The First Sound I Heard In Three Years Was His Lie Chapter 03
The International Art Awards were held the next day.
Tessa’s painting won the event’s highest honor.
I had once been a painter too, but the accident three years earlier had left my right hand unable to hold a brush steady. I had not been able to paint since.
After the accident, Graham had taken it upon himself to give all my art supplies to Tessa.
“They’re only going to waste sitting around the house. At least this way, someone can put them to good use.”
I was devastated, but in the end, I agreed.
At the ceremony, Graham and Tessa were seated in the front row.
“Tessa only has two front-row tickets. She’s nervous, so I’m staying with her. Find an empty seat in the back.”
There was not a single seat left in the rear section.
I had no choice but to stand in the open space behind the last row.
People kept glancing over at me. My face burned as I lowered my head, feeling like a child who had done something wrong.
Before long, it was Tessa’s turn to accept her award.
She stood beneath the spotlight in an elegant gown with a sweeping train, her eyes shining with tears.
“This award was the last thing I expected. It is an incredible surprise and the greatest validation of everything I’ve worked for.”
I stared at the painting displayed on the enormous screen, my nails digging into my palm.
It was the final piece I had completed before the accident.
Graham had said that seeing it would only cause me more pain, so he packed my work away in the attic of our rental house.
Now, that painting had won Tessa the event’s highest honor.
She held the microphone and continued.
“There is someone else I need to thank.”
“Three years ago, I was about to give up painting because I could no longer afford tuition. He gave me $300,000 and told me not to quit. He promised he would take care of every obstacle in my way.”
“Without him, I would not be standing here today.”
Her gaze traveled across the audience and settled on Graham.
The next moment, Graham rose with a bouquet of flowers and walked toward the stage.
The room erupted in cheers as they embraced.
That $300,000 had been the settlement from my accident.
The following year, my mother was diagnosed with cancer. We sold our house and car and drained our savings, but we were still $30,000 short of the cost of her surgery.
If I had still had that settlement, my mother might not have died.
Rage and hatred surged through me. Every sound in the room disappeared until all I could hear was my own harsh, ragged breathing.
I wanted to storm the stage and tear the entire spectacle apart.
Instead, I forced myself to remain calm, turned around, and left the auditorium.
Numb and disoriented, I wandered aimlessly through the streets.
I had no idea how long I had been walking when rain suddenly began to pour. I had just ducked beneath a storefront awning when my phone vibrated in my pocket.
Graham: [After the ceremony, I’m going to Tessa’s celebration dinner. Go back to the hotel on your own later, and don’t wander off.]
Even now, Graham had no idea I had already left.
Tessa was the only person he ever saw.
He had used my money to pay for her education abroad and my painting to win her an award.
He was afraid I might learn the truth; he was simply certain that even if I did, I would never confront him.
In his mind, I could not survive without him.
Perhaps that had once been true.
But now I could hear again, and I no longer needed him.
I used my phone to book a flight home for later that day.
I walked back to the hotel through the rain, packed immediately, and took a cab to the airport with my suitcase.
On the way, I saw a new photo Tessa had posted on Instagram.
There was only one image.
Drunk, with her cheeks flushed, she lay limp against Graham’s chest.
The way they looked at each other left no room for doubt.
My phone vibrated.
The message was from the county clerk’s office.
County Clerk: [Your civil ceremony appointment for February 21, 2026, has been canceled.]
Before the plane took off, I contacted an attorney.
Me: [I want to recover the $300,000 my ex-boyfriend borrowed from me.]
Me: [I also want to sue someone for stealing one of my paintings, entering it in the International Art Awards, and winning with it.]
