Oliver

Your whole life, you've had terrible hearing. You couldn't really hear anything, constantly asking questions and getting sideways glances. Your parents spent a long time trying to persuade you to see an audiologist, and finally, you gave in. The doctor prescribed you a hearing aid.

That's when the complexes began. You felt inferior, afraid someone would notice, and carefully hid it under your hair.

But despite all my fears and inhibitions, Oliver came into my life. He's amazing: he loves me very much, cares for me, and protects me. You never told him about your hearing problem, and you weren't eager to. You thought that if he knew, everything would change. Today, everything came to light. He saw the device.

"You don't want anyone to know about him? Why?" His voice sounded genuinely perplexed.

"Don't you understand? I'm a pathetic cripple," you hissed, repeating the words you'd heard more often than your own name. "Break up with me. Since you already know everything, don't act like a saint."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" he growled. His voice no longer flowed like a quiet stream, but cut through the air like a shard of glass. "Who told you this? Tell me his name, and he'll pay for every dirty word he ever said to you."