Chapter 3

"You probably don't know what love feels like, right? Do you know that when Luther was with me, he would cook for me and rush to be by my side the moment I got sick? The sweetest words he said to me were that he hoped I could be happy forever. "Has Luther ever told you he loves you? He used to tell me that all the time, but I always felt he was being silly…" Grace listened quietly and reflected on the three years she had spent with Luther. He had never once set foot in the kitchen or shown concern when she was sick, and he certainly never expressed any love toward her before. "Are you done?" Grace asked Casey in a soft voice with calm eyes. Her response took Casey aback. She felt as though Grace could see right through her because of how calmly she reacted. Even after Grace had left, she couldn't snap out of it. For some reason, Casey felt like she was once again the poor orphan who had to rely on charity from the Mitchell family. She realized that she would always be a clown in front of Grace. … Grace was obviously affected by Casey's words. The man she had adored for 12 years had once loved someone else so passionately. At this moment, her ears began to hurt again. As she reached up to remove her hearing aids, she noticed blood on them. She instantly cleaned the blood off out of habit and put them aside. It was impossible to sleep. So, she opened her phone and tapped on Instagram. Grace had several notifications from Casey's post, all of which directly tagged her. The first photo was of Casey and Luther during their college days. They were standing together, and Luther's eyes were filled with tenderness. The second photo was a screenshot of their chat. Luther adoringly wished her a happy birthday and promised to make her the happiest person in the world. The third photo was of them strolling hand in hand on the beach. There were more and more photos stacking up, suffocating Grace. She couldn't stand to look any further and hurriedly switched her phone off. At that moment, she felt like giving up. That day, Grace wrote in her diary, "I could've endured the darkness if I hadn't seen the light." The next day, she made her usual breakfast. But as the clock struck 6:00 am, Luther had still not returned home. Only then did she remember that he had said he wouldn't be coming back for breakfast anymore. Thinking he wouldn't come home, she dozed off lightly on the couch. "Didn't I tell you not to make me breakfast anymore?" A furious voice jolted her awake. Grace opened her eyes in shock and saw Luther walk past her with annoyance clearly written on his face. She instinctively apologized, "Sorry, I forgot." He turned to face her, his gaze chillingly cold. She was dressed in the same boring, pale gray clothes she always wore. Her plain clothes made it look as though he had been mistreating her. "Why didn't you forget to come home or forget that we're married or forget about yourself? You must be reluctant to leave because of my family's money!" His words were like blades, piercing right through her heart. Grace lowered her eyes and muttered, "Luther, I never wanted your money." What she cared about had always been him. Luther chuckled mockingly and questioned, "Then explain to me why your mother came to my company this morning and begged me to give you a child?" Upon hearing his words, she was utterly taken aback. As she stared at his cold and dark eyes, she understood he wasn't upset over last night. Luther didn't waste any more words with her and instructed, "If you want to stay in the Harrison family and make sure the Mitchell family doesn't fall, tell your mother to behave." With that, he rushed to retrieve his belongings from the study and changed his clothes before leaving. … Grace didn't need to go search for Carolyn because she had come to look for her instead. Carolyn's usual cold demeanor was gone. Instead, she held Grace's hand and said gently, "Grace, go beg Luther to give you a child. Even if it's through medical intervention, it wouldn't matter." Grace stared at her mother blankly, listening as she continued, "Casey told me that Luther hasn't touched you in the three years of your marriage." This was her final straw. There was no empathy in this world, only personal interest. She couldn't understand why Luther would tell Casey such a thing. Maybe he truly loved Casey. At the thought of this, Grace felt an odd sense of comfort. "Mom, let it go." Carolyn was startled and furrowed her brows as she asked, "What are you talking about?" "I'm tired. I want to divorce Luther…" Before she could finish her statement, her mother's palm landed hard on her face. The gentle, motherly image Carolyn portrayed earlier vanished instantly. She pointed at Grace and gritted her teeth. "What right do you have to speak about divorcee? Do you think a deaf divorcee like you can marry again? "How did I end up with such a stupid daughter like you? You're nothing like me! I should never have brought you back!" Grace stood there, numb. Her mother hadn't liked her since she was a kid. Carolyn was a well-known dancer, and having a daughter with a hearing impairment was like a thorn in her heart. So, she cruelly abandoned Grace to be raised by nannies and brought her back when she was old enough to attend school. Grace had heard from her teacher before that no mother in the world would detest their children. Hence, she worked hard to become great, hoping to satisfy her mother. Despite her hearing loss, she excelled at dance, music, art, and languages. However, she understood now that no matter how great she became, she would never be the daughter Carolyn desired. As Carolyn had stated, Grace was incomplete in terms of her health, family, and love. After her mother left, Grace applied foundation over the red slap mark on her face and took a cab to the lawyer's office alone. Inside the office, Derrick Jillman accepted the authorization document she handed him, read it, and stared at her with confusion. He used to represent Grace's father, Maxim Mitchell, when he was alive. "Are you certain you want to hand over Mr. Mitchell's secret inheritance to Luther? You know that he doesn't need this little amount of money." Grace nodded. "I know, but I owe him this. I must repay it." Maxim died in an accident three years ago. He made three wills before his death. Since he knew Carolyn didn't love Grace, he had Derrick secretly inform her about the final will. The final will indicated that after three years of marriage, Grace could use the money and didn't have to rely on anyone if she wasn't happy in the marriage or chose to pursue her profession.