Lucas and I were a couple with disabilities—his legs were paralyzed, and I was born mute. To make ends meet and pay for his treatment, I worked three jobs a day. Then one time while cleaning windows at high altitude, I had an accident. I survived the fall, but the baby in my belly didn’t. He held me and sobbed, cursing himself over and over for being useless. “Don’t blame yourself. We’ll have another child,” I mouthed weakly, using practiced sign language to comfort him. Just three days after my miscarriage, I secretly returned to work. But as I cleaned the last floor, a figure inside the glass window made me tremble all over. I nearly lost my footing again. “Lucas, you keep making me assign the most dangerous high-altitude cleaning jobs to Summer. She already had a miscarriage last time. Aren’t you afraid something will happen again?” “You’re faking poverty and disability to deceive her. You’re going to get caught eventually.” Lucas laughed carelessly. “Tanya insisted on playing this game with me back then. I wouldn’t have agreed if she hadn’t refused to come back otherwise.” “This game is almost over anyway. When Tanya comes back, I’ll just find some excuse to tell Summer I can walk again. She’s so naive—she believes whatever I say.” My heart seized with pain. Clutching my stomach, I let out a bitter laugh. Never again, Lucas. I’ll never believe you again.
A coworker nearby saw how pale I looked and asked with concern, “Summer, are you okay? You look terrible. You just had a miscarriage—you should be resting properly. Money can always be earned later.” “If Lucas knew you were working this hard, he’d definitely want to get better soon.” Through the window, I watched the man casually pull out a box of cigars from the compartment and light one. With his other hand, he tapped on his phone a few times. The next second, my phone vibrated several times. “Babe, I’ll come see you at the hospital later. I made your favorite cream of mushroom soup.” I loosened my grip at my side, my heart suddenly aching. In five years together, Lucas never knew I was allergic to mushrooms. I felt sorry for him with his immobile legs and didn’t want him to go to the trouble. Seeing Lucas’s hopeful eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to tell him. So every time, I’d force down the soup despite the discomfort, then secretly take allergy medication behind his back. I sent a simple reply: “No need to come. Wait for me at home.” When I opened the door, I heard crashing sounds inside, followed by the thud of something heavy falling. Pots and bowls had fallen on Lucas. Seeing me home, Lucas lay sprawled on the floor, his eyes suddenly reddening as he pounded his legs viciously. “Summer, it’s all because I’m useless! I can’t even help you set out the dishes.” A bowl suddenly fell from the shelf, about to hit his thigh. Lucas instinctively moved his leg out of the way. Pretending not to notice, I went forward to help him up. Usually I would frantically sign to comfort him, but this time I suddenly felt exhausted. I just shook my head to indicate it was fine. Lucas was about to speak when his phone rang. Clear delight flickered in his eyes. “Summer, I found a really good doctor. She just came back to the country. I want to go see her about my legs first.” I lowered my eyes and signed, “Do you want me to come with you?” Lucas smiled and patted my head like always. “You just wait at home for me. I’m afraid I’ll disappoint you again this time.” I didn’t miss the flash of panic in Lucas’s eyes, but I didn’t say anything more. While Lucas was out, I called a car on my phone. I followed Lucas the whole way, noticing the surroundings becoming increasingly familiar. Lucas’s Maybach finally stopped right at the bar where I worked part-time. After switching shifts with the manager, I rushed to the changing room, threw on my work uniform, and hastily put on a mask. As soon as I opened the private room door, I heard unanimous congratulations. “Congratulations on returning to the country, Miss Ji. Someone can finally stop pretending to be crippled.” In the distance, Lucas sat casually on the sofa with his legs crossed. My hand holding the tray suddenly trembled, and the bottle of expensive wine shattered. The manager bowed repeatedly to the person in the main seat. “So sorry, Mr. Walker. This one’s mute and clumsy. Let me get someone else.” At this, one of them laughed loudly. “Lucas, she’s just like your girlfriend—also mute.” Lucas suddenly glanced at me and frowned slightly. The private room’s dim lighting meant I could only see Lucas standing up. I instinctively gripped the hem of my clothes. Suddenly a gentle female voice spoke—soft, yet clearly reaching my ears. “Lucas, help me see if my hair looks good like this?” Lucas instantly looked away and sat down, waving dismissively at the manager. I stared blankly as he carefully fixed the hair of the girl beside him, his movements gentle and restrained. Then I heard someone ask, “Lucas, your girlfriend still thinks you’re really disabled. Otherwise she wouldn’t keep refusing surgery. What if she finds out and breaks up with you?” I lowered my eyelids, lost in thought, accidentally pressing my hands into the pile of broken glass. The pain suddenly brought tears to my eyes. That’s right—we were only boyfriend and girlfriend. Lucas had always refused to marry me. I’d proposed to him countless times. He only ever said “wait a little longer.” I never knew what he was waiting for. Now I finally understood—he was waiting for another girl to stop being angry, waiting for her to come back. Lucas’s cold voice pulled me back to reality. I heard him sneer, his expression detached, as if discussing something trivial. “Break up? In her heart, I’m more important than her own life. How could she bear to break up with me?” “Besides, what right does a mute like Summer have to influence my decisions? The time I’ve wasted playing this game with her is already compensation enough.” I instinctively clenched my fists. The pain in my palm spread to my heart, making my vision go black. I cleaned up the broken glass and left the bar. As soon as I got in the car home, Lucas sent a message. “Honey, the doctor is really busy. I’m still waiting for her. Go to sleep first.” It was followed by a string of caring reminders, but I couldn’t read a single word. So a person’s heart really can be divided in two. And in his eyes, this was a gift to me. I mechanically replied “okay,” then sent a text to the number I knew by heart. “I’ve made up my mind. Schedule the surgery to restore my voice. I agree to your conditions.”
Not long after I got home, a strange number added me on Ins. The person didn’t say a word, but I knew it was Tanya. I didn’t know how she got my number. Soon she posted a new update—a picture of someone’s back standing in front of a pot of soup, steam still rising. “First day back in the country. Finally got to drink the cream of mushroom soup I’ve been craving.” I numbly scrolled through Tanya’s feed. Lucas’s figure was everywhere. When I got to a recent post, my fingertips trembled uncontrollably. “He flew thousands of miles to spend my birthday with me. I’m not going to forgive him that easily.” The date was our anniversary. That day I’d made a whole table of dishes and ordered a cake I couldn’t usually afford. But Lucas disappeared for three days without a word. When he came back, he apologized and told me he’d gone to see doctors, but it still didn’t help. I’d comforted him all night. Now I just felt stupid and ridiculous. Lucas came home very late, struggling to pull himself onto the bed with his arms. He wrapped me in his embrace, his chin nuzzling my neck, kissing me intermittently. “The doctor said my legs have a great chance of recovery. She’s very skilled. In a week I should be able to stand.” He probably didn’t realize how obvious the smell on him was—a sickly sweet women’s perfume assaulting my nose. I suppressed the nausea churning in my stomach and pushed him away, staring at him coldly. The hickey on his neck was glaring. I couldn’t help tearing up. Lucas stiffened for a moment, frowning in displeasure. “Summer, what are you throwing a tantrum about now? So I came home a little late—I’m doing this so I can stand up sooner.” I wanted to ask him—did I really seem that easy to fool? Accidentally glancing at his wrist, I froze when I saw the watch. In the picture Tanya sent me, she was wearing an identical women’s version of the same watch. I’d once passed by a display window where all the watches were astronomically priced. I’d only dared look from afar. Lucas had seen the longing in my eyes and held my hand, his expression serious. “Babe, someday I’ll personally design a pair of watches just for us.” On his computer, the design file for this pair of watches was named “True Love.” Following my gaze, panic flashed in Lucas’s eyes. “I bought this from a street vendor when I went out. I saw it looked similar to my design, so I bought it for reference.” “I want to design something unique for you.” But Lucas’s expression remained serious as always. I couldn’t find a single flaw. As if he were stating a fact. I wanted to ask him who he originally designed this watch for. But when the words reached my lips, I realized I didn’t even have the ability to speak them. Staring at the man before me, I signed, “Lucas, let’s break up.” Lucas’s expression changed dramatically.
Seeing the number flashing on his phone, Lucas’s face changed drastically as he quickly answered. My throat couldn’t speak, but my hearing was sharper than most people’s. Even with Lucas covering the receiver, intermittent sobbing leaked through. “Lucas, my foot is fractured. It hurts so much.” Without even looking up, Lucas spoke hurriedly. “Babe, the doctor has something urgent. I need to go right away—I’ll miss my chance otherwise.” “Whatever you were about to say, let’s talk when I get back.” Lucas got into his wheelchair in just a few moves, even shifting his feet directly several times. He didn’t even notice his hands gripping the wheelchair were trembling. I smiled until my eyes reddened. He’d been home for half an hour, but if he’d looked even once, he would’ve seen the wound on my hand. The wound on my hand had already started festering and throbbing with pain. I pressed my lips together and decided to go to the hospital for an appointment. The doctor frowned when he saw my wound. “If you’d come any later, you could’ve lost this hand.” I nodded. The doctor glanced at the VIP room in the distance and sighed. “People really do have different fates. That girl only scraped her skin a little, but her boyfriend urgently called all the hospital’s specialists and even contacted the director to clear out a premium room.” “Afraid she’d worry and be scared, he hasn’t left her side for a second. So fortunate.” Seeing my lack of reaction, the doctor realized and continued writing me a prescription to get an injection. Passing by Tanya’s room, the cross necklace around her neck was conspicuous and painful to see. When Lucas’s legs suddenly lost feeling, I took him to see every famous doctor, but got no useful information. With no other options, I could only place my hopes in God. I’d gotten that cross necklace after praying for a long time at the church. Lucas’s eyes had reddened—it was the first time he cried in front of me. But less than a month later, the cross necklace was gone. I searched everywhere I could think of.
So it wasn’t lost—it was just given to someone else. Tanya removed the cross, her eyes suddenly reddening. “Lucas, this cross is too heavy. Whenever I wear it, I feel uncomfortable all over. Could it be because of this that I had an accident as soon as I came back?” Lucas took the cross, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. Then he pulled out a box from his pocket. Inside was a sapphire necklace—I recognized it as the Walker family heirloom necklace. More expensive than my cross. Lucas leaned forward to help Tanya put on the new one, casually tossing the old one in the trash. “That cheap thing doesn’t suit you.” The two embraced and kissed. Tanya suddenly opened her eyes and looked at me provocatively. The last thread in my mind suddenly snapped. I’d thought I was already mentally prepared. But actually seeing this scene, my heart still couldn’t help aching. A pinned message suddenly popped up from Lucas. I smiled bitterly, glancing at the embracing couple in the room. I only replied with a few brief words: “Lucas, let’s break up.” For five or six days straight, Lucas didn’t come home. Tanya updated her feed daily. Lucas had taken her to the world’s first amusement park. The two embraced in a high-rise river-view room, the window reflecting ambiguous marks on their bodies. Over these days, I slowly packed my things, only to discover that everything I owned didn’t even fill half a suitcase. After gathering my documents, I threw the wedding photo from the bedside into the trash. Perhaps I should be grateful Lucas kept putting off registering our marriage. He said he wanted to wait until he could truly stand, then we’d go. Now there was no need. After sending the landlord a text about terminating the lease, I headed to the airport. The private jet’s engine roared through the sky. Dozens of bodyguards stood in two rows, bowing to me simultaneously, their voices deafening. “Welcome home, Miss!” After five years, I’d almost forgotten I was the Su family heir. I never told Lucas about my identity—at first I just felt it wasn’t necessary. Now it seemed fair. We’d both been deceiving each other all along. These past days Lucas had been with Tanya, but remained distracted, constantly checking his phone for messages from me. Lucas hadn’t missed that breakup text—he was just certain I was throwing a tantrum. “Lucas, do you still want the stuff in the house? If not, I’m throwing it out. The new tenant is moving in.” Lucas’s heart suddenly panicked. “What new tenant? Where’s my girlfriend?”
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