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홈 / The Piano that Cost My Daughter's Life / Chapter 1

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The Piano that Cost My Daughter's Life
The Piano that Cost My Daughter's Life
작가: OBe

Chapter 1

작가: OBe
When the final song ended, thunderous applause filled the concert hall.

Zander Stafford, who was seated in the front row, was the first to stand. He went onstage and presented Roxanne Towne with a bouquet of flowers.

The crowd around them immediately erupted.

"That's the CEO of Stafford Group. He actually went onstage to give Roxanne flowers? That's unbelievable!" someone exclaimed.

"What's so surprising about that? Ms. Towne was Mr. Stafford's first love," another person replied. "She left the country without a word to study abroad, and Mr. Stafford never held it against her.

"Every year, he pours tens of thousands into her orchestra just to keep her on as its featured pianist.

"Now that Roxanne is finally back, of course our devoted Mr. Stafford is practically glued to her side."

Mr. Stafford, the CEO of Stafford Group—so that was how my husband was addressed in a world I could never have access to.

I crushed the recital ticket in my hand.

200 dollars was enough to cover one night in the hospital. That was also the price I had to pay to see Roxanne in person.

I laughed bitterly and got up to leave the concert hall.

Outside the venue, luxury cars filled the area.

I couldn't get through the crowd, so I had to stand by the roadside and wait for everyone to disperse.

When I looked up, I saw Zander shielding Roxanne as she got into her car. He kept her excited fans from bumping into her.

"Zander, thank you for coming to my recital. I'm so happy," she said.

Roxanne wrapped her arms around his neck. Ignoring all the flashing cameras, she rose onto her toes and kissed him on the cheek.

Zander didn't pull away. Instead, he smiled helplessly and held the car door open as he helped her inside.

The car drove away, and the crowd dispersed.

I looked at the 20 dollars left in my account. Then I opened a map and got directions to the nearest subway station.

It was three miles away and took me two hours to walk there.

By the time I reached the subway station, my clothes were soaked with sweat.

Zander called just as I got home.

The old electric fan crackled as it ran.

"Sabina, why haven't you replied to my message?" he asked. "Are you upset? Are you mad that I haven't been home for two months?"

Zander always spoke in a deep, serious voice around others, making them feel a little nervous.

But whenever he was with me, his tone was always especially gentle.

"Don't be mad, okay? I'll be home in two days," he continued. "How's Summer doing? Is she feeling better? Will it be a few more days before she can leave the hospital?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat, but I couldn't keep my voice from trembling when I finally asked, "You actually still care about how Summer is doing?"

There was a pause on the other end.

"Of course I care. Summer is our little girl. I wouldn't want anything to happen to her," he replied. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you both this time.

"Next time, I promise I won't let this happen again."

He thought I was angry because he hadn't been there when our daughter, Summer Stafford, got sick.

But this wasn't the first time he had been busy.

I used to excuse his absences because I thought he was busy with work.

When Summer got sick, I was the one who took her to the hospital and handled everything myself.

There were times when I was so busy I barely had time to use the bathroom, but I never blamed him. I thought he was working hard for our family so that Summer and I could have a better life.

That's why I never blamed him.

But it turned out he was busy doing it all for another woman.

He was standing up for Roxanne, going to her recitals, and making sure the whole world knew that the woman he truly loved had finally come back to him.

"There won't be a next time," I replied hoarsely.

Summer was already gone. How could there be a next time?

Zander froze for a moment, then quickly replied, "You're right. There won't be a next time. Summer will always be healthy from now on. She'll never get sick again."

I laughed bitterly and ended the call.

My phone screen was still showing the message I had just received from the cemetery.

It read, "Ms. Judd, we've reserved the spot for you. When would be a convenient time for you to come by?"

That short message made my eyes sting.

I rubbed my swollen, red-rimmed eyes. Ten minutes later, I finally typed a reply.

"I'm sorry. I'm planning to take Summer back to my hometown. The burial plots in Jinton are still too expensive. I can't afford one."

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  • The Piano that Cost My Daughter's Life   Chapter 9

    I thought my dismissal would do the trick, as Zander was too proud to allow me to send him away like that.But he stayed right where he was. He even picked up his coffee and took a long sip."Sabina, there's a children's cemetery in Jinton. Didn't you want to bury Summer there? I can take care of it," he said.I frowned, unsure of what he was trying to do.That cemetery had indeed been my first choice. Each grave was decorated around the child's personality and interests.Most importantly, the lights were never turned off at night. A bright lamp was kept on in front of every grave.Summer had always been afraid of the dark. That was why I had buried her on the mountaintop."What do you want in return?" I asked.He wouldn't have suggested this without wanting something in return.Pain flashed across Zander's eyes. My distant tone had clearly hurt him."I don't want anything in return. I just want you to come back to Jinton with me. Sabina, I want to marry you. I want you to be

  • The Piano that Cost My Daughter's Life   Chapter 8

    When Zander knocked on the door of the old house, I had just finished clearing the weeds from the backyard.When Mom was still alive, she used to grow vegetables there. Now that I was back, I wanted to keep up the tradition."Mr. Stafford," I said.I wasn't surprised to see him. He was bound to find out about Summer's death sooner or later.The furniture in the house was old and worn. He sat awkwardly in a creaking wooden chair, unsure of what to say."Are you doing okay?" he asked tentatively.I showed no emotion as I replied, "I'm doing much better without you. You must be doing fine too. You can finally marry Ms. Towne."Zander's expression stiffened. "I'm not in a relationship with her."That wasn't what I expected. Still, I shot back, "So?"Zander had no answer, and the silence became awkward.The old tree outside the house was full of cicadas, and their relentless buzzing stirred a restless unease.I noticed the sweat soaking through Zander's collar and politely asked

  • The Piano that Cost My Daughter's Life   Chapter 7

    "A waste of your time?" Zander grabbed one of the bodyguards by the collar. "A human life wasn't worth your time? Am I paying you to stand around and do nothing?"After hearing what they had to say, Zander's anger reached its breaking point."You ignore your own family's affairs, but you have the nerve to interfere in mine? Roxanne, have I been too nice to you?" Zander snapped.He knew his employees would never have gone this far without Roxanne's orders. The wealthy were used to reading between the lines, while the people beneath them simply followed their lead.But Roxanne had overstepped her boundaries."You said life doesn't always work out the way we want," Zander said. "You were right. Whatever we had ended five years ago."Roxanne Towne, starting today, I'm done supporting you. I'll take back everything I've given you too."Roxanne's face went from flushed to pale, and she nearly collapsed.Without Zander's support, no one in the orchestra would treat her with the same r

  • The Piano that Cost My Daughter's Life   Chapter 6

    "Mr. Stafford, should we move Ms. Stafford's grave to the Stafford family cemetery?" Jason asked. "She was a Stafford, after all. If your grandparents found out, I'm sure they would want her brought back to the family cemetery."Jason had been Zander's assistant for five years and knew everything he had done during those five years.He couldn't understand why anyone could act that way. It seemed some rich people truly enjoyed playing with the lives of people beneath them, as if they were nothing but a source of entertainment.He had assumed Zander treated me the same way. But seeing how devastated Zander looked now, Jason began to wonder if he had been wrong.At those words, Zander looked up, a faint glimmer appearing in his eyes. He quickly pulled himself together. Just as he was about to leave to find me, Roxanne arrived. Her heels clicked sharply against the polished tile.She stopped in front of Zander, her gaze soft and vulnerable. "Where are you going?"She tried to mai

  • The Piano that Cost My Daughter's Life   Chapter 5

    By the time Zander's car pulled up outside the hospital, his face was as pale as a sheet. For the first time in his life, he was afraid to walk through those doors."Mr. Stafford, this is Dr. Alan Keller. He was the one who operated on Ms. Stafford," Jason explained.Zander nodded numbly."What happened?" he asked. "How could Summer just suddenly be gone when she was fine?"Alan sighed sadly as he remembered that day."She developed acute leukemia. Several of us took turns fighting to save her, and even then, we barely pulled her through. She needed four emergency surgeries in just one week, while Sabina barely slept for days."Compared with adults, children with acute leukemia actually have a fairly good chance of recovery. If treatment goes well, there's still a strong chance for a cure."But the cost of the treatment was still a lot. Sabina spent those days borrowing money from everyone she knew, but she was still short by 10,000 dollars."She said they had some savings, but

  • The Piano that Cost My Daughter's Life   Chapter 4

    No one had a hand around my throat, yet I could barely breathe. Zander had prepared for this so well that the agreement I had brought was completely useless.I took a deep breath and signed the agreement for five million dollars."With Ms. Towne's family background, she's clearly better suited to be the mother of your child, Mr. Stafford," I said. "I'll take the money and leave. You'll never hear from me again."My calm response made it clear I had made up my mind. Zander laughed bitterly, convinced I had no idea how good I had it."Fine, Sabina. I'll bring Summer back to Stafford Residence right now. You'll never see her again!" he said. "You're right. Summer can't have a lowly mother like you."Roxanne is gentle, graceful, and proper. She's much better suited to be Summer's mom!"Zander slammed the door behind him and left.I sat in the living room, staring at the family photo on the wall. We had taken it for Summer's third birthday after she had begged us to take a picture to

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