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Chapter 2

Author: Keto Peach
"Oscar, I had my reasons for leaving back then. I can explain everything to you," Maya pleaded, swallowing the lump in her throat as she tried to suppress the flood of emotion rising in her chest. "Can you just come with me, please?"

She was trying—desperately—not to let it all end like this. Not after all these years. Not after growing up together, not after over a decade of feelings that had matured from innocent childhood affection into something deep, unwavering, and impossible to shake.

Oscar had long become the one constant in her heart—the man she could never forget, no matter how hard she tried.

She held on to one last flicker of hope, the faint idea that maybe—just maybe—Oscar would believe her. Just like he used to. But this time, his voice carried a trace of something new. Something cold. Something impatient.

"I'm not here to argue about the past," he said flatly. "And I'm not blaming you. But Diana is your sister. She's so weak now—couldn't you show just a little compassion for her?"

Maya stared at him in disbelief. Oscar, who had once stood firmly on her side, was now chastising her? Her eyes widened as the tears spilled freely.

Compassion?

She and Diana had never been close. In fact, they had been locked in silent warfare for most of their lives.

She still remembered it clearly: the day Diana's mother had strutted into their home like a queen, fully aware she was the other woman. The insults. The provocation. The smugness.

Her mother, already weakened by illness, collapsed from the shock. Even the doctors couldn't save her.

Maya had only been eight years old when she lost the only person in the world who loved her unconditionally.

Oscar had known all of this. Back then, he had sworn he would stand with her—that they would face the world together and avenge her mother's pain.

But as they grew older, Maya had learned to swallow her grief and buried her resentment deep within herself, trying to maintain the illusion of peace.

But now? Now, Oscar wanted her to accept the daughter of the woman who destroyed her family as his bride. And he wanted her to be understanding?

That one sentence broke something inside her.

She thought of her mother, gasping for breath on a hospital bed. And she remembered the vow she had made at that very moment: she would never repeat the same tragedy. She would never let another person trample her heart like that.

Let alone compete endlessly with Diana for the same man.

"Fine," she said. "Then I won't bother you two anymore."

She gave him a faint smile and turned to leave.

Oscar's expression faltered. He stared at her back like he wanted to stop her, but he didn't move.

"Wait!" It was Diana who spoke first, her voice honeyed with cruelty. She wore a thin smile, the kind that never reached the eyes. "Maya, it's my wedding day. It wouldn't be complete without your blessing. Why don't you attend the wedding? It'll mean so much to me."

Maya's hands curled into fists at her sides, her fingernails digging into her palms until they drew blood. The pain was sharp—but not as sharp as the nausea roiling in her gut.

"I'm not feeling well," she said stiffly. "I'm sorry."

She thought Oscar would step in. He had to. But he just stood there, arms crossed, saying nothing—as if sulking, or worse, silently agreeing with Diana.

Diana, emboldened by his silence, smiled even more sweetly. "It's okay. I brought my private physician just in case. You have nothing to worry about. And if you still refuse to attend the wedding… well, I'll have to assume you don't really wish us well. That you don't want to help me fulfill my final wish."

Maya let out a soft laugh.

So many years had passed, but Diana's manipulative games were just as childish—and just as pathetic—as ever.

"Fine then," she said, tilting her head toward Oscar. "Why don't you decide? Do you want me to witness your wedding or not?"

It was one last chance. A final lifeline she was willing to offer him.

But Oscar didn't look at her. He was too busy letting Diana cling to his arm. Diana tilted her pale face up to him. And in the end, his heart softened.

"If that's what Diana wants, then… you should come. After all, it's just for show," he said blandly. "I owe her too much. So please, be the bigger person. Alright?"

Whatever last shred of hope Maya had held onto disintegrated in that moment. She stared at him, silent for several seconds, then nodded slowly.

"Alright," she said. "I'll attend the wedding."

'Let this be my punishment, for the way I had once disappeared without a word,' Maya thought. 'After today, I'll return overseas. And I'll never see Oscar again.'
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  • Heartstrings and Heartbreaks   Chapter 23

    Oscar turned himself in.He sat quietly in the interrogation room of the police station, his gaze vacant, as if the soul had long since departed his body."I killed Diana Beckham," he confessed in a hoarse, flat tone. "I'm willing to accept whatever punishment the law sees fit."The police moved swiftly. The evidence was overwhelming and irrefutable. Oscar was formally arrested within hours.In court, he made no effort to defend himself. "I admit that I killed her," he said. "And no—I don't regret it. If I had to choose again, I'd still do the same."In the gallery, Mary nearly collapsed in tears. Her only daughter—her one and only child, cruel as she may have been—was gone. She had lost everything. A mother burying her child—there was no pain more piercing.In the end, Oscar was sentenced to death.He was placed in solitary confinement, awaiting the day when the sentence would be carried out.'Maya,' he whispered silently in the darkness, 'I'm sorry. I failed you. I was the

  • Heartstrings and Heartbreaks   Chapter 22

    Oscar stumbled out of the hospital like a man possessed, as if his soul had been sucked out of him. The midday sun blazed down in ruthless brilliance, so piercing that it forced his eyes shut.He walked aimlessly, with no destination, no purpose, a hollow shell adrift on a sea of despair.Suddenly, his phone rang.Glancing down, he saw Diana's name flashing on the screen. His brows knotted in instinctive irritation. He hesitated—everything in him screamed to ignore it—but after a beat, he pressed answer."I heard everything!" Diana's shrill voice came barreling down the line. "Maya's lost her memory. She's never going to remember you again!"A flash of fury shot straight to Oscar's head. His grip tightened around the phone as he struggled to contain himself."You have the nerve to say that?" he snapped coldly. "This is all your fault!""My fault?" Diana let out a mirthless laugh, thick with scorn. "Don't play the victim now, Oscar. Don't forget—you chose me. You abandoned Maya f

  • Heartstrings and Heartbreaks   Chapter 21

    Caught completely off guard, Oscar stumbled backward, landing hard on the cold hospital floor. A sharp, searing pain shot across his cheek where the punch had landed, but there wasn't a trace of resentment in his heart.He knew he deserved it."That punch was for Maya," Charles said icily, his tone as cutting as the blow itself. "You don't deserve to stand anywhere near her."Slowly, Oscar pushed himself up from the floor. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth without a word.Just then, the door to the ICU creaked open, and a doctor stepped out."How is she?" Oscar and Charles asked in unison, both voices laced with tension."She's awake," the doctor replied. "But… her condition is a little unusual.""Unusual?" Oscar's voice rose, taut with anxiety. "What do you mean?""She's lost her memory," the doctor explained calmly. "She only recalls recent events. Everything prior has been completely wiped."A deafening hum echoed through Oscar's head, and for a moment, the wo

  • Heartstrings and Heartbreaks   Chapter 20

    The moment Oscar received Diana's call, he was gripped with panic. Without a second thought, he jumped into his car and sped toward her place, his chest heavy with turmoil.His thoughts churned as the night sped past his windows. He knew—deep down, achingly—that he had ruined Maya's birthday. And guilt gnawed at him mercilessly."Maya, I'm sorry," he muttered silently, gripping the wheel. "As soon as I take care of Diana's situation, I'll make it up to you. I promise."But when he arrived at Diana's apartment, what greeted him wasn't a damsel in distress—but a woman lounging lazily on the sofa, sipping tea like she had the whole world on a string. A smug little smile curled at the corners of her mouth.Oscar's face darkened with fury."What the hell is wrong with you? Are you seriously insane?" His voice erupted, sharp and unforgiving. "Do you have any idea what day it is today? It's your sister's birthday!"Diana blinked at him innocently, her voice trembling with just the right

  • Heartstrings and Heartbreaks   Chapter 19

    Maya let out a bitter laugh, tears welling up in her eyes—yet not a single drop dared to fall. That familiar pride, that unyielding dignity, wouldn't let her break."Maya," she muttered to herself, a tight whisper lost in the night, "what are you still hoping for? He never had you in his heart."Just then, her phone buzzed.It was a message from Diana."Maya, now you finally see it, don't you? Oscar's heart was never with you. If I wanted, he'd toss you aside in a second."Maya stared at the screen. Her lips pressed into a pale, trembling line, and the ache in her chest dug deeper.Every word was a knife.And the worst part?Diana wasn't wrong. Oscar had never truly chosen her. Not once.'Diana, you win.' The words echoed silently in her heart. 'I give up.'She inhaled slowly, deeply—then slid her phone back into her bag with a composure that took everything she had. Rising to her feet, she turned and walked out of the restaurant.By now, night had settled across the city, t

  • Heartstrings and Heartbreaks   Chapter 18

    A few days later, it was Maya's birthday.She opened her eyes that morning and stared blankly at the ceiling above, a strange emptiness settling in her chest. Birthdays were supposed to feel special, weren't they? Yet all she felt was a quiet, echoing loneliness.Just then, the doorbell rang.Her heart gave a little leap—could it be?She hurried out of bed, flung the door open, only to be met by a deliveryman standing crisply in his uniform, a beautifully wrapped gift box in his hands."Your package," he said politely, holding it out.Maya took it, her initial joy dimming into something like disappointment. Still, she managed a smile and thanked him before closing the door.Back inside, she unwrapped the parcel slowly. Inside was a delicate necklace—exquisite and tasteful—and a small card with familiar handwriting.Maya, happy birthday. I'm sorry I can't be with you today, but know that my heart is always with you. —Charles.A faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips as s

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