Unspoken Hearts: My Neglected Mute Wife’s Escape

Chapter 86:

Shirley’s birthday was celebrated in two segments. The morning was reserved for the Reeves family alone, and the afternoon welcomed their high-society acquaintances.

Upon entering the villa, Dean and Melinda were the first to offer their gifts.

“Mom, this one’s for you,” Dean announced, extending a gift box toward Shirley. “It’s the diamond you’ve been dreaming of. I spared no effort to track it down for you.”

Shirley’s face lit up with joy as she opened the box, quickly swapping her old necklace for the sparkling new diamond one.

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“It’s gorgeous,” Shirley exclaimed, admiring her reflection. “Dean, you never fail to know exactly what I want.”

“Shirley, here’s my gift,” Melinda chimed in, presenting her offering. “Ninety-nine deep-sea blue pearls.” Traditionally, Dean and Jake would present gifts together, each couple presenting one jointly.

The deviation from the norm, with Dean and Melinda giving respective presents, caught Kallie off guard. She and Jake had prepared just one gift together, and she worried this might draw criticism.

Jake seemed unfazed by the change. He confidently approached Shirley with their shared gift. “Kallie and I picked this out for you,” he declared.

Shirley took the gift but couldn’t resist a pointed comment. “This must be from you, Jake! Surely Kallie has something for me, right?”

gaze then shifted

by the sudden change in this year’s rules and sensed that Shirley and Melinda were intentionally

of us,” Jake said,

any thought into it,” Shirley remarked dismissively, rolling her

approached with a gift box, presenting it right after Jake. It almost

brightening as she embraced Sarah,

took a step back, considering it might

jab. She shot Kallie a disdainful look. “Look at Sarah, always thoughtful enough to bring a gift. And you? After five years of marriage into our family, do you even care about us? Have

and even Dean, who usually kept his peace, felt compelled to step in. “Mom, we’re

unable to contain her frustration. Kallie’s spirits sank as she listened, her heart growing colder with each word. In the end, she

the issue

she sought to discuss with Jake how to manage Kallie. “Jake, I really

off abruptly. “I need to talk to you about how you’ve

cold demeanor, felt a flicker of

kneel and scrub the

touched that Jake was defending

tried to deflect. “Where did you hear such things? Don’t

I saw the

pictures of her being tormented by Shirley