Chapter 1
Adam risked everything to save me and ended up losing hearing in one ear.
He was a piano prodigy, but when he suddenly lost half of his hearing and faced crushing medical debt, his future in music was ruined, and I didn't hesitate to break up with him.
However, three years later, Adam won the world piano championship and became famous for it.
During an interview, someone asked, "Now that you've made it this far, who do you most want to share it with?"
He let out a chuckle, but he couldn't hide the hatred in his eyes.
"My ex, who makes me sick. If I ever get the chance, I'd really like to meet her face to face again," he said.
Seeing Adam's mocking smile on the screen, I felt my heart tighten all at once.
He never knew that when he lost his hearing, I was the one who gave up my own eardrum to save him.
The only 650 dollars I had left in my pocket was all placed on his piano contest entry fee.
*****
The giant screen was looping an interview with the world piano champion.
Just as I was watching, the champion himself appeared right in front of me.
Adam looked flawless, wearing a suit that seemed to fit him perfectly, radiating a polished, almost untouchable aura.
I was standing there in my simple clothes, handing out flyers to a crowd in the cold. I was almost invisible, blending in with the masses without anyone noticing.
The two of us were worlds apart.
My eyes widened at the sight of him. In a daze, I heard his mocking laugh.
"Evelyn, who would've thought we'd cross paths again? Passing out flyers, huh? Guess your life hasn't been too kind since you ditched me," Adam sneered.
His eyes, which once held the kind of warmth that made me feel like I was everything to him, now burned with open contempt.
It felt like my heart had been dumped into a bucket of ice. Automatically, my hand reached up to my ear, but then I remembered I had lost something.
When Adam was crowned champion, some punks crushed my hearing aid underfoot.
For now, I could only hear out of one ear. Compared to him, I was indeed barely getting by in life.
A woman was standing beside him. She was small, pretty, and had a venomous edge to her words.
She said, "Hey, Evelyn, you know how my mom and dad always said I wasn't as pretty or smart as you? Well, I guess they were right. But at least I've got a decent heart. I'd never dump my boyfriend when he's broken, helpless, or even going deaf because of me.
"Only a real heartless snake would do that. You even sold yourself out for just 650 dollars to another man. Honestly, you make me sick."
The one running her mouth was Cordelia Hughes, my cousin.
She had been jealous of me since childhood and always had something nasty to say behind my back. For the record, I couldn't stand her, either.
Adam knew all about the history between me and Cordelia.
But now, Cordelia was openly clinging to Adam, meeting my gaze with a taunting smile.
The one person I'd loved the most, and the one I hated the most, were together now.
To twist the knife even further, Adam pulled Cordelia into his arms, his gaze cold as it swept over me.
"Evelyn, now that you see me living the dream, I'm wondering if you regret leaving me?" Adam asked.
I stared at him, part of me wanting to congratulate him on his success. But as my fingers brushed against my broken hearing aid in my pocket, the words slipped out before I could stop them. "Yeah, I regret it. So, can you give me 1,500 dollars?"
It was enough to cover the cheapest hearing aid.
The doctor had warned me not to go too long without one, or I'd lose my hearing for good, and I might even forget how to talk.
But I was flat broke.
I'd only just paid off the debt from Adam's eardrum transplant.
"Evelyn, I really overestimated you. Still chasing money, huh?" Adam scoffed, grabbing my hand. "Is cash all you care about? Is there nothing else you want to say to me?"
His eyes were burning with anger, fixed on me with a glare.
That raw hatred hit me like a sledgehammer, crushing me from the inside.
Then, all of a sudden, my ear started ringing, like a million cicadas screaming in my ear.
I slapped my hand over my right ear, desperate to block out the noise.
Cordelia frowned, like she was afraid of something. Without missing a beat, she grabbed Adam's arm.
"Alright, Adam, you figured her out three years ago, didn't you?" Cordelia asked. "There's no point in getting tangled up with a backstabbing, ungrateful woman. If you keep hanging around, she'll think you can't move on. The party's about to start, so let's not waste any more time on her."
Adam's eyes burned with anger, but after a beat, he let go of my hand. "Cordelia, you're right. She's nobody. She never meant anything to me."
He turned to me, "Evelyn, I have to admit it's fun to watch you struggle. Bet you don't know. Right after you walked out on me three years ago, someone donated an eardrum to me. My piano contest fees? Covered. Even my surgery bills were paid by someone else.
"Once you were out of my life, everything started looking up. My career took off, and I found someone new, too. Amazing, huh?"
He didn't wait for me to respond. Instead, he affectionately ruffled Cordelia's hair, his eyes softening with that same warmth he used to show me.
"Can't help but chat with an old acquaintance. Getting jealous already? Let's go," Adam teased.
Cordelia flashed him a sweet smile. "Okay."