Chapter 2

Averie put down her fork and stood up, not wanting to listen to any more of the lies.

As she got up to leave, Darren quickly followed suit and used sign language to ask, "What's wrong?"

Averie shook her head and replied softly, "I'm tired. I want to go home and rest."

Without waiting for Darren to respond, she walked out of the private room.

Once outside on the sidewalk, Averie looked up and saw a proposal video playing on the giant electronic billboard on an office building across the street.

The three big words "Averie, Marry Me" in the middle lit up the screen.

Passersby couldn't help but stop and stare at the screen, openly expressing their envy.

"Wow, I heard Mr. Harper's girlfriend is deaf, so he rented out the biggest screen on the tallest skyscraper in the city to propose, so she could see 'Marry Me' clearly. After she said yes, he let the video run for a whole month so everyone could send their congratulations," one person said.

"Mr. Harper really loves his girlfriend. He's definitely husband material," another commented.

But Averie, the focus of all the attention, could only manage a bitter, self-mocking smile.

Just a week ago, she reacted like any other passerby, believing in Darren's love wholeheartedly and convinced he would be the perfect husband.

Averie grew up in the orphanage home. At the age of nine, a high fever left her untreated, and she lost her hearing.

After that, she faced bullying and ridicule from everyone, both in the orphanage and at school.

Every day, relentless cruelty forced her to build walls around her heart, keeping others at a distance.

That was when Darren entered her life. He fell for her at first sight and pursued her without pause.

But Averie had been hurt before, so she always kept him at arm's length.

He confessed his feelings for her ninety-nine times, and she turned him down every single time.

Then came the earthquake. He immediately shielded her with his body, and even when a steel bar pierced through his shoulder, he stayed right there, protecting her.

When he finally woke up in the hospital, still weak, his first action was to sign to her. "As long as you're safe, that's all that matters."

That was when she discovered he had spent three whole months learning sign language to communicate better with her.

At that moment, the walls she had built around her heart finally began to break down.

After the accident, the scar from the steel bar remained, a permanent, dark mark on his shoulder.

Every time Averie saw it, her heart would race again.

For five years, Darren always treated her with kindness and showed her how genuine his love was.

Despite the objections from the Harper family, he went ahead and proposed to her, taking all the pressure on himself.

Averie was determined to hear Darren say "I do" at their wedding, so she took a big risk and went overseas for surgery to fix her hearing, making sure he wouldn't have to choose between her and the Harper family.

Maybe fate was finally smiling at her because the surgery was a success.

She planned to surprise Darren on their wedding day, so she kept her ability to hear a secret.

She had pictured the look of surprise and joy on Darren's face when he realized she could hear him at the altar countless times.

But on the day she returned from her trip abroad, she overheard Darren on the phone with his female assistant, and they boldly flirted with each other.

Then it hit Averie. Darren had been cheating with his assistant all along.

They had been hooking up for a whole year, and she had no clue.

The pain in her heart was so overwhelming that she sank to the ground, hugging herself tightly.

The words Darren had said in the private room kept echoing in her head.

Even with their wedding around the corner, it was clear he had no intention of ending his relationship with his assistant.

'Did Darren really think he could keep this from me because he thought I couldn't hear?' Averie thought bitterly.

The chilly winter wind cut through her, making her shiver, but it only made her more determined.

She was going to make Darren face the truth that no secret could stay buried forever.

And she wouldn't let him fool her anymore.