My Silent Husband Finally Spoke, But He Said My Best Friend’s Name Chapter 04

My Silent Husband Finally Spoke, But He Said My Best Friend’s Name Chapter 04

It was just after one in the morning when I heard something at the front door.

Every muscle in my body went rigid.

There were several pairs of footsteps. Someone was trying code after code on the electronic door

lock.

I looked through the peephole. Three men. I didn’t recognize any of them..

Cold sweat broke out across my back. My hands shook so hard I almost dropped my phone.

I texted Julian on pure instinct.

[Someone’s trying to break in.]

[Send me a voice note. A loud one.]

[Please.]

I hit send and held my breath.

His reply came instantly.

[Chloe, you know I can’t speak.]

Then he forwarded a few video clips. The kind with titles like:

[GIRLS LIVING ALONE: fake boyfriend voice clips to scare off creeps!]

[Play these when someone knocks. Instant safety hack.]

I stared at the screen. My fingers went numb.

He could talk. He could’ve just opened his mouth and said one sentence.

“Who’s out there?”

“I’ve called the cops!”

Anything. Even something lazy and half-assed would’ve been enough.

But he’d rather send me clips from the internet than use his own voice to save my life.

The men outside were still messing with the lock.

I didn’t have time to break down. I opened one of the clips with shaking hands and turned the volume all the way up.

A deep male voice blared from the phone’s speaker.

“Hey! Who the hell is out there?”

The hallway went silent for a second.

I almost let myself breathe. Then one of them laughed.

“That’s fake, right?”

“Sounds like one of those clips from TikTok.”

The scraping at the lock got more frantic.

I tried to scream. Nothing came out, just ragged, broken sounds tearing at my damaged vocal cords.

I frantically texted 911 and backed away from the door.

The dispatcher texted back that help was on the way. “Stay where you are. Lock yourself in a room if

you can.”

They were still out there.

My legs nearly gave out. I dragged myself into the bedroom and locked the door.

The bedroom door felt paper-thin.

I could hear every scrape and crack as they worked on the front lock.

The front lock was about to give way when sirens cut through the night air.

I heard scrambling. Someone swore, and then footsteps, fast, fading, gone.

I stayed curled in the corner of the bedroom. I couldn’t stop shaking.

When the officers knocked, I grabbed the edge of the bed and tried to haul myself up.

My legs buckled on the first step, and I went down hard.

I couldn’t see anything through the tears.

After they cleared the apartment, one of the officers crouched beside me. “Is there someone you

can call? You shouldn’t be alone tonight.”

I nodded. I was freezing.

That’s when the tablet on the nightstand lit up again.

Julian. Messaging Stella.

[I think she might know I can talk.]

[She’s been testing me lately.]

[Just now she said someone was breaking in and asked me to send a voice note.]

[Pretty creative lie, honestly. lol]

Stella’s reply came right away.

[Maybe don’t come over tonight.]

[She just got out of the hospital. You should probably go home and be with her.]

Julian didn’t reply for a few minutes.

Then he sent a voice note. I pressed play. He sounded tired.

“I’m so tired. I just want to see you.”

“Tomorrow’s my three-year anniversary with Chloe.”

“I’ll tell her then. That I can talk.”

“Think she’ll be surprised?”

A surprise.

I played it again. And again. And every feeling I had left turned to ash.

Julian. There won’t be a three-year anniversary.

I pulled myself off the floor and dragged out the suitcase I’d already packed.

I’d booked the flight earlier that day.

My flight was leaving soon.

I left the divorce papers on the kitchen island. Then I took my suitcase and walked out.

On the way to the airport, Julian finally texted.

[You up?]

[I’ll be home soon. I have something to tell you.]

I didn’t reply. I turned off the phone.

The plane took off just as the first light broke across the horizon.

I pressed my forehead against the window and felt everything drain out of me.

Julian would never have to complain about my voice again.

Every little thing I wanted to share, every small and clumsy way I tried to love him-

He’d never have to listen to any of it again.

By the time the plane landed, the sky was wide open and bright.

I turned my phone back on. It exploded with missed calls and message after message, all from

Julian.