s like a robot.”

Bile rose in my throat. My fists clenched at my sides as footsteps neared. I forced my face into a neutral mask just as the door swung open.

Jeremy’s blue eyes met mine, and in an instant, his features softened into fake concern. He lifted his hands in smooth, practiced motions, signing, “Hey, sweetie. Why are you here? Did you miss me?”

I smiled even though I wanted to claw his face off. How could he do this to me? For four years, he made a fool of me! I thought everything was real.

He pulled me into a hug. I swallowed the bile in my throat, every fiber of my being screaming at me to shove him away. But I wouldn’t. Not yet.

I signed slowly, “I wanted to ask you to eat with me. But if you're busy, it’s okay.”

Jeremy smiled, nodding. “Let’s go.”

And then, his phone rang. Amber’s name flashed on the screen. Jeremy didn’t hesitate. He put it on speaker.

“Jeremy,” her voice was soft, sweet, familiar. “I miss you. Can we meet?”

The air in the room turned thick. I stood frozen, watching his face shift—something flickered in his expression. Something real. And then, without a second thought, he signed, “I have something important to do. Sorry. I’ll make it up to you later.”

No hesitation. No guilt. He walked past me, out of the office, toward her.

The world blurred around me. My hands shook, rage and devastation clawing their way up my throat.

Everything. Everything I had believed in was a lie.

Jeremy had learned sign language for me. Spent years speaking to me with his hands, making me feel safe, loved. It was all fake. How could I not see it through? Truly, my love had blinded me. And of all people, Amber? I should have known. There were signs that I had ignored because I believed they would never betray me but betrayal comes from people you loved the most.

I walked out of the building, my mind spiraling. The envelope in my hand—proof of my pregnancy—felt like poison.

I pulled out my phone, my fingers steady as I dialed the hospital.

“Yes, please? What can we do for you?”

“I need to schedule an appointment.”

“For what?”

I took a deep breath, my heart ice-cold. “An abortion.”

Four years ago, my life ended in a single moment.

One second, my parents and I were laughing in the car, the next—screeching tires, shattering glass, blood pooling across the pavement. When I woke up, they were gone. My world was silent. And as if fate hadn’t taken enough, I found out my then-boyfriend, Jack, had been cheating on me—with Amber. They got married. I was alone.

Jeremy was there, offering comfort, promising forever. I had been too broken to see the truth. Too desperate to realize that he was the one who had destroyed me in the first place.

My grip tightened on my phone as the voice on the other end spoke.

"Ms. Cornelia, the footage is gone. Someone erased the files. And the paperwork you signed to close the investigation… Are you sure you don’t remember?"

I never signed anything.

A chill crawled down my spine. Back then, I had been so lost, so devastated, that I believed everything Jeremy told me. I had let him handle everything. How could I have been so blind?

If the evidence was deleted, then Jeremy still had it.

I stormed into our bedroom and went straight to the safe. My fingers hovered over the keypad before I typed in Amber’s birthday. The lock clicked open. Pathetic. He never even bothered thinking of a hard one, that wasn’t so obvious.

Inside, neatly stacked files and USB drives filled the space. My breath hitched as I pulled out the documents. A police report. A list of paid-off officers. Bank transactions to an unknown account. And at the bottom, a hard drive labeled with the date of my parents' accident.

My stomach turned to lead. Jeremy was behind it.

I scanned the papers, my hands trembling. The payments, the false statements, the hired thugs—it was all here. He had planned this. My parents’ deaths weren’t just an accident. They were murdered.

Because we were rich. Because Jeremy wanted control.

I took photos of everything. Copied the files onto a flash drive. Then, carefully, I locked the safe as if nothing had happened. My expression remained blank as I slipped out of the room, years of deception settling like ice in my veins.

Later that night, Jeremy returned, signing lazily, “Hey, sweetie! Amber said she misses you and wants to sleep here. Did you cook for us?”

Amber was with him, draping herself over his arm. I had forgiven her for stealing Jack from me before because we were friends. People make mistakes and I was happy with Jeremy that I didn’t care about Jack anymore.

But I was wrong, because I had forgiven her, then I had given her access to my life again. So she was able to steal Jeremy from me. I should have known how jealous Amber was of me ever since.

I forced a tired smile, keeping my hands steady as I signed back, I didn’t cook. I’m exhausted.

Jeremy huffed, muttering, "Useless." but then he signed, “It was okay, sweetie.”

Amber smirked. "It’s fine, babe. She won’t hear you anyway."

Jeremy sighed dramatically before signing, “Amber said it was okay. Go rest. Amber and I will cook together for you and we’ll call you once done.”

I nodded, turned away, and climbed the stairs without a word.

That was the last straw. I couldn’t afford any betrayal again. I had to do something now.

Upstairs, I threw open my closet and grabbed a suitcase. Every piece of clothing, every reminder of this life, stuffed inside without hesitation. I wouldn't spend another night under this roof.

As I zipped up my bag, faint noises drifted from downstairs—low, breathy moans.

I clenched my teeth, ignored them, and walked out the door.

I called my lawyer before heading to the hotel. "I want a divorce. And I need all shared assets of Jeremy and I to be transferred to my name immediately. Jeremy can’t know until it’s done."

The lawyer hesitated. "Ms. Cornelia, this is sudden—"

"Just do it," I snapped.

Everything Jeremy had stolen from me, I was taking back.

But that wasn’t enough.

He had taken my parents. My freedom. My trust.

I wanted more than to leave. I wanted to disappear completely.

By midnight, I drove to the outskirts of town, to a place whispered about in hushed conversations. A private agency that specialized in making people vanish.

No trail. No loose ends. Just gone.

I stepped inside, gripping the flash drive in my palm.

"I want to disappear," I said firmly.

Jeremy hadn’t suspected a thing.

Three days had passed, and he still believed my lie. I told him I was spending time at the orphanage we supported—the one for deaf children. It was the perfect excuse, something he wouldn’t bother questioning. After all, in his eyes, I was still his devoted, helpless wife.

But in reality, I was locked away in a hotel, watching him through the hidden cameras I had installed in our house.

And Jeremy? He was busy screwing Amber in our bed.

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to keep watching. Every touch, every whispered promise, every filthy word—it was all there, recorded in crystal-clear quality.

"I can’t wait until we don’t have to hide anymore," Amber murmured against his skin, tracing a finger down his chest.

Jeremy smirked, brushing her hair back. "Just a little longer. Once everything’s settled, I’ll take care of everything."

Amber pouted. "I still don’t like that she’s coming back. I thought she’d be out longer."

Jeremy sighed, rolling onto his back. "She’s still useful. But don’t worry, babe. Soon, she won’t be a problem anymore. Just promise me that Jack won't be a problem, okay?"

My stomach twisted.

I had been nothing but a problem to him from the start.

Without hesitation, I opened my laptop and got to work. Within minutes, I created a dummy account, encrypted and untraceable. The files uploaded, the videos set on a timed release. One copy would go to Jack, Amber’s husband.

The other? Straight to the media. Amber had spent her life crafting the perfect image. Faithful wife. Loving partner. The one who got away.

This would ruin her. And Jeremy? He would lose much more.

A slow smile curled my lips as I set the final email. All of it was scheduled to go off in a few days—right when my body would be found floating in the river.

Suicide. A tragic accident. And all fingers would point to Jeremy.

I leaned back, exhaling slowly. Almost there.

Then, my phone buzzed.

A message from the agency. Everything is in place.

The escape plan was finalized. A new identity, a new life. By the time Jeremy realized what had happened, I would be nothing more than a ghost.

But I still had to wait for the banquet.

Jeremy had planned it as some grand, inspirational event—celebrating his "deaf wife" and his support for people like me. It was all a show, a carefully crafted performance to make himself look good.

The perfect stage for his downfall. Then, another buzz. Jeremy.

Why are my cards frozen? I can’t buy anything.

A slow smirk formed on my lips.

What were you trying to buy? I typed back.

The reply came instantly.

A gift for you. Something special for the banquet.

Liar.

I already knew the truth. I had people tracking his movements. Jeremy had been at a luxury jewelry store earlier today, picking out something expensive—not for me, but for Amber.

I played along.

Oh, I thought it was a fraud. I’ll lift it.

No fraud. Just fix it.

I let my fingers hover over the screen before responding.

Of course. I’ll lift it now.

Then he replied again, “Yes. I’ll buy something for Amber, too. Don’t forget to attend her birthday party later. Okay?”

Birthday party. I had almost forgotten about it. I never planned on coming, but skipping would raise suspicion. I had to play my role a little longer—smile, nod, pretend. Just a little longer, and it would all be over.

Amber’s estate was packed. Guests in glittering dresses and sharp suits, laughter spilling through the night air. Fake. Everything about this place, about these people, was fake.

Jeremy was already there, but so was Jack. That meant he had no choice but to stay by my side.

I felt his irritation before he even spoke. His grip on his glass tightened. "Fucking joke," he muttered under his breath. "Seeing them together. That should have been me."

I said nothing. Just smiled at passing guests who whispered as they looked at me.

"Poor girl. Imagine not being able to hear anything."

"She’s so beautiful. What a waste."

"Jeremy’s such a saint for staying with her."

I kept smiling. Pretended I didn’t understand. Pretended I didn’t hear Jeremy when he exhaled sharply and muttered, "Now I’m stuck with this deaf."

I was getting good at pretending but not for long. I needed air. The weight of my performance pressed too heavily on my chest, so I stepped outside toward the pool. The cool night air wrapped around me. I counted down the hours until I could finally leave all of this behind.

Then, Amber’s voice sliced through the air like a knife.

"Poor girl," she crooned, stepping beside me. Her lips were stretched into a bright, perfect smile, but her voice dripped with poison. "Do you actually think Jeremy loves you?"

I didn’t react.

She took a slow sip from her champagne glass. "Hell no. He loves me. Just like Jack. I got them both, sweetheart. They love me, not you."

My nails dug into my palm. I willed myself to stay still.

"You will always suffer, Cornelia." Her voice was sugar-coated poison. "You will always be cheated on, humiliated, discarded. As long as I’m here, you will never win. I used to be jealous of you, you know? But then I realized something…"

She leaned in, close enough that I could smell the alcohol on her breath.

"I can take everything from you."

I swallowed the rage burning inside me and lifted my hands, pretending to sign, feigning confusion.

Amber laughed. "God, you’re pathetic." She tilted her head. "Can’t even hear me, can you?"

Her fingers curled around my wrist. Before I could react, she shoved me.

The world tilted. The cold water swallowed me whole.

I thrashed, heart slamming against my ribs. I couldn’t swim. My limbs flailed, but the water was too heavy, too strong. A sharp splash—Amber had lost her balance, too. But she knew how to swim.

I didn’t.

I fought to break the surface, panic clawing at my chest. Above me, muffled voices screamed.

"Help! Someone, help!"

Amber. She was crying for help. She was the one being rescued. A shadow moved above the water.

Jeremy.

I reached for him. He saw me. He knew I couldn’t swim.

And still—

He dove in.

For Amber.

Not for me.

I sank, the betrayal heavier than the water dragging me down.