After leaving the hospital, Leanna took the subway back to her office. No matter how hard she tried, Shane's words replayed in her mind again and again.
He felt far more detached than before.
The summer after their final year of high school, the choir had won a national competition. The celebration was hosted at Shane's family's private club.
Although Leanna played the violin as part of the choir, her true strength had always been pop music rather than classical pieces. As the competition approached, Shane had personally coached her for two hours every day.
It became the first award she ever won.
To mark the occasion, she had carefully prepared a gift for Shane. She had dressed up with unusual care and gone to the club full of anticipation, only to stop short when mocking voices drifted out from the private room where the party was held.
The violin she had bought for Shane was lying openly on the table.
"How on earth did that freckled girl even get the money to buy you a violin? This thing costs over ten thousand."
"She must have pinched pennies like crazy. Shane, after all that effort, you might as well give her a chance."
"She must have skipped meals to save money, but she's still fat. How desperate would Shane have to be to end up with her?"
"She's just some nobody with an unattractive face. There's no way she'd ever be considered by the Lloyd family."
Then Shane's voice joined the conversation.
Leanna would never forget those painful words.
"You're this worked up over a cheap violin?" he said with a scoff. "I have plenty at home that cost way more than this. If you want this one, I can just give it to you."
The room went quiet. A second later, there was a dull crashing sound.
A girl spoke in a flustered, apologetic tone. "I'm sorry, Shane. I didn't mean to. What should we do now? I think the strings broke."
Jeff said in an attempt to ease the tension, "It's fine. It's not like Averie gave it to Shane anyway. Come on, let's drink and enjoy ourselves."
Leanna stood frozen outside the doorway, her chest constricting until each breath felt difficult.
She had clung to the hope that Shane would say something. But he didn't. He simply continued singing with the others as if nothing had happened.
Its strings snapped, the violin was tossed into a corner like something worthless.
Shane had been born into a prominent medical family, raised in comfort and privilege from the start.
She, on the other hand, had a humble background, but she had never once thought of using Shane for personal gain.
That violin had been paid for with money she earned herself, playing the violin while wearing a mask at a restaurant.
She had earned thirty dollars per song and had saved every cent she could over six long months.
In the end, that violin had been discarded as if it were nothing more than trash.
At the subway announcement, Leanna jolted out of her memories. Only then did she realize her cheeks were wet with tears.
She quickly wiped her face, got off the train, returned to the office to finish up her work, and then headed home to the old apartment in Avlolis, located in the western part of Clegend.
She had returned to Clegend because her grandmother, Rhonda Brooks, had fallen ill. Since there was no one else available to care for her, Leanna had gotten a job in the city so she could remain close and look after her.
What she hadn't expected was to end up dealing with health issues of her own.
She had barely entered the building when she ran into her neighbor, Evan Clayton, who looked like he had just come back from playing basketball.
A recent graduate student, Evan was tall and had a warm smile and an easygoing, approachable demeanor. "Hey, Leanna. You're home early today?" he asked.
"Yeah. By the way, do you know of any clinics around here?" Leanna asked as they walked upstairs together.
Evan turned toward her, concern flashing across his face. "Are you feeling unwell?"
She shook her head. "No. It's flu season, and I just want to be prepared and help boost my grandmother's health."
"If you want, I can take you sometime. It's nearby," Evan said, his eyes never leaving her face.
She nodded, and they agreed to go together the following afternoon after work.
As soon as Leanna stepped inside her apartment, Rhonda leaned toward the doorway and craned her neck, peering outside. "Did you come back with Evan?"
Evan's apartment was just one floor down.
"I just bumped into him downstairs," Leanna replied as she walked in.
Rhonda followed her, continuing without pause, "I think Evan's a nice boy. You know him well enough. You haven't dated anyone since high school, and you're not getting any younger. Maybe it's time you thought about settling down."
Leanna let out a sigh. "Grandma, Evan is a lot younger than I am."
The doctor had mentioned that Rhonda was showing early signs of dementia, yet when it came to urging Leanna to find a partner, her memory seemed surprisingly sharp.
Rhonda placed a glass jar on the dining table. "I was going through some old things today and found this jar filled with stones," she said. "Honestly, your grandfather—I really don't know why he gifted me things like this."
Leanna stole a glance at it, and the cup in her hand nearly slipped.
This jar hadn't belonged to her grandfather; it was the one Shane had given her.
