5
Ethan’s shock and joy were starkly contrasted with my calmness. A smirk played on my lips. In the face of a near–miss accident, my boyfriend instinctively protected his so–called “sister.” Meeting my icy gaze, Ethan flinched. He stammered an explanation.
“Chloe was closer to me, I…”
“I know,” I interrupted sharply.
He relaxed, then tensed again.“Natalie, when… when did
I didn’t miss the fleeting panic in his eyes.
I remained calm.“Just now. Maybe the car horn startled it back.”
you get your hearing back?”
The tension visibly drained from Ethan. He grabbed my hand.“Let’s go get it checked.” “Ethan, can you take me to the hospital first? I feel a little dizzy,” Chloe’s weak voice rang out behind us. She swayed, about to fall.
Ethan reacted instantly, catching her. He looked at me with a mixture of concern and frustration on his face. I saw through Chloe’s pathetic act, but I didn’t care anymore.
“It’s late, the audiology clinic is closed. Take her to the hospital.”
Eventually, Ethan left with Chloe in his arms.
After a long while, I looked down. My hearing aid lay shattered on the ground, crushed by the car’s tire. I picked it up and tossed it in the trash just like I was throwing away my relationship with Ethan.
―
I went home alone. The moment I arrived, a gust of wind swept through the balcony, flipping over my calendar. There were only five days left.
Late that night, Ethan’s first act upon returning was to ask about the checkup results. “Still in the recovery phase. Just need
more rest.” I told him what Dr. Lee
Lee told me. Tears welled up in Ethan’s dark eyes; his gaze was red–rimmed. He held me, as if confirming he was not in a dream. His voice was trembling.
“Natalie, I’ve waited so long for this day.”
“Natalie, does my voice sound different from what you heard through your hearing aid?” “Natalie, on my 25th birthday, I wished you could hear before our wedding. I wanted our vows to be spoken, not transmitted through a device.”
His excitement was palpable, as if he needed to pour out years of unspoken words. Then, he noticed I wasn’t wearing my ring.
“Where’s your ring?”
Α bitter laugh escaped me. I’d taken it off for days and he’d finally noticed that. “It’s too expensive. I was afraid I’d lose it before the wedding, so I put it away,” I said flatly. Ethan affectionately ruffled my hair. “Relax. The wedding’s just been postponed. And if you does lose it, I’ll just buy you another one. I’ll give you anything you want, Natalie.”
I said nothing, gazing at the cold night outside.
After learning about my restored hearing, Ethan became unusually happy and more attentive to my well–being. Even in his sleep, he muttered about my hearing recovery instructions.
Watching him sleep, my heart felt heavy. Then, my phone vibrated. It was a voice message from Chloe. I played it and heard Ethan comforting her with a soft voice.
08:20
0.7%
< 5
I looked at the man murmuring my name in my bed, unable to connect him with the owner of the voice.
