Chapter 1 First Love

• A heavy rain began to pour relentlessly.
• At the entrance of the hospital.
• Standing at the hospital entrance, Cecilia Smith clutched the pregnancy test report in her delicate, frail hand. The result was unmistakable: not pregnant.
• “Three years into marriage and you're still not pregnant?”
• “You're so useless. If you don't get pregnant soon, the Rainsworth family will kick you out. What will become of the Smith family then?”
• Dressed to the nines and teetering on her high heels, Paula Escobar, Cecilia's mother, pointed at her, her face a mask of disappointment.
• Cecilia's eyes were empty. The words she longed to speak were stuck in her heart, finally condensing into a single sentence.
• “I'm sorry.”
• “I don't want you to apologize. What I want is for you to have a child with Nathaniel. Do you understand?”
• Cecilia's throat felt parched. She was unsure of how to respond to her.
• They had been married for three years, yet her husband, Nathaniel Rainsworth, had never laid a hand on her.
• How could there possibly be a child?
• Upon seeing her display of helplessness, Paula felt she was nothing like herself.
• “If you really can't manage, then help Nathaniel find a woman outside. He will surely remember your kindness.”
• Cecilia stared in disbelief at the retreating figure of her mother, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
• Her biological mother, astonishingly, had asked her to find another woman for her own husband.
• A chill instantly froze her heart to its core.
• As Cecilia sat in the car heading home, Paula's last words echoed in her mind, accompanied by a sudden, intermittent roaring in her ears.
• She knew her illness had worsened.
• At that moment, she received a text message.
• The message came from Nathaniel, as consistent as ever over the past three years. It read: I won't be coming home tonight.
• Throughout their three years of marriage, Nathaniel had never spent a single night at home, nor did he ever touch her.
• Cecilia still remembered their wedding night three years ago.
• He had said, “Since you from the Smith family dare to trick me into marriage, then be ready to face a lifetime of solitude.”
• Three years ago, the Smith and Rainsworth families had formed a business alliance through marriage.
• The promise had already been made, a mutual benefit shared between both parties.
• However, on the day of the wedding, the Smith family unexpectedly changed their minds. They transferred all of their assets, including the several billion given to Nathaniel for marrying Cecilia, elsewhere.
• A shadow crossed Cecilia's eyes, but she responded to Nathaniel's message with a simple “okay” as usual.
• Without realizing it, she had crumpled the pregnancy test report in her hand into a wrinkled ball.
• When she got home, she tossed it into the trash can.
• Every month, at this particular time, she would feel especially drained.
• She didn't make any dinner and spent a while leaning on the couch, drifting in and out of a dreamlike state.
• She constantly heard a rumbling noise in her ears.
• This was also a reason why Nathaniel despised her. She was hard of hearing, which, in high society, was akin to having a disability.
• How could Nathaniel possibly allow her to have a child in such a state?
• The wall clock emitted a dull sound.
• It was five in the morning.
• In another hour, Nathaniel would be back.
• Only after daybreak did Cecilia realize that she had unknowingly spent the entire night asleep on the couch.
• She hurriedly got up to prepare breakfast for Nathaniel, fearing even a moment's delay.
• Nathaniel was meticulous in his work, with a stringent regard for time. Once, Cecilia had to attend her father's funeral and forgot to return on time to prepare his breakfast.
• Afterward, he didn't send her a single message nor spoke a word to her for an entire month.
• At six o'clock, Nathaniel returned punctually.
• He was impeccably dressed in a suit, his tall and slender figure exuding a restrained elegance. His handsome features were striking, yet they didn't lack a certain masculine charm.
• But in Cecilia's eyes, his reflection was nothing but cold and detached.
• Without even looking at Cecilia, he pulled out a chair and sat down. “You don't need to make breakfast for me anymore.”
• Cecilia was taken aback.
• She wasn't sure if it was instinct or something else, but the words she uttered reflected a humility she herself hadn't even realized.
• “Did I do something wrong?”
• Nathaniel looked up, his eyes meeting Cecilia's face, which had stayed impassive for the past three years. His lips parted slightly.
• “What I want is a wife, not a housekeeper.”
• For three years, Cecilia was always seen wearing the same light gray attire. Even when responding to text messages, she would use the same single word, “okay.”
• If it weren't for the business alliance and the deception of the Smith family, Nathaniel wouldn't have married such a woman.
• She was simply not his match.
• What I want is a wife, not a housekeeper.
• The ringing in Cecilia's ears grew louder.
• A lump formed in her throat, and yet, she uttered the word that Nathaniel disliked the most.
• “Okay.”
• Suddenly, Nathaniel found himself feeling particularly moody, even his favorite breakfast on the table seemed unusually bland and tasteless.
• He rose to his feet, pulling the chair back in irritation, ready to leave.
• To his surprise, Cecilia mustered her courage and seized his hand.
• “Nathaniel, is there someone you like?”
• That sudden question caused Nathaniel's eyes to darken. “What do you mean?”
• Cecilia looked up at the person standing before her.
• Nathaniel was not just her husband of three years, but also the man she had pursued and loved for twelve years.
• Swallowing down the bitterness in her throat, Cecilia thought about Paula's words and said, “Nathaniel, if there's someone you like, you can be with—”
• Before she could finish her sentence, Nathaniel had already cut her off.
• “You're crazy.”
• In the end, life is all about continuously letting go.
• After Nathaniel left, Cecilia found herself alone on the balcony, staring blankly at the rain outside.
• She had to admit that even after twelve years of adoring Nathaniel, she still didn't understand him.
• The sound of the rain was sometimes clear and sometimes muffled.
• A month ago, the doctor had said, “Ms. Smith, your auditory nerves and central nervous system have undergone pathological changes, which have consequently led to a further decline in your hearing.”
• “Isn't there a way to treat it?”
• The doctor shook his head. “Long-term sensorineural hearing loss doesn't respond well to medication. My advice would be to continue using the hearing aid for auditory rehabilitation.”
• Cecilia understood what the doctor meant; there was no cure available.
• She removed her hearing aid.
• In Cecilia's world, everything began to settle into tranquility.
• She wasn't accustomed to such a quiet world. Upon entering the living room, she turned on the television.
• The volume was turned up to the maximum, and only then could a faint sound be barely heard.
• The television was airing an interview with Stella Ross, the internationally acclaimed queen of love songs, upon her return to the country.
• Cecilia's hand, holding the remote control, trembled.
• It wasn't for any other reason, but because Stella was once Nathaniel's first love.
• After many years apart, Stella was still as beautiful as ever.
• She faced the camera with ease and confidence, no longer the shy and self-conscious Cinderella who once sought the Smith family's financial support.
• When reporters asked Stella why she had returned, she boldly replied, “I came back to reclaim my first love.”
• The remote control in Cecilia's hand hit the floor.
• At the same moment, her heart sank.
• The rain outside seemed to have intensified.
• Cecilia was scared. She feared that Stella would steal Nathaniel away from her.
• Back then, she was the cherished daughter of the Smith family, yet she still couldn't outshine Stella, who had no background at all.
• Now, Stella had become an internationally famous love song singer, exuding confidence and positivity. Naturally, she was not her match.
• Cecilia panicked and swiftly turned off the television, then proceeded to clean up the untouched breakfast.
• When she arrived in the kitchen, she realized that Nathaniel had left his phone behind.
• She picked up the phone, accidentally unlocking it, and her eyes landed on an unread text message displayed on the screen.