The Silence I Married

Synopsis

The moment the barrier panel snapped and pierced my throat, I heard Michael Rivers, my husband, who had been silent for four years, scream for the first time. "Sophie, get back!" Michael yelled. Sophie Reed was my best friend. The next second, he shoved me aside, my body slick with blood, and lunged past the crumpled car door to reach Sophie, trapped on the other side. Sophie's voice trembled. "Michael, you can talk? But Claire has been doing your rehab for four years, and you never said a word. Why did you hide this from her?" Michael held her close, his voice a low, gentle murmur. "She's too loud. She talks about every little thing every day. It gives me a headache. I was waiting for her to learn to shut up. Then I would have told her." He didn't know that I was still trapped in the car, blood gushing from my neck, tears falling into the dust. Later, I finally went quiet. But then Michael knelt before me, eyes bloodshot, begging me over and over. "Claire. Please. Say something to me. Just one word."