Chapter 3

With that said, I got up and strode out of the private room.

Carl chased after me, managing to stop me in the corridor.

"Rebecca, stop joking around. Breaking up isn't something you should just bring up on a whim."

Joanna, who had followed behind Carl, said in a guilty tone, "I'm sorry, Becca. We truly did neglect your feelings this time. If you really don't want to eat spicy food, let's just forget it."

"You don't have to apologize to her. She's the one acting spoiled right now. Just because she's deaf, she expects the whole world to cater to her."

Carl shot me a cold look. Then, as though he had lost all patience with me, he reached out to yank my hearing aid from my ear.

There was a humming sound before a sharp pain shot through my ear.

The accident that followed only happened because I couldn't hear a thing, and so I didn't know that a little kid had run into a waiter. The boiling hot pot of stew the waiter was carrying crashed to the floor, splattering a few droplets onto my arm.

Immediately, blisters formed on my skin, and the pain made my entire body tremble.

However, what I did see was my boyfriend protecting another woman in his arms, not even sparing me a glance. It was exactly like how he hadn't realized I was trapped in the fire in my previous life, even up until my very last breath.

I picked up my hearing aid from the floor. Earlier, in his haste to protect Joanna, Carl had tossed it aside without a care.

Something flashed in Carl's eyes when he noticed the injuries on me.

"If it weren't for you throwing a tantrum and wanting to break up with me, we wouldn't be standing here in the corridor. You know you can't hear a thing, so it's your own fault for not being more careful too."

I stood frozen to the spot, utterly dumbfounded at his words. It wasn't until the ache in my eyes spread to my heart that I finally regained my composure.

If he hadn't taken my hearing aid away, I would've definitely been able to dodge aside in time. Besides that, it wasn't that I wasn't careful enough, but that he simply cared more about Joanna than me.

After that incident, I sought out my counselor and canceled my application to switch departments.

He said meaningfully, "Thank goodness you came to your senses. If you had transferred over, your future would've definitely been affected."

He was right—I knew absolutely nothing about music.

In my previous life, I managed to transfer over to the Music Department, but it took significant effort from me before I was finally able to graduate, if only just.

Joanna and Carl went on to become a famous songwriter and singer, respectively, while I ended up working at their studio, running errands for them.

Upon returning to my dorm room, I received a call from Mom.

"Becca, I've made you an appointment with an ENT specialist. Maybe there's a chance you'll be able to regain your hearing."

I hadn't gone to see the specialist in my past life, as Joanna and Carl had told me that the likelihood of me regaining my hearing was very low after being unable to hear for so many years. They had claimed that they didn't want me to get my hopes up, only to be disappointed once more.

At the time, Carl had even patted my head, saying, "It doesn't matter that you can't hear a thing. After all, you still have me."

Like a fool, I had believed them and allowed myself to become the target of their pranks, where they would take my hearing aid away from me. Year after year, this went on, until I ultimately lost my life at their hands.

"Becca, I won't force you if you genuinely don't want to go…"

I snapped out of my thoughts. "Alright, I'll go."

…

After a series of tests at the hospital, the doctor said, "There's still hope for your ears, though it's hard to say how much of your hearing you will regain. However, you absolutely mustn't injure them any further during treatment. Otherwise, the consequences would be irreversible."

I breathed a sigh of relief. As long as I could regain my hearing, I refused to give up on even the smallest chance.

With the doctor's note in hand, I applied for a leave of absence for the next semester.

On my way back to my room, I ran into Carl and Joanna.

Carl's expression changed when he spotted the test results I held. "Becca, are your ears feeling unwell?"

I replied placidly, "No, I just went for a check-up."

Carl looked as though he was going to press further, but Joanna frowned and spoke up first. "Becca, don't tell me you're thinking of getting treatment for your ears? Stop wasting your time. There's no way you can get them cured."

Hearing that, Carl instantly agreed, "That's right, Becca. Aren't you just making things difficult for yourself? It's not like I'm scornful of you being deaf."

Instead of responding to him, I turned my attention to Joanna and asked her, "You like Carl, don't you? That's why you're so insistent on me not getting any treatment for my ears."

Joanna's eyes widened before she said guiltily, "Carl and I are just good friends. If I wanted to get together with him, why would he be your boyfriend?"

Carl pinned me with a disappointed look. "Rebecca Jink, are you mentally twisted because of your physical disability? How could you slander Joanna and me like that? Apologize to her, now."

His last sentence was practically an order.

Ignoring them, I turned on my heel and entered the dorm building.

As I arrived at the second floor, I glanced out the window, just in time to see Joanna throwing herself into Carl's arms while tears streamed down her face.

Carl's eyes were gentle as he wiped her tears away and comforted her. "Don't mind Rebecca, Joanna. She's just being petty."