Chapter 1

I took care of my husband in a vegetative state for three years.

On the day he woke up, he publicly identified my cousin as the one who had saved his life.

I thought he had simply mistaken her for someone else.

Then I heard him say, “I could never marry a mute. Someone who can’t even explain herself has no right to stand beside me.”

In that moment, I understood—

to him, I had only ever been a temporary substitute.

So I signed the divorce papers on the spot and turned around to schedule memory-erasure surgery,

removing him from my life before he could do it to me first.

Lucas had been in a coma for three years. When he woke up, the first person he saw was me, but his eyes were filled with disappointment.

I didn't notice the disappointment in his eyes. Overjoyed, I helped him sit up and shared the good news in our friends' group chat.

Soon, the hospital room was crowded with people.

And I, the wife who had cared for Lucas for three years, was pushed to the corner, completely ignored.

Chloe arrived late, wearing a beautiful blue evening gown, looking like she had just come from a party.

Lucas grabbed Chloe's hand, his eyes red-rimmed, "Honey, you've suffered so much these three years."

At these words, everyone in the room was stunned, as if the air had frozen.

I stood to the side, fidgeting with my clothes, unable to speak up for myself.

All because of my mutism.

His friend awkwardly explained, "Lucas, Emily is your wife."

Lucas's brow instantly furrowed, his eyes turning cold as he looked at me, as if I had come between him and Chloe.

I had always known he liked my cousin Chloe.

They were supposed to get married, but a car accident left him in a vegetative state.

My cousin didn't want to marry a vegetable and cried to my parents. When I heard it was Lucas, I agreed to their request to marry him in my sister's place.

Little did I know that after three years of my devoted care, this would be the result.

I immediately took out my phone and started typing, wanting to explain, but Chloe pressed down my phone.

She looked at me with a fake smile, "Sister, Lucas just woke up. He probably can't handle too much information right now. Why don't you step out for a bit?"

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, the others in the room made excuses to leave.

As the door closed, Chloe burst into tears and threw herself into Lucas's arms, as if she had suffered some great injustice.

"Lucas, you're finally awake. I've waited for you for three years..."

My heart suddenly tightened, my hand trembling as I gripped the doorknob.

After what seemed like an eternity, Chloe opened the door, her cheeks still wet with tears.

I walked into the room suspiciously, only to have a glass shatter at my feet.

"Emily, you really went to great lengths to marry me!"

"Using such underhanded tactics, aren't you ashamed?"

Flying glass shards cut my leg, but the pain was nothing compared to what I felt in my heart.

Lucas was my childhood friend, the only one who didn't look down on my mutism and encouraged me to seek treatment.

But after meeting Chloe, he was unconsciously drawn to her.

The boy who once said he would marry me gradually turned his heart towards her.

Now he even saw me as the villain who came between their love.

I frantically tried to use sign language, then remembered he couldn't understand it. I shakily took out my phone to type an explanation.

Chloe looked at me challengingly, knocking the phone out of my hand. It fell to the floor, the screen instantly going black.

"Sister, please, let us be together!"

I stood there, stunned. Apart from sign language, my phone was my only means of communication with others.

And now I couldn't even defend myself.

I shook my head desperately, but the world can be cruel, especially for someone who can't speak.