My girlfriend locked me on the rooftop the night before the final round of a piano competition, just so her childhood friend could win. She looked me dead in the eyes and said, “You’ll have so many chances in the future. Can’t you let this one go for him?” Later, to ensure he got the spot in the orchestra, she went even further—she broke my fingers with her own hands. I furiously demanded why, when I was supposed to be her partner. She said, “Caleb, Ashton’s mother saved my life. I owe it to him to fulfill her dying wish.” But what she didn’t understand was that losing my hands felt like losing my life. When I decided to stop loving her, she smashed her own hand—begging for my forgiveness. Content “Please, Sienna, don’t hurt my hands!” I begged, tears streaming down my face. I squirmed and struggled, shaking my head desperately. At that moment, I had no dignity left, pleading for her mercy. Tomorrow was the audition for the New Haven Philharmonic Orchestra, the opportunity I had worked tirelessly toward. If I performed well, not only could I join the prestigious orchestra, but I’d have a chance to study under Maestro Fletcher Scott, a living legend in the piano world. For months, I lived in the practice room, working through exhaustion for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It wasn’t just my dream—it was my late mother’s. But here I was, on the brink of everything I’d worked for, and Sienna Hartwell, my girlfriend, had hired two bodyguards to restrain me. She raised a chair over my hands, ready to destroy them. All so her childhood friend Ashton Hale could have a clear path to victory. I knew Sienna had a soft spot for Ashton, but I never thought she’d go this far. Ignoring my desperate pleas, she stepped closer, her face cold and determined. “I’m sorry, Caleb,” she said, her voice steady. “You’re a genius. Everything comes easy to you. But you have no idea how hard Ashton has worked for this. You’ll have more chances. Let this one go for him.” Hard work? As if I didn’t work just as hard? I stared at her in disbelief, my voice shaking with pain and anger. “So you’re going to break my hands for him?” “Do you remember what you promised me?” I said, my voice cracking. “You said you’d love me, treasure me forever. Now, for Ashton, you’re doing this?” Her body stiffened, hesitation flickering in her eyes. Noticing her wavering resolve, I seized the moment. “Sienna, we’ve been together for years. Please, for what we’ve shared, don’t do this. Piano has always been my dream.” Before she could answer, her phone buzzed. I caught a glimpse of the screen: Ashton Hale. My heart sank. She answered the call on speaker, and Ashton’s soft, trembling voice filled the room. “Sienna, I’m so nervous about tomorrow. What if I mess up? This is my dream… my mom’s dream… but Caleb’s always been better than me. What should I do?” Sienna’s eyes softened with guilt and compassion. “Don’t worry, Ashton,” she said in a soothing tone. “I’ll handle it.” I watched in horror as she hung up and turned back to me. Her face was cold again. “Caleb, I owe Ashton’s mom my life,” she said. “I have to make this happen for him.” Her voice wavered, but not with doubt—only determination. “Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you.” I trembled, the terror in my voice undeniable. “Sienna, you… you can’t do this to me!”
But she already had the chair raised high. The sound of it crashing down on my hands made the room spin. “AHHHH!” I screamed, the pain exploding through me like fire. Blood and mangled flesh smeared the floor as I stared at my ruined fingers. It was over. Everything—my hands, my mother’s dream—shattered in an instant. Tears streamed down my face as I sat in shock. Sienna knelt beside me, pulling me into her arms. But her voice was cold, devoid of warmth. “I’m sorry, Caleb. Forgive me just this once.” Her words cut deeper than the pain. “I know this isn’t fair,” she added, her tone trembling slightly. “But Ashton’s mom died saving me. I have to do this for him. Once he’s in the orchestra, I’ll have repaid that debt.” “Debt?” I repeated bitterly, forcing out a laugh. “So your way of repaying it is by destroying me?” Summoning every ounce of strength, I shoved her away. Holding up my bloody hands, I glared at her with unrestrained hatred. “Do you even know how hard I worked for tomorrow? What this meant to me?” I shouted, tears and fury mingling. For a moment, guilt flashed across her face, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. “Enough, Caleb!” she snapped, her voice sharp. “Ashton’s dream has always been to join the orchestra. It was his mother’s dying wish!” At that moment, I knew I was done. I laughed bitterly. “And that justifies ruining my life?” Sienna shrugged, her tone dismissive. “Don’t be so dramatic, Caleb. I’ll take care of you. Once Ashton is in the orchestra, you’ll marry into the Hartwell family and never have to worry about money again.” Her words turned my stomach. I took a deep breath, my voice calm but cutting. “Let me make something clear: I don’t want your so-called compensation. We’re done. I’m breaking up with you.” Her face twisted with disbelief and fury. “You can’t be serious!” Her anger bubbled over, her voice rising. “If you say that again, I’ll make you regret it!” Then she stormed out, slamming the door behind her. Alone on the cold floor, I wept.
I met Sienna Hartwell during college. She saved me once, pulling me back just as I was about to step into traffic while lost in thought. I looked up, heart pounding, and was met with the face of an angel. That moment stuck with me. I couldn’t help falling for her, partly out of gratitude and partly because she seemed so perfect. After months of pursuing her relentlessly, she agreed to date me. But as we grew closer, I noticed something unsettling. In Sienna’s heart, there was always someone more important than me—her childhood friend, Ashton Hale. It didn’t matter what we were doing. If Ashton called, she’d drop everything and rush to his side. The night before the National Piano Championship, she even tricked me into going to the rooftop of our building, locking me there overnight. I spent hours in the cold, pounding on the door, while she ignored my calls. The next day, feverish and completely drained, I missed the competition entirely. Meanwhile, Ashton claimed first place. When I confronted her afterward, Sienna dismissed it with an excuse. “I did it to repay a debt,” she said lightly. Ashton’s mother, Isabel Hale, had worked for the Hartwell family as their housekeeper. After Ashton’s father left, Isabel brought him along to live in the Hartwell mansion. Years ago, a fire broke out at the estate. Isabel had already escaped but ran back inside to save Sienna. Sienna lived; Isabel didn’t. The Hartwells raised Ashton like their own, showering him with love and opportunities. Sienna, feeling eternally indebted, treated Ashton like a prince. She fulfilled his every request—no matter the cost to herself or others. And now, to ensure Ashton’s victory at tomorrow’s audition, she had gone so far as to shatter my fingers. Why? Why should I pay the price for a debt that wasn’t mine? Whenever I questioned her loyalty to Ashton, she flew into a rage, insisting they were like siblings. “Siblings don’t treat each other like that!” I wanted to scream, but I held my tongue. Time and time again, I forgave her. Out of love. Out of gratitude. But this time, as I stared at my bloodied, mangled hands, all I could do was laugh bitterly. My life had been hard enough without this. When I was six, my dad left us. My mom fell apart, sinking into depression and self-harm. She abandoned her own dreams of becoming a pianist, too broken to play anymore. One day, she heard me tapping out a melody on our battered old piano. Something inside her came back to life. She started teaching me, pouring everything into me. She took odd jobs—delivering food, scrubbing dishes—just to pay for my lessons. By the time I entered college, all that sacrifice had taken its toll. Cancer claimed her. Before she passed, she held my hand and whispered her final wish: “Caleb, promise me you’ll follow this path. Join an orchestra. Become the pianist I never could be.” Now, because I loved Sienna, I had failed her dream. My hands, my future—they were all gone. I used to wonder how my mom could waste away over a man who abandoned her. But now I understood. This is the price of loving someone. And I’ll never love again.
The sharp, sterile scent of disinfectant filled the hospital room, stinging my nose. I frowned, glancing at the clock. By now, the New Haven Philharmonic Orchestra auditions had ended. The nurses outside were chattering. “Did you hear? Maestro Fletcher Scott picked Ashton Hale for the orchestra!” “Yeah, I saw the news. Ashton’s amazing—and he’s dating Sienna Hartwell! Can you believe it? A childhood romance straight out of a fairytale.” Their voices faded down the hall. I slumped against the bed, their words cutting deeper than my wounds. The doctor’s earlier statement replayed in my mind. “You’re lucky your hands can heal at all,” he’d said. “But as for piano… even if you play again, you’ll never reach the same level.” His words were like ice water, extinguishing the last flicker of hope. Just then, the door creaked open. Sienna walked in, followed by Ashton, who was holding a bouquet of flowers. I stared at them, my face cold and unreadable. “What do you want? Here to gloat?” “Caleb, don’t say that,” Ashton murmured, looking sheepish. “Sienna told me about your injury. I just wanted to check on you.” He placed the bouquet on the bedside table. “Is that so?” I said with a bitter smile. “Let me guess—you didn’t know Sienna broke my hands for you?” Sienna’s face drained of color. She clenched her fists, her voice trembling with anger. “Hate me if you want, Caleb, but leave Ashton out of this. He didn’t know!” Didn’t know? I almost laughed. How many times had Ashton smirked at me in private, bragging about how Sienna locked me on the rooftop? How he sent people to harass me, warning me to back off? I lifted my bandaged hands and, with all the strength I could muster, threw his bouquet onto the floor. Ashton gasped dramatically, stumbling behind Sienna like a frightened child. Sienna exploded, pointing at me furiously. “You’re insane, Caleb! Ashton came here out of kindness, and this is how you repay him?” I kept my voice calm, sharp as a knife. “I’m allergic to those flowers. You’d know that if you cared.” Her anger faltered, embarrassment flashing across her face. “I… I forgot…” she stammered. I cut her off coldly. “We’re done, Sienna. We’re over.”
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