At the party, my daughter deliberately raises a question to my husband. Daddy, since Ms. Lloyd is having your baby, does that mean we'll be living with her in the future?

He places the nicely cut steak onto my plate and answers softly, Your mommy and I made a dealwhoever betrays first will disappear from the other's life. I can't afford for that to happen, darling, so this must stay a secret. Even when the baby is born, I will never let Mommy find out about them.

Then, he signs to me, "I'll always love you."

My eyes turn red-rimmed without him noticing.

Little does he know, my hearing was restored a week ago. He doesn't realize I've learned about the mistress he's been hiding either. And he definitely doesn't know I've secretly bought a ticket to volunteer-teach in the Seru Plateau.

All I have to do is wait for the paperwork to clear in seven days. Then, I'll disappear from his life for good.
Chapter 1
I pushed away the plate of steak before me, refusing to play along with the act. Seeing me on my feet, my husband, Jackson Grant, immediately stood as well, asking me what had happened in sign language.
I shook my head. "It's getting late. I'm thinking of turning in for the night."
He insisted on following, but his best friends stopped him. "Quinn probably needs some rest. You know how fragile she can be. Why are you so eager to leave?"
"Yeah, dude. Cassidy is about to get here. It's been a whole day. Don't you miss her?"
My daughter, Bonnie, joined in, tugging at his sleeve. "Daddy, I miss Ms. Lloyd already. Can we not leave with Mommy?"
Panic bloomed across Jackson's face. Seeing there was no anomaly in my expression, he frowned and warned, "Don't say her name in front of Quinn."
"Why not? Mommy can't hear anyway," Bonnie countered.
Her words prompted me to pin Jackson back into his chair. "I can get home by myself just fine. You guys stay."
I turned on my heel and walked out of the establishment's private room, not giving him a chance to argue. I had barely taken a few steps forward when I saw Cassidy Lloyd striding into the restaurant.
I couldn't tell if she did it on purpose or not, but her shoulder slammed into mine, making me stumble.
Cassidy walked into the private room and scooped up Bonnie the moment she reached for her. "Bonnie, it's been an entire day. Did you miss me?"
"Of course!" Bonnie answered cheerfully.
Cassidy couldn't help smiling at the exchange. "In that case, give me a kiss."
Bonnie immediately cupped her face and planted a kiss on her cheek. Watching the two of them, one would think they were the real mother and daughter.
She set Bonnie down, then slipped into Jackson's arms, her expression full of playful sweetness. In his eyes, there was a softness I had never seen before.
Before he could say anything, Cassidy rose on her tiptoes and kissed him passionately.
"Alright, alright," one of his friends muttered, rolling his eyes. "It's been months, and you two are still this mushy."
None of his friends seemed bothered by it, while Bonnie looked like she had seen this a hundred times. I stared at all of them, feeling a sinking coldness in my bones. So, everyone knew they had been fooling around together, except for me.
As the teasing around the table amplified, Cassidy's lips curled with a triumphant smile. As if things weren't messy enough, the others started egging them on, asking when the last time they hooked up was.
Jackson lowered his head, embarrassed, while Cassidy looked thrilled. "Two days agoin the room next to the main bedroom."
I whispered the same words at the same time as she did, our two voices overlapping, and the whole room exploded with excitement. Some laughed, some cheered on.
"Jackson, my boy, you finally grew a brain!"
"Yeah. With our status, who the hell stays loyal?"
"As long as you hide it well, you can enjoy life. Quinn is deaf. She'll never find out."
Chapter 2
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 screamed mockery and victory.
Even though I was ready to leave, seeing what was happening in front of me still made it impossible to breathe. I forced a smile and said, "I'm just here to drop off your keys. Have fun."
I set the keys on the table and didn't look back. Ignoring the voices behind me, I walked out.
On the street, I was surrounded by the stream of cars and flickering lights along the road. All that I felt was a cold emptiness. I couldn't see where I was going or hear anything.
My mind went back to five years ago, when we went on that trip to the Obi Desert. Jackson and I got lost and ended up wandering for a whole day and night. There was absolute silence all around, with nothing but the feel of his hand in mine.
Back then, he had gestured with his hands, saying that if we died together, at least it would be a fitting end to our love. He had always said his love for me would be unwavering until death, but I supposed our relationship had reached the end of the road.
When I got home, my whole body felt like jelly. I collapsed onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
The first time I met Jackson was at a job fair. The moment I saw him, I fell hopelessly for him.
Since then, everyone knew I was pursuing him. Before this, he had rejected every other woman who confessed to him. That was until I appeared.
I found ways to see him every day, talked to him, and took him out to eat, relentlessly pursuing him for three years. Even after being rejected over and over, my feelings never wavered.