After four years, my hearing was finally restored. The first thing I wanted to do was share the news with my husband, Jeremy, who had been my constant support. With an envelope in hand containing proof, and a positive pregnancy test, I walked through Jones Corporation.
I pictured his reaction, the way his blue eyes would widen in shock, how he’d pull me into his arms, overwhelmed with joy. Heart pounding, I quickened my pace, eager to surprise my husband.
But then—
A voice, deep and familiar, cut through the air. Owen. Jeremy’s best friend. I slowed my steps, my heart skipping.
“Four years, man, and you still love Amber Lotte?” Owen’s tone was light, teasing.
My breath caught. Amber. My childhood friend. My husband’s ex.
Jeremy sighed. “I never stopped.”
My grip on the envelope tightened, nails digging into my palm.
Owen chuckled. “And giving her your company? That’s huge.”
“She deserves it,” Jeremy said. “I want to make sure she’s set for life. That was the best thing I could do, to show her that I still cared for her even though she chose Jack instead of me.”
“What about Cornelia?” Owen asked. “She’s your wife.”
Silence stretched between them before Jeremy finally spoke. “She’ll never find out. Plus—she’s deaf, useless, and just convenient because of her family’s money that I owned now. That’s all she is to me.”
The air left my lungs.
Jeremy’s voice turned smug. “She loves me. She’d follow me through hell if I asked.”
Owen hesitated. “And if she learns the truth? That you were the reason she got into that accident? The one that killed her parents and made her deaf?”
A sharp pain stabbed through my chest. My accident. My parents. No—this had to be a nightmare. I blinked, not knowing how to react. Am I really hearing the truth right now?
Jeremy laughed, low and careless. “She won’t. She’s stupid. And if she ever suspects anything, I’ll make sure she stays clueless.”
My body trembled. The envelope slipped from my fingers, hitting the marble floor with a sharp clack.
The voices inside the office stopped. A chair scraped. Footsteps approached.
“Shit—she’s here!” Owen’s voice was laced with panic.
Jeremy? He was calm. Too calm because he thought up until now that I was useless. “Relax. She’s deaf.” His voice dropped, amused. “You could scream in her face, and she wouldn’t flinch. Hell, I curse at her sometimes just for fun. She’s like a robot.”
Bile rose in my throat. My fists clenched at my sides as footsteps neared. I forced my face into a neutral mask just as the door swung open.
Jeremy’s blue eyes met mine, and in an instant, his features softened into fake concern. He lifted his hands in smooth, practiced motions, signing, “Hey, sweetie. Why are you here? Did you miss me?”
I smiled even though I wanted to claw his face off. How could he do this to me? For four years, he made a fool of me! I thought everything was real.
He pulled me into a hug. I swallowed the bile in my throat, every fiber of my being screaming at me to shove him away. But I wouldn’t. Not yet.
I signed slowly, “I wanted to ask you to eat with me. But if you're busy, it’s okay.”
Jeremy smiled, nodding. “Let’s go.”
And then, his phone rang. Amber’s name flashed on the screen. Jeremy didn’t hesitate. He put it on speaker.
“Jeremy,” her voice was soft, sweet, familiar. “I miss you. Can we meet?”
The air in the room turned thick. I stood frozen, watching his face shift—something flickered in his expression. Something real. And then, without a second thought, he signed, “I have something important to do. Sorry. I’ll make it up to you later.”
No hesitation. No guilt. He walked past me, out of the office, toward her.
The world blurred around me. My hands shook, rage and devastation clawing their way up my throat.
Everything. Everything I had believed in was a lie.
Jeremy had learned sign language for me. Spent years speaking to me with his hands, making me feel safe, loved. It was all fake. How could I not see it through? Truly, my love had blinded me. And of all people, Amber? I should have known. There were signs that I had ignored because I believed they would never betray me but betrayal comes from people you loved the most.
I walked out of the building, my mind spiraling. The envelope in my hand—proof of my pregnancy—felt like poison.
I pulled out my phone, my fingers steady as I dialed the hospital.
“Yes, please? What can we do for you?”
“I need to schedule an appointment.”
“For what?”
I took a deep breath, my heart ice-cold. “An abortion.”
