I Can't Hear You

In the fifth year of my deafness, James Duncan finally proved his love for me to my parents.The day I found out I was pregnant, my parents finally gave in and agreed to our marriage.The wedding was set for February 19th.Then, on Valentine's Day, a miracle happened—I regained my hearing due to an accident.Overjoyed, I rushed to find James, eager to share the good news with him.He was in the bedroom, on the phone."Today is Valentine's Day. How about something exciting at your place—downstairs, in your car?"The voice on the other end was my best friend—Claudia Foster.I froze, confused. Slowly, I stepped closer. James turned around, smiling as he pointed to his phone and signed, "Hold on, babe. It's a client."When I was deaf, he never avoided taking calls in front of me. He would even put them on speaker sometimes.He chuckled softly. "Didn't you say you had a present for me?"Beneath his fake-serious expression was a teasing, playful tone.Claudia giggled. "I've got a

James didn't come home all night, so I went to the hospital alone for the procedure.Lying on the hospital bed, I called my mother.She was shocked. "Layla? Why are you calling? Don't tell me… You can hear again?""Mom, I'll explain later. About the arranged marriage you mentioned—I agree to it."There was a long silence before she let out a sigh."You're getting married on February 19th, aren't you? The invitations have already been sent. Why are you suddenly bringing up the arranged marriage now?"I paused for a moment before replying, "The wedding will go on, but we'll change the groom. Could you ask them if they're willing?"My mother hung up. Five minutes later, she called back and said, "They agreed."After hanging up, a wave of pain hit my abdomen, forcing me to curl up. It wasn't until the IV drip finished that I felt some relief.By the time I got home, it was already late at night.James was sitting in the dark living room, the glow of his cigarette flickering faint

My first meeting with Miguel wasn't as awkward as I had imagined.He had booked a table by the window, offering a perfect view of the ocean. Sunlight cast over his face, highlighting his sharp yet gentle features."Ms. Becker, as far as I know, there was supposed to be another groom on February 19th. Why the sudden engagement with me?"I lowered my head and remained silent for a moment before replying, "If this bothers you, Mr. Lampe, I can call off the wedding."I knew this was just my way of taking revenge on James. Miguel had every right to refuse.After a long pause, Miguel spoke again, "You called off your engagement because of that, didn't you?"He tilted his chin toward something in the distance. Following his gaze, I saw James strolling through the mall with Claudia, hand in hand.They looked like a happily married couple, while I was just the fool they had deceived.Having my humiliation so blatantly exposed made me feel ashamed. I lowered my head, at a loss for words.

I stopped in my tracks as James crawled on his knees toward me, rubbing his hands together anxiously."Everyone on the Internet is attacking me right now—I don't even dare to step outside. Please, help me out, will you?"Just clarify things online, tell everyone it was all a misunderstanding. If you won't do it for me, do it for our child!"His face lit up, as if he had just found his trump card. "That's right, the baby! Layla, you wouldn't want our child to grow up without a father, would you?"I found it laughable. "James, the fact that I haven't fanned the flames online is already the greatest mercy I can offer you."By the way, I've also been gathering evidence of your financial crimes," I added coldly, staring down at him. "If you don't want to end up in prison, you'd better stay out of my sight."As for the child—don't even think about it. I got rid of it a long time ago," I said."Impossible!" he roared in disbelief.I walked away without looking back, missing the hatred