My Brother Made Me Marry His Secret Lover

The day before my wedding, my infamously partial brother, Liam, unexpectedly invited me home for dinner. On the way, I was ambushed by attackers. Barely escaping with my life, I suffered a severe head injury and completely lost my hearing.

My fiancé, Caiden, promptly called off our engagement and married my adopted sister, Madeleine instead. Under the weight of these crushing blows, my uncle, Vicente, stepped forward and made an extraordinary gesture by marrying me, vowing to be my ears for life.

Three years into our marriage, on the very day my hearing returned, I was filled with joy and eager to share the good news with Vicente. But instead, I overheard a conversation between him and my brother.

"It was clever of you back then, teaming up with those thugs to stage a kidnapping, so Madeleine could marry Caiden," Vicente commented.

"If Amaya ever found out that you orchestrated the attack and planned for her to marry me, would she forgive you?" he inquired.

Behind the closed door of the living room, Liam was casually admiring his wristwatch, his voice indifferent.

"Hmph! I'm her brother. She wouldn’t dare not forgive me. Besides, it's what she owed Madeleine," Liam replied snidely. "And you're the one I feel sorry for. You clearly liked Madeleine, yet you ended up having to marry a woman you don’t love—and deaf, no less..."

Vicente’s expression was a mix of deep affection and resignation. "As long as she can marry the one she loves and live a happy life, I'm content. I heard Caiden recently bought her an island and even named it after her. That shows we made the right choice."

I clenched the doorknob so tightly that my hand ached, my entire body trembling uncontrollably. It was the middle of August, yet an icy chill crept through my limbs.

From the start, I had been caught in a massive conspiracy, and the mastermind was none other than my own brother. Memories, soaked with tears, flooded my mind. Throughout my life, even though I was Liam’s biological sister, his affections were always reserved for Madeleine, the adopted daughter.

Especially after our parents passed away in a car accident, leaving only the three of us siblings in that large mansion, Liam's favoritism became even more blatant.

Yet, the day before my wedding, he, who barely acknowledged my existence, suddenly called me with a gentle voice, inviting me to dinner. I was overjoyed, believing my sole remaining family member was finally ready to accept me. I rushed over, never suspecting the fate that awaited me on the road—a violent encounter with those thugs.

Barely escaping, I suffered a grave head injury and was informed upon waking in the hospital that my hearing was damaged, possibly permanently. Soon after, I learned of Caiden and Madeleine's wedding. Grappling with these twin devastations, I was on the brink of collapse.

It was Vicente who pulled me back from the abyss, proposing marriage and promising to be my ears for life. For three years, Vicente showered me with tenderness, never showing a hint of disdain for my deafness. Enveloped in his affection, I found myself falling more deeply in love with him.

Yet, before I had the chance to announce my restored hearing, I uncovered the truth of the deception I had lived. My seemingly happy life was like thin paper, easily pierced.

As I stood there, a subtle pain seeped from my heart, spreading inch by inch, nearly knocking me off my feet.

In the living room, Madeleine reclined on the couch, with Liam and Vicente attending to her on either side. Vicente tenderly peeled an apple and fed her slice by slice, Liam watching with a doting smile he couldn’t conceal. They appeared to be the real family, while I was nothing more than an outsider, a mere spectator in the corner, stealing glimpses of their bliss.

My heart ached, and I accidentally bumped into a flowerpot by the door. The lively room fell silent immediately; their laughter froze upon seeing me, smiles vanishing in an instant.

Especially Vicente, whose eyes betrayed a visible flicker of panic when he saw me. "Amaya!" he exclaimed, hastily getting up to approach me.

When he noticed I wasn't wearing my hearing aids, his gaze quickly settled.

"I told you to call me after your appointment so I could pick you up. Why did you come back alone?" he signed skillfully, a language he had learned for me.

I squeezed the paper in my bag, my face pale as I looked at him, uncertain of how to begin. Just moments earlier, I had wanted to share the good news of my hearing restoration, but now, I had no desire to reveal it.

Instead, I pulled my hearing aids from my pocket and inserted them. "My ears felt uncomfortable, so I took them off," I replied casually.

"Why worry about her? Even if something happens, it won’t be to her!” Liam sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. “In fact, if something actually did happen, it would rid us of a pest.”

The contempt on his face suggested that my mere presence sullied his view.

"Brother, don’t say that. Amaya is your real sister. Hearing that would hurt her feelings," Madeleine scolded gently, her soft voice harmonious. Her delicate makeup enhanced her natural charm, making her even more captivating.

Gathering myself, I swallowed the bitterness in my heart and said, "I'll head to my room first."

But before I could leave, Liam’s voice rang out again. "Vicente, tell her Madeleine wants chicken noodle soup. She should change and make it quickly!"

"Madeleine wants chicken noodle soup. Why don't you go to the kitchen once you’ve changed?" Vicente relayed Liam’s words with some embarrassment, gesturing as he spoke.

Looking at the two of them, always eager to please Madeleine, I felt an inexplicable weariness rise from within. Eventually, I nodded heavily.

Seeing me agree, a visible relief washed over Vicente's face.

In this house, my room was just a small, tucked-away space. Entering, I sat wearily on the bed, intending to charge my phone, when a message notification popped up. I opened it, finding a text from an unfamiliar number. It linked to a Twitter account named "Longing."

On instinct, I copied the account information and clicked through. The moment I did, my hand began to tremble.

The account belonged to Vicente—an account I had no idea existed. It was filled with posts about Madeleine, along with intimate photos of the two of them.

A lump formed in my throat, and a knot of pain clenched my heart. This was the man I’d loved for four years. Vicente had once assured me that he didn’t harbor feelings for Madeleine, yet here was irrefutable proof that he adored her deeply behind my back. The irony was stifling.

It felt as though layer upon layer of my heart was being peeled away, the pain threatening to smother me. I let out a bitter laugh, saved the screenshots of the photos, and dialed an unfamiliar number.

“Hello, I’d like to arrange for a fake death service. The sooner, the better.” I decided I wanted neither Liam nor the husband I once cherished.