That year of purest love, Wesley told me with red-rimmed eyes that her world was silent. To scrape together the two hundred thousand dollars for her cochlear implant, I worked three jobs a day. The calluses on my hands wore through layer after layer, and I couldn't even bear to buy a one-dollar bottle of water. My friends all laughed at me for being foolish: "You're literally selling yourself to buy her an ear!" I just smiled. As long as she could hear, anything I did would be worth it. The day Wesley got her cochlear implant, she held me and cried for a long time: "Ronald, you're so good to me. I'll never leave you for the rest of my life." I held her tightly, planning out our future together. The night I had saved up enough money to propose to her, I saw Wesley leaning against the window smoking and talking on the phone. The cochlear implant I had bought her was carelessly thrown on the floor. Her friend's sharp voice came through: "Have you actually fallen for that idiot? William will be back in three days!" She laughed, her tone casual: "What's the rush? I'm not done playing yet. When William comes back, I'll dump Ronald immediately." I closed my eyes, my palms clenched tight. So her deafness had all been an act. My two years of wholehearted devotion had been nothing but a scam.
Two minutes later, Wesley stubbed out her cigarette and walked straight toward me, her finger lightly touching the corner of my eye. Her voice was low and husky: "Having a nightmare?" It was just a normal expression of concern, yet it sent chills through me. Disgust welled up as I swatted her hand away. I suddenly opened my eyes and met her gaze: "You lied to me. You don't have any hearing impairment at all. Why would you do this?!" Unlike my breakdown, Wesley seemed to have been mentally prepared for this, as if she had anticipated this day would come. "What, I'm a normal person and you're unhappy about it?" Wesley glanced at the cochlear implant on the table and sneered, as if it were just an insignificant decoration. "You're the one who was full of himself. You're the one who was willing to work and earn money to buy me the implant. From start to finish, you never asked for my opinion." "I've already played along with you for two years—I've done more than enough. We're still dating just fine now, so why dwell on these trivial matters!" Trivial matters? I couldn't understand the person before me, couldn't comprehend how she could lie to me and still feel so at ease. Back then, I had felt sorry for Wesley's hearing impairment and how she never talked much with others. To help her regain confidence, I worked myself to the bone. During the most extreme few months, I even worked seven jobs a day, so busy I couldn't even stop to drink water. My friend Johnson laughed at me for being the ultimate lovesick fool, saying I was destroying my body for a woman. I shook my head and shot back with my eyes full of concern: "You don't know how hard the world is for disabled people. I don't want to see Wesley excluded anymore. I want her to see and hear the beauty of this world!" Later, I finally bought the latest cochlear implant on the market. Wesley stared at my bloodshot eyes and abraded fingers, stunned for a long while. She reached out to touch my face, her eyes reddening: "Ronald, you're so good to me. I'll never let you down for the rest of my life." Thinking back to those two years of sweet moments together, I felt nothing but chills running through my body. And the culprit acted as if nothing had happened, trampling all over my genuine feelings. "It's all my fault for not explaining this misunderstanding in time. You wouldn't break up with me over something this small, would you?" I opened my mouth blankly, unable to say a word. Wesley really knew how to manipulate people's hearts. She knew how deeply I loved her, that I couldn't bear to break up. Seeing me lower my head with my shoulders trembling slightly, a flash of something strange crossed Wesley's eyes—perhaps a hint of guilt. "Alright, it's all my fault. I won't lie to you again, okay?" I was about to press her further about who this William from the phone call was when a sudden urgent ringtone interrupted me. Wesley's usually composed eyes instantly filled with urgency—an excitement I had never seen before. "Ronald..." I opened my mouth to call her, but Wesley hastily changed clothes and rushed out the door, tossing out: "Something came up at work, I won't be home for dinner!" But I saw through it immediately. This was just her clumsy excuse—her sweetheart from abroad must have returned. I laughed at myself bitterly, my chest aching dully.
I got up and threw the cochlear implant from the table into the trash, then looked around this modest apartment. After Wesley and I officially got together following graduation, she had me move into this place. It was close to the subway station, convenient for commuting to work. Whenever I asked about the origin of this apartment, Wesley would brush it off: "It was left by my family." But what family would buy a newly renovated European-style apartment in the city center? It clearly had been personally designed by someone. But back then, my heart and mind were full of Wesley. I hadn't noticed these odd details at all. No wonder Wesley could easily land an internship at a big company right after graduation despite her disability, not even needing an interview. No wonder Wesley rarely wore her cochlear implant—it wasn't that she didn't treasure it, but that she didn't need it at all. So all of her experiences were fake. The hearing impairment was fake, the impoverished family background was fake, even her love for me and wanting to marry me were all fake! I closed my eyes, struggling to process the grief in my heart, thinking back to what she had said during that phone call. "Ronald is mine now. I'm not done playing yet!" "When William returns home, I'll naturally marry him!" Wesley, you really hid it well! At seven in the evening, I packed up all my belongings in the house. Since I had decided to leave, I needed to leave cleanly. My gaze swept over every corner of the apartment—the matching couple's dinnerware we bought together, the couple's slippers, the potted plant we spent two hours picking out... Memories were like a merciless hand, gripping my throat tightly, making it hard to breathe. Just then, the door was pushed open directly, and William's handsome features appeared before my eyes. "Who are you, and why are you in our home!" 'Our home'—it took me several seconds to process that. William quickly sneered, his slender finger pointing right at my face: "I remember now. You're that little lover Wesley mentioned out of spite, saying she wanted to marry you?" "Looks like her taste really is mediocre!" I ignored William's mockery and grabbed his provocative finger, flinging it down. "I'm not her secret lover. I'm her boyfriend. You're the one who's the homewrecker now." At these words, William's brow furrowed sharply, his eyes taking on a vicious edge. He smiled lightly, then suddenly his foot twisted and he crashed hard into the nearby shoe cabinet, groaning in pain. Wesley entered carrying shopping bags just in time to see this scene. William was clutching his waist, barely propping himself up on the floor, his features twisted in pain. I instinctively tried to explain, but Wesley slapped me across the face. My mouth burned with pain. I thought it might split open. "William just got back to the country—do you really have to target him like this!" "Don't you know William injured his knee and can't handle any impact? You're trying to cripple him completely!" Wesley's words were extremely harsh, as if I were some kind of irredeemable villain. But she knew full well I had never thought such things about anyone, never hurt anyone. Yet she only believed William's one-sided story. "I didn't—I never even touched him!" William immediately spoke up, cutting off my explanation: "Maybe your boyfriend doesn't want me here. I should just go stay elsewhere and not disturb you two..." "And about helping me with work when I return—you don't need to worry about that anymore. I shouldn't have come to you!" Hearing this, Wesley's heart immediately clenched. She quickly embraced William to comfort him, her eyes overflowing with tenderness. "William, we bought this apartment together. It's your home too. How can you not want me, not want this place..." After saying this, Wesley suddenly looked at me and issued an eviction order: "Ronald, you don't need to live here anymore. Move to a hotel—my treat!" I pulled at the corner of my mouth. So with just one word from William, I didn't even have the right to live here anymore. Perfect. I had no intention of staying anyway! I straightened my spine and dragged two suitcases toward the exit. As I passed, Wesley frowned at me, seeming to want to say something, but was interrupted by William's cry of pain.
The night was truly cold. Dragging two large suitcases, my body shivered as I sneezed several times in a row. Wesley used to be most afraid of me getting sick. Whenever the weather changed, she wouldn't let me go outside in the wind. Now, Wesley hadn't even called once. After checking into a hotel, I started looking for landlords to rent from, but then I received an anonymous video. In the video, William was tugging at Wesley's clothes, their tongues entwined, their faces flushed. He suddenly retrieved a black cochlear implant from the trash can, as if he'd found some amusing toy, and laughed: "Wesley, you've been playing it pretty wild here in the country behind my back—pretending to be deaf and mute?" Wesley glanced contemptuously at the filthy implant, snatched it away and tossed it aside, continuing to kiss him. She responded to William's words in fragments: "Just messing with him... Who told him to take it seriously... That thing disgusts me!" My breathing slowed instantly, until all I could hear was the strong pounding of my heart. So the hundred-thousand-dollar cochlear implant I had worked myself to death to buy her was just disgusting garbage in her eyes! I clutched my chest, trying to ease the discomfort there, my breathing becoming labored. Just then, Grandpa called me, asking cheerfully: "Ronald, when are you and Wesley coming back to visit?" After my parents died in a car accident, Grandpa became my only emotional pillar. I went back to visit him several times every year. Before, I went alone. Later, Wesley accompanied me. I didn't know how to face Grandpa, and fell silent. Grandpa was still beaming with joy, chattering away: "Wesley said you two are getting married this year. Grandpa will take his medicine on time and stay healthy so I can attend your wedding..." With each sentence Grandpa spoke, my shame deepened. I could only hastily hang up, unable to face him any longer. I blocked the burner account that sent the video and warned William: [Wesley and I will end things. You don't need to provoke me.] That day, I remembered I had left something at Wesley's apartment and took a taxi to retrieve it. I ran right into Wesley, who was about to go out. Looking up, I noticed several kiss marks on her neck—left by William. Wesley frowned and grabbed my arm, demanding to know why I hadn't been responding to her messages these past few days. I ignored her. "My mom said to come home this week for dinner to discuss wedding plans." I laughed out loud, looking at her with incomprehension: "Aren't you supposed to marry William? Why are you telling me this? Do you need me to participate in your wedding too?" Wesley looked down at me, annoyance flashing across her brow: "My mom doesn't like William. I won't hold a public wedding ceremony with him. The wedding agreement I gave you still stands—I won't owe you anything!" I was almost amused by these shameless words. "Wesley, from the moment you lied to me, we were already over!" "I'm not a tool for you and William to flirt with, and I'm not your cover for sneaking around!" "The wedding agreement is void. I won't marry you. Let's part on good terms from now on!" Wesley looked at me strangely, then laughed mockingly: "Ronald, don't be jealous like this. I'm not joking with you. Besides this heart that I can't give you, I can give you the title and everything else!" "Stop making a scene. My mom already had someone calculate an auspicious wedding date—it's next month!" "You don't want to disappoint your only living relative, do you?" Another naked threat and manipulation. Wesley had calculated that I couldn't leave her and couldn't bear to disappoint Grandpa. I was almost laughing with anger, my heart filled with despair.
Wesley threatened me with Grandpa's health, forcing me to continue playing the role of loving couple with her to reassure her mother, Fiona. "Ronald, out of all the boys around Wesley, you're the one who puts my mind most at ease. You two must have a smooth wedding and stay together for life!" Fiona's words left me mentally exhausted, yet helpless. For the next month, Wesley treated me with the same meticulous care and gentle consideration as before, accompanying me to try on suits and rings. Looking at the gleaming ring on my hand, I couldn't help but sneer: "Wesley, your sincerity is worthless. Aren't you afraid William will go crazy when he finds out?" At the mention of William's name, something strange flashed in Wesley's eyes. "I'll pacify William. He won't throw jealous fits like you do. You just need to play the role of a happy groom!" Sometimes I truly hated Wesley's cruelty, yet at other times I found myself helplessly drawn into this gentle whirlpool. I couldn't tell whether Wesley had ever felt even a shred of genuine feeling for me. As the wedding approached, Grandpa grew noticeably more excited, unable to sleep all night, whispering to me over the phone: "Grandpa's getting old. My only wish is to see you married with children. You've found someone you love—Grandpa is so happy..." "Grandpa has never seen you look so happy and content. Only this girl Wesley puts my mind at ease!" Listening to Grandpa's rambling, I suddenly couldn't bear to tell him the truth. It was just one wedding—I might as well fulfill this final wish for the old man. That's what I naively thought, never imagining that William's jealousy would strike so fiercely. The day I got off work, I was forcibly dragged into the underground parking garage. William threw two punches at me, furious: "Ronald, you're really shameless enough! Wesley doesn't love you at all, yet you still want to cling to her!" "You think that by stealing my position, you can be with her?!" "I'm telling you, I will never allow anyone to shake my position. Just you wait—I absolutely won't let you off easy!" William's words made my heart tighten. I couldn't help but mock him back: "Wesley is the one who insists on marrying me. If you're so capable, make her whole family change their minds!" "Oh right, Fiona can't stand your scheming nature anyway!" William's face flushed red with anger, his eyes practically shooting flames. He clenched his fists and said viciously: "Then just wait and see!" The day before the wedding, William sent me a string of strange numbers that looked vaguely familiar. When I tried to ask about it, he had already blocked me. On the wedding day, I kept feeling something was wrong, my heart filled with unease. Wesley still acted as before, playing the part of a qualified lover. For a moment, I thought we had returned to the past, back to when she still loved me. Suddenly my phone vibrated several times. It was an unknown number, and Grandpa's voice came from the other end. William must have said something to Grandpa. I could hear Grandpa's labored breathing and the two of them scuffling and arguing. I frowned and said "Hello," but no one responded. I took it as just a minor incident. Suddenly, people outside the wedding venue began to panic. Someone shouted: "Someone fell from the building!" My heart pounded frantically, my vision blurred, and I desperately ran over to check. Wesley followed as well, but lying on the first floor in agony was William. What was going on?! Wesley rushed down from the second floor like a madwoman, embracing William, her eyes crawling with bloodshot veins. William cried out: "Wesley, save me! Ronald and his grandfather worked together to try to kill me!" Hearing Grandpa's name, I frantically ran over, only to see him lying at the corner of the staircase, gasping for breath, his face pale, with several scratches on his body. "Ronald..." I strained to listen, but Grandpa's breath was weak, in a near-shock state. I shouted to Wesley: "Wesley, quick, get someone to drive! My grandpa is dying!" "Wesley, I'm begging you, please come save my grandpa. I promise I'll be obedient from now on!" The only response was Wesley's voice, dripping with disgust: "Ronald, you and your grandfather schemed to hurt William and made him break his leg. I'll definitely settle this score with you!" Wesley held William and rushed to the hospital, ordering everyone present not to call an ambulance for me. I held Grandpa's gradually cooling body, suddenly realizing something. I let out a heart-wrenching cry: "Grandpa!" The person ahead paused briefly in their steps, then sneered contemptuously: "Ronald, your acting is too clumsy. I won't believe you again!"
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "NovelMaster" app ? search for "396508", and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster