With just one sentence, Beatrix ruined my life.

That lie shattered everything. My parents’ trust, their love, their pride in me… all of it was gone in an instant. From that moment, I wasn’t their daughter anymore. I was the reason Beatrix had suffered, the shame of the Charles family. My mother’s eyes carried disgust, my father’s silence burned deeper than words. Their love for me disappeared overnight, replaced by cold stares that never softened, even years later.

At her birthday banquet, walking into the grand hall felt like walking straight into a trap. Beatrix spotted Walter and me the second we arrived. She floated toward us in her golden gown that glittered under the chandeliers, her smile wide and bright like she was born for the spotlight.

“Rosine, Walter, finally!” she exclaimed, taking my hand as if she adored me. Then she gasped, covering her lips delicately. “Oh no, I almost forgot. You can’t hear me, can you? I should’ve learned sign language, but I never did. You won’t hold that against me, right?”

Her voice dripped with sweetness, but her eyes gleamed with something sharp.

My mother stepped closer, her tone cutting like glass. “Blame her? Beatrix, don’t be silly. If it weren’t for Rosine, you would have never been kidnapped in the first place. She’s the disgrace of our family. Deaf and useless.”

I bowed my head. I had heard it all before. Their cruelty never dulled, but it still stabbed the same.

Before I could speak, Walter stepped forward. He put a warm hand on Beatrix’s shoulder, “Rosine isn’t the type to hold grudges. Don’t worry about it, Beatrix. She understands.”

Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box, handing it to her like it was the rarest jewel in the world. “Happy birthday, Beatrix. I hope you like it.”

Her face lit up instantly. “Walter, you always know how to make me smile.”

As she tilted her wrist to adjust the box, the light caught on the bracelet she wore. My breath caught in my throat.

The bracelet.

The heirloom of Rutherford Crown Holdings. The one Walter once told me was lost. The one I had secretly hoped he’d give me when we first married. I had asked him back then, shyly, why he never gave it to me. His smile had faltered for a heartbeat before he kissed my hand and said, “It’s just an old thing. What matters is that my heart belongs to you.”

But now the truth was shining under the ballroom lights. The bracelet wasn’t lost. It was never mine to begin with. It was always hers.

A sharp pain spread across my chest, burning and hollow all at once. My hands trembled, but I swallowed it down. I couldn’t let anyone see me break.

“I… I need some air,” I whispered, slipping away before my tears betrayed me. The laughter and music faded as I pushed through the crowd, searching for the cold night to numb the storm inside me.

***

The garden lights were soft and golden, casting long shadows across the lake. The night air was cool against my skin, yet inside I felt hot and trapped.

I should have known she would come. Beatrix never missed a chance to cut me open.

When she walked out, her face had none of the sweetness she showed in front of others. The polite smile was gone. What stared back at me now was her real self. Sharp, cruel, smug.

"I really do not get you," she said, her voice low and sharp. "How do you still have the guts to show up here? No one wants you, but you act like you belong. Your shamelessness is almost funny."

Her words sliced through me, but I kept my eyes on the lake. If I looked at her, I knew the tears would fall, and I did not want to give her that victory.

She stepped closer, her perfume thick in the air, sweet and suffocating. "Do you even know why Walter married you? Poor thing. He never loved you. He only did it so you would not get in the way of me and Cali. He told me everything the night of your wedding. He told me I was the one he really wanted. He's obsessed with me… He married you to be near me. Not you."

The world tilted for a moment, but I forced myself to breathe.

Beatrix laughed softly, the sound like broken glass. "Look at you. Pathetic. A deaf wife who cannot even keep her husband’s heart. If I were you, I would not even bother living anymore."

Her words pierced so deep I could barely breathe. My silence must have pleased her, because she suddenly moved fast. Before I could step back, she threw herself into the lake. The water exploded around her, the splash echoing in the night.

"Help me! Someone, please!" she cried, thrashing wildly as though she were drowning. “Rosine! She pushed me! Help—”

I never expected the night to end like this. One minute the garden was full of laughter and music, the next it was Beatrix’s scream cutting through the air.

People rushed toward the lakeshore as she flailed in the dark water. Walter didn’t hesitate—he ripped off his suit and plunged into the lake like some hero in a story. He held her tight, his arms around her as if she were the most fragile thing in the world.

I stood frozen, my heart pounding. By the time he dragged her out onto the damp bank, Beatrix was trembling in his arms, water streaming from her gown. She looked like a doll, so pitiful, and her eyes wide with tears.

“W-walter…” her voice shook. “Why did she do that to me? If I upset you, Rosine, you could’ve just said something. You… you know I’m terrified of water because of those kidnappers who once left me drowning in a pool for fun. Why did you push me?”

The crowd gasped. My lips parted to defend myself, but before I could speak, my father’s sharp voice tore through the night.

“Rosine! How dare you lay a hand on your sister?”

He shoved me hard. My heels slipped against the slick grass at the edge of the lake, and the next thing I knew, the freezing black water swallowed me whole.

I can’t swim.

The cold was merciless, clawing at my chest, dragging me down into the heavy dark. I kicked and thrashed, but the lake pulled me deeper, panic ripping through me. Above, voices blurred together… gasps, whispers, maybe even laughter.

I forced myself upward, coughing as I broke the surface, choking on water. My eyes burned, my chest screamed for air.

And through the blur, I saw her. My father and mother, standing on the bank with their arms folded, glaring at me like I was filth.

“Stop the act, Rosine,” his voice was hard as stone. “You’ve always been a curse on this family. Letting Beatrix be kidnapped wasn’t enough? Now you try to drown her too? We should’ve left you the day you were born.”

The words hit harder than the freezing water.

My gaze darted back to Walter. Surely… surely he wouldn’t just let me die. He knew I couldn’t swim. He might not love me, but I wanted to believe he wasn’t heartless.

But then he opened his mouth.

“Do you even know Beatrix is pregnant?” His voice dripped with anger. “You could’ve killed her and my child. How could you?”

I shook my head frantically, trying to speak, but the lake stole my words. My body shook from the cold, my lungs screamed for air.

Walter’s jaw tightened. “Stay in there tonight. Maybe then you’ll realize what you’ve done.”

And just like that, he carried Beatrix away, her wet hair plastered to his shoulder. She clung to him like she belonged there, casting me one last look of triumph.

The guests drifted off. My parents left without a backward glance. Soon the garden was empty, the night air heavy with silence, broken only by the slow lapping of the lake against the shore.

I kicked weakly, but my arms felt like lead. The water was too heavy, too cold. My body wanted to give up until the darkness crept closer, slow and steady.

And then, suddenly, a splash. Strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me up through the black water.

Who was it? Who saved me?

***

When I finally opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was the ceiling of a private hospital room. Everything felt heavy, like my body was made of stone. Even breathing hurts.

I turned my head slowly and froze when I saw Walter sitting right there beside me. His hair was a mess, shirt wrinkled, like he hadn’t slept at all.

The second our eyes met, his whole face brightened like he was the most devoted husband alive.

“Rosine, thank God you’re awake,” he said quickly, squeezing my hand. “I’m so sorry I left you last night. I didn’t want to, you know that. But Beatrix wasn’t feeling well and Cali was out of town. I had no choice but to rush her to the hospital. She’s carrying our future heir, sweetheart. I couldn’t risk anything happening to her baby.”

He sighed, lowering his voice like he was being kind. “You understand, don’t you? The family would blame you if something happened to that child. Even your parents wouldn’t forgive you. I did it to protect you too.”

His eyes softened, almost pleading, like he wanted me to nod and accept it all.

I just stared at him. My chest hurt, but I forced myself to keep quiet. I wasn’t giving him the satisfaction of my tears anymore.

For a second, his smile faltered. Then he tried again, brushing his thumb over my hand. “Please don’t stay upset with me. You’re my wife. I care about you. I really do.”

I didn’t answer. I just turned my head toward the window, watching the sky, letting the silence swallow us both.

That night, my hospital room was too quiet. I sat on the bed, staring at the photo Beatrix had just sent me. My hands were shaking as I opened it.

It was Walter. He was leaning over her hospital bed, pen in hand, looking so tender and serious, like he was writing something that mattered. The caption under it burned into me:

“Your husband is the sweetest. He wrote me hundreds of love letters and stayed up all night for me. The maids said he only left when they told him you were finally waking up.”

My chest hurt so much I thought I couldn’t breathe. Before I could even put the phone down, another message arrived.

“Rosine, you will never beat me. Do yourself a favor and give up already.”

I bit my lip until I tasted blood. I wanted to reply, but my fingers froze. Before I could type a word, my hospital door opened.

A tall man in a sharp black suit walked in. He didn’t even look at me. He looked straight at Walter, who was standing by the window like he owned the whole world.

“Mr. Rutherford,” the man said politely. “Everything is ready. The press conference is set. Rutherford Crown Holdings will be transferred to Miss Beatrix tonight.”

My whole body went cold. I turned to Walter slowly, praying I had heard wrong.

But Walter smiled, calm and satisfied, like it was all part of a plan. “Good,” he said smoothly. “If my wife asks about this, just tell her the company went bankrupt. She does not need to know the details.”

Then he finally turned to me. His face softened instantly, his voice sickly sweet. He came close, and touched my hand lightly. “Baby, I just got news. The company is in trouble. I have to go fix it right away. Wait here for me, alright? Don’t worry too much. I’ll take care of everything.”

If I hadn’t regained my hearing, I would have believed him. He looked so convincing, like a loving husband under pressure. But I had heard it all. I know the truth now.

I only nodded, too tired to argue, and watched him leave without looking back. The door clicked shut. The silence after was heavier than anything I had ever felt.

I stared at the empty space where he had stood, my hands curling into fists. That was the moment I understood. There was no love left. No trust. Nothing to save.

I reached into my bag and pulled out the divorce papers I had been keeping for weeks. They were folded and worn, but still there, still waiting. I placed them on the table beside me, neat and ready.

Then I picked up my phone. I deleted everything. Walter. Beatrix. Even my parents. Each name disappeared one by one, like cutting strings that had been choking me.

For the first time in years, I felt a little lighter.

***

The press conference looked like a celebration instead of a business meeting. Reporters filled the hall, cameras flashing everywhere while Walter stood on stage with Beatrix right beside him. His smile was wide, proud, almost too perfect.

I was standing at the far end of the hall, half-hidden behind the crowd. Mask on. My eyes stayed on them even when it hurt, even when Alyssa clung to Dillon like she belonged there. I told myself not to care anymore, but my heart still betrayed me.

“This is the start of something bigger for our family,” he said into the microphone.

Everyone clapped. The applause went on and on, like the whole world was cheering for him. My parents were even in the front row, smiling and clapping so hard as if Beatrix’s victory was theirs too.

When it was over, Walter came down from the stage and immediately offered to drive Beatrix home himself. She held onto his arm, glowing like a bride on her wedding day. The sight should have broken me, but I just stood still, too numb to feel anything.

They were almost out the door when someone blocked their way. Aaron. His eyes flicked from Walter to Beatrix, then back.

“Been a while, Walter,” Aaron said with a half-smile. “Taking your sister-in-law out again? Strange you didn’t invite your wife. I was curious to ask her… about her ears. I wanted to see if she’s still struggling to hear.”

The words cut through the room sharper than any blade. Walter’s whole body stiffened. The smile slipped off his face, replaced by something darker.

“What are you talking about?” Walter’s voice was quiet but tense, like he already knew the answer. His eyes darted around nervously. “Rosine… she can hear?”

Aaron looked confused. “Yes. Didn’t she tell you? Her hearing came back yesterday and she was excited to tell you about it.”

That was it. That was the moment.

I turned slowly, not wanting anyone to see the tears already filling my eyes. My hand clutched my bag tighter, fingers brushing against the edge of my passport inside. It felt like the only thing I had left—my escape, my proof I could still leave this cage.

I walked out without looking back. My footsteps were shaky, but they carried me all the way to the airport. My tears kept falling, no matter how much I tried to hold them back.

At the counter, when I finally booked the flight, my voice cracked. “One ticket, please. First available. Paris.”

I pressed my passport into the clerk’s hands, clutching the strap of my bag so tightly it almost hurt.

And in my heart, I whispered the words that burned inside me.

“You will regret everything, Walter.”