My Secret Revenge: The Billionaire’s Son Who Played Mute The day I was diagnosed with cancer, I indulged myself. I picked up a poor, mute college guy. He was cool and distant, but incredibly adventurous. To please him, I pushed my body to its absolute limits. Bungee jumping, car racing, diving, skydiving… Everything I shouldn’t do, I did with him. My savings quickly dwindled. While waiting to die, I secretly went to the hospital to sign organ donor forms. I planned to donate my heart to his ailing mother after my death. But then, on the Chief Doctor’s desk, I saw a photo of him wearing a luxury watch. The Chief Doctor smiled, “This is my son. A top student. But he loves playing games. Lately, he’s been pretending to be broke and mute as part of some role-playing game.” “He even said the girl he’s been playing with is old-fashioned and boring, and he’s ready to find a new playmate.” I laughed, tears streaming down my face, and tore up the donation forms. “I’m willing to join the new cancer drug trial, but on one condition.” “I want your family, the Evans, to adopt me.”
The moment I saw Julian’s photo, I felt like a lightning bolt had struck me. He leaned languidly against a yacht railing, a luxury watch on his wrist, surrounded by various beautiful women. One pretty girl snuggled into his arms, wearing a matching watch. It was the exact same face, yet utterly different from the Julian I knew. I remembered the Julian who had rubbed his eyes that morning, signing for a good morning kiss. My temples throbbed as if drills were boring into them, and my vision blurred with pain. *Ding.* My phone vibrated. It was a message from Julian. “Lena, I handed out flyers for half the morning today and earned thirty bucks. I bought you a bracelet.” I tapped the picture, and my breath hitched. I recognized that bracelet. Last night, I’d accidentally found a velvet gift box in his backpack. Inside was an exquisite, beautiful four-leaf clover bracelet. But the identical one on my screen now had chipped plating and a crooked gem. It was clearly the cheapest knock-off. So, Julian bought a genuine one worth 50,000, then a thirty-dollar dollar-store trinket. The dollar-store trinket was for me. What about the 50,000 one? Was it for the girl on the yacht? I suddenly remembered looking at that bracelet a bit too long in a mall display last month. Julian immediately signed to me: “I’ll buy it for you when I have money.” Now he had “bought” it. I thought of the other gifts I treasured in my tiny apartment’s cabinet. Faded earrings, a cashmere scarf with loose threads, a bag with an embroidered ‘JY’ tag… He seemed especially keen on buying me cheap, counterfeit versions of designer brands. Before, I’d just thought he didn’t recognize those brands. Now, I realized he was doing it on purpose. Or even worse, for every genuine item he bought for another girl, He’d get me, the “old-fashioned and boring” big sister, a cheap, barely-worth-anything junk item. What a hilarious way to mess with me. *Ding*, my phone vibrated again. “Why aren’t you replying? Don’t you like it?” I slowly typed: “I like it. Thank you.” Julian quickly sent another picture, a promotion for a ski resort: “Let’s go skiing this weekend. They’re having a sale.” “Oh, and a few of my friends are coming too. You don’t mind, do you, big sis?” I looked at the so-called sale price: $199 per person, not including equipment rental. It was the money I could make from one night of food delivery. I stared at the screen and suddenly laughed out loud, my eyes burning with tears. It seemed that in moments of extreme absurdity, people really do want to laugh. Dr. Evans across from me looked at me strangely. “Are you alright, dear?” I put away my phone. “Nothing. Just saw a joke. It was really funny.” “Let’s continue discussing the new drug trial.”
Due to the nature of the medication, the drug trial process would be extremely painful. And the chances of a cure were very low. Therefore, no patient was willing to gamble on that tiny survival rate. With the project approval deadline approaching, Dr. Evans, as one of the drug’s developers, was anxious. When I offered to try the drug, her eyes lit up, then she asked, confused: “Why are you making such a request?” Suppressing the gnawing pain in my chest, I forced a smile. “My parents always favored my sister; I’ve never felt any real family love.” “And,” I pointed to a photo frame, “I also want a handsome younger brother.” Dr. Evans glanced at Julian’s photo and smiled knowingly. “Alright. If you can endure the three-year trial period, I’ll make you my daughter.” My goal achieved, I let out a sigh of relief. After signing the non-disclosure agreement, Dr. Evans looked at me meaningfully. “Fight to stay alive.” I nodded vigorously. “I will.” I turned to look out the window at the magnolias on the branches. They were beaten down by the fine snow, looking weary and drooping. Yet, they stubbornly clung on. Just like me, I had planned to die this winter, but the pain had jolted me back to life.
I didn’t reply to Julian’s messages again. Even when he later sent, “Can we just say I borrowed it from you for now?”, I ignored him. I sat on the couch, quietly waiting for him to come home. It was past nine when Julian appeared. His handsome face was a stormy mess. He threw his keys heavily onto the shoe rack, making a harsh clanging sound. Before, in such moments, I would walk over, gently tug his sleeve, and sign to him: *Are you mad?* Then he would deliberately put on a stern face, waiting for me to coax him. But not today. I sat on the couch, flipping through my hospital re-examination reports. I had never told Julian about my illness. He thought I just had severe anemia. At this moment, I suddenly wanted to know, what if he knew I was dying? Would he regret all the ways he had played me? I pricked up my ears, hearing him place a glass heavily on the kitchen counter, then deliberately slamming the fridge door. He was waiting for me to speak, waiting for me to give in like before. But this time, I just silently clutched the lab reports, the paper rustling between my fingers. Julian completely missed my expectation. He only cared about *his* expectations. Seeing that I still wouldn’t give in, he finally couldn’t take it anymore. Julian grabbed his jacket, gave me a cold glance, and signed: “I’m going back to school to stay.” I didn’t stop him. The moment the door slammed shut, I got up and followed him out. He made a call at the apartment complex entrance, his cool, deep voice carried to my ears by the night wind: “Kyle, pick me up.” “Where else would I be? At that old hag’s place.” “Call Amber too. I have a gift for her.” This was the first time I had heard Julian’s voice. Usually, I could only hear a few involuntary, choked gasps escape his throat during our intimate moments. Even those few sounds, I could tell how sexy they were. I had asked him how he lost his voice, if there was any chance of a cure. He tugged at his lip as he signed: “I got sick and burned my vocal cords. Doctors say there might be hope abroad, but the medical bills would be over a million.” At the time, I thought: when I die, I’ll donate my heart to his mother. Then, for my other organs – corneas, kidneys, whatever – I’d find buyers beforehand. No matter what, I had to raise enough for his medical expenses. Making him speak again became my last wish. Now I wasn’t dead yet, but I had already heard his voice with my own ears. Both ridiculous and pathetic.
Julian entered an exclusive club. The security guards at the door bowed and fawning over him; he was clearly a regular. I followed him in. Standing in the shadows of the hallway, I peeked through the half-open private room door. Inside, the lights were dim, and liquor bottles were piled on the table. The moment Julian walked in, someone on the sofa immediately started teasing: “Well, well, Julian, not with your older sister tonight?” He scoffed, loosened his tie, and tilted his head back, guzzling half a glass of wine. “I’ve been with her too much lately. She’s forgotten who she is.” The girl I’d seen in the photo, Amber, leaned closer, her fingers ambiguously tracing his collarbone. “Julian, do you have something for me?” Julian pulled out a gift box from his pocket. “Here, have it. Something to play with.” Amber opened it, pouting slightly, clearly not thrilled. “Isn’t this last year’s style?” Julian glanced at it. “Yeah, I was going to give it to *her*.” “What? What? I thought you only gave her dollar-store junk?” The group of rich kids quickly crowded around. “Julian, you didn’t develop feelings after sleeping with her, did you?” I stood in the shadows by the door, clenching my trembling fists. Julian was silent for a moment, then slowly blew out a smoke ring. “What are you talking about? An old-fashioned, stingy old woman like her? Do you think I’d be interested?” “I was just thinking, I’m tired of playing anyway, the reveal will happen in a few days.” “To be fair, she wasn’t bad to me, so I’ll just fob her off with this outdated piece.” Another round of mocking whispers and jeers erupted from the crowd. I was meters away, yet it felt like I was plunged into a bottomless abyss. “Julian, actually, that girl isn’t ugly, she’s quite delicate-looking. After you break up, if I comfort her while she’s heartbroken, I might be able to win her over, right?” Amber slapped Chad, the guy with the bleached hair who spoke. “No way, that girl looks sickly. What’s your taste?” Chad chuckled. “I just like delicate beauties… Julian, does she actually have an illness?” Julian swirled his wine glass. “What illness could she have? Just a little anemia, she’s just being dramatic.” Amber covered her mouth, giggling. “Exactly! Julian, you swapped her medicine on her nightstand a while ago, and she still hasn’t noticed, has she?” Her sweet, mocking laughter, like a nightingale’s song, pierced my ears like needles. No wonder my disease progression had accelerated. It was because Julian had swapped the expensive specialized medicine I’d scrimped and saved to buy! A wave of metallic heat surged in my throat. I covered my mouth, desperately swallowing it down. Inside the private room, Julian seemed agitated, checking his phone repeatedly. Amber leaned onto him. “Julian, why aren’t you paying attention to me?” Julian pinched her chin, laughing flirtatiously. “What’s the rush? I’m just waiting to see when Lena gives in. Are you jealous?” “Don’t worry, she’s about to be history.” He finished, then leaned down and kissed her. A burst of whistles and laughter erupted in the private room. I stood outside the door, my fingers digging hard into my palms, yet I felt no pain. I slowly took out my phone and sent him a message: *I’ll take you all skiing this weekend.* Almost immediately, a deafening cheer erupted from the private room. “Damn! She replied!” “Julian, you won again!” Julian lazily held up his phone, the screen light reflecting his triumphant smile. He waved it at everyone in the room and said: “See? What did I tell you? She can’t live without me.” Amber giggled, collapsing into his arms. “You promised, Julian. After skiing, you’ll take her to my family’s hotel for my birthday party, then announce your identity, and then announce our relationship.” Julian paused, then bit her ear. “Of course.” After they finished their intimate moment, he bent down and tapped on his phone. Soon, I received a reply: “Okay. I’m busy with classes these next few days, so I won’t be back. See you at the ski resort this weekend.” I replied with a single “Okay.” Then I turned and left. The club hallway was long, and my shadow stretched long and thin, profoundly lonely. The night wind was still cold, but this time, I didn’t cry.
Back in my cramped rental, I packed up all of Julian’s things. What he gave me, I threw in the trash. What I gave him, I burned or shredded. Not a single scrap was left. I opened my most cherished “bucket list” photo album and tore out each picture— The first time bungee jumping, Julian had an arm around my pale face, flashing a peace sign at the camera; The first time car racing, I got out of the passenger seat with trembling legs, and Julian, dressed in his racing suit, stood by the car door, reaching out to me; The first time diving, I fainted on the beach, and Julian nervously gave me CPR; The first time skydiving, I clung to the plane door, refusing to let go, and Julian forcefully pushed me from behind… All those “first times” for me were “last times.” All those things I’d risked my life to do with him, I thought they would become his cherished memories for life. But they were all just part of his routine. All the things I crossed off my bucket list, then rewrote as his “unfinished business,” Were all just things he took for granted. Looking at the empty album, the bitter knot in my chest finally dissolved into tears, flowing out uncontrollably.
The weekend arrived as scheduled. When I got there, Julian and his friends were already geared up. From a distance, a group of them stood outside the ski rental hall, laughing and roughhousing. As I got closer, I realized there were far more than just “a few friends” as he’d said. All the familiar faces from the private room were there. Julian was the first to see me. He walked over, signing apologetically: “I’m sorry, big sis. I didn’t expect so many classmates to come.” “If you didn’t bring enough money, I can put it on my credit first.” I looked into his amber eyes and slowly shook my head. “It’s fine. I have enough.” Amber intimately linked her arm through mine. “Lena is so awesome, big sis! So rich!” The others joined in with their feigned enthusiasm. “Thank you, big sis!” “Big sis, you’re so beautiful and kind!” I could tell not a single word was heartfelt. Their eyes scanned me back and forth, like they were evaluating a fake that was about to be exposed. Julian glanced at them, the corners of his mouth tensing slightly. When it was time to pay the deposit, I pulled out a stack of scattered banknotes from my bag. There were crumpled fifty-dollar bills, and ten-dollar bills with curled edges. Amber exaggeratedly gasped, “Wow! Lena, big sis, you didn’t smash your piggy bank, did you?” I calmly nodded. “I did.” Julian’s head snapped towards me. He knew about that piggy bank. I had bought it when we first got together, specifically to save for our “travel fund.” I told him that when we saved enough, we’d go to Iceland to see the Northern Lights. He had smiled then, signing: *Sounds great! I also want to go to Antarctica to see penguins.* At the time, I didn’t respond. What he didn’t know was that I only had enough time left to save for that one trip to Iceland. I wanted to see the Northern Lights at the last journey of my life. I wanted Julian to accompany me on the final trip of my life. But now, the jar was empty. Julian stared at me. “We’re not going to Iceland?” “We are,” I replied casually. “I found other ways to make money.” Everyone around us immediately started teasing, feigning congratulations for my “newfound wealth.” Only Julian’s face grew darker.
Amber volunteered to guide me. “Newbies fall easily. I’ll teach you, big sis.” Julian glanced at her and nodded. “Amber is a great skier, follow her.” He trusted her. Seeing their glances back and forth up close, I finally understood that some gaps were like an unbridgeable chasm. Even if I built a bridge to the heavens, I couldn’t reach him. Amber led me towards the beginner slope, but halfway, she suddenly veered off, heading towards the edge of a steep, deserted slope. “Big sis, there are too many people here. Let’s go somewhere emptier.” I had no objections. I knew she had something to say to me. While we were paying earlier, Julian had kept his eyes on me. But she had kept her eyes on Julian. I wanted to hear what this girl, who was also playing me for a fool, would say. If I could, I also wanted to tell her: *You are already so talented. Even without playing these backstabbing games to pit women against each other, you could still receive so much love.* But she didn’t give me that chance. Amber took my hand, her voice growing colder. “You heard everything that day, didn’t you, big sis?” “I saw you hiding by the door, like a rat in a gutter.” I gripped my ski pole, not answering. Amber scoffed. “I thought you would end things voluntarily. I never expected you to be so shameless, willing to be played for a fool just to cling to Julian.” “Do you know how much Julian despises you?” “He said you’re old, ugly, and dirt-poor, that you even buy your underwear from dollar stores.” “That scarf you gave him? He threw it to Buddy, my dog.” “Oops, I guess I never told you, Buddy is my dog.” The edge of the ski slope was right there, and beyond it was a bottomless snow pit. Amber didn’t stop. I realized what she was about to do and tried to stop her, but I couldn’t shake her off. “You’re crazy!” Amber chuckled, then suddenly sped up and slammed into me. A sharp pain exploded from my chest. I fell almost uncontrollably into the snow pit. My ears felt like they were filled with water, and I vaguely heard Amber screaming from above: “Ah! My leg!” Loud, chaotic sounds quickly approached. Many people must have gathered around. They were shouting Amber’s name. It must be her friends. “She pushed me!” Amber cried, tears streaming down her face. “I was just trying to teach her, but she deliberately harmed me!” I lay at the bottom of the pit, a searing pain in my right leg. Snow foam poured into my collar, making me shiver with cold. I tried to get up, but the snow was too soft; every struggle made my body sink deeper. I wanted to deny it, but as soon as I opened my mouth, bloody froth gushed out. I could only look up, hoping Julian would glance down at me. But he didn’t. Neither did any of those people. The footsteps quickly faded away. They acted as if they didn’t remember I existed. They abandoned me at the bottom of the pit. My phone vibrated. It was a text from Julian: “You are so malicious. Amber was just trying to teach you how to ski. Was it really necessary to do something like this just because I was getting a little close to her?” “I really misjudged you.” I read these two messages repeatedly. After reading them for the fifth time, I suddenly understood. No matter how I struggled or hesitated, or found excuses for myself, The end result would still be Julian discarding me like trash. He didn’t even believe me. How could he possibly love me? I waited in the snow pit until the sky turned completely dark. My phone rang again. “Amber’s birthday party is tonight at the Blue Flame Resort. Come apologize.” I laughed, then turned and called Dr. Evans. “Dr. Evans, it’s Lena.” “Could you please pick me up at the north slope of the ski resort? I’ll send you the coordinates.” “After that, let’s go straight to the research center. My illness seems to have worsened.” She agreed quickly. After hanging up, I deleted all of Julian’s unread messages. Above the snow pit, aurora-like neon lights twinkled in the night sky. What a pity, I thought. We were supposed to see them together in Iceland. If I’m lucky enough to see him again, I should call him ‘brother’ now.
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