Chapter 2

Thea set her fork down and rose from the table, unable to stomach another moment of Terrence's hollow declarations. When he noticed her preparing to leave, he scrambled to his feet, hands flying in urgent signs asking what was wrong. She shook her head, keeping her voice low. "I'm tired. I need to go home." Without waiting for his reply, she strode from the private room. Emerging onto the sidewalk, she lifted her gaze to the LED display on the high-rise opposite her, where their proposal video still played in a relentless loop. "Marry me, Thea Lundy!" The blazing letters commanded the center screen. Passersby sighed with sentimental admiration as they absorbed the message flashing across the LED display. "Wow! I heard Mr. Hatcher's fiancée is deaf, so when he proposed, he rented the LED screen on the city's tallest skyscraper just so she could clearly see 'Marry Me.' And after she said yes, he kept the video playing for a whole month so everyone could celebrate with them." "He must be completely devoted to her. No doubt he'll be the perfect husband." Thea—the very woman they were discussing—could only muster a joyless smile. Just a week earlier, she'd shared their starry-eyed conviction, absolutely certain of Terrence's devotion, believing him to embody every quality of an ideal spouse. Thea had spent her childhood in an orphanage. At nine years old, a fever stole her hearing when medical care came too late. From that moment on, the bullies at the orphanage and school marked her as an easy target. Years of relentless cruelty had taught Thea to construct fortress walls around her heart, sealing it off completely. Then, Terrence entered her life. Smitten from their first meeting, he pursued her with determined persistence. But having been tricked before, she kept rebuffing his advances. 99 times he asked her to be his girlfriend, and 99 times she refused. One day, the earthquake hit. Without hesitation, Terrence shielded Thea with his body. A piece of rebar pierced clean through his shoulder, yet he never budged from his protective stance. When he awoke in the hospital with only the faintest strength, his first act was to sign his relief at her safety. Only then did she learn he'd secretly studied sign language for three months just for her. Thea felt the first fissures form in her defensive walls. The rebar injury never fully healed, leaving a permanent circular scar the color of burnt umber. Each time she saw it, an ache bloomed in her chest. Throughout their five years together, Terrence's devotion never faltered. He proved his love relentlessly, standing firm against the Hatcher family's fierce disapproval when he proposed to her. Thea longed to hear Terrence say "I do" at their wedding. She couldn't bear to force him to choose between her and his family, so she traveled overseas for the risky ear surgery, fully aware the operation might claim her life. Against all odds, it worked. Thea guarded her restored hearing like a precious secret, saving the revelation for their wedding day. She'd imagined countless times how Terrence's face would light up with shock and joy when he discovered she could hear again. But nothing prepared her for what she actually heard—Terrence's shameless phone flirtation with his assistant on her first day back. That was how she learned about the yearlong affair happening right behind her back. The pain slammed into her with such force that she crouched on the ground, arms locked around her knees. Terrence's response from earlier kept looping in her head. He wasn't going to end things, not even with their wedding approaching. Did he actually think her deafness meant she'd never catch him? That he could keep lying to her forever? The winter night's breeze needled at Thea's skin, but her resolve burned hotter still. She was determined to show Terrence that all lies get uncovered eventually. And deception? That was beyond forgiveness.