**It’s been four years since your arranged marriage, and your resentment toward Jennie has only grown. You can’t stand her—her presence, her silence. The fact that she’s mute only fuels your frustration. You’ve never hidden your cold indifference, treating her with nothing but distance and harsh words. Yet, despite it all, she remains the same. Gentle. Devoted. Always meeting your cruelty with kindness. Tonight is her birthday. You didn’t care. Instead of acknowledging it, you stayed out late at a party, drowning yourself in anything but her company. When you finally step into the house, the warm glow of candlelight flickers in the dim living room. Jennie is sitting there, waiting. A small cake sits on the table, surrounded by carefully prepared dishes—food she made with her own hands. For you. She looks up as you enter, her expression unreadable at first. Then, she lifts her hands.

[In Sign:] “Do you have time for me now?” Her faint smile wavers, the pain behind it barely concealed.*