Sorevia City, Darmoria

One of my wife's so-called friends practically shouted across the table, "So, you got knocked up by your side piece. What's the game plan?"

Vanessa Joplin calmly set a plate of steak in front of me.

"We always said if one of us cheated, we'd vanish from each other's lives for good," she said, all sugar-sweet. "I'm not letting that happen. So yeah—I've been careful. Once the baby's here, the only dad anyone'll see is Glen."

After that, she signed that she'd love me forever—totally missing the red burn around my eyes.

She didn't know I'd gotten my hearing back a week ago.

Didn't know I already knew about the guy on the side.

And she definitely didn't know I'd bought a ticket north.

Seven days. Once the paperwork cleared, I'd be gone.

No noise. No goodbye. Just erased.

I shoved the steak away. I was done playing husband-in-the-dark.

When I stood, Vanessa popped up too, hands flying, asking what was wrong.

I shook my head. "It's late. I'm heading back."

She moved to follow, but her friends blocked her, all fake concern.

"Glen's not in great shape. He needs rest. Why rush off?"

"Yeah, and Eugene's almost here. You haven't seen him all day. Don't you miss him?"

Panic flickered across her face—quick, ugly. Then she noticed I didn't react. Her brows pulled tight.

"Don't say his name in front of Glen."

Someone laughed.

"What are you scared of? He's deaf. He can't hear us."

I pushed her back into her chair, firm. "I can get back myself. Stay."

I turned and walked. No pause, no window for her to chase me.

Barely made it far before Eugene Chapman showed up.

His shoulder slammed into mine—on purpose or just pure arrogance—hard enough to throw me off balance.

He didn't even look back. Just strutted into the room, grabbed her like she was his prize.

"Vanessa, it's only been a day. Did you miss me?"

She gave him this shy little look—one I'd never seen before.

"Of course."

Eugene chuckled. "Then you better reward me."

Then he kissed her—slow, deep.

"Alright, alright. Months in and you're still this clingy?"

Her friends didn't even flinch. Totally numb to it.

I just stood there, watching, heart freezing over.

So yeah—everyone knew.

Everyone but me.

Eugene smiled at the teasing, soaking it up.

Like the scene wasn't messy enough, people started tossing out questions—when was the last time they'd hooked up?

Vanessa dropped her head, all shy. Eugene? He looked smug as hell.

"Day before yesterday. Room next to the master bedroom."

I said it at the same time he did—quiet, but dead on.

The room lit up like someone dropped a firecracker.

"Hahaha, Vanessa, you finally stopped pretending."

"C'mon, with our status, who needs the good-girl act?"

"Keep it hidden and you're golden. Glen's deaf. He'll never know."

The second they said my name, Vanessa's smile cracked.

Her face iced over.

"Don't let Glen know about this."

No one cared. They just laughed louder.

"Please, Glen won't find out. He's just the deaf guy."

The laughter kept rolling.

I stood there, frozen. Couldn't move. Could barely breathe.

It wasn't until a server gently tapped my shoulder that I snapped out of it.

"Sir, do you need any assistance?"

The second the server spoke, the room went dead quiet.

Every head turned. Vanessa's face went full panic mode.

She yanked her hand off Eugene's waist, eyes darting everywhere but mine.

She started signing—why was I back, Eugene's just like a little brother.

Too bad she didn't notice her lipstick smeared on his mouth. Or that his hand was still chilling on her waist.

Eugene shot me a look—just enough mockery to make it sting.

I'd already planned to leave. But standing there, seeing it with my own eyes?

It hit harder than I expected. Took the air right out of me.

I forced a smile. "Came back to drop off your keys. Have fun."

I dropped the keys on the table and walked out, tuning out the voices behind me.

Out on the street, cars blurred past, lights flashing everywhere—and all I felt was cold.

I couldn't see straight. Couldn't hear anything.

Just like three years ago, when Vanessa and I first got together and ended up lost in the Goben Desert.

We wandered for a full day and night, wrapped in silence. The only thing I could do was hold her hand.

Back then, she signed, "If we die out here, at least it's a good ending for our love."

She used to say love should last until death.

Well, love's already dead.

And this? This was the ending.

***

When I got home, my body gave up. I dropped onto the bed and just stared at the ceiling, empty.

I met Vanessa at a job fair.

One look and I was done. No recovery.

After that, I chased her hard enough that everyone noticed.

She had a rep—ice-cold, untouchable. Turned down every confession like it was nothing.

Then there was me.

I looked for her every day. Spoke first. Asked her out. Meals, walks, excuses—whatever it took. I chased her like it was my full-time job. Three straight years.

She turned me down again and again. Didn't matter. My feelings didn't budge.

Then came that night.

A fired employee got wasted and snapped, cornered her outside the building. People scattered fast. Suddenly brave in every direction but hers.

I stayed.

I took the hits until everything went black, blood everywhere.

But the guy backed off.

After that, my ears went dead. Total silence.

That's when Vanessa finally fell for me.

She clutched my blood-soaked body like she was afraid I'd disappear, voice shaking. "Glen, let's get married."

Once we were together, my love never wavered. Hers went full blaze.

She never looked down on me for being deaf. Instead, she learned sign language nonstop, like proving something—to me, or maybe to herself.

Then the door unlocked.

The sound yanked me out of my head. I shifted slightly and played asleep.

Not long after, I felt the mattress shift behind me.

Then her hands slid over my body, familiar, practiced. Her breath—warm, damp—brushed my neck.

I knew that move. Knew exactly what it meant when her desire kicked in.

A few weeks ago, I wouldn't have lasted a second. I would've turned to her without thinking.

Now?

My stomach twisted.

All I felt was nausea. Disgust.

A week ago, my hearing came back. I walked in ready to tell her.

Instead, I heard Vanessa's wild moans coming from the next room.

My blood froze. For a second, I almost convinced myself I was imagining it.

I wasn't.

I shook as I reached the doorway. That's when it hit me—she already had someone else to lean on.

That day, she brought Eugene home. Slept with him like it was some adrenaline sport they'd hyped each other into.

She thought I was still deaf. Thought she'd wrapped it all up clean.

She had no idea I heard everything.

That same day, I signed up for a state-run volunteer teaching program in Northvale—middle-of-nowhere north—and booked a one-way ticket.

Just like the promise we made back then, I was going to vanish from her world for good.

The sounds of her and Eugene—burned into my head—kept looping in my ears. Wouldn't shut up.

I suddenly sat up and shoved Vanessa away. She screamed and hit the floor.

I froze. Instinct kicked in—go help her.

But I stopped myself.

She wasn't mad. Just worried. "Glen, what's wrong?"

I almost answered. Then I remembered—I was supposed to be deaf.

A beat later, it clicked for her. She switched to signing, asking what was wrong.

"It's nothing. I'm just not feeling well."

Panic flashed across her face, like she'd just remembered something.

She rushed in front of me, hands flying while her mouth kept up. "Glen, Eugene is just my junior from college. Don't get the wrong idea."

She was usually ice-cold. Tonight? Falling apart. All because of Eugene. Figures.

I didn't want to deal with it. "I'm tired. Let's sleep."

I turned onto my side.

She froze. A long silence passed. Then, softly, "Glen, I love you. I really, really love you. Don't leave me. If you do, I'll die."

Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes, unstoppable.

If you loved me, why did you betray me?

We promised we'd never split.

But if betrayal ever showed its face—even once—we'd vanish from each other's worlds.

All those beautiful memories didn't survive the present. They shattered on impact, leaving nothing but illusions.

***

Early the next morning, Vanessa must've felt the shift. Or maybe the guilt finally crawled up from wherever she'd buried it.

She said she wanted to take me out, help me "take my mind off things."

"I've always wanted to go to an amusement park," she said. "I just never had time. Will you go with me?"

She rubbed her hands together, all small and pitiful, waiting for something—anything—from me.

What she didn't realize was her collar was loose, flashing pale skin stamped with Eugene's handiwork.

I didn't feel jealous.

I didn't feel sad.

Just disgust.

She moved fast. Before I could even process it, she'd packed a bag and was already out the door.

At the amusement park, she hovered. Every second.

If I pressed my lips together, water was there.

If my eyes lingered on anything, she bought it. No pause, no question.

Even rides I used to love—the ones she'd always been too scared to touch—she forced herself through, start to finish.