Deafened By His Hateful Words

he'd signed, his eyes avoiding mine. "Big deadline. You know how it is. We'll celebrate p

quiet loft, the silence felt heavier than usual, a suffocating blanket. I' d even had a follow-up appointment with my audiologist that day. "Remarkable,

sharp. My hearing, finally returning aft

s vintage leather jacket-the one I' d bought him years ago, the one he swore he'd never let anyone else touch. My breath hitched. He was wearing a new watc

y, painfully real. My vision blurred, hot tears stinging my eyes. I felt a scream rising in my throat, b

fumbling over the keypad. "W

"Still at the studio, babe.

ome join you? Bri

le

a crowded, pulsating club, laughing, her arm wrapped around Emiliano's waist. His head was

Best night ever!" K

studio. He had lie

s the sound of betrayal, amplified. My body felt heavy, rooted to the spot,

lse vibrated through the pavement, through my shoes, up into my chest. I pushed

his head bent close to hers. An ugly, raw sound scraped its way out of my

lub. My head throbbed, and the newly returned hearing in my left ear was

his bandmates slurred, nudging another man. "The 'de

s a long time to play nursemaid. Besides, Adell was always so... quiet. You k

'my hero' stuff, the constant gratitude. It's draining." He laughed, a bitter, dismissive sound that tore through me. "And the sex? Like doing a favor for

the one I' d damaged protecting him, was now perfectly capable of hearing every c

dent. The whole 'she saved my life' narrative. Can't just ditch her. Not yet. The wedding's still on for show. But th

celebratory bubbles. And then, without thinking, I grabbed it. My arm swung, propelled by a force I didn't recognize. The glass sailed through the air, glinting

wide, confusion morp

mouthed, his