7
orally Anika could vaguely hear some sounds even without hearing aids
Nomate
She sat up took the medicine from the bedside table, and placed it in her mouth. The taste was bitter.
Yesterday Anika left Rafter Villa, where she had lived for three years.
Then she went back to her parents' place
Howevel, just as she reached the doorstep, she overheard Mireya and Eli talking
"How did I end up with such a useless daughter? It's been three years, and Joshua hasn't touched her!
"She can't even be considered a complete woman, yet she's thinking about divorce."
Mireya's angry words were like sharp knives stabbing into Anika's heart.
She didn't know what Mireya's standard for a complete woman was.
Was it being loved by a husband or having children?
Elis words were even harsher,
'Anika doesn't look like a Carey at all. I hear that Joshua's first love is back in town. Even if Anika doesn't get a divorce, she'll be kicked out sooner or later. "Such being the case, we should plan for the future. Mr.
Morrison's wife died recently,right?Although my sister has hearing problems, she fits well with that old man in his 80s.
Those words rang in Anika's head, and her eyes were dull.
She tried not to dwell on that.
She picked up her phone and found a new text message.
Instinctively, she thought it was from Joshua, but it turned out to be from Maurice.
The text message read as follows.
"Anika,l gave the transfer agreement to Joshua, but he didn't seem happy about it. In the future, you should look out for yourself"
Anika texted Maurice back.
Thank you twitt
She pressed the send button
Returning all the assets she had to Joshua wasn't an act of nobility
She just didn't want to owe him too much...
Unfortunately, she couldn't produce as much property as the prenuptial agreement stated Perhaps she
would have to carry the label of marriage fraud for the rest of her life.
Anika hadn't had anything for two days, but she didn't feel hungry.
She just found the dead silence around her scary.
She had put on the hearing aids and taken her medicine, but why couldn't she hear anything?
She was afraid that she wouldn't hear the ringtone when Joshua called to arrange the divorce
Anika took a ride to a nearby hospital for a check up,
The doctor conducted some basic tests and found dried blood in her ear canalNôvel(D)rama.Org's content.
She received restorative treatment and finally got some hearing back.
"What's going on? How long have you had this condition?"
the doctor asked.
Anika replied honestly, 'I was born with weak hearing
The doctor looked surprised. This girl was in her early twenties, and she didn't strike him as a patient with that condition when she just walked in.
The doctor felt sorry for Anika and said, "To be honest, if this condition continues, you might go deaf
completely.
"By then, hearing aids won't be able to help you."
The glint of hope disappeared from Anika's eyes, and she was choked with emotions.
Anika remained silent for a long time.
The doctor glanced at the door"Did you come alone?
What about your family or friends?"
Anka thought about her mother, who despised her her brother who wanted to marry her off to a man in his
nd her husband who had hated her for three years.
Fincher memories froze at her father's reluctant expression before passing away
1 don't want to leave this world. If I'm gone, who's gonna take of you,Anika?"
Anika finally understood why her father didn't want to die after the car accident despite being attached to
vanous medical equipment and suffering unbearable pain
was because after he left she would have no family left
Anika held back the urge to sob and finally told the doctor, "My family has passed away.
Anika walked out of the hospital only to find it drizzling again.
This year Oasisville seemed to have more rain than usual.
Outside the hospital people came and went in groups but Anika was all alone.
She stepped into the rain, not knowing where to go.
At the thought that she might lose her hearing forever, Anika bought a ticket to the countryside where her nanny Clare Clanssa lived
it was already 9 p.m.when Anika arrived.
Anika stood outside Clare's old house hesitating to knock on the door. Because she had to take care of
Joshua her meetings with Clare had always been short over these years.
While Anika was still hesitating,the door was opened from the inside, and warm light spilled out.
As soon as Clare saw Anika, Clare's face lit up with a mixture of joy and surprise.
"Anika
Anika looked at Clare's affectionate smile,tears welling up in her eyes. She reached out to hug
Clare.'Clare..."
Because of health issues, Clare never married nor had any children.
Clare was like a mother to Anika.
Clare seemed to have sensed Anika's pain and sadness, so she patted the latter's shoulder gently
Chapter V
"What's wrong. Anika?
Aniko rarely showed her vulnerable side
The last time Clare saw Anika like this was when Kenyon passed away
Anika shook her head Tos fine I just missed you I missed you a lot..."
Clare didn't press further when she saw that Anika didn't want to talk about it
"I missed you too
Anika was soaked from head to toe,so Clare pulled her into the house asking her to take a hot shower
That night. Anika nestled in Clare's auns
Anika felt as if she had returned to her childhood.
Clare held Anika and found her skinny
Clare's hand on Anika's skinny back trembled involuntarily, but Clare forced herself to calm down
"Anika,is Joshua treating you right? Clare cautiously asked,
At the mention of Joshua, Anika was choked with emotions. She wanted to lie to Clare once again, saying
that Joshua was nice to her.
But Anika knew Clare wasn't foolish.
Now that Anika had decided to leave Joshua, she didn't want to deceive herself or the people who loved
her anymore
"The woman he loves in back,so I'll let him go. We're getting a divorce."
Clare froze in shock.
Anika had told Clare more than once that she wanted to grow old with Joshua.
Receiving no response from Clare, Anika held her tight and asked softly, Clare, can I be like you?"
Never marry.
Forever alone.
As Joshua said,grow old in loneliness.
Who would choose to be alone forever if they could choose to be loved?
Hearing Anika's words, Clare felt heartache.
"Silly girl,don't talk nonsense."
"You have a long life ahead. If you leave Joshua,you will find someone else who loves and cherishes you."
Anika nodded in silence, but the buzzing in her ears drowned out Clare's soothing words.
She'd had unrequited love for a man for more than a decade, so Anika knew better than anyone how
challenging and painful it was to love someone.
With everything that had happened and was going to happen, Anika doubted she deserved anyone's love.
Tears rolled out of Anika's eyes,soaking the bedding.
The next day.
Anika woke up in a daze, wondering how she ended up there.
Chapter e