Chapter 97

Latisha stood frozen, not knowing what to do with her hands. She felt like a fool, a clown who had misread the entire situation.

"Just leave it there," Clifford said dismissively.

Latisha nodded and quietly backed out of the study. As she left, she heard Yesenia's voice from the phone. “You promised you'd come with me to the product launch tomorrow. Don't you dare bail on me."

"I won't."

"I did a livestream yesterday and made over a thousand! Am I amazing or what?"

"Amazing," Clifford replied, his praise sounding completely hollow.

"An agency wants to sign me. Do you think I should do it? Could I make it in showbiz?"

"If you want to, go for it. I'll back you."

Latisha didn't hear the rest, nor did she need to. He always granted Yesenia's every wish. With him, Yesenia was free to do whatever she wanted-make friends, throw tantrums, pursue her dreams.

Yesenia was a whole person, so she was allowed to have a whole life.

Latisha was just a mute. A broken person, undeserving of a complete life.

She picked at her food, then went back to the bedroom and lay down. Sleep wouldn't come; her insomnia was getting worse.

After tossing and turning for over two hours, Clifford came in. He settled into his usual spot beside her but didn't wrap his arm around her as he normally did. Instead, he turned his back to her. They lay in the same bed, facing away from each other, a stark, empty space between them that felt as vast as an ocean.

Latisha clutched the edge of her pillow and closed her eyes, trying to ignore the void beside her. The light from overhead was still bright, even through her eyelids.

Unable to sleep, she eventually got up, went to the bathroom, and then padded out to the living room sofa. She curled into a ball, burying her face in her arms to block out all the light.

About half an hour later, she felt a weight settle over her. She looked up and saw it was a blanket. Clifford it was was standing right beside her, dressed in his pajamas, his hai

slightly tousled Whene ved

like this, he had a boyish quality that” momentarily tricked her into thinking they were back in the past.

She stared, stunned, then quickly sat up.

Clifford sat down next to her. "I'll find a job for you," he said. "That way, you won't be so bored."

Latisha looked at him blankly. After a moment, she raised her hands and signed, *A job? Can I make friends?*

"You can if you want to," Clifford replied. "Assuming you're capable of making any."

A flicker of hurt crossed her eyes. Was he saying she couldn't make friends?

He was probably right. She couldn't even speak. Who would want to bother with her?

*Where will I work?* she signed.

"What do you want to do?"

*I want to sing.*

"You want to sing?" Clifford laughed, but it was a cold, humorless sound. "Are you trying to be defiant now?"

She wasn't being defiant. She truly did want to sing. It was her deepest dream no, her most impossible wish Just like divorcing him They were both hopeless fantasies

His smile vanished. "I'll give you one last chance. What do you want to do?”

*I don't know.*

Clifford's patience had run out. "How could you not know?" he said, his voice dripping with ice. "You like washing dishes, don't you? Fine. Go wash dishes."

Latisha's lips parted slightly. She stared at him, searching his face for any sign that he was joking. Therez

was none. The man held a grudg She had disappeared for half month and ended up washing dignes at that diner and while he'd ignored her then, he was now using it as a weapon against her.