Chapter 1

It was the rainy season. Alyssa Somner stood outside the hospital with the results of her pregnancy test in her hand. It was clearly stated that she wasn't pregnant. "You've already been married for three years. Why haven't you gotten pregnant yet? Why are you so useless? The Gray family is going to kick you to the curb if you still don't conceive. "What will we do when that happens?" Alyssa's mother, Heather Mallone, pointed at the former, looking disappointed. She was well-dressed and wearing heels. Alyssa's gaze was unfocused and empty. Everything that she wanted to say ultimately became a simple apology. "I'm sorry." "I don't want your apology. I want you to give Sebastian Gray a child. Do you understand me?" Heather snapped. Alyssa felt like something was lodged in her throat. She didn't know how to respond to that. She and Sebastian had been married for three years, but he'd never touched her. How could she fall pregnant? Heather saw how weak and helpless Alyssa looked. She couldn't help thinking the latter wasn't like her at all. In the end, she said icily, "If you can't do it, help Sebastian find someone who can. At least he'll owe you a favor for that." Alyssa stared dazedly at Heather as she left. Disbelief colored her eyes—her mother had just told her to find another woman for her husband. The cold wind seemed to enter her heart, making her feel cold all over. … On the way home, Heather's words reverberated in Alyssa's mind. Suddenly, her ears rang. She knew her condition was worsening. Just then, she received a text. It was from Sebastian, and he was telling her the same thing he'd said for the past three years. "I won't be back tonight." Throughout their three-year marriage, Sebastian had never spent the night at home, nor had he touched Alyssa. She still remembered what he'd told her on their wedding night three years ago. "Since your family had the nerve to trick me into this marriage, you should be prepared to spend the rest of your life in loneliness." Spending the rest of her life in loneliness… Three years ago, the Gray and Somner families had allied through marriage. Both families had already agreed on the benefits each would get, but the Somner family had gone back on its promise on the wedding day. It had transferred all of its assets, including the tens of millions of dollars in wedding gifts. Alyssa's gaze dimmed at the thought of that. As usual, she replied to Sebastian with an "Okay". She didn't even realize when she'd done it, but the report for the pregnancy test had become crumpled in her hand. When she got home, she threw it into the trash can. She always felt particularly fatigued when it came to this time every month. Alyssa didn't prepare dinner. She slumped against the couch for a while and slowly drifted in and out of sleep. While half awake, she could hear her ears ringing. This was one of the reasons Sebastian hated her—her hearing was impaired. To someone who came from an affluent family, she was basically disabled. How could he allow someone like her to bear his children? … The wall clock chimed. It was 5:00 am, which meant Sebastian would be back in an hour. Alyssa slowly woke up, realizing that she'd spent the night on the couch. She got up to prepare breakfast for Sebastian, afraid that she would be even a second too late. Sebastian was meticulous in everything he did and had strict standards for himself and the people around him. He returned at 6:00 am sharp. He wore an Etalian suit, showing off his tall build. His demeanor was cold; he was handsome and manly. But to Alyssa, he was always distant and cold. He didn't spare her a glance as he walked to the dining table. When he saw the breakfast she'd prepared, he mocked her. "You're like this every day. How are you any different from a housekeeper?" It had been three years, yet Alyssa always did the same things. She wore the same pale gray clothes and replied to his messages with the same old "Okay". If not for the fact that this was a political marriage that the Somner family had tricked him into, he would never have married someone like her! A housekeeper? Alyssa's ears rang again. She felt like something was lodged in her throat, but she swallowed it and mustered the courage to ask, "Do you have anyone you like, Seb?" Her sudden question made his expression shift. "What do you mean by that?" She looked up at him and suppressed her bitterness. She said slowly, "If you have someone you like, you can be with her…" Sebastian cut her off before she could get any further. "You're out of your mind." … Sebastian left, leaving Alyssa sitting alone on the balcony. She stared at the rain, her gaze unfocused. The sound of the rain was sometimes clear and sometimes muffled. Once she took off her hearing aid, her world would become completely silent. A month ago, a doctor had told her, "Your auditory nerve and various levels of the central nervous system have developed abnormalities, Ms. Somner. It's led to your hearing's further deterioration. If things continue to worsen, you'll become completely deaf." Alyssa wasn't used to the world being so silent. She went to the living room and turned on the TV, turning the volume up to the maximum. She could just about make out some sounds. She didn't know whether it was a coincidence, but an interview with Daisy Russell, the international queen of ballads, was being shown. She'd just returned to the country. Alyssa's hand trembled. Daisy was Sebastian's first love. It had been years since Alyssa had seen her; she was still as pretty as ever. She was confident when facing the cameras, unlike the shy, insecure young woman she'd been when begging the Somner family for a sponsorship. Daisy was confident and bold when the paparazzi asked her why she'd returned. "I came back to go after my first love. I want him back." The remote in Alyssa's hand fell to the floor, and her heart sank. The rain seemed to grow heavier. Alyssa hastily turned off the TV and went to clean up the untouched breakfast. When she got to the kitchen, she saw that Sebastian had forgotten to take his phone. She picked it up to see an unread message. "You must've been really unhappy these past years, Bash. I know you don't love her. How about we meet tonight? I miss you so much." Alyssa was still dazed when the phone's screen dimmed. … She took a cab to Sebastian's company. On the way there, she stared out the window at the unceasing rain. It was as if it would never stop. Sebastian didn't like Alyssa going to his company. So, whenever she had to go there, she would take the service elevator at the back, which people usually used to transport goods. When Malcolm Shaw, Sebastian's special assistant, saw her, he said indifferently, "Ms. Somner." No one in Sebastian's life thought of her as his wife. Her existence was more like something that couldn't see the day of light. Sebastian frowned when he saw Alyssa enter his office and hold out his phone. She was always like this—his lunch, a document, a shirt, an umbrella… If he'd forgotten anything at home, she would bring it to him. "Didn't I tell you that you didn't need to make a special trip to deliver anything to me?" Alyssa was taken aback. "Sorry, I forgot." When had her memory become so bad? Perhaps she'd been too scared after seeing Daisy's message. She was scared Sebastian would just suddenly disappear… Before leaving the room, Alyssa turned to look at Sebastian. Ultimately, she couldn't stop herself from asking, "Do you still like Daisy, Seb?" Sebastian found that she was acting weirdly of late. Not only did she always forget things, but she also liked asking weird questions. How could someone like her be worthy of being his wife? He snapped impatiently, "Go look for something to do if you have too much free time." Alyssa had tried looking for a job in the past. However, Sebastian's mother, Gretchen White, had asked her mockingly, "Do you want the whole world to know Seb has married a disabled person who can't hear properly?" In the end, Alyssa had given up on her job search and spent her days at Dove Garden, holding onto her position as Mrs. Gray, even if it was just in name. After getting home, Alyssa sat alone until the sky turned dark. She couldn't fall asleep. Suddenly, her phone rang. It was a call from an unknown number. She answered it to hear a woman's sweet yet fear-inducing voice—it was Daisy. "Liss, is that you? Bash is drunk. Can you come and pick him up?" … Alyssa arrived at Sense Club. When she got to the private room Daisy had told her about, she heard the scions inside whooping and cheering. "You came back to win Sebastian's heart again, didn't you, Dee-Dee? Now's the perfect time. Hurry up and tell him how you feel!" Daisy had a sweet appearance and was outgoing. That, coupled with the fact that she was Sebastian's first love, made these scions want to get her and Sebastian together. Daisy didn't shy away. She said to Sebastian, "I like you, Bash. Let's get back together." This was what Alyssa heard when she arrived. The people in the room started egging Sebastian on, especially his good friend, Timothy Stone. "You've waited for Dee-Dee for three years, Seb. Now that she's back, you should tell her how you feel and accept her!" Alyssa stood stiffly at the door, her heart pounding. Just then, someone pulled the door open from inside. "Ms. Somner?"