Chapter 2

Jane's POV

I walked out of the hotel and stood on the street, watching the endless stream of cars on the road.

Just as I was lost and didn't know where to go, my phone buzzed with a notification.

I didn't pay attention to it.

Before long, continuous messages bombarded my phone.

"Sweetie, have you been going for your ear checkups regularly? What did the doctor say? How much longer until you recover?"

"And your husband. He hasn't made you suffer, has he?"

"We miss you so much. When will you come back to see us? Or can we come visit you in New York?"

"Talk to me, sweetie."

"Talk to me talk to me talk to me."

All these messages came from the same person.

Looking at their concerned content, my chest ached, and my already blurred vision became even more blurry.

I unlocked my phone and replied.

"I promise I'll come back."

The response came extremely fast.

"Really? When?"

"After I settle things here. Within two weeks."

"That's wonderful! It's a promise then!"

I put my phone away and fought back tears.

If my marriage was fake, at least I'd skip the divorce.

But Claire caused my accident and my hearing loss. And Gabriel treated me like an idiot. I wasn't about to let that go.

Three days later, Gabriel finally came home.

But he didn't come back alone.

Gabriel didn't know my hearing had recovered yet. He took out his phone and typed for me to see.

"This is my friend Claire. She just returned to the country and will be staying with us for a while."

Claire glanced at the text and sneered at him.

"You call someone your friend but lock them in a hotel room for three days and nights?"

With me present, Gabriel clearly felt guilty hearing this.

But seeing I didn't seem to be wearing my hearing aids, he relaxed again.

Gabriel said with his back to me.

"Jane can read some lips. Stop making a scene. We agreed-you'll stay here as a friend first."

Claire turned her face away in displeasure.

She wore a high-necked top, but I still caught glimpses of marks on her neck.

I felt a bone-chilling cold, my heart aching like it was being carved with a knife.

I should have known Gabriel had been with Claire these past few days, but I never imagined he'd brazenly bring her home.

Not wanting to hear more hurtful words from them, I turned and went upstairs.

Gabriel froze for a moment.

Claire frowned.

"What's her attitude? She doesn't welcome me?"

Soon after, Gabriel came to the master bedroom on the second floor.

Seeing me standing on the balcony, he picked up the hearing aids from the bedside table and walked over to put them on me.

"Baby, are you angry because I haven't been home these past few days?"

Before, when he called me baby, I only felt happiness and sweetness.

Now, all that remained was endless irony.

Gabriel pulled me into his arms and said ingratiatingly.

"It's all my fault for being too busy and neglecting you. I apologize, okay?"

He smelled of a woman's perfume, making me feel nauseous.

I pushed him away and asked knowingly.

"What were you so busy with?"

He smiled and said.

"Work, of course. What else could it be?"

I admired how he could still lie without changing his expression.

Gabriel's voice became even gentler.

"I suddenly brought Claire back to stay. Are you unhappy about it?"

I looked into his eyes.

"Should I be happy?"

Gabriel paused, then said with guilt.

"It was wrong of me not to tell you beforehand. I'll make it up to you. Don't be angry, okay?"

He intimately lifted my chin, trying to kiss me.

Thinking about how he'd been with Claire these past days, how this mouth had kissed who knows where on her body, the nausea in my heart intensified.