Nathan was ashamed of my stammer and never brought me into his social circle. At a gathering with friends, his buddy joked, “How do you argue with a stammerer?” His childhood sweetheart laughed and said, “It takes her three minutes to say one sentence. So stupid. Last time she couldn’t get the words out, she almost cried from frustration.” Everyone burst into laughter. “Looks like he’s not planning to make it official.” Nathan shrugged carelessly, “She’s just a mute. I’ll dump her when I’m bored.” Later, I appeared at a banquet on the arm of his older brother. Speaking fluently. Nathan grabbed my wrist and demanded coldly, “When did you get better?” The man beside me put his arm around my waist and said with a smile, “Sorry, she’s always been quite sharp when it comes to cursing.” I rushed into the bar through the pouring rain, only to find the atmosphere inside at its peak. Nathan was kissing his childhood sweetheart Sophia amidst the cheers of the crowd. He held her chin gently, a smile playing on his lips. Sophia was crying, tears streaming down her face. She looked utterly pitiful. Nathan’s eyes darkened. “Still want to run away?” She shook her head between sobs. “No more running. I just beg you not to bully me anymore.” “Good girl. Drink this, and I won’t bully you,” he coaxed. I forgot to push open the door, frozen in place. A dull ache spread through my heart, as if countless needles were being buried inside. I had been with Nathan for three years. He was ashamed of my stammer and never brought me into his social circle. His childhood sweetheart Sophia had abandoned the down-on-his-luck Nathan years ago to pursue opportunities abroad. Now that she was back, Nathan immediately introduced her to all his friends. Sophia downed a glass of strong liquor, clearly already drunk. She clung helplessly to Nathan’s neck, looking utterly vulnerable. The possessiveness in Nathan’s eyes grew more intense by the second. Before things could get worse, I chose to push open the door and enter.
“Nathan, your m-medicine…” I stood dripping wet in the doorway, my voice trembling. On rainy days, the joints in Nathan’s fingers would ache terribly. It was an old injury from when he saved me years ago. I had run here to bring him his medication. Nathan’s eyes flashed with annoyance. “It’s still raining outside. Why did you come?” he asked coldly. “I was w-worried you’d be in p-pain—” Nathan gestured for a waiter to take the medicine, cutting me off. “It’s too rowdy here. Go home.” “Aww, Nathan really cares about his girl, huh?” one of his friends teased. Sophia was curled up in Nathan’s arms, gazing at me through hazy eyes. She was wrapped in Nathan’s jacket. Nathan was afraid she’d be cold, so he’d had the staff turn up the air conditioning. His friends were sweating but didn’t dare complain. Now that’s what you call caring. Suddenly Sophia tugged on Nathan’s sleeve, slurring, “Let her sing for us, okay?” “You want to hear her sing?” Nathan’s expression softened, pleased by Sophia’s conciliatory gesture. He knew full well that with my stammer, singing would only humiliate me. I took two steps back. “I-I’ll go now.” Sophia suddenly burst into giggles, mimicking me: “I-I’ll g-go now.” Nathan’s eyes lit up, a faint smile touching his lips. He grabbed Sophia’s wrist. “Let her go. Why are you leaving?” My face burned with humiliation. I turned and pushed open the door. As I left, I heard one of Nathan’s friends ask: “How do you argue with your stammering girlfriend anyway?” Sophia mumbled drunkenly: “It takes her three minutes to say one sentence. So stupid.” “…Last time she couldn’t get the words out, she almost cried from frustration.” Nathan let out a derisive laugh, his eyes overflowing with affection for Sophia. “You ungrateful little thing. You forget all the good I’ve done for you, and just get jealous of others.” “Nathan, when are you going to break up with the stammerer? Looks like you’ll be taking Sophia to a hotel tonight, huh?” another friend chimed in. Nathan leaned back on the sofa and said coldly, “She’s just a stammerer. I’ll dump her when I’m bored.” Then he looked at Sophia, a hint of something dark flashing in his eyes. “As long as it makes Sophia come back to me, it’s all worth it.” But he didn’t know that my stammer had already improved greatly. I had come tonight wanting to share the good news with him. Now it seemed there was no point.
I walked out of the bar in a daze. The sky was gray and it was still raining. A black Bentley was parked out front. I made my way to the car through the rain, wiping raindrops from my lashes. The window rolled down, revealing a sharp, handsome profile. The man inside wore a black suit that couldn’t hide his noble air. “Mr. Fu, I’m sorry to disappoint you,” I said softly. The cold man sitting in the car was Nathan’s older brother and the head of the Fu family business. Ethan. A few months ago, he had sought me out with a straightforward proposition. “Nathan is my brother, so I hope things go well between you two.” Presumably for the sake of his precious brother’s happiness, Ethan had brought in specialists from abroad and spent a great deal of money. That’s how my stammer had gradually improved. But now, Nathan no longer loved me. Ethan’s gaze shifted from his tablet to me. He uttered two words: “Get in.” I opened the car door, careful not to get water on the leather seats as I climbed in and huddled in the corner. Ethan had a unique aura about him. Dignified and reserved. Inspiring both respect and fear. He hung up a business call and turned to me. “So, want to consider liking someone else?” “What?” I met his cold, emotionless gaze, my heart tightening. Ethan spoke as if discussing a business deal. “You could marry me.” “Everything Nathan has, I have too. Even more.” “In terms of benefits, I’m the better choice.” Silence fell in the car after he finished speaking. Raindrops drummed on the roof. Like a frenzied symphony. I hadn’t processed his words yet. “Why…?” It seemed like he was… trying to steal his own brother’s girlfriend… Ethan’s lips curled slightly, his eyes still cold and clear. “You know Grandfather is pressuring me to get married. If you’re willing to help, all the better.” “As a reward, I’ll give you everything you want.” “Of course, you can refuse me. I’ll give you time to consider.” In that moment, I glimpsed a true businessman. Ethan was more mature and steady than Nathan. He knew how to control the big picture. And how to maximize benefits. The Fu family had saved my life. With such an enormous debt of gratitude, I didn’t seem to have grounds to refuse. Finally, I said carefully, “I’ll think about it. But if you find someone you like in the future, we should still get divorced.” Ethan’s gaze returned to his tablet. He said softly, “We’ll see when the time comes.”
That night, Ethan dropped me off at my rented apartment. I watched the black car disappear silently into the twilight, then opened my phone. Nathan had posted on social media a few minutes ago. The background was a hotel room. Sophia was curled up asleep beside him, her lips slightly swollen and her long hair disheveled. The caption read: “So obedient.” I looked up at the sky, taking several deep breaths to suppress the urge to break down. I sent Nathan a message saying “We need to talk.” He didn’t reply. It was as if he had died. I knew Nathan would never come back to me. For a whole month, Nathan completely disappeared. Finally, I gathered my courage and sent Nathan a breakup message. I blocked him on all platforms and married Ethan. Ethan was very busy with work and left on a business trip the day we got our marriage certificate. After leaving the civil affairs office, Ethan had his driver take me to his villa in the city center. He also had my things moved over from my rented apartment. On the third day after getting married, Ethan was still out of town. As night fell, the villa felt empty and quiet. I turned on a small lamp and walked into the master bedroom. The bedroom was done in gray and white, with a minimalist style and spacious layout. The walk-in closet next door was filled with Ethan’s expensive clothes and watches. And… a few of my clothes. At 10 PM, I heard the front door open. Thinking Ethan was back, I opened the bedroom door. A familiar voice drifted through the crack. It was Nathan. “My brother’s out of town. We’ll stay here tonight.” I heard Sophia’s breathless voice. “Nathan… I can’t breathe.” Nathan’s low chuckle. “You’ll have plenty to endure later.” In the silent, empty night, I curled up on the bed, listening to the sounds from next door, feeling like I couldn’t breathe. When Ethan pushed open the bedroom door, my eyes were swollen from crying. Teary-eyed, I asked, “Mr. Fu, why are you back early?” He had his jacket draped over his arm, as if he’d come straight from the front door. He hadn’t even taken time to put away his clothes. Travel-worn. His body carried the chill of the night air. “Why are you crying?” he asked. That cool tone somehow gave me an immense sense of security. He took off his watch and cupped my chin, leaning down. “This is your house. Why didn’t you ask them to leave?” The hot, rough touch of his fingers scorched my skin. My ears instantly turned red. “He’s your brother…” Ethan had been willing to cure my stammer for Nathan’s sake. What right did I have to throw out his own brother? Just then another strange sound came from next door. Sophia’s voice was soft and coquettish. I tried to get out of bed to find some earplugs, but in my haste I tripped over a stool. My knees hit the floor with a thud. “Ah…” I cried out in pain. Next door suddenly went quiet. Ethan sighed and bent down to pick me up. “What’s the rush?” He was carrying me out of the bedroom when suddenly there was a knock at the door. Nathan called tentatively, “Brother… did you… bring someone home?” The next second the doorknob started to turn. I froze, not daring to move. In the urgent moment, Ethan calmly supported me, pressing my back against the door. Frightened, I quickly wrapped my arms around his neck. Clinging to him like a koala. Hot and cold, our body heat intermingled. I looked down. His clear eyes reflected hints of lazy amusement. I had messed up his tie, exposing a small patch of his exquisite, tempting collarbone below his Adam’s apple. Ascetic yet alluring. It was really… unfair. “Mr. Fu…” My voice was trembling. I suddenly realized what a suggestive position we were in. Ethan suppressed the meaningful look in his eyes. “Can you moan?” I shook my head. Outside, Nathan was getting impatient. “Brother, open the door. Did you bring a woman home?” Ethan smiled at me, but his words held no warmth. “Do I need to report my love life to you?” He was clearly used to being dictatorial. Nathan choked. “I thought I heard—” “You heard wrong.” Ethan stroked down my waist, moving lower. As my breathing grew more rapid, he asked softly: “If you can’t moan, then sing.” “Don’t worry, your voice sounds good.” This was the first time anyone had complimented me. My face flushed red as I held back, not sure what came over me as I blurted out: “Little bunny, be good…” I stopped after half a line. Ethan was looking at me strangely. “That line is hard to resist,” he said, his voice tinged with teasing laughter. Like a feather, tickling my heart. I lowered my head, not daring to look at him. My face felt hot and red. Suddenly it went quiet outside. Nathan’s voice shook. “Brother, who exactly is your girlfriend?” Ethan locked the door with a click. In an unyielding tone, he said: “Tonight is my wedding night with your sister-in-law.” “She doesn’t like noise.” “So take your woman and get out.”
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