In my poorest year, a fleeting thought flashed through my mind: [Lucas Gray, the heir to the Gray Empire, is looking for a lover who can’t hear his secrets.] A lightbulb went off in my head. I decided to pretend to be deaf and mute to seduce Lucas. No matter what scandalous things he whispered in bed, I remained impassive. Until his first love returned from abroad, and Lucas slapped a check for ten million dollars on the table in front of me. “You should move out for this month,” he said. I blurted out, “Sure thing, boss!” I grabbed the check and was about to leave when I realized I’d blown my cover. Another thought popped into my head: [LOL, this woman is so honest. Actually, the male lead has known her secret for a long time!] I froze on the spot, my mind going blank. Then I heard Lucas chuckle softly. “What’s wrong? Can’t keep up the act anymore, little deaf girl? And here I thought you could endure anything.” 0 Who would have thought a CEO would fancy a deaf girl? Well, apparently mine did! In fact, he wouldn’t have it any other way! Being his “deaf” sugar baby was quite convenient. I could appear anywhere without raising suspicion. Whether it was during confidential business discussions or industry gossip sessions, absolute secrecy was guaranteed. Plus, I didn’t have to listen to my sugar daddy’s endless chatter or insults. I could do whatever I wanted, even deliberately annoying him for fun if I felt like it. After all, I was “deaf.” I couldn’t hear what he was saying, right? Except I wasn’t really deaf. I was faking it. The only downside was sometimes… like now. Listening to Lucas’s words that were more explicit than an R-rated movie, I could only pretend not to hear and look at him with doe eyes. Pretending he was a perfect gentleman. In reality, I was cursing him as a pervert in my mind. Wait! I suddenly realized, maybe his ex-girlfriend ran away because of this! Lucas gently tapped me with his large hand. He used sign language to ask if I was hurt and if he should be gentler. But what he was actually saying out loud was utterly filthy. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes internally. What a fake gentleman. But on the surface, I looked at him pitifully, trying hard not to make a sound. The next day, I slept until the afternoon. 0
As I came downstairs, I heard Lucas talking to his friend in the living room. When they saw me, his friend’s voice suddenly stopped, and his gaze fell on me before turning back to Lucas. “She can’t hear,” Lucas said, waving me over. Gossip? My eyes lit up, and I casually sat down next to Lucas. His friend glanced at me and spoke to Lucas. “Chloe’s back. What are you going to do about her?” Chloe? She’s back?! Could this be Lucas’s ex-girlfriend? Everyone in their social circle knew there was a name that couldn’t be mentioned in front of Lucas. It was his Achilles’ heel, something no one dared to touch. Even after being by Lucas’s side for so long, I had never heard anyone mention her. I only knew that I was chosen from among the many women vying for Lucas’s attention because I somewhat resembled her. In my mind, a woman who could be so cherished by someone like Lucas, the heir to the Gray Empire, to the point where he would seek out a lookalike, must be his true love! I’d seen this plot in countless cheesy romance dramas. The protagonist finds a lookalike of his true love, then when the real deal comes back, I turn into the evil substitute. In the end, the male lead discovers my wicked nature, throws me out onto the streets, and lives happily ever after with his true love… Wait a minute… This plot development seems a bit off. As it stands now, I’ve somehow become the obstacle to the main couple’s happiness! No, no, I think I’ve skipped some steps here. My mind raced, and suddenly it hit me! Of course! Usually, the arrogant CEO hands me a check and tells me to get lost. Then the evil substitute refuses to leave, leading to the subsequent drama. Thinking about how generous Lucas had always been, I couldn’t help but smile. Don’t worry, I’ll leave promptly, quickly, at a speed of 800 meters per second, rolling out of the main couple’s world! Perhaps seeing my schadenfreude expression, Lucas tapped my shoulder, snapping me out of my reverie. He used sign language to ask what was wrong. Of course, I maintained my professional attitude and signed back. Just happy looking at you. Then I excused myself to get them some water. Lucas’s friend watched me leave and spoke again: “Are you really going to let Chloe see her?” Lucas sighed. I didn’t hear what else they said as I hurried towards the kitchen. I was afraid if I stayed a second longer, I wouldn’t be able to hold back my laughter. Don’t worry, I won’t let the “true love” see me! 0
That night, Lucas looked like he wanted to say something several times but held back. I was so anxious I almost wanted to prompt him myself. To be honest, I was quite reluctant to leave this pampered life as a sugar baby. After all, I’d gotten used to having everything handed to me on a silver platter and didn’t want to work hard again. But I also didn’t want to end up thrown out onto the streets. It was better to leave gracefully on my own terms. At the dinner table, I chewed my food in tiny bites, trying to make each mouthful last as long as possible. Just waiting for Lucas to speak up. Suddenly! Lucas took out a check from his pocket and placed it on the table. My eyes lit up, staring intently at the numbers on the check. Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, hundred thousands, millions! Fifty million dollars! Enough for my mom and me to live on for the rest of our lives! I stared at the check, swallowing hard, completely oblivious to Lucas starting to speak. “Take this money…” Before Lucas could finish, I snatched the check with lightning speed and clutched it to my chest. The enormous sum had gone to my head. I jumped up and blurted out, “Thanks, boss!” As soon as I said it, cold sweat broke out all over my body. I’m screwed! Suddenly, a thought popped into my head, just like the fleeting one from years ago. [Warning! This woman’s been exposed! The male lead knows she’s been lying to him all this time. He definitely won’t let her off easy! I wonder if she has a backup plan. If not, she’s in big trouble!] Backup plan? What backup plan? My mind went blank as I looked up to meet Lucas’s amused gaze. He was fiddling with his custom cufflinks, his long fingers casting delicate shadows in the lamplight. “What’s wrong? Can’t keep up the act anymore, little deaf girl? And here I thought you could endure anything.” Lucas suddenly moved closer, the scent of his cedar cologne mixed with whiskey washing over me. “But you should know, I hate being lied to more than anything.” My throat tightened as I saw the words [She’s done for!] flashing repeatedly in my mind. This damn inner voice! I couldn’t help but recall how I had met Lucas by chance. The doctor said only hospitals abroad could possibly treat my mother’s illness, but the exorbitant fees forced me to scramble for money. I worked five jobs a day, but it still wasn’t enough to send my mother abroad for treatment. Until one day, that thought popped into my head. It said Lucas Gray, the heir to the Gray Empire, was looking for a lover who couldn’t hear his secrets. So I pretended to be deaf and mute and stayed by Lucas’s side for two years. Lucas grabbed my chin in one swift motion. “Mr. Gray, you must be joking,” I forced a smile, my nails digging into my palms. “Of course I’ll take the check you’ve given me. As for the rest…” Before I could finish, he gripped my chin, not forcefully but with an undeniable air of authority. Lucas’s thumb traced over my lips, where he had left bite marks the night before. “When you’re pretending to be deaf and mute, you always use that fake smile to deceive people. But do you know? Every time you pretend not to hear, I want to pin you in front of a mirror and make you see how your ears turn red.” Hot blood rushed to my earlobes, and I suddenly felt a chill run down my neck. Lucas had known about my act all along! For two years, I had diligently forced myself to remain silent no matter how Lucas tormented me in bed. But I had forgotten about the most instinctive human physiological response—when he whispered “Olivia, don’t hide” in my ear. My tense back, my trembling fingers, had long since betrayed my secret to this man who had seen it all. If this man had discovered my deception so early on, then every time after that… he had been deliberately toying with me! Seeing my indignant expression, Lucas suddenly seemed amused. “Don’t you have anything to explain? Hmm? Little deaf girl?” Lucas stood up, forcing me to sit on the table. I looked at Lucas, getting more and more irritated. What else could I say! He’s the client, I’m the service provider! I did the job I was paid for! He’s just a client who was fooled and moved by my acting skills! I’m not angry at all, waaah! But the urgent matter at hand was to protect this fifty million dollars. This was what I deserved! “I… thank you, boss? Boss is so generous?” Lucas was on the verge of laughing angrily. He picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. “Since you can’t keep up the act anymore, you should pay some price, little deaf girl.” I knew this wasn’t good. “Lucas Gray! You want me to pay with my body! I don’t agree! This is an unfair clause!” A voice in my head screamed [This isn’t right, shouldn’t the male lead kick this woman out? What’s going on! Looks like we’re about to hit the paywall?!] Lucas threw me onto the large bed covered with silk sheets, then pressed down on top of me and lifted my nightgown. There was still a vase of blue roses I had arranged last week on the bedside table, now overshadowed by his silhouette. “Olivia, do you know that every time you pretend to be innocent, it makes me want to completely tear apart your disguise?” Lucas seemed to have unlocked a new world, directly unleashing his dominant side. He forced me to scream loudly all night long. Before going to sleep, Lucas said he had to go to the office to deal with an urgent matter. As he left, he tossed me one of his white dress shirts, the collar still warm from his body heat. 0
What urgent matter! He’s probably going to pick up his true love! Looking at the thoughts racing through my head, I grew increasingly frustrated. All this [The female lead is back, the sweet and gentle female lead baby is finally back.] And [This woman shouldn’t take away any more of the female lead’s affection, the female lead has suffered enough, other women should stay away!] And [The male lead can only belong to the female lead.] Who said I wanted to stay anyway! I was just about to stand up from the bathtub when my legs gave out, and I fell to my knees with a splash. Escape plan, to be continued tomorrow. The next day, Lucas was indeed not at home. I was preparing to quickly pack my things and run away with the money when I ran into Lucas, who had just returned. I looked at Lucas, then at my suitcase, and smiled awkwardly. “Are you… going out?” Lucas asked with a hint of a smile. I chuckled nervously. “What a coincidence, right?” Lucas walked past me and sat on the sofa. His voice was neither cold nor warm as he spoke. “I heard from my assistant that someone booked a flight to Germany at 8 PM tonight. I came back to see if this little money-grubber had emptied my house.” I dragged my suitcase over to Lucas and stood in front of him. “Lucas Gray, you’re spying on me!” Lucas looked up at me and smiled. “Spying?” He suddenly stood up and came closer, the tip of his shoe grazing the zipper of my suitcase by my feet. “Little deaf girl, you’ve been by my side for two years and know the location of every camera in the garage like the back of your hand. Now you’re talking about spying?” I stubbornly backed away, my lower back hitting the carved screen in the entryway. Lucas’s fingers traced my burning earlobe, suddenly pulling out the check I had hidden in my sleeve—he had swiped it without me noticing! “Thinking of running away with fifty million?” He waved the check, making a rustling sound. “Olivia, have you forgotten? The confidentiality agreement you signed states that if you leave without permission…” My heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, I noticed a blue ribbon peeking out of the inner pocket of his suit jacket. It was a little trinket I had stuffed into his pocket last week when we were picking out ties—he had called it “childish” but hadn’t thrown it away. “Stop!” I suddenly made a time-out gesture with my hands, raising my voice and signing, “I-I just remembered, I left some soup simmering in the kitchen!” Lucas raised an eyebrow as he watched me scramble towards the kitchen, my suitcase still tilted in the entryway. Just as I grabbed the microwave door handle, I heard a suppressed chuckle from behind. I turned to see him shaking his head at my suitcase. A half-capped lipstick had fallen out, drawing a crooked red line on the beige carpet. “The soup is on the third shelf of the fridge,” he suddenly said. “Also—” He pulled out a gold-embossed invitation from his inner suit pocket, “Tonight at 7 PM, charity gala at the Gray Trade Center. Chloe specifically asked to meet you.” Chloe! What! His true love wants to meet me! Wait, bro! You’re taking me, the substitute, to meet the real deal! Is this right? Is this okay?! Has the plot advanced already? Am I still destined to face retribution?
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