Her Love Torment

"Thea, I have a work dinner tonight and will be back late. I've already prepared dinner; you just need to heat it up. Make sure to eat on time. Love you!"

The voice was gentle and low, filled with affection. Anyone who heard it would have no doubt about the speaker's love.

I quietly listened to the voice message, staring blankly at the sunlight filtering through the white curtains.

I felt like something was missing in my heart.

When did I start the habit of checking voice messages first thing in the morning?

It seemed to have started after his legs healed.

Theo was always like an eagle soaring in the sky, only grounded by an unexpected injury.

Now that his wings were healed, it was no surprise that he returned to the sky.

But I still felt a sense of loss, as if many things quietly changed the moment his legs healed.

As we spent less and less time together, my anxiety grew.

There was even a time when he lost contact for a week. I later found out he had spontaneously decided to go deep-sea diving with friends.

When he came back, he excitedly told me how wonderful the deep sea was.

I kept all my frustrations to myself.

I knew better than anyone how tough the past three years had been for him. He was disowned by his family and abandoned by his fiancée.

He endured countless sneers and humiliations in those three years.

And he... to reclaim the prestige of being the Lewis Group's heir, he had to work desperately.

How could he have time for romance?

He said I was his girlfriend, the only person he loved.

I should feel secure and not so anxious.

We've been through so much; we can't let these small issues break us now.

After washing up, I got into my wheelchair and left the room.

The house had surveillance cameras everywhere except the bathroom and bedroom.

Yes, my legs were never injured.

Theo and I attended the same university.

And like many girls, I fell for the confident, cheerful, and handsome Theo.

But at that time, he had a fiancée.

I had to bury my feelings deep inside, and they stayed hidden for three years.

Until graduation, he never knew there was someone who had been silently in love with him.

Three years ago, he was pushed down the stairs during a family feud, resulting in a leg injury that doctors said had little chance of recovery.

The Lewis Group didn't need a cripple to lead the company.

So, no matter how outstanding he was, he ultimately became an outcast of the family.

Without the prestige of being the Lewis Group's heir, his friends and fiancée all left him.

He broke down several times and even attempted to end his life in desperation.

To give him confidence and comfort, and to connect with him emotionally, I told him my first lie.

I said to him:

"At least you have a chance to stand up again. My leg nerves are dead; I'll never stand again."

"I have no hope, but you do..."

"If you're not afraid of death, why fear disability?"

The light in his eyes slowly returned.

Perhaps it was because I was "disabled" that he felt I could understand his pain. Or maybe it was because I was worse off than him that he felt sympathy for me and was willing to confide in me. This world is full of lies, but if lies can become a ray of light in the darkness, I think I would be willing to lie.

I accompanied him during his rehabilitation training, facing the malice of those around him together. At first, I never thought he could fall in love with me; I just wanted to be there for him through the toughest times. I only hoped he could live well and become that golden boy once again.

But as the days of our companionship passed, Theo fell in love with me. He said I was like the warm sun in the cold winter, warming him. After we got together, we undeniably received even more ridicule and mockery. They said we were a perfect match of heaven's remnants. But Theo would hold my hand and refute those people one by one.

I was there for him, and as long as he held my hand, I would never leave. I was also grateful for the blessing fate had given me. A year ago, he bought this apartment, and we started living together. Of course, we only lived under the same roof, sleeping in separate rooms without sharing the same bed. Everything was done with decorum. He said he wanted to save our first time for our wedding night.

After moving in together, he was extremely considerate, gently waking me up every morning and preparing breakfast for me. At night, we would wish each other goodnight. We lived like an ordinary couple, sharing our three meals a day, our preferences, and supporting each other. Perhaps there was no grand passion, but I believed it was a peaceful and enduring life. We had grown accustomed to each other's presence.

At that time, I often thought that if Theo hadn't been targeted by his enemies and pushed down the stairs, he wouldn't have hit rock bottom. And we might never have had the chance to cross paths. After experiencing the ups and downs, he had the capital to start over, and he naturally wanted to prove those who laughed at him wrong. So, for the past two months, I had been staying alone in the apartment filled with our memories, resisting the urge to contact him.

The doorbell rang, interrupting my thoughts. I opened the door to see a woman in a red mermaid dress with exquisite makeup, carrying a white paper bag, walking in uninvited. Her face was bright with a radiant smile, but that smile always carried an air of arrogance and aloofness. I knew who she was-Theo's ex-fiancée, Cecilia. As the eldest daughter of the Brown family, she had been pampered since childhood. Theo was the golden boy, and she was the proud daughter of heaven.

I had heard that both of them had strong and proud personalities, and neither was willing to give in to the other, so during their university years, there were always rumors of their breakups and reconciliations. Cecilia's eyes were fixed on me, then fell to my legs, and she sneered, "Theo is really something, this apartment is so rundown and basic, isn't he afraid of wronging you?"

"I wonder what brings Miss Brown here?" It wasn't the first time Cecilia had come to see me behind Theo's back, just to make me retreat in the face of difficulties. When two disabled people were together, everyone would only laugh but wouldn't think it inappropriate. But now that Theo had recovered, people started to jump out one after another, saying that I was not a match for him.

Cecilia sat directly on the sofa that Theo and I had once chosen together, elegantly crossing her legs. The slit on the side of her mermaid dress revealed her fair and slender legs. And from her angle, she was facing me perfectly.

Cecilia looked at me provocatively, her slender fingers lightly tracing her long legs. "Thea, you're quite selfish, clinging to Theo just because of some old ties. Have you ever thought about how many people are laughing at him because of you?"

I responded with a faint smile. How could Theo be bothered by such trivial gossip?

Besides, in just a few days, I would be able to stand in front of Theo.

I had made a promise to Jasper and Rosalie that I must reveal the truth about my legs on his birthday.

I also wanted to give Theo a surprise on that day.

Maybe this would be the most wonderful birthday surprise for him.

I said unhurriedly, "Cecilia, you came here today because you know Theo loves me."

"You!" Cecilia's face changed, but she quickly smiled lightly again. "Are you certain about that?"

"Then why don't you listen to what Theo really thinks of you?"

Cecilia looked at me disdainfully, taking out her phone and playing a recording.

Her smug expression made me increasingly uneasy.

I pretended to be relaxed, acting as if I didn't care.

First, an unfamiliar man's voice came through.

"Theo, you're throwing such a grand birthday party. Are you planning to propose to your girlfriend in public?"

Girlfriend? Just hearing those two words stirred up my hopes.

The recording went silent for a while, making me almost think that was it.

"Propose in public?"

It was Theo's voice. My heart skipped a beat as I saw Cecilia's mocking smile. Perhaps this answer...

My fingers clutched my dress, tightening and loosening, loosening and tightening.

For some reason, I didn't say anything and chose to continue listening.

"Sigh! I often think, if I hadn't lost my mind three years ago, Thea wouldn't have saved me, and we might never have met and fallen in love."

His tone was complex-filled with gratitude, nostalgia... pain... or regret...

Maybe all of those, or maybe I was overthinking it.

"Theo, what do you mean?"

"Do you think... Thea ever considered that she might be a burden to me? And then..."

His words trailed off, but I heard the echo. Was he wishing he could disappear?

"Theo, are you drunk?"

"I'm not drunk. When I see her now, I think of my past self, so weak and useless."

Hearing this, I felt a chill all over. Was my presence a constant reminder of his painful past?

"Do you want to break up with... Thea?"

His voice suddenly rose, "Impossible. I love Thea. I love her so much. I won't leave her, and she can't leave me."

"That's good then."

The other person's tone seemed to share his pain and struggle.

"Thea stayed by my side during my hardest times, and her parents are divorced. In these three years, I've never seen her parents visit her even once. She has no parental care and is disabled. Without me, how would she live?"

"She needs me. If I break up with her now, I wouldn't be human... Yes, I can't break up with her. I have to marry Thea. I love her."

Though his words spoke of love, his voice grew more and more pained and stifled.

Why was this happening? I was confused.

"But why is Thea disabled? If only she were normal, even if her family background wasn't great, I would accept it."

Why disabled?

If only she were normal?

Each word spoke of love, yet each word cut like a knife.

My eyes welled up with tears...

As I listened, my heart shattered piece by piece, but love formed a protective shield around it.

It turned out, I was also one of the pressures he needed to release.