Restore My Hearing and My Heart

When my name came up, the smile on Jackson's face stiffened. His expression turned ice-cold. "Don't let this get back to Quinn."His friends didn't care at all. They simply burst into louder laughter. Bonnie chimed in loudly, "Don't worry, Daddy. Mommy won't find out. She's deaf, remember?"Their laughter echoed through the private room, but I stood outside the door, frozen. It wasn't until a waiter behind me gently tapped my shoulder that I snapped back."Excuse me, do you need any help?"Immediately, silence swept across the private room. Everyone turned to look at me, while Jackson looked panicked. He hurriedly dropped his arm from Cassidy's waist, his gaze flickering everywhere but my face.He started signing frantically, asking why I had returned and insisting that Cassidy was just an ex-junior from his alma mater.What he failed to realize was that her lipstick was smeared all over his lips. Even her hand was still firmly wrapped around his waist. The way she looked at me

Bonnie lay snuggled in my arms, looking happier than I had seen her in a long time. In the end, Jackson bought three lucky charm bracelets and put them around our wrists.He said softly, "With these, our family will never be separated."I stayed silent. He took my hand and pressed it to his chest. "Quinn, do you feel it? My heart is filled with nothing but love for you. It'll always belong to you alone."Bonnie chimed in joyfully, "A family should always stay together! I'm so happy!"I looked at their hopeful faces, and the anger I had been forcing down nearly tore through my calm.They said they loved me, yet they teamed up to betray me. He was having a baby with another woman, yet he was promising me an eternity. What did I ever do to deserve being punished like this?Noticing my silence and darkened expression, Jackson dropped his smile and signed the same words he had just said aloud. For a moment, I had forgotten he didn't know I wasn't deaf anymore.I looked at him with a

The next second, Cassidy stood on her tiptoes and kissed Jackson. He tried to push her away at first, struggling for a few moments, but soon gave in anyway.Bonnie, watching what was happening, quickly headed back into the house. Seeing she was coming, I stopped watching their little show.I cut myself a slice of cake and sat in the living room, pretending nothing had happened.She picked up a piece of candy, about to pop it into her mouth, then seemed to hesitate before asking me, "Mommy, can I have one?"Bonnie loved sweets, but her teeth weren't in great shape. Eating too much always made them ache, so I often kept an eye on her. Maybe this was one of the reasons she resented me.I nodded. "Go ahead. No one's going to stop you anymore."She looked at me with a brief, strange look, then happily munched away without thinking twice. Before long, Jackson walked in. Seeing Bonnie devouring candy, he looked somewhat puzzled."Hey, Quinn. There's been a lot going on at the company l

In the days that followed, Zephyr and I managed to walk through every corner of this place. Occasionally, letters from old friends would arrive.They said that ever since I left, Jackson and Bonnie seemed to have lost their minds. Every day, they asked around for my whereabouts. They had even stormed government offices multiple times, but it hadn't led to anything. Jackson had even broken things off with Cassidy and terminated the baby she was carrying. In front of the whole city, he apologized to me, saying he shouldn't have cheated and taken my love for granted.Bonnie cried every day, saying she would never eat candy again and promising to always obey me. Almost instantly, the whole city's perception of them shifted.Jackson went from the aloof CEO to a scumbag, a complete jerk. Bonnie became a spoiled brat whom everyone despised. Even his company suffered, the stock price plummeting.Yet, he didn't care. He even bought up billboard space all over the city just to apologize to

"The one that your daddy cheated in? That so-called home that never belonged to me?" I questioned. "You keep saying you love me, but when you cheated on me, did I ever cross your mind? Did the promises we made mean anything?"I turned back to Bonnie. "And you—you helped him and sided with another woman. Did you ever think about me as your mother?"Under my relentless stare, Jackson and Bonnie were completely speechless. He shook his head over and over, tears welling in his eyes, while she was already crying her heart out.I felt no pity, only a growing sense of mockery.They did everything they weren't supposed to, only to backtrack with a pitiful act, demanding I forgive them. Could I openly cheat, say "I'm sorry", and expect all the hurt to go away?"No, it's not like that, Mommy! Daddy really loves you! I love you too! Can't you just forgive him this one time?"I shoved Bonnie's hand away. "Let go. Both of you disgust me! For the last time, you two are no longer in my life."