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Novel Catalog
Chapter 7 Useless Daughter
Despite her hearing aid, Cecilia could usually pick up faint sounds. But today, the silence was overwhelming. Slowly, she fumbled to sit up, her hands trembling as she grabbed a packet of medicine from the nightstand. She swallowed one of the bitter pills, the dryness making her throat ache.
After leaving Daltonia Villa, where she’d lived for the past three years, she made her way home. But as soon as she reached the door, she overheard a conversation from inside.
“Why did I give birth to such a useless daughter?” Paula’s voice rang out angrily. “It’s been three years, and Nathaniel still hasn’t touched her! She’s not even a complete woman, and now she’s thinking about divorce!”
Her mother’s harsh words hit Cecilia like a knife. She paused, unable to understand. What, in Paula’s eyes, makes a woman ‘complete’—a husband’s affection? Or is it about bearing children?
But it was Magnus’s words that hurt even more.
“She doesn’t even seem like she belongs to the Smith family. I heard Nathaniel’s first love is back. Even if she doesn’t divorce him, she’ll eventually be kicked out. Since that’s inevitable, we should start planning. Didn’t Mrs. Larke just pass away? Even with her hearing problems, Cecilia could be a perfect match for that old man in his eighties…”
Cecilia’s gaze turned hollow as she replayed their words in her mind, but she tried not to let them consume her. She had to move on.
Picking up her phone, she noticed an unread message. Maybe it’s Nathaniel, she thought, but when she opened it, it was from Norman.
“Ceci, I’ve already handed the transfer agreement to Nathaniel, but his attitude wasn’t good. From here on, focus more on yourself.”
Cecilia stared at the screen for a moment before typing a simple reply: Thank you. I will.
After sending the message, a deep emptiness settled inside her.
She had intended to return the assets to Nathaniel—not out of any sense of nobility, but simply because she no longer wanted to owe him anything. But she knew that she couldn’t match the amount specified in the prenup. If she couldn’t make it right, she might live with the label of fraud for the rest of her life.
Though Cecilia hadn’t eaten in two days, she wasn’t hungry. It wasn’t the lack of food that bothered her—it was the suffocating silence. She had put on her hearing aids, taken her medicine, but still, nothing. Not even the faintest sound.
Afraid that Nathaniel might call to arrange their divorce and she wouldn’t hear it, Cecilia decided to visit the hospital for a checkup.
After a basic examination, the doctor noticed dried blood in her ear canal. The diagnosis was grim.
“What’s going on? How long have you had this condition?” the doctor asked.
“I’ve had hearing loss since birth,” Cecilia replied, her voice barely audible.
The doctor observed her carefully. She was still in her early twenties, young and vibrant, yet her condition seemed to be worsening.
“I’m sorry to say, but if this persists, you could lose your hearing entirely. Even hearing aids might not help in the future,” the doctor explained with quiet sympathy.
The words hit Cecilia hard, and she felt as if her throat were closing up. She couldn’t speak for a long time.
The doctor glanced toward the door, noticing her silence. “Did you come alone? Where are your family or friends?”
Family?
Cecilia thought of her mother, who looked down on her, her brother, who was more interested in marrying her off to an elderly man, and her husband of three years, Nathaniel, who had never truly cared for her. Finally, her mind drifted to the image of her father, his face full of sorrow as he lay dying.
“I can’t bear to leave. If I die, what will become of Ceci?”
Now Cecilia understood. Her father hadn’t wanted to leave her behind. Despite the excruciating pain, he had held on because once he was gone, she would have no family left.
Suppressing the bitter dryness in her throat, Cecilia finally answered the doctor. “They passed away.”
Leaving the hospital, Cecilia stepped out into a light drizzle. The rain in Tudela this year seemed more frequent than usual.
At the hospital entrance, people hurried to and fro, walking in pairs, while Cecilia stood alone. She didn’t know where to go next. With the possibility of never hearing again weighing on her, she bought a ticket out of town and boarded a train heading for the countryside, to the home of the housekeeper who had always taken care of her, Martha Holmes.
It was already nine o’clock when she arrived, and the chill of the night air bit at her skin. Standing in front of the old brick house, she hesitated. She had always rushed through visits to Martha’s, always preoccupied with taking care of Nathaniel, but today, she simply didn’t know what to do.
Just as she was about to knock, the door opened, and warm light poured out. Martha’s face lit up with joy when she saw Cecilia.
“Ceci…”
The sight of Martha’s kind, familiar smile made Cecilia’s throat tighten, and tears stung her eyes. She stepped forward, throwing her arms around Martha in a desperate hug.
“Martha…” she whispered, her voice breaking.
Martha had never married or had children due to her health, and over the years, she had become closer to Cecilia than even her own mother. Sensing the sadness that clung to Cecilia like a heavy cloud, Martha gently patted her on the shoulder.
“What’s wrong, Ceci?” she asked, her voice soft with concern.
Cecilia rarely let her guard down, but the last time she’d been this vulnerable was when Regas had passed away.
Shaking her head, Cecilia muttered, “It’s nothing. I just missed you so much.”
Martha, recognizing Cecilia’s need for silence, didn’t press any further. “I miss you too,” she said warmly.
She quickly ushered Cecilia inside, noticing she was soaked from the rain. “You’re drenched! Come on, let’s get you out of these wet clothes and into a hot bath.”
That night, Cecilia nestled into Martha’s arms, as she had when she was younger. The warmth of Martha’s embrace was a comfort she hadn’t realized she needed.
Martha, who had always been there for Cecilia, felt her heart break at how thin Cecilia had become. She was nearly just skin and bones now. Gently, she placed a trembling hand on Cecilia’s frail back, trying to keep calm.
“Ceci, is Nathaniel treating you well?” Martha asked, her voice full of caution.
Hearing Nathaniel’s name caused a sharp pain in Cecilia’s chest. For a moment, she wanted to lie—to say that everything was fine, that Nathaniel was good to her.
But she knew better than to deceive Martha. She had already decided to leave Nathaniel, and she wouldn’t lie to those who loved her.
“His first love is back. I plan to set him free by divorcing him,” Cecilia confessed, her voice barely above a whisper.
Martha froze, shock written across her face. This was the last thing she had expected to hear. Cecilia had always spoken of growing old with Nathaniel, yet now she was giving up on him.
Cecilia hugged her tighter, as if drawing strength from the warmth of Martha’s embrace. “Martha, could I be like you?” she whispered, her voice tinged with sadness. “Forever unmarried… forever alone.”
“Grow old in solitude,” Nathaniel had once said. If one could choose love, who would choose to be alone forever?
Martha’s heart ached at Cecilia’s words. She gently stroked her hair and whispered, “Silly girl, don’t talk like that. You still have so much life ahead of you. Even if you leave Nathaniel, someone else will come along and love you for who you are.”
Cecilia nodded quietly, but the ringing in her ears drowned out Martha’s comforting words. After a decade of unrequited love, Cecilia had learned the hard truth: loving someone could be the hardest thing in the world. How could someone like her, so broken and so unworthy, ever be loved again?
Tears streamed down her face, soaking the pillow beneath her, as she tried to find comfort in the arms of the one person who had never abandoned her.
The next morning, Cecilia awoke in a daze, confused about where she was. The heavy weight of the night before seemed to linger in her mind.
