But before I could finish, Lennon gently released me, his expression calm yet filled with an almost pleading softness as he stared at my eyes. "Don't argue with her, okay?"
I stared at him in disbelief, the man I thought I knew so well.
His tenderness, his care, his love… When had it no longer belonged to me?
I felt like a butterfly trapped in its own cocoon, unable to break free.
Tears welled uncontrollably in my eyes, spilling over and splattering onto the ground with a soft splat.
"Get out..." I trembled as I whispered, my voice breaking under the weight of suppressed anguish. I could not bear to lift my head.
I kept my head low until the door clicked softly as it was locked. The huge room was filled with silence and I was the only one left behind.
I touched my chest. The dull ache there throbbed inside.
Taking a few days off from the orchestra, I moved into a hotel.
During this time, Lennon’s messages kept coming without pause.
He asked about my back injury, where I was staying and how I was recovering.
But I frowned each time I read them. It was too late to laugh at his efforts now.
The violin that had been broken that day was the first handmade violin Lennon had ever given me. At the time, he had spent nearly all his savings on it.
I was reluctant to use it, but he had comforted me so gently, saying, "Claire, you dummy. I’ll only be happy if you use it. I’ll give you one every year from now on."
But after that, he never gave me another violin again.
He always had reasons. He was too busy, he had no time, he forgot... or he was attending Mia’s performances instead.
My gaze fell on the violin with its broken strings lying on the bed. Bitterness swelled in my heart.
I had believed in an unbreakable bond of love with Lennon Sullivan. I had trusted in the deep, nurturing connection between Mia and me as coach and apprentice. But in the end, it all felt like a puddle of mud, trampled and meaningless.
I had poured years of effort into apprentices I had carefully cultivated. I had placed my faith in a lover who was quietly betraying me, all under my nose.
Closing my eyes tightly, I resolved not to cry anymore. They were not worth my tears.
Later, during a rehearsal, I unexpectedly caught Lennon’s gaze from the audience.
His expression faltered briefly as he recognized me. For a long moment, he stared, then suddenly smiled and leaped down from the stage.