Chapter 2

The video call with Eric ended.

I jerked my head up and looked outside.

Sure enough, through the small glass window, I spotted Eric lounging in the waiting area.

And of course, right beside him was my best friend, Emily.

Turns out, there were no clients, no business meetings at all.

He had been deceiving me all along.

My mind went completely blank.

Only when my hand shook so much that I spilled my coffee, did I finally snap out of it. The burning liquid soaked my clothes.

I couldn't believe it. Eric, the guy I loved most, and my best friend Emily, were actually hooking up behind my back.

I forced myself to stay calm, sat down in a quiet corner by the window, trying not to make a sound.

Their conversation floated in through the half-open window.

"She's calling again to keep tabs on me? Ugh, so annoying," Emily complained.

"Why even let it get to you?" Eric shrugged.

I shook my head, trying to clear the ringing in my ears, desperate to catch every word they were saying.

I was basically torturing myself, afraid I'd miss even a single word of their conversation.

I was still trying to fool myself, even at that moment.

Did I really hear that right?

Since I only recently recovered my hearing, I wasn't even sure what their voices sounded like.

Maybe I was just confusing things?

But the next second, Emily's voice came through, all sweet and whiny.

"Eric, I like this ring more. Give it to me instead," she cooed.

"No way, I already promised it to Sophia," Eric replied.

"So, I'm not as important as her in your heart, huh?" Emily pouted.

I bit down on my lip, not even realizing I'd broken the skin until the taste of blood spread in my mouth.

I wished so badly that Eric would talk back to her, just like he used to, time and time again.

I wanted him to choose me without hesitation, to stand by me as always.

"Alright, if you like it that much, you can have it," Eric said.

It was like someone just tore my heart apart.

It hurt so much.

Tears poured down my face, like pearls spilling from a broken string.

Who knew that being able to hear could hurt this much?

I remembered our second year together, Eric and I.

Eric's mother, Monica, found out about me.

She just couldn't accept that her son was with someone who couldn't hear or speak, so she tried every trick in the book to tear us apart.

She even locked Eric up at home and paraded a bunch of girls in front of him, hoping he'd pick one of them instead.

Eric finally snapped. He stood by the window, his eyes burning with determination.

He said, "I don't want anyone else! I only want Sophia.

"Since you all think Sophia's not good enough for me because of her disability, I'll make myself disabled, too."

He threw himself off the third floor and ended up with a broken leg.

He refused to go to the hospital and went on a hunger strike.

"If I can't see Sophia, there's no point in living," he said, his voice full of despair.

Monica finally relented, and from then on, she never interfered with our relationship again.

When I saw Eric lying there in the hospital bed with his leg broken, my heart broke into pieces.

Tears just kept falling, no matter how hard I tried to hold them back.

Even my hands shook as I tried to sign to him.

I signed, my hands trembling, "Eric, are you an idiot?

"It's not worth going this far for me."

Eric just smiled at me, silly and sweet, then gently kissed away my tears.

He signed to me, "Sophia, I'm not afraid of dying. Losing you is the only thing that truly scares me."

I just couldn't understand it. Eric once made it clear I was the only one for him and would've risked everything, even his life. How could he suddenly fall for someone else, just like that?

My phone buzzed.

I glanced down and saw that Emily had just posted a new update.

It was a photo showing off a ring on her hand.

The ring that should've been mine was now sparkling on her finger.

Her caption read: [Happiness is something you have to grab for yourself.]

Tears filled my eyes until everything turned into a blur.

It was like a giant hand was wrapped around my throat, squeezing tight. I could barely breathe, desperately trying to keep it together.

By the window, Emily rested her head on Eric's shoulder.

The two of them looked every bit like a couple in love.

"So, when are you going to tell Sophia about us getting married?" Emily asked, her voice soft.

Eric didn't say a word, just sat there in silence.

Emily complained, her voice tinged with annoyance, "Did you really mean it when you said you wanted to marry me in bed that night, or was that just a lie?"

Eric just smiled wryly and gave her cheek a playful pinch, looking at Emily with obvious affection.

He said, "I haven't figured out how to break it to Sophia yet."

"If you won't say it, then I will," Emily snapped.

"Chill out, Emily. Aren't you worried that if you tell her, you two might not even be friends anymore?" Eric tried to reason with her.

Emily scoffed.

"She's the one who should be worried! Without me, let's see how that pathetic cripple even manages to get by," Emily sneered.