ManyWriters

Every night, my boyfriend, Jack, would always whisper in my ear, his voice laced with a sickening sort of suggestion as he described his escapades with other women in bed, spewing such vulgarities it made me sick to my stomach.
I was born with a hearing impairment. Six years ago, at my high school graduation ceremony, some jerk of a classmate maliciously tossed my hearing aid aside.
It was Jack who suddenly appeared and came to my rescue, gently wiping the dust off its surface, then leaned close to my ear and whispered softly.
"From now on, I'll be here, and no one will be able to mess with you."
That day, my years of secret crushing finally paid off. My world, once filled with the buzz of static, welcomed an angel's voice, meant just for me.
Wearing a hearing aid for long periods often caused headaches and tinnitus. Jack couldn't bear to see me suffer like that, so he even secretly learned sign language, just so I could understand him even when I wasn't wearing my hearing aid.
A week ago, I finally had an invisible cochlear implant, custom-made for me by an American medical team. I could finally take off my hearing aid and live like a normal person.
I excitedly rushed back to our apartment, wanting to tell Jack the good news, only to overhear Jack talking with a bunch of his friends.
"Dude, you've been with Emma, that deaf chick, for like, almost six years now, right?""Weren't you the one saying you'd never dated a deaf girl, and that you were only with her to 'collect unique experiences'? So how come you've been seeing her for so long? Don't tell me you've actually caught feelings for that deaf girl, have you?"
Jack scoffed, the contempt in his eyes blatant.
"Deaf girls have their upsides, you know. Every night, I hold her and whisper in her ear just how incredible other women are, and she hasn't got a damn clue. She actually thinks I'm holding her every night because I'm so in love with her! That kind of thrill? You guys will never get to experience that in your entire lives, hahaha."
I choked back the burn in my eyes, my nails digging deep into my palms. A moment later, I sent my father a text.
"Dad, those ten wealthy guys from Boston you lined up? I'll meet them."

Love That Isn't Heard Is No Love at All.

I was stunned, looking at the man beside me, speechless for a long moment.


Taylor, noticing the confusion in my eyes, reassuringly patted the back of my hand, then shot a look at the security guards on both sides of the ceremony.


"What are you standing around for? Drag him out of here!"


Jack, powerless to resist, could only roar at me in fury.


"Emma! You said you liked me! You said you'd wait for me! You can't go back on your word!"


I froze, Jack's words sending memories of the past churning through my mind.


Two years ago, not long after I graduated from college, I’d asked Jack to marry me.


I had carefully laid my entire heart out before him.


Back then, Jack had just given a helpless sort of smile and ruffled my hair.


"Emma, we're still young. It's too early to get married. Let's wait a bit longer, okay?"


Chapter 9