Chapter 3

"They said they had something come up at the firm and left," Eliza said. "Hannah, divorce him and move in with me."

Just then, my phone buzzed with a message from Marvin. "I went too far earlier. Let's talk this out at home."

After putting my phone away, I gave Eliza a tight smile and nodded.

The follow-up went quickly. The doctor said, "You're recovering well. There's still a good chance you'll be able to speak again. The most important thing is not to let fear keep you quiet."

Eliza suddenly burst into tears and threw her arms around me. "Hannah, what actually happened? You used to love talking so much."

She was right. I used to love talking. It was the only time I truly felt alive. I had even built a career as a voice actress.

I typed out the details of what had happened yesterday.

Eliza gritted her teeth, then pulled up her phone and signed me up for a sign language course online.

"Don't worry, Hannah. I'll be right here with you until you get your voice back."

When I got home, Marvin stood up and wrapped his arms around me. "Hannah, where were you? You're so late. I was worried sick."

His suit smelled faintly of Lexie's perfume. My body went rigid, and I pushed him away.

His expression darkened instantly. Just as he was about to open his mouth to lecture me, his phone chimed.

The irritation vanished from his face. He eagerly grabbed his phone to reply to the text.

I had only ever seen him react like that when we were first dating. Back then, I was his entire world. He would reply to my messages even while washing his hair.

Noticing my stare, Marvin intentionally sent a voice note to mock me. "Lexie, you have no idea how exhausting Hannah can be. She just got home, and she's already throwing a tantrum. However, she's trying a new tactic this time. No endless nagging, just the silent treatment."

Lexie's laughter echoed from the speaker.

I couldn't believe my pain had become fodder for him to entertain another woman.

I used to think Marvin was different from other men. I thought he was the one who would actually listen to me and had the patience to guide me through my struggles.

Now, I realized he was no different at all.

I pulled the divorce papers from my bag and tossed them onto the table in front of him.

Marvin froze, then set his phone down. "Hannah, this isn't funny."

I wanted to tell him that it wasn't a joke and that we were officially done, but no sound came out, so I could only stare at him in silence.

Seeing the tears welling in my eyes, Marvin assumed I was just wavering. He reached out to brush them away. "Alright, I get it. You're jealous and trying to spite me. I told you, we're never getting divorced."

I pushed the papers back toward him.

The warmth faded from Marvin's eyes. He stared at me before letting out a cold laugh. "Fine. Have it your way. Just don't come begging me to take you back."

Convinced I would eventually regret this, he grabbed a pen and scribbled his signature in a matter of seconds.

Our two years of dating and five years of marriage ended in a heartbeat.

That night, we slept in separate rooms for the first time.

He used to claim he couldn't fall asleep without holding me. Yet, as I scrolled through Instagram, I saw his latest post. "Finally, a moment of peace and quiet."

The next morning, I walked out of the bedroom to find Marvin standing by the door with a suitcase.

Seeing me, he explained, "A really difficult case just landed on my desk. I'll probably be staying at the office for a while. Try not to stay out too late. There's a lunatic running around our neighborhood. Someone got attacked recently."

I looked down and texted him. "That person was me."

Annoyed by the notification chime, Marvin didn't bother checking his screen. "If you have something to say, just say it to my face. Stop bottling things up. Don't you love talking?"

I wanted to talk. I wanted nothing more than to tell him, but my damaged vocal cords couldn't make a sound.

By the time I looked up, Marvin was already gone.