All Chapters of When You Stopped Listening: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

"Jaclyn Scott, put these things away." Wilson Lewis pushed the divorce agreement back to the edge of the table, his slender fingers tapping on the surface. He did not even glance at the USB drive."Jaclyn, it's already 2:00 am. Sit down first. I have a meeting tomorrow, but I can listen to you tonight." He leaned back in his chair, his tone carrying a hint of forced patience.I stood across from the table, not moving. My right hand hung at my side. The bruising from my fingernails digging into the wall plaster had already settled. When I pressed down, I felt a sharp ache in my fingertips and wrists.I heard my voice sounding strangely hoarse. "I'm not making a fuss. You can look at the USB drive first.""What's so interesting about it?" He closed the laptop, stood up, and walked to me.His cool fingertips brushed against my collarbone, tucking my disheveled coat collar back into place. The movement was gentle, as if we were just discussing what to have for breakfast tomorrow. "Las

I bumped into Wilson, who was coming down the stairs. He was holding a cup of warm milk.Noelle walked beside him, her face flushed.As soon as Wilson saw me, he frowned. "Jaclyn, are you stalking me?"He strode over, his gaze sweeping over my pale lips. "Even if you're jealous, there's no need to pretend to be sick and come to the hospital."He habitually reached out his hand, wanting to touch my forehead.I turned my head and avoided it.His hand froze in mid-air, and his expression turned grim.Noelle spoke softly beside him. "Jaclyn, don't misunderstand. I just haven't been sleeping well recently, and Wilson came by to keep me company."I watched as Wilson slowly withdrew his hand.He seemed to think my evasion had embarrassed him, and he immediately removed the hearing aid from his right ear. This was his usual way of disciplining me. Whenever I disobeyed him, he would cut off communication unilaterally."Calm down for a few days. Call me when you've thought it through."

Wilson made 37 phone calls.I stood in the yard of my old house in Moose County, watching the screen of my phone go dark and then light up, over and over again. Only the number appeared on the screen, with no name attached. I had already deleted his contact.When the 38th call came in, I answered it.What came through on the other end was not Wilson's voice but a series of short, almost out-of-control breaths."Jaclyn." He called my name in a hoarse voice, sounding as if it came from somewhere deep underwater. "Where are you?"I did not answer.The apple flowers in the yard were in full bloom, smelling sickeningly sweet. The wind blew, and the wounds beneath my clothes throbbed faintly."Jaclyn, I saw the diagnosis. Is... Is it true?" His voice was shaking.I wanted to laugh and ask him if there had ever been a time in the past three years when he believed what I said from the get-go. My throat tightened, and I managed to utter only two words. "It's true."There was a long sil

Wilson knelt outside for four hours, from dusk till nightfall.The neighbors passed by three times. The first time was out of curiosity, the second time out of sympathy, and the third time, they brought an umbrella.Moose County's rain came quickly, especially at night.I sat by the window and saw through the curtain that he knelt in the rain, his white shirt sticking to his back. He looked like a building that was about to collapse.I did not open the door.Three years ago, he never cared about me when he looked more respectable. There was no reason for me to pity him when he was disheveled.The next morning, he was still at the alley entrance when I went out to buy groceries. He had stopped kneeling and was leaning against the wall, his lips dry and pale. Next to him was a cup of cold milk and two hard-boiled eggs. They were given to him by Martha Lennon from the alley's breakfast shop."You'll faint if you don't eat something." I stopped for a moment as I passed by.He looke

Noelle flung her umbrella aside as she left.The white umbrella rolled to the side of the ditch, but she did not bend over to pick it up. Wearing her high heels, she stepped into the waiting cab at the alley entrance. The engine roared for a moment before it vanished.I leaned against the door frame, looking at Wilson.He stood two steps away from me, his chest heaving heavily. "Jaclyn, what she said...""I don't care about what she said." My voice was flat.He looked up, as if waiting for me to continue speaking."I care about the fact that you spent three years prioritizing her before me. You handed the knife to someone else and asked me why I was bleeding when she stabbed me with it."His lips twitched. "Jaclyn, can I go in and sit down?""No.""I'll speak here, then." He took a deep breath, as if making a major decision. "You're right. I've been taming you."The words came out of his mouth more cruelly than mine."I knew from the beginning you wouldn't leave. Your love f