He Speaks to Everyone But Me Chapter 09

He Speaks to Everyone But Me Chapter 09

[Ella’s POV]

Later, Becca came too.

It had rained that morning, and the stone path outside the shop was still wet. She stood at the glass door holding white roses.

Her eyes went red when she saw me. “Ella.”

I was trimming stems. The sound of her voice made me pause.

She used to call me that in college.

Sharing a bed watching movies.

Stealing my potato chips, laughing on my shoulder.

Walking the track with me until dawn after a breakup.

She said, “Ella, anyone hurts you, I’ll be the first to stand up for you.”

I believed her.

So when she got close to Owen, I kept telling myself they were my husband and my best friend.

They’d never hurt me.

But they did.

Worse than anyone.

Becca came in and set the roses on the counter.

“I know you don’t want to see me. But I wanted to say sorry.”

Tears spilled down her cheeks.

“I never meant to steal Owen. It’s just… with you he was silent. With me he was someone else. I let myself think maybe I was special.”

I watched her silently.

She cried harder. “Ella, we used to be so close. Over one man, was it worth it?”

I set down my shears.

“It wasn’t over a man.”

She blinked.

I held her gaze.

“You knew he was lying to me. You helped him hide it. You heard him call me annoying and you said nothing. You turned my marriage into your private secret.”

“Becca, we didn’t fall apart because of Owen. We fell apart because you stopped being my friend first.”

Her face drained. She opened her mouth, but no defense came out.

I pushed the white roses back.

“Take them. I don’t accept apology flowers.”

She stood frozen, then finally left with the bouquet.

I never saw her again.

Word spread fast. Once people found out Owen had been faking his silence and Becca had known, her reputation tanked.

Someone confronted her: “You were Ella’s best friend. How could you watch her take care of him like a fool for three years?”

Others said, “Voice notes, lullabies, and you’re just friends? Please.”

Becca tried to explain, saying she’d urged Owen to come clean. No one bought it.

She used to get sympathy just by looking sad. Now when she cried, people only felt contempt.

Owen didn’t fare better.

My lawyer filed the petition. Owen eventually signed the response and settlement agreement. Months later, the judge granted the final decree. Our marriage ended legally.

He stopped pretending to be mute.

But no one wanted to listen to him anyway.