Exerpt: -

He stood for nearly half an hour and even saw his rival coming to get her yet, he couldn’t make himself move. He couldn’t help but worry that he might be the third wheel now. How could he still claim that he love her when he had failed to protect her?
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“Let’s go,” saying softly, he slipped his fingers in between hers, pulling her towards the vehicle.

Following without a word, she sat down. Unexpectedly, she saw that familiar figure from the rear-view mirror. He was there. She can’t help but though that he held a helpless expression on his face, though hard to comprehend.

Was he here to see her?

As he moved into the backseat, he followed her sight. And he saw her, eyes as though glued to the rear-view mirror, watching the other him. It was then, he felt like slashing himself. Maybe a few deep, good cuts would deviate him from the reality.

“Go to him,” he wanted to open the door for her and tell her. But he didn’t have the courage to. He was not brave enough to give her away like a gift.

The vehicle accelerated as she felt his eyes grow more and more intense. Finally, he turned and walked in the opposite direction. She felt her eyes burn while tearing her gaze off the mirror.

She should have known. They had ended once she had started hatching plans to hurt his father; their father. Why would he ever want this sinister and wicked woman back? Why would he even believe what she says anymore?

“Stop the car,” she whispered so silently that the air remained still.

“Stop the car,” he repeated it louder to the chauffer, already knowing what to expect. But she did not move.

Slowly, she reached for the lock and clicked it open. Stepping out, she broke into a sprint after the already disappearing figure. Nearing, she reached her arms out and caught him from the back, holding him in a tight embrace.

She was crying. So was he. But that, she didn’t see.

“Tab, I’m sorry, forgive me... I’m so afraid that if you just left like that, I’ll never be able to apologize to you again... I love you,” she managed to confess in between her sobbing.

He did not say anything for the fear that she might realize that he ached as much as she did. He felt confused about what he had wanted and wondered why he had come in the first place.

Gently, he removed her arms from him as he saw his own tears splatter on the ground, forming a darker shade of grey on the solid concrete. He thought he heard a ringing shatter in his head.

Was it his tears? Or was it his heart? Or perhaps it really was their relationship that had just sounded, the remains on the ground, in broken pieces.
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Two years later,

She was lazing around in her double bed; on her bed were pages and pages of classified advertisements with red circles everywhere. One of which said, “piano teacher wanted call:”

The doorbell tinkled softly in the quiet air and she struggled to pull herself to the door. Unlocking it, an A2-size brown envelope was delivered to her face.

“Registered postage for Miss Daphne Rollins, please sign here,” the postman announced pointing to the space above a line on the piece of confirmation slip.

Hastily, she signed her name and shut the door behind her. Without hesitating, she sat back on her bed and gingerly tore open the flap. A thin black book slid out from the brown covering, along with a CD.

Eager to know that it was, she flipped open the book.

“Daph,

Sometimes when I think about you, I feel utterly wrecked but yet, I can never confirm and assure you that I love you as much as you do. And most of the time, I really regret walking away from you that day, But it was because I knew I could leave you to Ryan without worries that he might mistreat you because after all, I was the one who failed you, and allowed someone else to hurt you. That’s probably the worst thing I’ve ever done.

Our meeting was an unexpected one, falling in love with you was not in my imaginations. But I’m glad that I had you, even though it was only for that long. Enclosed in this ‘bag’, are a few pieces that I had been composing for you since the day I found the feelings I had. You left in me, the deepest, most attractive impression.

I only regret not being able to express my feelings for you.

Please take care,

Tab”

By this time, some of the letters on the paper appeared to be smudged in drops of salty water. Strolling down to the room in the deepest end of her house, she walked onto the teak-tiled flooring and sat down on her plushy piano stool.

The sleek, black grand piano shone in the dim room. Trembling, she placed the book on the ledge, “Sonata De Amour” it read.

After shutting her eyes and breathing in deeply, she fingers dropped onto the monotonous keys producing a magnificent symphony, as though her lost love found. Every touch was as though dipped in agony and gloom. Her wrists ached but it did not halt her.

Somehow, she felt the melody surround her and she finally felt his love. Halfway through the song, she suddenly banged the keys rashly, playing random, ugly noise.

She heard the front door click open, followed by a voice saying in a singsong tone, “Baby, I’m home!”

Only then, she stopped. And she sat staring at her right fingers, stubborn tears running down her cheeks.

There sat a silver ring, on it a wonderfully-shaped piece of diamond—her engagement ring. It seemed so shiny suddenly that it almost blinded her. She had banged the instrument so hard in attempt to break it, to break away from the commitment.

A mocking smile escaped a corner of her lips, scorning at her foolishness.

The song of love was presented to her but what was lost was her ability to return the sonata in perfect duet.

She detoured from her love and lost her way.