The Love He Couldn’t Hear

The year Ethan Blake won Best Music Artist, he invited me to the most important concert of his life. But onstage, he was holding another girl’s hand. Backstage, he sneered at me. “Amelia Nash is the one person who truly understands me. Only she understands my music. Only she can move forward by my side. “And you? What could you possibly do for me?” The reason he mocked me like that was simple— I was deaf. In the fifth year of our secret relationship, Ethan Blake won Best Music Artist and became a household name. He got wasted at the party celebrating his award and sent me a voice message. I tapped the transcription button. [The most important concert of my life is in a couple of days. I saved you a ticket.] Even though it had been five years since the incident, he still sometimes forgot I was deaf now. My heart sank a little as I typed back: [Okay.] Ethan was an incredibly talented music producer. Every song he produced became a hit, and artists were lining up to work with him. I still remembered being by his side as he finished his first album. The night he completed it, he was as excited as a little boy. The album came out soon afterward and sold like crazy. That debut made his name, turning him into one of the hottest musicians of the year. Over the years, even though I could no longer collaborate with Ethan, I had quietly supported him in my own way. Now, thanks to his talent and good looks, he had countless fans. His concerts drew enormous crowds. I was genuinely happy for him. The television happened to be showing a clip from his latest interview. During the interview, Ethan revealed that his second album would be called a.n. He said the album was a gift for the love of his life, the woman who could stand beside him. He had named it after her. As I watched, the loneliness in my heart gave way to a sudden flutter of excitement. Ethan stared straight into the camera, as though he were looking through the screen at someone. After a long pause, he gave a soft laugh. “You’ll get to meet her at the concert, too.” “I hope you’ll give us your blessing.” I arrived early and took the seat Ethan had reserved for me. I couldn’t hear anything, but judging by the faces around me, the concert must have been incredible. Eventually, Ethan finished another song, and the lights suddenly went out. In the darkness, my heart pounded. Would he invite me onstage? Was he finally going to tell the world about me? The darkness seemed to stretch on forever. Nervous, I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, the sight before me left me stunned. Ethan was holding another girl’s hand, leading her toward the front of the stage. Her sweet smile pierced straight through me. I had never seen Ethan look at me that way. He held her hand tightly, his face warm and radiant. Every step they took together felt like another cut. My chest ached so badly that, for a long time, I could barely breathe. My world was silent, yet my head buzzed. Everyone around me was applauding. Some fans were even crying. I could only watch Ethan’s lips move, but I understood the words. The last thing he said to her was: “I love you, Amelia.”At that moment, I desperately wanted an explanation. But I also felt ridiculous. I didn’t know whether to laugh at how cunning he was or how stupid I had been. I had met that girl before. We had studied in the same music department. Amelia Nash was the department beauty, and Ethan had spent four whole years pining after her. Then, during our senior year, Amelia had gone overseas to pursue her dreams. Ethan had been a wreck. I was the one who stayed beside him and helped him through it. Only after that incident—after I lost my hearing because of him—had his cold heart finally softened enough for him to be with me. Later, word spread through our college group chat that Amelia’s music career abroad had suffered one setback after another, so she had returned home. But after returning, she disappeared. None of our old classmates knew where she had gone. Now it was obvious that the two of them had reconnected at some point. They had been sneaking around behind my back. Everything I had given him was nothing but a joke. a.n didn’t stand for Anna Nolan. It stood for Amelia Nash. I smiled bitterly. So that was it. My phone kept vibrating. I opened my messages. They were all from my father. [Sweetheart, what the hell is going on with Ethan Blake?] [He’s all over social media! When did you two break up?! When did he get a new girlfriend?!] [Honey, did he cheat on you?] [If he did, I’ll kill him!] I replied. [I’ll ask him myself.] After Ethan led Amelia offstage, I went backstage. He visibly froze when he saw me, then frowned. I let out a laugh, tears spilling before I could stop them. “Ethan Blake, what have I been to you all these years?” He gave me a mocking smile. “Anna, you’re deaf now. You can’t hear music. You can’t even hear me speak. Do you really think we belong in the same world? Face reality. Amelia is the one person who truly understands me. Only she can stand beside me.” It was the most absurd thing I had ever heard. Nausea rose in my throat. Fighting it down, I gave a bitter laugh. “Ethan, you know better than anyone why I’m deaf, don’t you? I nearly died for you, and this is what I get? You disgust me.” He looked away, guilt flickering across his face. “I’ll make it up to you for what happened. But I never forced you to do anything. You chose to do it.” The room seemed to spin. Memories of that chaotic night flashed through my mind. Countless shards of glass on the floor. The wail of an ambulance. I lay in a pool of blood while a younger Ethan cried out beside me. A ringing sound— Then the world fell silent. From that moment on, I never heard another sound. One night five years ago, I had gone to Ethan’s place and stumbled upon debt collectors beating him. In a panic, I stepped in front of a blow that could have killed him. A glass liquor bottle struck the back of my head. That was the night I went from a gifted young musician to completely deaf. Back then, Ethan had cried and promised he would stay with me and protect me for the rest of his life. But time had apparently erased every word of that promise.Amelia came over and slipped her arm through his. “Anna, thank you for taking care of Ethan all these years. But you know you aren’t right for him anymore. He needs someone who can help his career. I can sing vocals for him, and I have the rights to plenty of samples he can use. I’m even about to sign with the biggest music label in the country—Harmony Records. I’m going in tomorrow to sign the contract.” She pointed at her ears, then spread her hands. “And you? You can’t even hear. How could you possibly help him?” I couldn’t hear what Amelia was saying, but her gestures and expression made it clear she was mocking me. Yet back then, Ethan had believed he could make it in this industry on talent alone. He didn’t need to rely on anyone. He despised people who used connections to get ahead. That was why I had kept my identity hidden throughout all the years I had known him. My father was the president and a producer at Harmony Records, the most respected music label in the business. While making his first album, Ethan had struggled to find a reliable producer or secure funding. He suffered so many setbacks that he nearly gave up on music altogether. I had secretly asked my father to help produce Ethan’s debut album and sign him to Harmony. After that, whenever Ethan hit a roadblock, I quietly reached out to the industry veterans who had worked with my dad and secured opportunities for him. Ethan always thought people were recognizing his talent. In reality, my quiet support had made him who he was. I still remembered the first time I took Ethan to meet my father. The incident hadn’t happened yet. I could still hear. I led Ethan through the doors of Harmony Records. He was usually reserved, his face unreadable. That day, he couldn’t hide his joy. He didn’t know what to do with his hands. He was that excited. “Are you Miles? I’m a huge fan! I never thought I’d actually get to meet you!” My father rubbed his nose and glanced at me. I quickly gave him a warning look. “I’ve heard your music, son. I think you have real potential.” They talked for a long time. Before we left, Ethan clasped my father’s hand and thanked him over and over. Only after we were outside did Ethan ask, “Anna, how do you know Miles? He’s the most respected musician in the business. People would pay a fortune to have him produce an album with them. You didn’t…?” I lied. “No, nothing like that. My professor is a close friend of his. He recommended you.” Ethan believed me and didn’t ask any more questions. After he signed with Harmony, his career took off without a hitch. And now he had chosen Amelia over me, using the pathetic excuse that I couldn’t help him. “Ethan, without me, you’d be nothing.” I was so disgusted I wanted to throw up. I couldn’t bear to give him another glance. “Anna, you really think you’re something special.” He stopped looking at me and walked away with Amelia on his arm. As they left, Ethan gently brushed back her hair. She smiled, her dimples showing. They looked every bit the happy couple. After leaving the venue, I wandered down the street in a daze. As I crossed the road, a car came speeding toward me, its headlights blinding. Terror froze me in place. At the last possible second, someone tackled me out of the way.