He Took Off His Hearing Aid To Ignore My Screams Chapter 03

He Took Off His Hearing Aid To Ignore My Screams Chapter 03

I woke up as dawn broke.

My throat burned dry, and I reached for my phone out of habit.

I’d been gone all night. Vaughn had only sent one single text at 3 a.m.

Vaughn: [Where did you go?]

Right after that, he uploaded a post to Instagram.

Vaughn had taken Sorrel to lakeside karaoke lounge.

In the photo, Sorrel wore a clean sundress, leaning in to sing directly beside his ear. He wore his hearing aid, gazing at her with complete indulgence.

Vaughn’s hearing had been permanently damaged in a childhood accident.

I used to hum soft songs beside his ear years ago, but he’d told me loud, sharp sounds hurt his damaged ears.

He’d immediately ripped his hearing aid off every time I sang.

He couldn’t stand listening to my voice.

Yet he could tolerate blaring microphones pressed inches from his head for Sorrel.

I stopped scrolling past the post and dialed Vaughn.

He was still at the karaoke lounge, loud noise roaring in the background.

He’d expected me to scream and accuse him like I always had, but my voice stayed calm when I spoke.

“I need you to come down to the police station with me later.”

I’ll admit I was terrified to go through this process alone.

There was a long beat of silence on the line.

“The police station? Are you here about the lost wedding band again?”

Two weeks prior, Vaughn had misplaced our wedding band on his commute. We’d searched everywhere, and he’d said it didn’t matter—we could buy new ones later.

I’d clung to the old band, though. We barely had any happy memories to hold onto.

I’d kept checking with the police to see if anyone had turned it in.

I opened my mouth to answer, but Sorrel’s irritated voice cut through the line.

“Vaughn, we barely get time off together. You promised you’d take me shopping after this.”

The sound cut out for a second—he’d covered the phone’s mic.

A moment later, he spoke again.

“Elara, the band’s been gone for weeks. It’s long lost, and it’s not a big deal. If you absolutely insist on going to the station, can we wait until tomorrow?”

I stared at the sterile white hospital walls and let out a hollow laugh.

“Shopping with Sorrel’s that important, but me getting attacked isn’t?”

I paused.

“Forget it. Don’t bother coming to the station with me tomorrow. Just meet me to sign divorce papers instead.”

Silence stretched on the line for ages. If the loud karaoke noise hadn’t hummed through the speaker, I would’ve thought he’d hung up.

I knew Vaughn too well after three years.

The second I finished speaking, he’d pulled his hearing aid off.

I saved the call recording to my phone, then ended the dial tone.

I checked out of the hospital quietly and headed straight to the police station.

I gave my full statement, completed all official medical evidence examinations, submitted all my hospital paperwork, and filed official evidence reports.

The female detective on my case reassured me over and over, promising those responsible would be held accountable for their actions.

She told me not to let this trauma ruin my life.

Standing in front of her desk, a faint warmth bloomed in my chest again.

I arrived back at our shared home as dusk fell.

Vaughn still hadn’t returned.

I stuffed all my medical records and hospital bills into a file folder and tucked it in his desk drawer.

The baby had been his too. He deserved to know it had existed, even if only briefly.

It hit 11 p.m. before Vaughn walked through the front door.

He kicked off his shoes, typing away on his phone the whole time, and only glanced up when he spotted me. His first question was sharp.

“Where were you all last night?”

I curled up on the couch, my body throbbing with residual pain, and didn’t utter a single word.

He’d never seen me shut down completely before, so his tone softened a little. He held his phone out to show me the neighborhood HOA group chat messages.

“I’m not mad at you. It’s dangerous out right now—I was just worried.”

“Look, the cops are investigating an assault that happened in our complex.”

I lifted my head and locked eyes with him.

“Vaughn, what if I told you that victim was me?”