Cecilia Smith, a hearing-impaired girl, was rejected by her prominent family and abandoned by her mother at birth. After three years of marriage, her husband never acknowledged her as the lady of the Rainsworth family. Her friends cruelly called her "deaf," and everyone mocked her, saying, "You're disabled, so you should stay at home." Even her mother-in-law looked down on her. Then one day, her husband's first crush returned and sneered, "Did Nathaniel ever tell you he loved you? He used to say it to me all the time, but I always thought he was childish. I'm back now to win him over."

Cecilia silently reflected on her years with Nathaniel Rainsworth and was suddenly struck by the realization that she had been wrong all along. She had been married to Nathaniel for three years and had loved him for twelve years, only to find herself deeply misplaced. Feeling overwhelmed, Cecilia finally said, "Mr. Rainsworth, I've held you back all these years. Let's divorce." But Nathaniel locked her up at home and declared, "You want to leave? Not unless I die!"

• When Her "Death" Couldn't Break Him