My heart sank to rock bottom once more.

[Do you really think Nathan likes you that much? He’s long since gotten bored of you. Believe it or not, if I send him a single text, he’ll come running to me right away!]

I didn’t reply to her. Instead, I turned off my phone and lay back down.

At that moment, I wasn’t sure whether I was genuinely upset or waiting for her claim to be proven true. A bitter smile crept onto my face. I’ve become so insecure.

Nathan came out of the bathroom, a towel in one hand as he dried his hair while reaching for his phone with the other. When he saw the screen light up, his brow arched slightly and unmistakable joy sparkled in his eyes. He typed a reply and soon enough, I received a screenshot.

It was Clair. She’d sent me Nathan’s reply: [Wait for me. I’ll be right over. Don’t forget to wear the outfit I bought you.]

Before I could process it, Nathan spoke up.

“Honey, something urgent came up at work. I need to head back to the office.”

He acted as if he didn’t want to go, as if the situation truly irritated him, but he was already pulling on his clothes.

I gestured in sign language, my face calm as I decided not to expose his lie.

“Go ahead. Don’t keep them waiting.”

“But I promised I would spend time with you. Lately, I've been so busy with work and today is the only day I can relax. I want to spend it with you,” he said, looking genuinely regretful. But I knew it was just an act and it made me sick. He wasn't busy with work. He was busy with Clair. I forced a smile onto my lips, signing my hand to tell him, “It's okay. There's always tomorrow.” 

But in reality, my heart was shattered to pieces.

“Alright,” he said, clearly relieved. “I’ll try finish it up quickly so I can come back to you as soon as possible.” 

Without another glance, he left.

I thought back to how he used to stick to me like glue. Even when his company had important meetings, he’d opt for virtual calls to stay close. He never left me because of work. But now, he was choosing to neglect me for another woman.

The sound of his car engine revving up outside jolted me into action. I rushed downstairs and hailed a taxi. Typing out a message on my phone, I showed it to the driver: “Follow that car, please.”

He seemed to understand the situation and silently complied, keeping a safe distance as he followed Nathan's car. Soon, Nathan pulled up in front of a luxury villa.

I watched as Clair emerged, dressed in a revealing bunny costume. The black stockings clung to her long, slender legs, accentuating her sexiness. Nathan pounced on her like a starved wolf, lifting her up and carrying her inside.

Through the villa’s floor-to-ceiling windows, I saw them pressed against the wall, locked in a passionate kiss.

My hands clenched into fists, trembling with anger. I closed my eyes and let out a heavy sigh. The driver noticed my distress and tried to console me.

“Don’t waste your tears on a man like that, lady. Divorce him. He’s not worth it,” he said, glancing at me through the rearview mirror.

His words cut through the fog of my despair and only then did I realize my cheeks were wet with tears. I couldn’t bear to watch any longer. Gesturing to the driver, I asked him to leave. But barely a minute after we started driving, a violent crash shook the car. The next thing I knew, I was pinned beneath the wreckage.

Through my haze, I saw Nathan and Clair. The deafening sound of the collision hadn’t disturbed their passionate scene in the slightest. My phone, miraculously intact amidst the chaos, lay within reach. Summoning all my strength, I reached for it.

I dialed Nathan’s number, but there was no answer. I glanced toward them, only to see Nathan carrying Clair in his arms and heading toward the bedroom. The sight drained the last of my strength and I passed out.

When I opened my eyes again, I was in a hospital bed with an IV drip in my arm.

The nurse, noticing my pale and lifeless expression, hurriedly reassured me, “You’re very lucky. Just a few minor injuries. Rest and you’ll be fine.”

I nodded faintly, but it wasn’t the accident that had left me feeling so broken.

Nathan rushed in, clearly distressed when he saw me. He reached for my hand, but as soon as I remembered that he had just left another woman’s bed, I instinctively pulled my hand away. He didn’t seem to notice my rejection and instead looked at me with deep concern.

“What happened? How did you get into a car accident?”

I quickly came up with an excuse and gestured to him with sign language, “Same as you. Something urgent came up.”

His guilty expression flickered briefly before he carefully inspected me from head to toe. Satisfied that I was mostly unharmed, he finally relaxed.

“You scared me to death. What would I have done without you?”

Before I could think of a response, the nurse knocked and entered.

“The patient’s family needs to handle the payment,” she said before leaving.

Nathan glanced at me. “I’ll take care of it. Wait here, okay?”

I nodded lightly and as soon as he left, the mask of composure I had been wearing crumbled.

On the bedside table lay my phone—it was the one Nathan had just brought, probably fixed now.

I picked it up and pressed the power button. As the phone powered on, a flood of messages popped up. One message, in particular, caught my eye. It was from Clair.

When I opened it, I could feel her arrogance jumped off the screen:

[Last night, Nathan left you to be with me. I won!]

[Want to know how much he adores me and despises you? Listen to this!]

Attached was an audio file.

Hesitantly, I clicked play.

Clair’s voice came through, teasing, “Aren’t you supposed to be at home, with your wife, Rose?”

Nathan chuckled lightly. “You invite me, remember? Besides, who wants to spend time with a mute? While, you, beautiful, are asking for trouble dressing like that.”

I couldn’t listen any longer. My finger pressed stop.

Mute. So, that’s all I was to him—a mute.

I let out a bitter laugh, the memories of his early promises flooding back. When everyone else mocked me for my silence, he stood by me, comforting me.

“You’re not mute; you’re just unwell. Don’t worry, you’ll get better. I won’t let anyone bully you.”

I used to feel so safe in his arms, but now? He was the one who had pushed me away. As I sat there, a new message appeared: [I’ve got everything ready. Your current identity is erased. This is your last chance to reconsider. Are you sure you want to leave Nathan?]

Without hesitation, I typed back one word. [Yes.]

Nathan returned shortly after, his face filled with guilt and concern. “Honey, I’m so sorry for not being there for you. Let me take care of you these next few days, okay?”

I didn’t respond, but he proved his words. In the days that followed, he stayed by my side, caring for me like a husband deeply in love with his wife.

One day, as I scrolled through my phone from my hospital bed, a headline popped up:

“Shocking! Clair's Jarvis Throwing Up On Set! Pregnancy Revealed?”

I froze, glancing at Nathan, who was sitting nearby. He wore a similarly stunned expression—clearly, he had seen it too.

“Honey, are you hungry? It’s about time to eat. Let me grab something for you,” he said, his voice overly casual.

I nodded, knowing full well he was using this as an excuse to leave and meet Clair.

Once he was gone, I got up and changed into my clothes. It was time to go.

As I left, I sent him a text. Passing by the obstetrics department, I caught a glimpse of Nathan holding Clair. Clair seemed nervous, while Nathan was tenderly comforting her. They both wore masks, though soon, they wouldn’t need to hide anymore. Once I left, they could be together openly.

I turned and walked away, heading to a car that had been waiting for me. Wilfred, seated in the driver’s seat, looked at me with deep concern. Seeing that I remained silent, he leaned over and gently fastened my seatbelt. Neither of us said a word as the car rolled forward, the silence hanging heavily between us throughout the drive.

Eventually, we arrived at a harbor and boarded a boat to a small island. Once there, Wilfred handed me a new ID card.

“This is your new identity,” he said.

Looking at the ID, I saw that everything about me had changed—except my gender. I signed to him, “Thank you for everything you’ve done.”

He gave me a faint smile. “You don’t need to thank me. I’m just glad you’re giving me a chance.”

Wilfred was my childhood friend. He was also the person I was originally betrothed to in an arranged marriage. If everything had gone as planned, he would have been my husband years ago. But I had thrown everything away for Nathan, falling for his sweet words and relentless pursuit. Now, years later, Wilfred was still here, helping me when I had nothing left.

“For now, you’ll stay here. Don’t worry; Nathan won’t find you. I’ve arranged for a doctor. I believe you can recover,” Wilfred said gently.

I nodded. His words ignited a faint glimmer of hope in my otherwise bleak life. The next day, I started treatment for my speech disorder. I had been trying to recover from my muteness since it was first diagnosed, but every attempt had ended in failure. I had long since given up hope. Yet Wilfred hadn’t given up on me—not even when Nathan and I had. The thought filled me with guilt.

Every day, I attended therapy sessions to practice speaking and communicating. Wilfred accompanied me without fail. He stayed by my side, encouraging me through language and communication exercises. Every small improvement brought him immense joy. Even when I managed to utter unclear, garbled sounds, he would beam with pride.

After what felt like an eternity of practice, I was finally able to say a complete sentence, though it came out haltingly and unevenly.

One day, after weeks of practice, Wilfred came to me with hands behind his back.

“Look, if you can say a sentence, I’ll give you a present,” he teased.

Meow. The faint sound gave away his surprise gift—a kitten. Embarrassed, he scratched his head as I laughed softly.

“Tha-thank you…W-wil…fred,” My words came out stilted, each syllable deliberated, but to Wilfred, it was a monumental breakthrough. It was also the first time I had ever said his name.

But Wilfred’s eyes welled with tears. Setting the kitten aside, he wrapped me in a tight embrace. Perhaps it was the warmth of his unwavering companionship, after all these years that I didn’t resist him. After a brief hesitation, I even hugged him back.