Six years as Hugh Farley's idealized love.

In that time, I went from a chart-topping singer to a voiceless nobody everyone despised.

Hugh abandoned me and took up with Ann Swanson, the industry's newest rising star.

When I found out my mother had suffered a stroke, I clutched the medical bills—hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth—and summoned every ounce of courage I had to go to the door of his private room.

That was when I heard the conversation between Hugh and Ann.

"You know why I turned Carla Harding into a mute?"

"If you want to turn a proud songbird into an obedient little canary, you have to break the one thing she's most proud of."

"Once she has nothing left, she'll remember how good I am to her."

"She'll never fly out of the palm of my hand."

I stood frozen, as if struck by lightning.

When the words finally sank in, all I could manage was a bitter smile.

Never escape?

What Hugh didn't know was that I only had three months left.

……

Scalding tears slid down my cheeks. I clamped both hands over my mouth to keep any hoarse, ugly sound from escaping.

No one inside the room noticed anything outside the door. They were still fawning over Hugh's grand scheme.

"Hugh really does love his wife. That's some serious possessiveness."

A chorus of agreement rang out.

Ann Swanson's expression darkened. She rolled her eyes and pulled herself free from Hugh's arms.

"So you want that mute to stay by your side forever. Then what does that make me—your mistress for life? I don't have that kind of time."

She pouted as she said it, putting on a pitiful little act designed to tug at heartstrings.

Hugh's brow furrowed immediately. Pain flickered across his face as he pulled Ann tightly into his arms.

He stroked her face with unbearable tenderness—that face that bore a seven-tenths resemblance to mine.

"Don't talk like that. Carla is mine, but I belong only to you. The two things don't conflict."

Ann pursed her lips.

"Then tell me—who sings better, me or Carla?"

Hugh pressed his forehead to hers. Their noses brushed in a slow, intimate graze.

"You, of course. I wish I could lock you in a room and have you sing just for me."

The room erupted in jeers and whistles.

"My mistake for not recognizing royalty. So Ann's been the real lady of the house all along!"

Hugh's words echoed in my ears, over and over.

Tears blurred my vision until I couldn't make out his face anymore.

I stumbled back several steps, my heart tearing itself apart.

Three months ago, I had received an invitation to compete on the biggest variety stage show the entertainment industry had seen in half a year.

For six years, to make ends meet and to support Hugh's career, I had spent nearly eight hours a day busking on the streets.

Year after year, our life together improved. His empire grew until he became one of the wealthiest men in the business. And I weathered every hardship, slowly building a loyal fanbase who genuinely believed in me.

This competition—I poured everything I had into it. I was counting on it to turn my life around, and I refused to let down the fans who had stood by me.

The closer the competition got, the more hours I invested. But even so, I could sense the shift in Hugh's mood with sharp clarity.

He grew quieter and quieter.

Then, the night before the competition, he did something out of character: he cooked me a bowl of noodles himself.

After dinner, he wrapped his arms around me from behind, burying his face in the curve of my neck and nuzzling against it like he couldn't bear to let go.

"Carla, sing me that song one more time. The one you always used to sing for me."

I didn't think much of it. I figured I'd been neglecting him lately and it had put him in a mood.

I patted his hand gently and began to sing his favorite song.

His arms tightened around me, and they kept tightening. It wasn't until I had sung it for the tenth time that he finally spoke.

"This song—you only sing it for me."

The next morning, I was jolted awake by a sharp, searing pain in my throat.

I couldn't speak. Couldn't make a sound.

The opportunity I'd fought so hard for was gone.

I saw every specialist in the city. The best they could do was coax out a thin, ragged whisper that barely qualified as a voice.

After that, I couldn't bring myself to look anyone in the eye. I couldn't face my fans.

I buried myself in Hugh's arms and sobbed. He held me close and said, "Don't be scared, sweetheart. Even if the whole world turns its back on you, I never will. I'll love you for the rest of my life."

Only now did I finally understand.

The strangeness of that night had been deliberate. Every bit of it, planned.

While I stood frozen, I felt a gaze boring into me.

I looked up. Ann.

She was draped against Hugh's chest, watching me with the triumphant eyes of a winner, her stare announcing every ugly truth I'd been too blind to see.

I stepped back instinctively, retreating until my spine pressed flat against the wall.

Nowhere left to go. I turned and fled.

Behind me, I thought I heard Hugh's voice calling out, urgent, almost frantic. But I no longer had the courage to look back.

I ran out into the street and found a hidden corner to curl up in.

My mother's overdue hospital bill was still crumpled in my fist.

Then I remembered. Six years ago, my father had given me a bank card.

I'd never touched the money. I'd kept it locked away for the day everything fell apart—a safety net I prayed I'd never need.

I withdrew the funds and wired the payment to the hospital. Only then did I let myself breathe.

I braced a hand against the wall and stood slowly, then walked with no destination in mind.

Six years with Hugh. Six years of scraping by, drifting from street to street, singing for spare change.

Back then, I'd defied my father's wishes and come back to the States to help Hugh build his business from nothing.

My father was furious. He cut me off financially. Hugh hadn't made a name for himself yet.

So I followed him everywhere. Wherever he went, I went.

But back then, Hugh treated me like I was precious.

No matter how hard things got, he never let me suffer.

Every morning before dawn, he'd race to the factory to fight for whatever work he could get. But before he left, he always made sure there was warm milk and eggs waiting for me.

I never lifted a finger around the house. By the time I woke up, every chore was already done.

The first day I came back to him, he held me tight and swore, solemnly, that he would never let me endure a single hardship.

He kept that promise.

But now, after all those years of struggle, our lives had finally gotten better.

And he was the one who changed.

Under the guise of loving me, he'd destroyed my voice.

All so I could never leave his side.

Fine. Then I would do exactly what he didn't want.

On the way home, I pulled out my phone and booked two plane tickets out of the city.

Six full years of love and devotion, shattered the moment the truth came to light.

I should have realized sooner. I never belonged here.

Back at the apartment, I packed quickly.

Everything Hugh had ever given me, I left behind. I didn't want to owe him a thing.

But my father's jade pendant was gone.

It was the only keepsake he'd left me. I'd always kept it locked in the safe, never once taking it out.

The safe was empty.

I was still tearing through drawers when the hospital called.

My mother's condition had deteriorated rapidly. She'd just been rushed into the emergency room.

My mind went blank. My heart hammered so hard I could feel it in my teeth.

Instinctively, I reached for my phone to call Hugh for help.

But a trending headline caught my eye first.

Just thirty minutes ago, Hugh had publicly proposed to Ann. The wedding was set for next month.

My mother's failing health and the man I loved's betrayal crashed down on me at the same time, and the weight of it was crushing.

I collapsed to the floor.

Like a drowning person, I thrashed and fought for air.

I tried to scream, to wail, but all that came out were broken, mangled sounds.

I clawed at the ground, trying to drag myself upright.

I needed to get to the hospital. I needed to see my mother.

The moment I staggered through the door, I slammed straight into a broad chest.

"Carla, I called your name outside the private room. Why did you ignore me?"

I lifted my head to look at him.

My mind was flooded with grief so enormous it drowned out every thought.

But through the haze, I could see it in his eyes: fury, accusation, and beneath it all, a flicker of fear he couldn't quite hide.

"Ann and I are getting married next month. Her brain cancer has gotten worse. It's her last wish, and I have to give her that."

That line again.

I'd lost count of how many times Hugh had said those words.

Three months ago, right after I lost my voice and the most important opportunity of my life, Hugh had turned around and introduced Ann Swanson.

He funneled every resource he'd pulled through his connections straight to her, single-handedly launching her as the music industry's rising dark horse.

He'd held me that night and said, This girl is pitiful. She has brain cancer. She doesn't have much time left. I just want to help her fulfill her dream.

Later, I caught Hugh and Ann kissing in his car.

His excuse came just as smoothly: Carla, you're the only woman I'll ever love. That kiss meant nothing. She can't handle emotional distress.

I'd laughed, cold and hollow. "So when you have children with her someday, that'll just be helping her fulfill her dream too?"

Hugh's handsome face had twisted. His hands on my shoulders tightened involuntarily, trembling.

"What are you talking about? What's gotten into you?"

I stared at him. I didn't know how to answer.

When I stayed silent, panic crept into his eyes.

Then his gaze drifted past me, landing on the suitcases piled by the bed.

"Why are you packing? Where are you going?"

His voice climbed, raw with agitation.

After a long pause, something shifted in his expression, as though he'd confirmed a suspicion. Those striking eyes filled with contempt.

"Stop this, Carla. You love me too much to actually leave. Besides..." A thin smile. "Your father's jade pendant is still with me."

My eyes went wide.

So it was Hugh. Hugh had taken my father's pendant.

Of course. No one else knew the combination to the safe.

He'd planned ahead, keeping that one piece of leverage to make sure I could never slip out of his grip.

The next day, I drifted to the hospital like a ghost.

My mother's surgery had been a success. She was awake.

I stepped into the room and saw a faint smile resting on her face. She seemed to be in good spirits.

I forced myself to brighten, pasting on a smile as I walked over.

She reached for my hand, her touch gentle.

"My little girl is all grown up. Getting married soon."

I froze. The smile locked on my face.

Then it hit me. She thought I was the one marrying Hugh.

And honestly, shouldn't it have been?

I was Hugh's girlfriend. His real, legitimate girlfriend. But the woman walking down the aisle with him wasn't me.

I couldn't let her worry. So I nodded.

Her smile widened.

"Back then, when you insisted on coming home for that boy, your father acted like he didn't care. But he was terrified. Terrified you'd made up your mind to follow Hugh into a hard life, and terrified you'd never come home again."

"Well, now you two have finally made it. Your father can rest easy."

I squeezed her hand tight and didn't dare look up.