"Miss, why are you crying?" The voice near my ear sounded muffled once again.

So, my prayers amidst the rubble had been answered. When the earthquake struck, Jake was setting off fireworks to celebrate the return of his long-awaited sweetheart from abroad. How could a prayer like that go unanswered?

The hospital released the test results. The doctor informed me that I had blast-induced hearing loss. The powerful shockwave from the earthquake had damaged my eardrums. Whether it was reversible or not would require further observation. To assist with my hearing, I was fitted with hearing aids.

One day, Jake appeared in my hospital room. I was slowly making my way to the bed with the help of crutches. Seeing me in this state, he immediately frowned. He placed a thermos container on a nearby table and swiftly came over to lift me into his arms.

I froze, finding myself on the bed before I could react. I turned to meet his worried gaze.

"Does your right leg still hurt, Brenda?"

"It's my fault. I couldn't protect you," Jake said softly, his voice filled with guilt. The concern in his eyes seemed genuine.

Yet, an inexplicable bitterness welled up inside me.

"If I had been with you during the earthquake, you wouldn't have had to endure all of this alone." His voice was hoarse as he gently touched my face. He leaned in, as though about to kiss me as he usually did.

I turned my head away, and he paused.

"Really?" I asked quietly, looking at him directly. My throat felt dry as I inquired, "So, what were you doing while I was trapped under the rubble?"

Jake's eyes darkened slightly, and he lowered his gaze to conceal the unnatural look in them.

After a moment, he took my hand. "Brenda, I know you're upset, and I truly regret not being by your side then."

I said softly, "If you really regretted it, you would have come to find me the day I was brought to the hospital."

He fell silent.

The suffocating feeling in my chest grew stronger as I observed his reaction.

"When did Susie Luther come back?"

Jake's expression changed as soon as he heard her name. He responded almost instinctively, "Why are you asking about that?"

His defensive tone caught me off guard. It was as if he feared I might cause trouble for her.

Realizing his mistake, Jake changed his attitude. "I'm sorry, Brenda. I shouldn't have used that tone." He kissed my hand. "I just think you should focus on recovering and not let irrelevant people affect your mood."

He reached for the thermos he had brought, opening it to release a delicious aroma of homemade chicken soup.

When I watched him act this way, my heart felt as if it had been doused in vinegar. My voice remained calm but trembled slightly as I said, "So when you were setting off fireworks for her and receiving countless calls from me, did you consider me an irrelevant person at that moment?"

Hearing my words, Jake stiffened.

His voice strained as he asked, "You know about that?"

"The whole city knows. They're all wishing you a lifetime of happiness together," I replied, my voice eerily calm.

Jake frowned slightly and rushed to explain, "Brenda, it's not what you think. I was invited by a friend and only discovered it was her welcome-back party when I arrived. The fireworks were just a consequence of losing a game."

He spoke nervously, gesturing with both hands.

"We've been in love for seven years, and we're engaged. Please believe me, Brenda, I love you."

I gazed silently at the Tupperware container he had brought.

His voice sounded distorted in my ears.

After a moment, I let out a soft sigh, fighting back tears.

"Jake, it's been seven years. You know I'm allergic to eggs."

What he had brought was chicken soup with eggs in it.

Jake froze as if struck by lightning.

Then, realizing his mistake, he quickly closed the container.

"I'm sorry, Brenda. I've been so busy these past few days. I haven't been thinking straight."

"I'll go home and make you some plain chicken noodle soup instead, okay?"

As he spoke, he affectionately squeezed my hand.

I didn't respond, but my head began to throb.

Jake leaned in and kissed my forehead as if nothing was wrong.

His voice was low and serious: "I know I've made mistakes over the years, honey. Please be patient with me."

"But don't worry, I'll be a good husband."

After my confrontation with Jake, I felt completely drained. Even after a nap, my chest still felt tight.

I sat in the wheelchair and headed towards the elevator, planning to go to the ground floor garden. However, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a familiar thermos on a bench in the hallway. It looked exactly like the one Jake had brought.

Frowning slightly, I instinctively wheeled over to it. The nearby hospital room door was slightly open, and a soft, melodious voice drifted out.

"After all these years, you still remember I love chicken soup with eggs...

"Even though I got slightly hurt in the earthquake, it's worth it to taste your homemade soup."

Hearing this, I froze. As if drawn by some invisible force, I moved closer to the door.

And then, I saw that familiar silhouette. Then, I heard the voice that had just professed love to me in my room:

"Your love for fireworks, your fondness for chicken soup with eggs, and all your other favorites - I remember them all."

"So now that you're back in the States, please don't leave again."

In that instant, it felt like lightning struck me. My heart shattered into pieces. An icy chill spread from my chest to every part of my body.

So while I was trapped under the rubble, he was setting off her beloved fireworks.

He didn't come to the hospital right away because she was also injured.

It wasn't that he forgot about my egg allergy.

He had personally made her favorite chicken soup with eggs.

And I was just an afterthought.

After spending some time recovering in the hospital, I made the decision to be discharged. Before leaving, the doctor offered some advice, saying, "You need to take your hearing condition seriously. Even if there's no chance of recovery, try not to get too disheartened. It's not good for your health." I expressed my gratitude to the doctor and then proceeded to prepare a marriage annulment agreement before heading home to pack my bags.

It was at that moment when Jake called me.

"Brenda, why did you leave the hospital?" he asked.

As I changed my shoes, I replied casually, "Jake, let's break up."

There was a brief silence on his end, as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard. He then raised his voice in disbelief, "Brenda, what do you mean? Are you joking?"

Letting out a soft sigh, I responded, "I'm not joking. Come back home and sign the annulment agreement."

The moment he heard this, his tone became urgent, "You're home?"

Something about his tone made me feel uneasy.

In the next moment, a graceful figure emerged from the bedroom. She appeared to have just woken up, still looking somewhat drowsy.

Unable to clearly see who had arrived, she spoke in a sweet, alluring voice, "Jake, you're here."

I recognized her immediately. It was Susie Luther, who had recently returned after being abroad for seven years.

Surprisingly, I remained calm in that moment, as if I had already anticipated this scene.

"Come back immediately and deal with her," I calmly instructed over the phone.

As I tried to hang up, my hand shook so much that I missed the button several times.

"Brenda Larson?" I looked up to see the woman leaning lazily against the wall, her gaze scrutinizing me from head to toe.

After a moment, she casually remarked, "I didn't let you know before moving in, sleeping in your bed, and wearing your pajamas. I hope you don't mind."

Susie tugged at her collar, the hickeys on her neck clearly visible.

For a moment, my mind went blank. It suddenly felt as though a large hand was tightly squeezing my chest, making it hard to breathe.

Then, an indescribable wave of nausea washed over me.

They had sex in the bed I usually slept in, and she even wore my pajamas afterwards.

Couldn't the heir to Thompson Enterprises afford to buy a villa for his mistress?

It seemed that they had made me unknowingly part of their disgusting kinky game.

Fighting the urge to vomit, I asked, "Did you know that we had just gotten engaged?"

Upon hearing this, the woman raised an eyebrow. Instead of answering, she countered with her own question, "Did you know that I returned to the country on the very day of your engagement?"