홈 / The Piano that Cost My Daughter's Life / 챕터 1 - 챕터 9

The Piano that Cost My Daughter's Life의 모든 챕터: 챕터 1 - 챕터 9

9 챕터

Chapter 1

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

Chapter 2

The day I buried Summer, the sky was perfectly clear. The cemetery in town was affordable, so I chose a spot where she could see the sunset.When she was alive, all she wanted was to watch the sunset by the ocean. I always told her we would go next time, once I had saved enough for her tuition.Now, I had finally made her wish come true, but she would never get to see it.The five years I spent married to Zander were hard, but he had always treated me well.At home, he never let me do any housework. When I nearly bled to death giving birth to Summer, he didn't hesitate to beg the doctor to do whatever it took to save me.He was a proud man, but that night, he was so desperate to keep me alive that he humbled himself before the doctors.That was why I couldn't figure out why he would lie to me.I had nothing. What could he possibly gain by lying to me?After cleaning up the old house back home, I bought a ticket back to Jinton.Some of my things were still at the rented apartme

Chapter 3

The sound of the shower stopped, and I quietly put Zander's phone back where I found it.A minute later, he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind. His short hair brushed against my neck as he clung to me, clearly seeking my affection."Sabina, did you miss me?" He turned me around and pulled me against him.His warm breath brushed against my neck, leaving it damp.He lifted his head, his once-clear eyes now clouded with desire. There was also a faint flush creeping across his face.When I didn't respond, he gave my chin a playful bite.I pressed a hand against his chest, my voice flat as I said, "How much are you planning to pay me each time?"He froze, then frowned and pulled away from me."What are you talking about?" he asked. "Sabina, how could you degrade yourself like this?"I straightened my pajamas and slowly sat up, bracing myself against the bed. I remained completely calm."Isn't that what you had in mind?" I said. "Mr. Stafford, I gave you a child. How exac

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

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

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

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

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

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

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