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Chapter_100
“How did you come by that information?” a voice inquired.
“The source of my knowledge is Linda,” came the reply.
“Isn’t it a common belief that those who are less intelligent also have impaired hearing? Is there any truth to that?”
“Really? But surely, if someone lacks intellect, their hearing should remain unaffected. I’ve always thought it was the inability to hear that leads to a lack of speech, right?”
“Perhaps you should put it to the test.”
Quinn had just finished cleaning the last of the dishes, carefully placing the final basket in the sanitizing cabinet. As she turned around, she found herself face to face with two female coworkers approaching her.
“Hey, are you even capable of hearing our conversation?”
“Are you, by any chance, deaf?”
The women examined Quinn with a curious, albeit harmless, look. They had never encountered anyone like her and were unaware that their words could be considered offensive. Quinn simply observed them in silence, offering no reply.
“It seems she really can’t hear,” one of them mused.
“How unfortunate,” the other added.
Quinn found such expressions of pity repulsive. They were constant reminders of what others saw as her weakness. She ignored them and made her way to the break room, hoping to catch a brief nap. She was utterly drained, too tired even to raise her hand.
After two hours of rest, Quinn reluctantly got back to work. The evening shift would last until eleven, and by the end of the day, her fingers were sore and raw, her arms throbbing from the relentless effort.
“Here’s your pay for the day,” Linda said, handing her a crumpled fifty-dollar bill.
“You broke a dish, so today’s pay is only fifty. If the work’s too much for you, feel free to not come back tomorrow.”
Quinn stared at the money for a moment before accepting it. With the fifty dollars safely tucked away, she left the restaurant. The street outside was eerily silent and dark. She checked her phone to use the GPS. Her home was thirty miles away, an eighty-dollar cab ride. The day’s earnings wouldn’t even cover the fare.
A bitter smile tugged at Quinn’s lips as Alexander’s harsh words echoed in her mind. Leaving him had meant she couldn’t survive on her own. He had made that clear.
Quinn stood still, overwhelmed. She didn’t have enough for a taxi, and public transportation had stopped running. The thought of walking home alone filled her with dread, leaving her standing there, lost and unsure. The bleak reality of her situation made the idea of divorce seem further out of reach.
Suddenly, a car sped past her before slamming on the brakes and reversing. It stopped right in front of her. Quinn glanced up, and the car window rolled down, revealing Walter’s face.
“Quinn, is that really you? I thought I was seeing things,” Walter called out as he exited the car and scanned the area. “Are you out here dining?”
Quinn shook her head and gestured vaguely. “I work here.”
Walter’s surprise was evident. “You were working?”
She nodded, confirming his assumption.
“Is Alexander picking you up?”
Once again, Quinn shook her head.
“Do you need a ride home?”
Quinn bit her lip, hesitating. She suddenly recalled Alexander’s words, unsure whether accepting the ride was a good idea. Walter, sensing her uncertainty, gave her a reassuring smile.
“Come on, get in. I’ll take you.”
Just then, another car pulled up beside them.
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