Chapter3
“What are you doing?”
I stared at Shayden’s back in disbelief, surprised that he was standing up for me.
“Boss… it’s not what you think. Let me explain. Sister–in–law almost fell just now, and I tried to help her, but she stomped on my foot so hard it feels like my bones are cracked…”
Shayden seemed skeptical of the pockmarked man’s excuse. His gaze swept past me and landed on Feryal.
“Feryal, tell me what you saw.”
Feryal looked at me, a flash of smugness in her eyes.
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“Brother–in–law, Giles is telling the truth. It’s likely Sister misunderstood and thought someone was harassing her.”
Shayden believed her without a shred of doubt.
He walked over to me, frowning as he extended his hand.
“If you’re always this paranoid, maybe you should just drape a scarf over your shoulders.”
Tears fell uncontrollably onto the floor. I fixed my gaze on my husband and asked him: “Shayden, why didn’t you ask me first?”
“Are we really husband and wife?”
They say that even without love, there’s at
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least some affection between a married couple.
But in Shayden’s heart, I was nothing.
“You’re always saying such strange things. Stop making a scene and get up…”
“I want a divorce.”
Shayden’s hand froze mid–air.
The banquet hall fell silent once again.
“I’ve fallen for your brother.”
“Nonsense!”
Shayden’s expression turned murderous, as if he wanted to devour me whole.
From outside the banquet hall, the screech
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of a luxury sports car braking pierced the air.
Curious guests began heading outside to see what was happening.
I glanced at the time on my wristwatch, thinking to myself: the person I’m waiting for has arrived.
Ignoring Shayden’s rage, I stood up on my own, smoothing the hem of my red dress, and turned to Feryal.
“Little sister, you made one mistake just now.”
“This red dress was designed by Nightfall, an international designer. It’s not something. your brother–in–law’s money could buy.”
The moment my words dropped, the crowd erupted in ridicule.
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“Ms. Reid must have hit her head wherehen she fell. Nightfall is so elusive that evereven the wealthiest families can barely catctoa ha glimpse of him, and yet she claims she’s s wearing one of his designs? What a jokele
“Didn’t Nightfall disappear from the fashionog world three years ago? Before he retired, he said he was waiting for his muse andhand wouldn’t design anything until he found her
“She’s just jealous of her sister’s talentstste and spouting nonsense out of frustration mon Absolutely laughable!“”
Shayden’s expression darkened as he e stepped between me and Feryal, shielding her once more.
“Haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough?“?”
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“If you keep making a scene, get out and go home!”
Embarrassed?
I turned my gaze toward the black grand piano behind Feryal and smiled.
“Shayden, I gave up so much for you.”
As I walked toward the piano, Shayden stopped me abruptly, visibly alarmed.
“What are you tr
to do?”
I kicked Shayden hard in the shin, and he released me in pain.
Sitting back down at the piano, I felt a trace of nervousness.
“Oh my god, is she really going to play the
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piano in front of her sister?”
“Trying to copy her sister? This is going to be a disaster. Let’s just sit back and watch the joke unfold.”
I took a deep breath, steadying myself as my fingers gently pressed the keys. A soft melody began to flow through the banquet hall.
Three years away from the piano had left my fingers rusty. The notes stumbled, fragmented and awkward, drawing faint snickers from the crowd.
Seeing my struggle, Feryal visibly relaxed, standing confidently at Shayden’s side as she watched me embarrass myself.
I closed my eyes, shutting out the noise around me, and focused on the music,
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Chapter3
+5 Points
replaying the score in my mind.
Back in high school, Shayden once told me he liked girls who could play the piano.
I I had started learning piano as a child, and it was my second life. At the time, I thought his comment was a shy, youthful confession, never realizing the girl he was really looking at wasn’t me.
His gaze had always been fixed on Feryal, who had begged our parents to let her take piano lessons.
Years later, after he and Feryal broke up, Shayden proposed to me.
“Phaith, if you’re going to be my wife, you’ll have to give up your piano career.”
His parents wanted a daughter–in–law who
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Chapter3
+ 5 Points
would fully support their son. So, I gave up my chance to study abroad, while Feryal went overseas and pursued her piano dreams without a second thought.
“Wait, hold on, doesn’t this melody sound like Figaro Fantasy?”
“Are you kidding me? That’s one of the hardest pieces in the world! There’s no way someone with such clumsy playing could handle it.”
My fingers began to glide over the black and white keys, the melody growing more vibrant and alive.
“Oh my god! It really is Figaro Fantasy! The double–note runs, the massive jumps… Ms. Reid is a hidden piano prodigy!”
Feryal stared at me in silence, the smile
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Chapter3
- 5 Points
fading from her lips.
She had studied abroad for three years, mastered her craft, and yet she still couldn’t surpass me, her older sister.
We hadn’t always been like this. In high school, we got along fine. But after our parents passed away following my college entrance exams, she became a completely different person.
Shayden, now visibly furious, stormed toward me, his face dark as thunder.
There was just one final passage left in the piece.
As his hand reached out to pull me away from the piano, another hand stopped him.
A teasing voice rang out in front of me.
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“What’s wrong? Can’t beat your wife, so you have to play dirty?”
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