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Married for five years, Rhys Blackwood never mentioned me publicly. Everyone in our elite circle whispered that he'd married a deaf woman, but he'd only offer a faint smile, never confirming or denying. I told myself he loved me, he just wasn't good at expressing it. Until that night, when I saw an anonymous post: "When you're doing it, take off her hearing aids and call out your ex-girlfriend's name. She won't hear you, she'll just think you're telling her you love her." The account's profile picture was a stray cat I'd personally photographed. I'd only ever sent it to him. Turns out, I was just his chosen stand-in. Elara POV A silent world is profoundly quiet. Beyond the world I could only access with my hearing aids, all that remained was a vast, expansive white, and boundless emptiness. It was two in the morning, and the light from my phone screen felt harsh in the dark. An anonymous trending post on a social media app had been pushed to the top. The topic: "What's it like to have a hearing-impaired girlfriend?" The top-voted answer stung my eyes. It was just a single, short line, dripping with casual indifference: "When you're doing it, take off her hearing aids and call out your ex-girlfriend's name. She won't hear you, she'll just think you're telling her you love her." Countless replies followed. Some cursed: "Scumbag. Aren't you afraid of karma?" Some asked: "What if she finds out?" The original poster replied: "She won't. Besides, she's my wife now. She can't survive without me." My finger hovered over the screen for a long time, my fingertip white. The profile picture for that account was a stray cat, the same one I'd fed in the rich neighborhood's backyard two years ago. I'd taken that photo, and I'd only ever sent it to one person. Rhys Blackwood. My heart felt like it was being brutally squeezed by an invisible hand, blood flowing backward, freezing into ice. Two years ago, Rhys had changed all his social media profile pictures to this cat. Back then, I thought he loved everything connected to me. Now I knew, it was because the cat looked exactly like Seraphina, the woman he'd gone abroad to study with. The cat's eyes were amber too, arrogant, dignified, and aloof. I clicked on his profile. He never posted photos of us on social media, and his bio was blank. But his latest post was just ten minutes old, only one picture. Under dim light, a long, slender, bony hand held another delicate hand. The caption: "Long time no see." Flashback five years, to the day of our unremarkable wedding. It was pouring rain. Our car was parked outside the church. Rhys held my hand just like that, not looking at me, but at the curtain of rain. He said flatly, "Elara, from now on, this is your home." I thought it was a promise. Now, it seemed it was nothing more than a slow, insidious torture that had lasted five years. The sound of an engine shutting off came from downstairs. Followed by the beeping of the keypad lock unlocking. Each sound was like a spike driven into my heart. The bedroom door opened, bringing in the chill of a late autumn night, mixed with a faint tobacco smell, and... a subtle, unfamiliar scent of iris. That was Seraphina's favorite perfume. "Still awake?" Rhys's voice was low and magnetic. It was a frequency I could barely discern even with my hearing aids, yet it was etched into my bones. He casually draped his suit jacket over the chair, his long fingers loosening his tie, and walked towards the bed. Under the lamplight, his features were chiseled and deep, his eyes carrying an innate aloofness. He was the most powerful billionaire in this district, accustomed to controlling everything. He leaned over, his shadow enveloping me. I instinctively flinched. Rhys's movements paused slightly, his deep-set eyes narrowed, as if he sensed my unease, but quickly returned to his usual indifference. "What's wrong?" He reached out, his fingertips tracing my pale cheek, which felt cold. "Had a nightmare?" I looked at him. I looked at the face I'd loved for seven whole years. From admiring him from afar in college, to our accidental encounters, and then to this marriage certificate. I was like a humble scavenger, picking up the small crumbs of affection that slipped through his fingers. "No." I spoke, my voice a little hoarse from long silence. I couldn't hear my own voice very well, so I usually spoke very little, always afraid of mispronouncing words and being laughed at. But in front of Rhys, I always tried hard to respond. Rhys didn't seem to care about my answer. He pulled a velvet box from his pocket and casually tossed it onto the nightstand. "Brought it back from my business trip. See if you like it." The box sprang open to reveal an intricately crafted diamond necklace. I recognized it. Seraphina had worn the exact same one on the cover of a fashion magazine last month. The design of that necklace was perfect for covering a small mole Seraphina had on her neck. My neck, however, was clean, with nothing there. "Thank you." I lowered my gaze, hiding the desolation in my eyes. Rhys smiled, but the warmth didn't reach his eyes. He leaned in and kissed my forehead, his tone as gentle as if coaxing a disobedient pet. "Good girl. I'm going to take a shower." The sound of rushing water filled the bathroom. I stared at the blue velvet box, my stomach churning violently, a wave of nausea washing over me.