Chapter 4

I packed my things and moved into the apartment Eliza had just rented.

Just then, my phone vibrated. It was a message from Lexie. "Hannah, do you know what case Marvin is working on right now? I handed that lunatic's case to him. We're the defense, and Marvin has a flawless record. Do you think you still have a chance of winning?"

My fingers dug into my palms as a sharp ache flared in my throat.

I immediately opened my chat with Marvin. It was a solid wall of text messages on my side.

I still wrote a long, rambling message and sent it to Marvin, almost as if I were punishing myself.

I begged him not to take the case and leave our marriage with at least a shred of dignity. I even told him I was the victim, and all I wanted was justice.

Marvin's name flashed on the screen as a video call came through. "Hannah, I'm at work right now. If you have something to say, just say it."

I couldn't make a sound, so my fingers flew across the keyboard.

But it felt like we were permanently tuned to different frequencies. He was furious because I wouldn't speak, while I was upset because he had taken that case.

Finally, his patience snapped completely, and he roared into the phone, "You've had this condition ever since your parents died, so why the hell are you choosing now to stay silent?"

The taut string holding my sanity together snapped.

The pain in my throat flared so violently it felt like it was bleeding, forcing me to gasp for air.

When I was four years old, my family went bankrupt, and my parents jumped from a rooftop right in front of my eyes. I had kept screaming at them, believing that if I just kept talking, they wouldn't leave.

That was how I developed severe logorrhea.

Only by talking could I reassure myself that I was alive. Only by talking could I convince myself that the people I loved wouldn't abandon me.

I had bared my deepest secrets to Marvin. Yet now, he was weaponizing that exact trauma, plunging it like a blade straight into my heart.

Receiving no response from me, Marvin hung up.

With bloodshot eyes, I resolved to storm into his office and write everything down on paper right in front of him.

But just as I was about to push the door open, I heard voices from inside.

"Marvin, are you sure you don't want to double-check the plaintiff's details?"

Marvin's voice was remarkably gentle. "I trust your work."

"But... the plaintiff's name is exactly the same as Hannah's."

Marvin's eyes flickered with a sudden unease, but he quickly recovered his composure. "It's just a coincidence. Hannah's been perfectly fine the last few days. She's had plenty of energy to pick fights and give me the silent treatment."

A piercing ache shot through my throat, echoing in my chest.

That was typical Marvin—stubborn to a fault. If he decided it wasn't me, then it couldn't possibly be me.

"You and Hannah must be really close."

Marvin gave Lexie's head an affectionate tap. "Of course. She was my first love. Now go finish sorting the files. We need a definitive win this time. It'll help raise your profile."

My shoulders slumped. I turned around and quietly walked out of the firm.

The next day, Eliza accompanied me to court. I wore the same white dress I had on the day Marvin and I first met.

The moment I walked through the door, I noticed Marvin was wearing the exact suit from our first meeting, too.

When our eyes locked, he looked as though he were suffocating. His face drained of color as he turned to walk toward me.

Then, the gavel banged.

Marvin had no choice but to turn back and take his place at the defense table.

"Court is now in session. Plaintiff Hannah Moore, what are your claims against the defendant, Winston Cohen?"

In front of the entire courtroom, I began to sign. Beside me, the interpreter I hired translated my movements aloud.

With every sentence she spoke, Marvin's face grew a shade paler.