The ringing in Maureen’s cars returned. She swallowed before mustering her courage and asking, “Geoff, is there someone you love?”

His expression changed. “What do you mean?”

Looking up at him, she said slowly, suppressing the overwhelming bitterness, “If there is, feel free to be with her…”

He cut her off, “What a psycho.”

***

Geoffrey left. Maureen sat on the balcony alone, staring blankly at the cold rain outside.

The sound of the rain was sometimes clear, sometimes fuzzy.

Then she removed her hearing aid, and the world fell into a profound silence.

A month ago, the doctor had told her, “Ms. Ramirez, I’m afraid the condition affecting your auditory nerve and the neural pathways in your brain has deteriorated, and that’s why you’re experiencing hearing loss again. If this goes on, you’ll be completely deaf.”

She wasn’t used to such silence. So she stepped into the living room, switched on the TV, and turned the volume up until the bar was full. Finally, she could make out some muffled sounds.

And then she saw the interview on Andrea Rowe, Geoffrey’s first love and the world–famous pop singer, when she had just returned from abroad.

Maureen’s hand holding the remote trembled.

Years had passed, but Andrea was still as pretty as ever. And when she faced the camera, she seemed so calm and ra- diant–nothing like the shy, introverted girl who had sought the Ramirez family’s support.

The reporter asked, “Ms. Rowe, could you tell us why you chose to come back?”

a confident smile, her answer straightforward,

fell to

Maureen’s heart sank to the

rain seemed to grow

TV in a panic, then put

she stepped into the kitchen, she saw Geoffrey’s phone. He must have forgotten to

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14:48

Chapter 2

1288 ¡Vouchers

up, only to see

have been torture for you,

know you don’t love her. Can we meet tonight? I’ve missed

stared at it without blinking, even

she cabbed to

gazed out the window. It had been drizzling

Geoffrey hated to see her here, Maureen always used the back door and took the freight

special assistant, Wayne Slater,

had ever thought

very existence was a humiliation to

frowned when he saw his phone in

like a lunch, a document, a

to specially bring

froze, murmuring, “Sorry. I

her memory

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