Chapter 1

To save Alex Grant in a car accident, Sophie Lane had been completely deaf for ten full years.

From age eighteen to twenty-eight, the most pivotal decade of a person's life.

Yet last night, she suddenly realized her ears could once again pick up the sounds of the world.

After Dr. Carter confirmed her hearing had returned, Sophie hurried to find Alex, eager to share the wonderful news.

She never imagined what she would walk in on: half-drunk, he was talking with his friends.

"Alex, it breaks our hearts to see you so miserable."

"Besides, the marriage certificate you got with Sophie is fake. Now that Lily's back, why don't you two get back together?"

"Exactly. She's been deaf for ten years because of you. You've already done more than enough for her."

Sophie's fingers tightened into fists. She waited, and at last heard Alex's voice, trembling and thick with sobs.

"Her presence reminds me every single moment that she lost her hearing saving me.

"But ten years have passed. I've endured this for a full decade. I've borne it far too long, long enough.

"You have no idea how agonizing it is to stay with someone you do not love."

*****

The room was dimly lit.

Standing outside the door, Sophie watched through the crack, heart aching, as Alex's tears fell like rain, one after another, splattering onto the floor.

Each burning tear hit her right in the heart.

The pain made Sophie shiver; she couldn't stop trembling from how much it hurt.

It was only now that she realized Alex had been suffering all these years, just being with her.

She practically had to cling to the wall to escape, and though it was only a few hundred feet, it felt like a century had passed before she made it out.

Once she got in the car, the calm she'd been forcing herself to keep finally shattered completely.

The streetlights in the distance flickered, turning into nothing but blurry spots of light.

She raised her hand to her forehead, only to feel the wetness on her fingertips. She hadn't even noticed when the tears had started to fall.

"Lily Evans.

"Lily Evans," Sophie whispered, letting the name linger in the air.

It had been years since she'd even heard that name.

So many years that Sophie had almost erased Lily from her memory, so many that she'd started to believe Alex had finally been moved by her and fallen in love with her.

But in the end, she realized she was just fooling herself.

She'd been so blind. She never realized that all these years, Alex had been hiding a love for Lily that was so fierce.

Sophie and Alex had known each other since they were kids. Their families' villas were right next door, and with their parents doing business together, they were practically neighbors.

Back then, Alex's housekeeper couldn't cook worth a damn, so he'd show up at Sophie's place every single day, mooching meals off her family.

And Sophie'd always be right behind him, tagging along like his little shadow.

They'd known each other for so long that Sophie couldn't even remember when she first fell for Alex.

Maybe it was when he was just a boy in a white shirt, ruffling her hair and giving her that gentle look after she bombed a test.

"It's just a bad grade, Sophie. Don't worry. I'll make a ton of money someday and take care of you," he said.

Or maybe it was when Sophie got her period and stained her pants, and the other people started laughing. Alex just took off his school uniform and tied it around her waist, not saying a word.

Then he turned around and beat the crap out of those jerks.

Or maybe it was when Alex's parents joked about their childhood sweethearts story, saying that after growing up together, Alex should marry Sophie once they graduated college.

Sophie's ears turned bright red as she listened to Alex's playful, unruly words.

"She's so dumb. If she doesn't marry me, who's going to protect her from getting bullied?" Alex said.

She was convinced Alex liked her, and that after college, he'd really marry her.

But then, in their senior year of high school, a new girl transferred into their class.

That new girl was Lily.

She was nothing like Sophie, who was always bright and cheerful. Lily was like freshly melted spring snow.

She was pure and fragile, the kind of girl boys wanted to protect, but girls couldn't help but envy.

From then on, Alex, who used to always have Sophie's back, kept taking Lily's side instead.

He'd tell the girls to leave Lily alone, and ran off any guy who tried to get close to her.

The final blow came just before graduation. Lily went and broke the limited-edition pen Alex had given Sophie for her seventeenth birthday.

Sophie loved that pen so much, she never even used it.

Watching her favorite pen smashed on the floor, her eyes welled up with tears.

But before Sophie could even say a word to Lily, Lily started bawling, acting like she was the victim, looking all pitiful and wronged.

Alex walked in just then, saw the scene, and shot Sophie a warning look, his brows furrowed.

"Sophie, I really misjudged you," he said.

"So you think being Miss Lane gives you the right to bully someone less fortunate? That's just cruel."

Sophie's eyes went wide, completely stunned that Alex would say something like that to her.

She opened her mouth, wanting to defend herself, but before she could say a word, Alex had already taken Lily's hand and walked away.

After the graduation ceremony, Lily left Alex behind and went abroad by herself.

The Grant family had people in both business and politics, holding high positions, but those two years were turbulent for them.

Alex was powerless to leave with Lily; he couldn't help but stay behind. He even begged her to stay.

But she didn't stay for him.

She even blocked him.

Young love burned so bright and hurt so much. Alex, devastated, drank himself into oblivion.

In that split second when the truck came barreling toward him, Sophie rushed over, shielding him with her own body.

Seeing Sophie lying there, covered in blood, Alex instantly sobered up; his heart froze.

He rushed over, cradled her in his arms, and broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. "Sophie, Sophie.

"Don't you dare die! I won't let you die! I'll be good to you, I swear I'll love you, okay? Just stay with me, please."

Sophie didn't die, but she lost her hearing.

And she stayed deaf for a whole decade.

From eighteen to twenty-eight, Alex cherished her like she was his whole world.

He learned sign language for her, tirelessly day and night, and made her breakfast every morning.

After Sophie lost her hearing and felt down, Alex took her traveling. One night, while she stood on a boat and casually said she wanted to see fireworks, the entire Harborview Bay lit up with fireworks just for her.

Everyone in their circle said Sophie was Alex's everything.

And Sophie believed it too.

Three years ago, she married Alex.

The wedding was so grand, everyone called it the wedding of the century.

Thinking back to that wedding everyone envied, and the vows Alex made to love her forever, Sophie suddenly covered her face, and her sobs, bottled up for so long, finally burst out.

If he really didn't love her, then she'd just let him go.