Chapter 2
I opened the videos I had saved, and the harsh truth was laid bare.
Seven years of being together turned out to be one big joke.
Not once did Trevor ever celebrate my birthday for me.
During his first show, I worked my butt off promoting him, day and night, until I passed out from exhaustion. And what did I get? “Caroline, thanks for all the hard work.”
Even when we were getting it on and I was moaning uncontrollably, the name he kept whispering was also “Caroline.”
He never knew how rough he was being. When I got hurt and tried to tell him with my hands, it didn’t work.
Afterward, he’d always look innocent and say, “Come on, your hands are shaking. I can’t get what you’re saying.”
But lately, Trevor had been using sign language to ask if I hurt.
I had never seen him this gentle before.
Now I got it.
He said, “I’m practicing on Vanessa. Caroline is so fragile. I can’t hurt her.”
Bitterness swelled up inside me, and tears kept streaming down.
How could Trevor be so heartless?
When he cut ties with his family and went after his music dream with. nothing. Caroline ditched him and went abroad.
It was me who stuck with him, from having nothing to winning all those awards.
My phone lit up.
It was a message from the doctor.
“Ms. Pearson, are you sure you want to give up on that treatment abroad?
“You made it through the pain of the cochlear implant surgery. It’d be such a pity to quit now.”
I wiped my tears and texted back.
“I’m in.”
H
I was done with Trevor.
And I’d leave the country in a week.
It happened to be the day Trevor was proposing at his concert.
***
That night, Trevor didn’t come back.
I got a text from Caroline.
“Vanessa, don’t wait up. Trevor is playing the piano to put me to sleep. I told him my insomnia is all better, but he’s still worried. He has to watch me fall asleep before he leaves.
“I mean, after all these seven years, how can he still remember every little
Choter 2
thing?”
In the photo, over Caroline’s bare shoulder with those thin straps, Trevor was sitting at the piano.
He had got on a black T–shirt and a vintage silver necklace.
His cool and aloof face looked gentle in the warm glow of the floor lamp.
His long, slender fingers were hopping on the piano keys, like he was petting his beloved girl’s body.
Caroline kept showing off. “Gotta go. Trevor caught me on my phone, and now he’s mad at me.”
After all these years, she still wouldn’t leave me alone.
But I didn’t want to fight with her over anything.
Trevor didn’t love me at all, so I decided to give up on him.
“Oh, right, do you want this? Poor thing, beg me and maybe I’ll toss it your way.”
When I saw the photo Caroline sent, my eyes widened in shock.
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