Chapter 1

Halloween was around the corner, and it was pouring heavily. Grace Mitchell stood outside the hospital, looking frail as she clutched the pregnancy test report in her hands. Two words were written on it—not pregnant. "You've been married for three years and are still not pregnant?" "Why are you so useless? If you don't get pregnant soon, you'll be kicked out of the Harrison family! What will happen to us then?" Grace's mother, Carolyn Thornton, was dressed in glamorous clothes and elegant high heels as she pointed a disappointed finger at her. Grace's gaze was hollow, and all the words stuck in her throat finally condensed into a single phrase, "I'm sorry." "I don't want your apologies. I want you to have Luther's children. Do you understand?" Upon hearing her words, Grace's throat tightened as she wasn't sure how to respond. It had been three years since their marriage, and he had never touched her. So, how could they have a child together? As Carolyn stared at her, she couldn't help but find Grace weak and incapable. Finally, she left her with a cold remark, "If you can't get pregnant, help Luther find another woman outside. At least, he'll thank you." Grace gazed blankly at her mother's retreating figure, disbelief clouding her eyes. She couldn't believe her mother had just advised her to find another woman for her husband. This made her heart instantly turned cold. … On the way home, Grace couldn't stop replaying her mother's final words in her mind. Suddenly, her ears began to ring loudly, and she knew her illness was worsening again. At that moment, she received a message. It was from Luther Harrison. And it was the same message he had sent daily for three years. "I'm not coming home tonight." In their three years of marriage, he had never spent the night at home nor slept with her. Grace remembered their wedding night three years ago when he told her, "Since the Mitchell family dared to deceive me into marriage, you should be prepared to spend the rest of your life alone." The Mitchell and Harrison families formed a mutually beneficial business alliance three years ago. However, on the day of the wedding, the Mitchell family went back on their word and transferred all of their assets, including the billions of dollars paid by Luther to marry Grace. At the thought of this, Grace's eyes darkened. As usual, she replied to his text with a simple, "Okay." She had unintentionally crumpled the pregnancy report in her palm into a ball. When she got home, she threw it inside the rubbish bin. She was constantly exhausted around this time of the month. Hence, she didn't bother to prepare dinner. Instead, she slumped back on the couch and fell asleep. There was always a persistent ringing in her ears, one of the things Luther hated most about her. To a wealthy family, her hearing impairment was akin to a disability. Hence, Luther would never let her bear his child. The clock on the wall ticked with a dull sound. It was 5:00 am. In an hour, Luther would be back home. After waking up, Grace realized she had slept the entire night on the couch. She hurriedly got up to cook breakfast for him, not wanting to be even a minute late. Luther was precise about everything he did, especially with time. She had once forgotten to serve him breakfast on time because she had to attend her father's funeral, which resulted in him going on for a month without sending her a message or speaking to her. At 6:00 am, Luther arrived on schedule. He was dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, looking tall and reserved. He exuded a sharp masculinity. However, in Grace's eyes, he was distant and cold. He didn't spare her a look but pulled out a chair and sat down directly. "From now on, you don't have to make breakfast for me." She froze for a moment. "Did I do something wrong?" Her response was so modest that she didn't notice whether it was instinct or something else. Luther looked up and met with the same aloof expression she'd had for three years. He replied, "I want a wife, not a maid." Grace had consistently dressed in the same dreary gray for three years, and her text responses consisted of only one word. If it weren't for the marriage alliance and if the Mitchell family hadn't deceived him, Luther would never have married a woman like her. She wasn't worthy of him. His words made the ringing in her ears grow louder. Grace's throat tightened again, and she uttered the word he hated most to hear, "Okay." Suddenly, Luther felt a surge of irritation that even his favorite breakfast tasted bland. Hence, he stood up and roughly pushed his chair back, ready to leave. But unexpectedly, Grace found the courage to grab his hand. "Luther, do you have anyone you like?" Her sudden question made his gaze darken. "What do you mean?" She looked up at the man before her. He wasn't just the man she had married for three years but the man she had loved for 12 years. But now… Grace suppressed the bitterness in her throat. With Carolyn's words in mind, she said softly, "Luther, if there's anyone you like, you can be with her—" Before she could finish her words, Luther interrupted her. "Are you out of your mind?" … Ultimately, life was about learning to let go. After Luther departed, Grace sat alone on the balcony, looking at the rain. She had to admit that after 12 years of loving Luther, she still didn't understand him. The sound of the rain came and went, sometimes clear, sometimes faint. A month ago, the doctor had told her, "Ms. Mitchell, the nerves in your auditory system have degenerated, leading to further hearing loss." "Is there no treatment?" The doctor shook his head. "Medication doesn't effectively treat long-term nerve-related hearing loss. My recommendation is that you continue wearing your hearing aids for rehabilitation." Grace understood what the doctor meant. There was no cure. She removed her hearing aids, and everything became quiet. She wasn't used to such stillness, so she walked to the living room and switched on the television. Despite raising the volume to the maximum, she could hardly hear anything. Coincidentally, the TV was showing an interview with Casey Jensen, the worldwide pop singer who had recently returned to the country. Grace's hand trembled while holding the remote. It was not for another reason but because Casey had been Luther's first love. Years had passed, but Casey remained as gorgeous as ever. She was calm and composed in front of the camera today, unlike the shy, nervous girl who had formerly needed financial support from the Mitchell family. When questioned why she returned, Casey firmly stated, "I came back to win back my first love." The remote dropped to the ground, as did Grace's heart. The rain outside seemed to get heavier. She couldn't deny that she was terrified that Casey would snatch Luther away from her. Even as the heiress of the Mitchell family, Grace couldn't compete against her, who had no family background. After all, Casey had become an international pop queen who was full of confidence, and Grace naturally couldn't compare herself to her. Panic washed over Grace as she rushed to switch off the television and tidy up the untouched breakfast. When she entered the kitchen, she saw that Luther had left his phone behind. When she picked it up, she saw the unread text messages.