Following Marcus’s gaze, Clara finally understood that his sharp look hadn't been for her sake, but because he had seen Chloe on Julian’s arm.

She curled the corners of her lips and didn't try to hold him back.

People around were laughing at her, and she was already used to it.

In the bustling banquet, only she stood cold and solitary.

Chloe walked up to Clara with her head held high: "Sister Clara, I want to thank you."

Clara tugged at the corner of her mouth, silently meeting her gaze.

Chloe raised her hand, revealing a familiar red string, and said with a triumphant smile:

"If it weren't for the red string Marcus sought out for me, I wouldn't have been able to conceive his baby."

Chapter 6

Clara stood frozen, her face pale, her heart plummeting as if it had vanished entirely.

Chloe covered her mouth and laughed: "I told him not to force it onto my wrist, but he insisted. Honestly."

There was undisguised triumph in her eyes. She grabbed Clara’s hand and leaned in close to her hearing-aid-wearing ear to whisper.

"The day you went for your ear checkup, Marcus and I were at it for eight hours; he didn't want to stop at all."

Clara’s heart trembled; memories rushed in like a tsunami, swallowing her whole.

That day, Marcus had suddenly let go of her hand, leaving her alone in the rehabilitation room, claiming there was an emergency meeting.

From day until evening, Clara had called him repeatedly, wanting to remind him to check his messages and begging him to pick her up.

The rehabilitation room was too cold and empty. In a daze, she felt as if she had returned to the day she was abandoned by her childhood sweetheart, standing alone on the stage.

Marcus had answered for two seconds before hanging up; a half-hour later, he returned a message.

"Busy."

It turned out he was busy "taking care" of Chloe.

Clara tried hard to suppress the bitterness overflowing in her heart and curled her lips.

"Aren't you afraid I’ll tell Julian what you’re doing?"

Chloe sneered, suddenly reaching out to snap the red string and throwing it on the ground, laughing under her breath.

"Neither of the two men here wants you. What credibility do you think your words have?"

"Even if I hit you, I’d be in the right."

Clara was stunned for a moment before Chloe delivered a fierce slap to her left cheek.

She collided hard with the dining table, and the tall, heavy champagne tower crashed down.

Gasps erupted, and Marcus pushed through the crowd to arrive.

Clara was a mess, blood and red wine mixing together, her lower body feeling as if it had lost all sensation.

Chloe sobbed, tears streaming down her face: "I’m sorry, Sister Clara. If you hadn't come over to grab my red string, I wouldn't have pushed you..."

"I didn't..."

Before she could finish, Chloe screamed: "My stomach! Marcus, my stomach hurts so much! Is it the baby..."

Marcus’s attention was instantly captured by Chloe’s weeping. He shot a cold, hateful glare at Clara and called for the family doctor while supporting Chloe.

Watching their backs, the last trace of warmth in Clara’s body vanished.

Her lower abdomen was gripped by waves of cramping; scarlet liquid mixed with dirt on the floor.

Clara forced herself to call for the manager and was helped into the lounge under the disgusted gazes of the crowd.

As soon as the door opened, she saw the butler wiping away cold sweat as he spoke.

"There is only one family doctor in the manor right now. Madam is also bleeding from below; I fear she is miscarrying..."

Marcus paused. Just as he was about to speak, tears of pathetic vulnerability welled up in Chloe’s eyes.

"I’m fine, let Sister Weiwei have the surgery first. I’m already used to Sister Weiwei using her pain to play the victim and bully me."

Feeling the sharp, continuous stabs of pain in her abdomen, Clara panicked. With reddened eyes, she grabbed the butler’s arm and pleaded.

"My baby is dying, please, I beg you, save him!"

Marcus frowned and slapped her hand away, saying coldly: "Her baby doesn't matter! Save Chloe’s child first!"

Time ticked by second by second. When it was finally her turn, the family doctor hurried to give Clara a transfusion, shaking his head with a pained expression.

"Five minutes earlier and we could have saved it. It’s too late."

Clara felt completely hopeless; every ounce of strength was drained from her body in an instant. Her trembling hands rested on her cold abdomen.

Her baby... it was just gone like that...

That was the flesh and blood she had worked so hard to conceive.

Clara clenched her fists tightly, her palms stinging.

But the physical pain was not even one-ten-thousandth of the pain in her heart.

She walked out of the infirmary numbly, where Marcus and Julian were flanking Chloe, showing their concern.

Seeing Clara emerge, Marcus’s expression turned grim, and he slapped her hard.

"It’s all your fault! Chloe’s baby is gone—apologize to her!"

Slap.

A crisp sound rang out.

Clara’s left ear went numb, and all the noisy sounds seemed to vanish completely in that instant.

The last shred of emotion in her heart was swallowed and annihilated by the warm liquid flowing from her ear.

Clara spoke softly.

"It’s my fault. You take care of her—I’m leaving."

Once gone, she would never, ever come back.

Chapter 7

Marcus paused, suddenly realizing that Clara's eyes were completely void of emotion.

Looking at the crimson mark on her ear, his heart gave a violent jolt, and even his left palm, hanging by his side, began to throb with a burning numbness.

The atmosphere was stifling; a muffled roll of thunder groaned in the sky.

Marcus stepped forward, intending to check on Clara's left ear, but he was struck by her cowering recoil.

He stiffly withdrew his hand. Even though he knew Clara could read lips, he couldn't help but soften his tone.

"I was impulsive. Let's go back; I'll go with you to see about your ear."

Clara felt a sharp stab of pain in her heart, and her eyes reddened silently: "Marcus, I..."

At that moment, Chloe, eyes red, leaned against Marcus’s shoulder and called to him:

"Marcus, my stomach hurts so much. Will you carry me inside, please?"

Marcus furrowed his brow, his footsteps pausing for a fleeting second, but in the end, he turned toward Chloe, looking back only to instruct:

"Weiwei, you go home first. I’ll come pick you up tomorrow."

The farewell that was yet to be spoken was choked back in her throat, left unsaid forever.

Marcus, I won't be waiting for you until tomorrow.

Clara watched their retreating figures with a bleak expression and turned to leave.

The private manor occupied the entire hilltop; it took her an hour of walking alone to descend.

When she returned to Evergreen Manor, the second-hand dealer was already there to greet her.

"Ms. Clara, are you sure you want to sell all of these? The engagement ring, the couple’s necklace..."

Clara nodded without hesitation: "Yes, sell them all. Donate all the money to children left behind in rural areas."

The manager nodded repeatedly, clearing out everything related to Clara.

The elderly driver waiting nearby caught a glimpse of the 21-carat pink diamond exposed when Clara signed the documents and couldn't help but advise her.

"Couples argue, but they make up. Your man bought you such a large ring; is it really necessary to go this far?"

Clara lightly touched her deaf left ear, her heart long since dried up and cracked.

She took off the wedding ring and looked at the name "Chloe" engraved on the inner band, finding it only ironic.

"If you like it, take it."

The old man hurriedly cradled the diamond ring, swallowed his remaining words, and stopped trying to persuade her.

Time ticked away second by second.

The clock struck 12:00, and Marcus had not come home.

Clara stood at the door alone, waiting for a taxi, and picked up her phone to dial that familiar number one last time.

Marcus stepped out of Chloe’s room, looking at the incoming call from "Clara" with confusion.

He still had the broken hearing aid in his pocket; Weiwei couldn't hear, so how could she be calling him?

Unease spread through his chest. Marcus pressed the answer button and spoke tentatively.

"Weiwei, is that you?"

Clara blinked hard to clear her sore eyes, letting the drizzle drift against her face.

"I’ve always wanted to tell you: I can hear now."

Marcus’s mind went blank. Before he could organize his thoughts, he heard her say:

"Marcus, you don't need to be my ears anymore. The freedom you wanted—I’m giving it back to you."

Marcus’s expression changed instantly, his voice rising in pitch: "What are you talking about?"

The driver got out of the car and lifted Clara’s luggage.