Chapter 1
Back in college, I supported Ethan Hayes financially for three years.
The day my family went bankrupt, I made him stay one last night.
That night, the hotel fire injured me, costing half my face and three days in a coma.
I dragged myself out of bed to see Ethan first thing.
Outside Ethan's hospital room, his friends laughed and talked loudly.
Someone began, "She was ugly before, now disfigured and broke, she suits Ethan even less."
Another one continued, "Didn't you apply for an exchange abroad? It's the perfect chance to drop that ugly girl. Why are you still with her?"
Ethan's familiar, cold voice sounded, "It was just for fun."
I stood frozen, staring at my reflection in the glossy tile, a ruined face disfigured by fire.
It felt like a cold hole in my chest, sinking my aching heart.
I left Harbor City, sure I'd never see him again.
Someone recommended me for a tutoring job in the wealthy part of town to earn my daughter's tuition, and I ran into him again.
He was gently telling Ben, "I'm off to work. Listen to your teacher, okay?"
Five years passed. He had a family, and I healed my scars and refined my face.
He turned and nodded at me, unaware of who I was.
*****
The moment I walked into the living room, I froze in place.
Ethan stood and glanced at me, his rimless glasses making him look distant and untouchable.
"Hello, you must be Ms. Clark. Please, come in," he said.
He nodded politely, not a flicker of emotion on his face.
Then I realized my employer was Ethan.
The broke campus heartthrob I once bullied was now successful.
Apparently, he even had a kid now.
"Ben, say hi to Ms. Clark," Ethan asked.
He gently patted the boy's shoulder, his voice warm.
I forced myself to stay, trying to convince myself everything was okay, and managed to say.
"Hi, Ben. I'm Ms. Clark, your piano teacher."
I couldn't help but sneak a glance at Ethan.
His gaze lingered on Ben, the earlier coldness replaced by a gentle smile that painted him as nothing less than a doting father.
I entered the piano room and froze at the sight of the piano.
My grandfather bought me this piano at an Italian auction for my birthday. Inside the lid, a faint scratch I made as a frustrated child.
After my family went bankrupt, we sold the million-dollar piano to pay debts.
Finding it here now felt surreal and absurd.
Memories flooded me, but I stayed calm and began today's lesson.
Ben was a confident kid, and he piped up.
"Ms. Clark, play something else. I'm bored of these piano songs."
I nodded, and my fingers moved automatically, playing familiar notes smoothly and effortlessly.
As the last note faded, I looked up, lost in the music. Then I saw Ethan in the doorway and snapped out of it.
"Mr. Hayes..." My voice was soft, uncertain.
Half his face was in shadows, his expression unreadable.
"Ms. Clark, why choose this piece? It's not what I'd expect for a beginner," Ethan said coolly.
His voice was icy, his expression unreadable.
I played a lesser-known pop song Ethan and I used to duet, always forcing him to join.
Ben clung to Ethan's leg and explained, "Dad, I finished everything Ms. Clark taught me today and asked her to play something random.
"Hey, Dad, you can play this song too, right?"
My heart raced. I kicked myself for losing track of where I was in the music.
"I'm not familiar with it. It's nothing special," Ethan denied coldly.
His cold dismissal tightened my chest, and I let out a bitter laugh.
Yeah, for him, every moment with me reminded him of his humiliation.
"Ms. Clark, where do you live? I'll drive you home," Ethan said.
"No, thanks," I replied automatically. "I can get home myself."
"Catching a cab here is hard, and the subway's far. I'm leaving anyway," Ethan continued, making it clear I had no choice.
He insisted, so I got into Ethan's car.
He watched the road while I pretended to nap in the passenger seat.
When we reached my place, he helped me out of the car, and my daughter, Lily Clark, arrived to pick me up. We bumped into each other.
I stepped in front of Lily, shielding her from Ethan.
"Your daughter? She looks about Ben's age," Ethan said, surprised.