"So, you recorded them having sex?" a female voice asked over the phone.

The other person tapped back a response in Morse code: [Yes, she didn't hang up.]

"Excellent... well, you know the plan."

[Don't worry, I understand.]

"When I bring your cake and gift tomorrow, give me those recordings so I can hand them to my husband for him to help you file for the divorce."

[Thank you.]

"You don't need to thank me. Rest well." the person said before ending the call.

The woman who communicated in Morse code sighed, feeling her eyes sting with impending tears. Remembering how her husband professed love to his mistress was painful.

She walked slowly to her room and paused at the large mirror in the hallway. The reflection showed a beautiful woman with slightly wavy brown hair, though her eyes were swollen from sadness. The blue of her eyes was unique, her figure slender—perhaps not as voluptuous as Sophia's, but well-proportioned.

The blue-eyed woman was undeniably attractive, if not for the cruel disability caused by a childhood accident that left her mute. She communicated through sign language and Morse code, something Roger hated because he had to learn them just to talk with her.

Placing her hand on the mirror, she pondered if what she was about to do was right. But she could no longer live as a shadow in that house.

Apart from her childhood friend, her friend's husband, and the neighbor, no one cared for her: her father never loved her, her stepmother and step-siblings abused her, her husband openly betrayed her, and her mother-in-law humiliated her whenever possible. Without the three who supported her, she would be isolated in that big place called ‘home.’

The place was a modern, luxurious apartment, equipped with the best and most expensive decorations. They were supposed to live in a mansion, but Roger refused to buy one, insisting he would only buy one to live with the woman he loved.

The woman turned around and headed to the kitchen to store the dinner she had prepared for Roger. She knew that when he spent the night with Sophia, he wouldn't return until 7 AM. And even then, he just came back to shower, change, and have breakfast before heading straight to the office.

After cleaning the dirty dishes and tidying up the kitchen, she went to Roger's room to lay out clean clothes on his bed for the next morning. Then she went to her room to sleep—they slept in separate bedrooms.

The next morning, she was awakened by the sound of running water, an indication that Roger had returned and was taking a shower. She got up to prepare his breakfast, quickly setting it on the table before sitting to wait for him.

Her wait was short. Five minutes later, Roger appeared—showered and dressed—and sat down to eat without greeting her.

She signed her greeting: [Good morning.] But Roger ignored her, his attention focused on his phone. He was probably texting Sophia judging by the foolish smile on his face.

The woman sighed and began eating with her gaze lowered.

When Roger finished, he stood to leave, but his supposed wife stood as well and approached him.

"What do you want, Deborah?" he asked, frowning as she reached out to touch him. When he realized that she was only adjusting his tie, he sighed.

[Have a good day.]

"I always do," he retorted sarcastically, bumping into her shoulder as he walked past her. Deborah fell but he didn't care. He continued on his way without looking back.

Deborah endured the pain of the fall and stood up, quickly drying the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. She focused on a specific spot on the wall in front of her.

Carefully, she approached that spot and removed a hidden mini-camera from behind an ornament. Deborah had been gradually gathering evidence to support her demand for a divorce.

Yes, she had reached her limit. She couldn't endure more humiliation. Deborah simply couldn’t understand: why did everyone hate her? Just because she couldn't speak?

It wasn’t fair, and it hurt especially the most today because her husband ignored her birthday. The most she hoped for was at least a birthday greeting.

Feeling sad and a sudden bout of nausea, Deborah ran to the bathroom.

Lately, she had been feeling weak and dizzy, and often vomited after eating. She knew she should see a doctor, but she simply thought it was all due to the psychological stress she was under.

Deborah lay on the sofa, trying to calm her nerves before getting to the household chores. But her rest was interrupted by the ring of the doorbell announcing a visitor.

Deborah stood up to see who it was, and her discomfort vanished when she saw it was her friend, whom she immediately let in.

[Hello, Carrie.] Deborah signed while smiling.

"Hi, Debbie. That jerk is gone, right?" said the black-haired woman, approaching to hug and kiss Deborah on the cheek.

[Yes.]

"Good, because I didn't bring anything for him," Caroline said as she held up a paper bag.

Deborah looked puzzled until she saw the bag's label and realized Caroline had brought food from her favorite restaurant.

"And by the way, happy birthday!"

Deborah smiled and hugged Caroline, grateful for the gesture as her friend was the only one to wish her a happy birthday.

They set the table with the food and chatted about trivial things such as TV shows or the latest drama showing on the 9 PM TV slot.

[You really make things tough for Christian.]

"Well, he knows I'm not a docile girl, and he loves me for it," Caroline joked as she stuck her tongue cheekily, making Deborah laugh.

[Here, these are the recordings.] Deborah handed Caroline two USB drives with all the evidence she had gathered.

"Perfect. I'll give them to my husband so we can start the divorce proceedings," Caroline said seriously, putting the USB drives in her bag.

Deborah thanked her for the help before they continued their meal and conversation. But the meal was interrupted when Deborah suddenly stood and ran to the bathroom to vomit what little she had eaten.

"Deborah? Are you okay?" Caroline hurried after her, alarmed by the unexpected reaction and the sound of her vomiting. She didn't hesitate to enter the bathroom to help and saw how pale Deborah looked. "How long has this been happening? Have you seen a doctor?" Caroline asked, handing Deborah a towel.

[Only recently. And no... I haven't gone to the hospital]

"Forget the meal, I'm taking you to the hospital now," Caroline said with a frown as she helped Deborah stand.

[But my chores…]

"Ah, forget that. The damned house won't collapse if you don't clean it for a day. Your health is more important," Caroline scolded.

[Let me inform Roger.]

"Deborah, please, forget about him. Does he ask for your permission when he sleeps with his mistress?"

[No…]

"Then let's go, my dear. Right now, you need to remember that the most important person in your life is you," Caroline said.

[Thank you.] Deborah smiled, grateful for her friend's support.

"Alright, get up and grab your bag," Caroline ordered as she supported Deborah before pulling out her phone to send a text. “Come on, I'll take you to my doctor to avoid any issues with that maniac."

At the hospital, Caroline spoke with the doctor, asking for a thorough examination of her friend because Deborah wasn't feeling well and had been vomiting.

The doctor, noticing how pale the young brunette looked, immediately ordered a complete exam to identify the potential causes.

[Carrie, I’m scared.] Deborah was terrified that something might be seriously wrong with her body and her anxiety grew with each test they conducted.

“Calm down, no matter what, I’m here for you, okay?” Caroline reassured her, holding Deborah’s hands to try to ease her worries.

Deborah nodded. After a few minutes, a nurse arrived with the test results.

“Thanks, darling,” the doctor said flirtatiously as he winked at the nurse who smiled and slowly left the room. The friends chuckled at the interaction they just witnessed.

The doctor began reading the results and his expression turned more serious as he flipped through the pages.

“So, what’s wrong with my friend?” Caroline asked, unnerved by the doctor’s continued silence.

“Relax, Caroline. Your friend is healthy,” the doctor clarified.

“Healthy? Then why has she been vomiting and looking unwell—?”

“Because she’s two months pregnant. Congratulations,” the doctor interrupted, surprising both women.

“Two months…” Caroline turned to Deborah, who was in shock.

“You seem a bit surprised,” the doctor remarked at Deborah’s lack of reaction.

[Very…] Deborah was struggling to digest what she just heard.

“She says ‘Very’, but are you sure?” Caroline pressed.

“Yes, we did a thorough examination and now that we have these results, the symptoms make sense. The dizziness and vomiting are early signs of pregnancy,” the doctor explained to the incredulous friends. “I see you still have doubts. Here,” he said, pulling out a card and tearing out a page from his notepad. “This is the name of a good gynecologist for your follow-up and care. If you choose otherwise, this is the address of a clinic for an abortion.”

[What... no, no, no.] Deborah signed frantically.

“I don’t think she liked the idea of an abortion,” Caroline said, trying to calm Deborah down.

“Sorry for suggesting it,” the doctor apologized after seeing how horrified Deborah looked. “It’s just that you didn’t look too happy upon hearing the news so I thought I should at least mention it.”

“Thank you, Doctor. But she’s not happy because she just fought with her partner,” Caroline explained, trying to change the subject.

“I understand. But remember, communication is key, and I’m sure your husband will be thrilled about becoming a father.”

Deborah made a face and nodded, not wanting to explain everything to a stranger.

“Doctor, is there something my friend can take to relieve her symptoms?” Caroline asked.

“Of course,” he said, quickly writing a prescription. “These vitamins will help with the lethargy. Avoid anything that makes you feel worse and increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. Understood?”

Deborah nodded, taking the prescription.

[Thank you.]

“She says ‘Thank you very much’, Doctor.”

“You’re welcome. Take care,” the doctor said as they left.

Walking out, Caroline noticed her friend was lost in thought.

Pregnancy…it was wonderful news. It had once been a dream of Deborah, a longing… but why now when she was determined to get a divorce?

Doubts started entering her mind: should she still proceed with the divorce? Or could the doctor’s words be true and everything would change with the baby?

“Deborah,” Caroline’s voice pulled her from her thoughts.

She stopped and looked into Caroline’s eyes, seeing worry reflecting back at her.

“This pregnancy is from that time, right?” Caroline asked, distressed, recalling the day she had found Deborah bruised after a visit.

[I think so…] Deborah signed sadly.

“Deborah, what are you going to do? I know you, and abortion isn’t an option, but tell me, will you follow the doctor’s advice or continue with the divorce?”

[It’s his baby…]

“So what? You don’t know how he’ll react.”

[But it’s his baby… surely everything will change for the better.]

“My dear…”

[Carrie, I know you’re angry, but I still think I need to tell him about my condition.]

“Deborah, promise me, swear on your mother’s memory, that you’ll only ask what he thinks about having a child. Don’t tell him you’re pregnant. I don’t want him to turn and hit you until you miscarry.” Caroline said, looking into Deborah’s eyes while holding her hands.

Caroline’s words scared Deborah because the latter knew it was not a farfetched reaction to expect from Roger, so she agreed and promised to keep her word.

Deborah started to remember that day, the day she must have conceived. Sadly, the way it happened wasn’t out of love or affection. It was rough sex accompanied by blows and insults because Roger had used her as a punching bag to vent his frustrations from a fight with Sophia. The fight, like always, was because of Deborah. Sophia wanted to be the wife, not the mistress, and those hits were him blaming Deborah for ruining his life.

That event marked the final line of her tolerance of the marriage. She had never done anything to deserve such treatment and couldn’t understand why he hated her so much.

Deborah shook off the bad memories and continued walking with Caroline to the pharmacy to get the prescription.

After buying the pills, she took some and put the rest in her bag.

“Now that we have the vitamins, how about a trip?” Caroline suggested.

[But…]

“Yesterday was your birthday, and you stayed home waiting for that jerk. Today, we’re going out and eating cake,” Caroline said, grabbing Deborah’s hand to lead her toward the mall.

After some thought, Deborah agreed. It was time to enjoy life and celebrate her birthday outside the house.

The outing lifted Deborah’s spirits. Caroline bought her a birthday present and they had a meal at a restaurant before returning to Deborah’s apartment because Caroline insisted on not leaving her alone. But their pleasant mood vanished upon arriving at Deborah’s door, where an older woman was banging and shouting.

"Open up, you mute b*tch!" screamed the older woman with platinum blonde hair, pounding on the door. When she saw them, she snapped, "Who do you think you are? Why aren’t you at home? My poor son suffers because of you."

"Mrs. Peterson, this is an apartment building and your shouting is disturbing everyone," Caroline retorted.

"Shut up, you beggar," Mrs. Peterson shot back before turning to Deborah, demanding she open the door.

Deborah reluctantly opened the door, and the older woman shoved her aside as she entered. Caroline protested, but Deborah gave her a reassuring smile, trying to avoid a confrontation.

Inside, Mrs. Peterson began criticizing the apartment’s cleanliness, throwing things around to make it look messy. Caroline, irritated, called the older woman out for her behavior.

"You wretched beggar!" Mrs. Peterson tried to hit Caroline, but the latter caught the older woman’s wrist and held it firmly.

"I’m calling the police," the older woman threatened just as there was a knock at the door. Deborah opened it to find two police officers.

"Good morning, ma’am. Did you call us?" one officer asked.

"Officers, arrest this woman!" Mrs. Peterson pointed at Caroline. "She hurt me."

[That’s a lie.] Deborah frowned.

"She’s just being dramatic," Caroline stated plainly.

"Officers, can't you see... she's intimidating me. So please, arrest her and get her out of my house."

[This is my house.] Deborah signed and frowned even more.

"This is not your house," Caroline spoke up.

"Actually," the first officer began to say, "we were called over because several neighbors have complained about you, ma'am.”

"HOW DARE YOU! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?"

"You’re the crazy lady banging on my neighbor’s door, keeping me from sleeping," a blond man said, stepping into view.

Mrs. Peterson was furious but fell silent upon recognizing the man.

[Jayden…] Deborah mouthed, surprised.

"Ma’am, save it. Officers, please take her away. She’s always harassing my neighbor. I have the evidence for it too," Jayden requested.

"Darling, if your husband won't protect you from his mother, I will, because neither you nor I are here to endure her shouting," he said, smiling at Deborah.

Mrs. Peterson became hysterical. "Let go of me! I’m Isabelle Peterson. You can’t do this to me!”

But the officers moved to restrain her. "Ma'am, please stop resisting and—”

Just then, Roger stormed in, furious.

"Let my mother go!" Roger demanded.

"Sir, we’re arresting her as we’ve received multiple complaints about her," the other officer explained.

"Who complained?" Roger asked angrily.

"I did, Peterson," Jayden said coolly.

"Cooper..." Roger glared at him.

"Yes, so stop your drama and tell your mother that it's not fair for her to come and yell at your wife just like that.

"That's none of your business," Roger retorted, turning his back. "Mom, come sit on the sofa," he said, helping the older woman to walk.

"It is my business because, in case you forgot, this apartment building is mine and I hate noise disturbances on my property," Jayden said to Roger. "So if you can’t control your mother, I will. This is my building, and I won’t tolerate such disturbances."

Roger clenched his jaw, knowing he couldn’t retaliate against the powerful Cooper family.

"Son, thank you for saving me. That mute and her friend insulted me." Mrs. Peterson tried to play the victim with her crocodile tears.

"Oh god... poor woman... a mute said rude things to her. Oh... such suffering," Jayden mocked the older woman’s theatrics.

"Cooper, get out of my house," Roger ordered.

“I can show you the video of how your mother has been bothering this unit for a while just because they wouldn't open the door."

"If the noise bothered you so much, you should have come out and helped my mother."

"Helped with what? I think anyone knows that if time passes and the door isn't opened, it's because no one's home. Or are you going to tell me your wife doesn't have the right to leave the house once in a while?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"..." Roger was furious because if he answered that question, it was evidence of domestic abuse, and with the two officers present, he could risk his reputation.

Fortunately, he noticed Fabian had arrived so he approached the officers to resolve the matter. "Officers, thank you for coming, but we'll take care of this family matter.”

Jayden and the officers saw Roger's assistant extending his hands while holding an envelope, standing next to his boss. It was the signal for them to leave.

Jayden sighed. "Let's hope this fixes things, Fabian, because I'll be watching.” As he was about to leave, Jayden looked Deborah in the eyes and smiled at her before disappearing out the door and back to his apartment.

Meanwhile, the officers took the bribe and left.

"You, leave too, Caroline," Roger ordered, glaring at the raven-haired woman. "You know you're not welcome in my house."

"What? So you can beat my friend because of something your mother caused?" Caroline challenged.

[Carrie...] Deborah pleaded.

"Oh... you insolent..." Isabelle was furious and stood up to slap the girl.

Unfortunately, Isabelle’s actions didn't come to fruition because Fabian intervened. "Miss, please leave.”

Caroline reluctantly left, urging Deborah to call her if she needed help. Once alone, Roger turned his anger on Deborah, accusing her of the mess his mother made and threatening her. Fabian intervened, reminding Roger that Jayden was likely still watching. As Roger’s assistant, Fabian knew Jayden wasn’t joking.

Deborah defended herself, only to face further insults from Mrs. Peterson who claimed Deborah manipulated her way into the family. Deborah insisted she never did such things, but the accusations kept coming. Mrs. Peterson even went as far as saying she couldn’t stand the idea of having ‘defective grandchildren.’

"Don’t worry, Mom. I’d never have kids with this useless woman," Roger assured her, glaring at Deborah.

Deborah clenched her fists, pained by their words. It was clear now: she would never tell Roger about her pregnancy and was determined to leave them for good.