Chapter 2

Traffic was awful. By the time I arrived, the party was already in full swing.

I squeezed past the crowd, scanning the room for Chloe.

Suddenly, an all-too-familiar melody filled the air.

A sweet, enchanting voice echoed through the grand ballroom, dripping with tenderness in every single lyric.

It was my song.

And it was Chloe singing.

I froze, turning toward the sound.

On the stage in the center of the hall, Chloe held the microphone, gazing down affectionately at Julian.

As the music faded, a delicate blush tinted her cheeks.

"This song is for Julian. It holds everything I’ve ever wanted to tell you. I hope you like it."

Amid the rowdy cheers from the crowd, Julian stepped onto the stage and took her hand.

To everyone else in the room, they looked like the perfect couple destined to be together.

Julian spotted me. With a smug grin, he tightened his grip around Chloe’s hand.

"I know Chloe and I went through a lot of misunderstandings in the past. But it doesn't matter. I believe true love conquers all obstacles."

He held the mic and stared right into my eyes, deliberately pressing hard on the word "obstacles."

Chloe finally noticed me. Panic flashed across her face, and she reflexively tried to pull her hand away, only for Julian to clamp down harder.

The guests caught on and turned their heads, whispering in disdain.

"Is that the heiress's husband?"

"Yeah! Don't you know? He went to college with Julian! He played the victim to get between them back then."

"Right, I remember he accused Julian of plagiarizing his work, played the depression card, threatened to slit his wrists, and basically ran Julian out of the country."

"Then why did Chloe marry him?"

"Probably to shield Julian's reputation. Look at them today—it's obvious who she really loves."

The whispers grew nastier by the second, and Chloe’s expression darkened.

She muttered something to Julian, finally making him let go.

With a pale face, Chloe marched off the stage and yanked me into an empty hallway.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Her voice was icy, filled with undisguised irritation.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? Why are you here with Julian?"

I looked her in the eyes, demanding an answer.

"Didn't you promise me yesterday that you wouldn't see him again?"

Chloe looked momentarily embarrassed before curling her lips in contempt.

"He's back in the country for good. We run in the same circles, and business overlap is inevitable. You’d better get used to it."

She didn't give a damn about my feelings.

That familiar numbness crept back into my brain, and my hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

I shut my eyes and forced out my last question.

"Why did you give him that song?"

I wrote that song during my three darkest years of depression. Every note was carved out of my soul.

Chloe had watched me skip meals and work through sleepless nights. She had seen me coughing up blood from stomach ulcers while still clutching those sheet manuscripts.

She knew what that piece meant to me. She knew giving it to her was my declaration of love.

Yet tonight, in front of high society, she claimed it was her message to Julian.

She handed it over to Julian—the very plagiarist who had nearly pushed me into an early grave!

What about me?

Were all my pain and my devoted heart just trash for her to step on?

Chloe’s expression twisted. She parted her lips, hesitating several times.

Amid the heavy silence, Julian casually strolled over.

He waved a stack of sheet music in his hand, his eyes dripping with malice.

"You really are a musical genius, Leo. The melody is top-tier."

"When the single drops, I'll be sure to give you a special shoutout."

Staring at the original score in his grip, my blood ran cold. I swung my head toward Chloe.

"You gave him the original manuscripts too?"

Singing it could be brushed off as a party stunt.

But handing over the master manuscripts was literally handing him my entire life’s work on a silver platter.

Chloe averted her eyes, speaking indifferently.

"I wrote the lyrics. It’s a joint piece. Why can’t I give it away?"

The rage I had suppressed for so long finally erupted. My emotions shattered, and a metallic taste filled my mouth.

I opened my lips to speak, but the room began spinning violently before my vision went pitch black.

Before I collapsed, all I caught was Chloe’s panicked face.

"Leo! What's wrong with you?!"

"Why is his heart rate so high? Did he skip his meds today?!"