After noticing how I hadn't touched my food, Wales signed at me, "Joey, why aren't you eating?"

I looked at his face that was filled with concern and forced a stiff smile. "What are all of you talking about? You look like you're having fun."

Wales patted my head fondly. He signed, "I'm telling them about us. They're very envious of our love."

He lifted my hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. Everyone at the party saw the kiss and exchanged sly looks with each other. My heart felt like it had been thrown into a pit of fire, left to be burned until there was nothing but ashes remaining.

Wales had clearly been telling them about how he messed around with another woman while we were only separated by a single wall. He chose to lie to me, pretending he was telling them about our love. The way he had done it so easily led me to believe that he had also lied to me in the past.

"I'm tired. I want to go home."

I wanted to leave this dreadful place as soon as possible. I wanted to escape from these people who treated me as a laughingstock. I didn't care about Wales' response. I turned and left the party, sending a message to the driver to pick me up.

The driver brought me to Middleton Street, slowing the car to a stop in front of two shopping malls. When I raised my head, my vision was filled with the words being projected on the electronic billboards, which were affixed onto the two buildings.

"Marry me, Joey!"

Passersby stopped to snap pictures of the billboards while letting out envious sighs.

"As expected of Wales! Joey is so lucky to be loved by him. I wonder how much this cost him."

"I heard that Joey is deaf, which is why Mr. Price used this way to propose to her. I also heard he didn't just rent out these two billboards, but he even rented out all the billboards in Anaxia for this month to broadcast their proposal video at a specific time every night for everyone to see.

"It's so romantic!"

While everyone turned green with envy at how Wales treated me, I could only smile to myself in a self-deprecating manner. I quietly rolled up the window and told the driver to keep driving.

A week ago, I would have shared the passersby's excitement. I asked the driver to bring me here every day at this specific time to watch the proposal video Wales prepared for me.

Wales and I grew up together, and he had declared his intentions to marry me since we were children. After we grew up, he left the country to boost his career. When he returned, he was already the CEO of Price Corporation.

Meanwhile, I was still an ordinary woman with a complicated family background.

My father was a violent man who hit my mother until she couldn't take it anymore and ran away. My stepmother didn't like me, and after my younger sister was born, I practically became the maid of the family.

I used to think of myself as a damsel in distress while Wales was my knight in shining armor.

After Wales returned, he rescued me from my miserable living conditions. He also gave a large sum of money to my father to gain his blessings for our marriage.

It was why when we were caught in the car accident, I had willingly shoved Wales out of the way of danger. I took his place and was crushed under the wheels of the car before I lost consciousness.

The accident left me with broken legs and ruptured eardrums that led to my hearing loss. Wales had searched high and low for doctors to treat me, and I had followed their orders to the best of my ability. But nothing had worked.

A month ago, my best friend returned to Anaxia. She brought me to a doctor who was famous overseas.

The doctor told me that my eardrums were only damaged and could be healed with proper treatment. As for my legs, the bones had not been realigned properly during my first surgery. I just had to go through another operation, and the bones could be fixed into the right place.

The joy I felt was mixed with surprise. What the doctor told me was completely different from what Wales told me in the past. At the time, I still believed that he truly loved me. But now, I knew that it was his intention all along to keep me paralyzed.

Three weeks after my latest surgery, I regained my hearing. I could also stand up and walk around, albeit slowly. I had planned to surprise him at the wedding by walking down the aisle to him, walking toward the source of my happiness on my own two feet.

I had dreamed more times than I can count of hearing Wales say, "Good morning, sweetheart!" to me with my own two ears. It would be such a sweet and wonderful feeling.

But the first thing I heard when I woke up the next morning after regaining my hearing was the unmistakable sounds of Wales and Anna as they moaned sweet nothings to each other from the room next to mine.

Anna was Wales' assistant, and they had gotten together a long time ago. In the years when I was suffering from deafness, they flirted in front of me so many times while I remained clueless.

Pain radiated from my heart, forcing me to hunch over as I hugged myself tightly. Wales' earlier answer echoed in my mind.

Even after we got married, he would continue his clandestine relationship with Anna. To keep everything under wraps, he was willing to sacrifice my well-being and keep me as an invalid forever.

Although the winter gales were biting and burrowed deep down into my bones, the stinging cold also kept my mind clear.

I had loved Wales so deeply once that I had been willing to die for him. However, my love for him had shriveled up. I was going to prove to him through my actions that his web of lies would eventually be exposed.

I was going to show him that I would never tolerate being lied to.

I had only been lying on the bed for a while before a pair of strong arms wrapped around me from behind. I was so startled by the sudden touch that I started to thrash around. However, the person behind me tightened his hold on me.

It was Wales, and he reeked of alcohol and perfume that made my nose sting. I had smelled this scent on Anna before, and it made my stomach churn.

He signed to me, "The birthday party was for you, Joey. Why did you leave before cutting the cake? Did something make you upset?

"I'll bring you to see our new home tomorrow. I bought it just for you, and I've already renovated it, too. Once we're married, we can move there together."

He tried to kiss me after he was done speaking, but I turned my head away and said, "It's fine as long as you've made the decision. I don't feel like going."

When he noticed my indifferent response, his expression turned confused, and he signed, "Joey, do you not want to marry me anymore?"

Wales was acting so cautiously at that moment. Gone was the imposing air that usually surrounded him when he was moving about in the outside world. If I had not heard how he wanted to keep me a cripple with my own two ears, my heart would have melted at his careful behavior.

I wanted to come clean and tell him that I didn't want to marry him anymore. After all, he was the one who cheated on me first. He was the one who was enjoying the affections of another, extinguishing any hopes or expectations I once harbored for the wedding.

What right did he have to accuse me of not wanting to marry him anymore?

But I decided it wasn't yet time to expose his betrayal. At the end of the day, Wales was an extraordinarily powerful man in Anaxia. If I showed my hand to him too early, there was a chance that I wouldn't be able to leave Anaxia alive.

Under his watchful gaze, I sighed quietly and signed, "No. It's just that my legs are hurting. We can visit the house tomorrow."

The new house was located next to Anaxia's most affluent area, Middleton Garden. Wales had hired a famous interior designer from Fraux to supervise the renovation process. Every sharp corner of the house had been smoothed down into a curve to prevent me from accidentally bumping into it.

All the tables, chairs, and counters were also shorter than most furniture that was sold on the market, all to make it convenient for me to use them while I was in my wheelchair.

Wales had planned everything out perfectly with my wheelchair-bound state in mind. It was clear that he never once considered allowing me to stand up on my own two feet again.

As the designer introduced the different furnishings in the house, Wales translated his words to sign language for me. I didn't miss the envious glint in the designer's eyes as Wales caressed my shoulder with a smile. "Do you like it, darling?"

I looked around the room. I couldn't deny that the house fit my previous image of a dream home perfectly.

When we were dating, I had once told Wales that I wanted massive floor-to-ceiling windows in the house. I wanted to be able to stand at the windows and admire the blooming tulips in the yard outside.

Wales had remembered everything I told him and had made my wishes a reality. Unfortunately, he had forgotten something crucial. No matter how perfect the house was, now that I had lost his love, the house would remain just that—a house instead of a home.

"Joey, I've reserved this wall for our photos. We'll take a photo somewhere in the house every Christmas and hang it up on this wall. It'll be our tradition until we grow old."

I met Wales' gaze and saw how his eyes were filled to the brim with love. My heart clenched painfully, and I almost wanted to ask him why he chose to be unfaithful. However, I managed to suppress my sorrow at the last moment.

I signed, "Will your love for me last forever?"

Wales rushed to sign back as if he was afraid I would misunderstand if he took his time to respond. "You're the woman I chose. I'll love you for the rest of my life."

I turned my head away, not wanting to look at his traitorous face. He had already betrayed our promise, and yet, he could still lie to my face so easily.

The sound of a ringing phone cut Wales' passionate confession short. He picked up the phone while shooting me a smile. A flash of desire flickered in his eyes as he murmured, "Don't rush me. I'll be there soon to spoil you, my bunny."

He pretended that nothing was amiss after ending the call. He apologized, explaining that something urgent had come up at the company that he needed to handle. He told me to tell the designer if there was anything about the house that I wasn't satisfied with.

Assuming I couldn't hear him, Wales had flirted with Anna right in front of my face. I barked out a self-deprecating laugh. When the designer asked me if there was anything I wanted to change, I shook my head.

As the driver chauffeured me away from the house, I thought to myself that I wouldn't be able to watch the tulips in the yard blossom.

My plan was to leave on the day of the wedding while my corpse took my place on the altar. Naturally, I wouldn't move into this house after that. What the house ended up looking like after the renovations would have nothing to do with me.

When I returned home, the house was empty. I stood up and walked around to exercise my legs. It had been too long since I used them, so my movements were still stiff.

My phone chimed, notifying me I had received a message. Someone had sent me a photo.

In the photo, a woman wearing a skimpy bunny suit was leaning against a floor-to-ceiling window. The back of her suit had been ripped open, showing off the two dimples burrowing into her lower back. The woman's hair was a mess, her eyes hazed over.

Wales stood behind her, completely shirtless. His muscles were tense, and his hands were on her waist. The position they were in left little to the imagination.

A voice recording popped up in the chat in the next few seconds. The sounds of a man and a woman moaning together reverberated around the room when I tapped the play button, along with the sounds of skin slapping against skin rhythmically.

"Mr. Price," Anna moaned. "Wasn't the renovation of this house completed just recently? We're going to dirty the windows."

Wales let out a low chuckle. His voice was rough when he said, "Weren't you the one who asked the designer to install these floor-to-ceiling windows in the first place? You want me to press you against them while we do it like this."

The recording cut off there. It didn't take long before a new message popped up.

"I'm so sorry. I sent them to you by mistake. But it's okay since you can't listen to it anyway. If you're curious, I'll send you a transcript next time."

I thought I had gotten over my love for Wales, but the tears started pouring from my eyes uncontrollably after I was forced to face reality head-on.

My heart squeezed painfully. Wales had said earlier that he wanted to live with me forever in that house. But before I could even move in, he had already brought his lover there to leave their mark and show off his dominance.

I assumed he renovated the house according to my wishes when in reality, he had done so for the sake of his lover.

I suppressed the immense pain in my heart by breathing in deeply. When I lifted my hand to wipe my tears away, I felt something cold brush across my cheek. It was my engagement ring—a two-carat diamond set on a platinum band.

Ever since the day Wales put this ring on me, I had never taken it off. I had once believed it was a great honor for me to marry Wales, but that happiness was gone now, leaving nothing but feelings of bitterness. I took the ring off and threw it into the trash.

From the corner of my eyes, I noticed our wedding photo, which had been hung up on the wall. In the photo, we were gazing at each other lovingly. I knew now that everything was just a farce.

I grabbed a pair of scissors and cut myself out of the photo. After ripping that part of myself to pieces, I flushed everything down the toilet.

…

When night fell, Wales did not return. He sent me a message asking me to join a business banquet the next day.

Just like in the past, he wheeled me into the venue, garnering the praise of everyone as he passed by. They were praising him for his love and loyalty toward his crippled fiancée.

I understood now that the only reason he said he wasn't willing to leave me home alone while he went to these banquets was so that he could use me to elevate his image of being a hopeless romantic.

As always, after he wheeled me to the table, he disappeared. From where I sat a distance away, I saw how he grabbed Anna and dragged her into the restroom.

I received another voice recording soon after. It was filled with the sounds of Wales' and Anna's moans in the restroom. Anna had even included a transcript this time.

"Mr. Price, your fiancée is out there. It'll be bad if she catches us."

"My fiancée may be outside, but my treasure is pinned under me right now."

His declaration was followed by another string of moans.

Wales and Anna exited the restroom soon after with visibly rumpled clothes. Wales joined a group of business partners and engaged them in conversation while Anna approached me with a wine glass propped in her hand.

She made sure I wouldn't miss the love bite on her collarbone. After standing before me for a few moments, her fingers flew across her phone screen as she typed out a message.

"Are you satisfied with the transcript I sent you? Ms. Hertza, I'm the one who Wales loves. If you want to protect what little dignity you have left, you should leave Wales of your own accord."

I looked away and ignored her while quietly saving the evidence she had sent. I also sent out an order to have someone visit the house to install surveillance cameras. Since Anna was so fond of sharing recordings of herself in compromising situations, I would lend her a hand.

The business banquet was extremely boring. After noticing how Wales was still unwilling to leave, I told him that I was tired and wanted to go home. Wales' brows knitted together while Anna decided to interfere with our conversation.

"I'll send Joey out. I wanted to get some fresh air anyway."

Anna had just wheeled me to the middle of the road when a car started speeding toward us. She quickly stepped back and allowed the car to collide with my wheelchair, sending me sprawling to the ground.

The skin on my shoulder split open as it was dragged across the rough tarmac, leaving a bloody gash that was several inches long.

The car sped away as Anna walked in front of me. She patted my cheek and murmured, "Useless."

She dug her fingers into my bloody shoulder and smeared the blood all over her face and legs. When she was satisfied, she lay down next to me. I was in so much pain that I couldn't think straight.

Wales ran over to us not long after the accident. He stared in horror at the blood on Anna's body before picking her up and dashing to his car.

He didn't spare a single glance at me, although I was the one who was lying on the ground and in so much pain that my complexion had turned a ghostly white.

I could only stare at Wales' back. Anna's head was resting against his shoulder, and she shot me a wicked grin. She didn't need to say anything for me to understand her message. Wales had chosen her, and she was the victor.

I was eventually sent to the hospital by the driver. After being dragged across the road, I had suffered injuries on my shoulder and face. It would take some time before they would fully heal.

When I opened TikTok, I came across a picture of Anna's finger that was wrapped in a bandaid. The attached caption read, "Thank God you're okay. I swear I'll never let you get hurt again."

I had no more tears left in me from how much I had been crying the last few days. While Wales was busy worrying about the possibility of Anna's tiny scratch on her finger leaving a scar, he completely forgot about his bride that he was going to marry in a few days time.

The accident had nearly left me with a permanently scarred face.

I received a message from Wales that read, "Anna got hurt. She's my employee, so I'm going to stay with her in the hospital to take care of her for the next few days. You should rest at home. I'll see you at the wedding. Love you."

I found that I hardly felt any pain in my heart. All that was left was a feeling of numbness.

I replied coldly, "Okay. I've prepared a surprise for you at the wedding."

Wales replied that he was looking forward to the surprise, but I didn't respond.

The faking-death service's car with a fake licence plate was already waiting at the entrance of the house. I handed them a USB drive that had Wales and Anna's videos and voice recordings on it, reminding them to play the recordings during the wedding.

I also handed my phone to them to deliver to Wales along with my corpse during the wedding. I had left a recording of my last words on the device.

I wanted Wales to know that before my death, I had heard every single word they had let slip while they were flirting outside my room. I wanted him to wallow in his regret and guilt for the rest of his life.

The helper nodded and handed me a new ID and a plane ticket. "Understood, Ms. Michel. We will destroy all traces of your departure. We wish you good luck as you begin your new life."

I put on a pair of sunglasses and got into a car, which would drive me to the airport. As Wales' villa grew smaller and smaller behind me, I realized I was truly bidding farewell to my past.

The crippled Joey Hertza was dead. I was walking into a new phase of my life as Ella Michel.