12
The happy days flew by. Soon, it was the eve of the national piano competition.
Leaving the gym, I bumped into John outside
a nearby building. He’d gained weight, a noticeable beer belly protruding. His face was
<
pale, dark circles under his eyes. Not from
lack of sleep, but from… overindulgence. But
his wife was pregnant.
I looked up at the building’s sign: “Massage
Parlor.” It all made sense.
He stared at me, surprised. “Tammy? Is that
you?”
I nodded politely, turning to leave. He reached
for my arm, but I stepped back, putting
distance between us.
“Is there something you need?” I asked.
His eyes lit up with a mixture of surprise and
L
admiration. “Tammy, you look… amazing! I almost didn’t recognize you.”
“I’m not your wife,” I corrected him. “Your
wife is someone else. Please don’t bother
- me.
دو
He winced, launching into a self–pitying
monologue.
“Don’t even get me started. My wife is
useless, can’t even do basic chores. After
Claire ran away, she’s been fighting
constantly with my mom, smashing dishes,
turning the house into a war zone.”
“Every time I have to travel for work, she
throws a fit. I had to take a less demanding
job.”
“And then, last month, they laid me off. I
haven’t told them yet. I’m dreading the
fallout.
وو
“Now I realize how good I had it with you.
You always took care of everything, never
gave me any trouble…
دو
“Tammy, will you come back?” He looked at
me pleadingly.
I felt a surge of disgust.
“I look amazing because I’m no longer
く
wasting my energy on you and your
ungrateful family,” I said coldly.
“You’re no longer happy with your mistress
because she’s now part of your messy reality.”
“Frankly, you’re a selfish, hypocritical,
irresponsible excuse for a man. It makes me
sick to even look at you.”
“I recorded that little confession, by the way. I’ll be sending it to your wife. You’re
welcome.”
I turned and walked away, leaving him
speechless. I had no interest in his reaction.
<
He, and all of them, were nothing but dust in
the wind.
The national piano competition arrived. I sat
in the audience, watching Amy, radiant in a
white gown, glide onto the stage and sit at
the grand piano.
The music flowed from her fingertips, filling
the hall. The white piano, the white dress,
mirroring the purity of our shared dream.
I saw a swan, white as snow, breaking free
from its cage, soaring into the sky on the
wings of the music. It had lost feathers, shed
blood, but it remained a proud, magnificent
creature.
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Tears streamed down my face.
The results were announced. Amy won, a
landslide victory. The other contestants were
left in her wake. A renowned international
pianist, moved by her performance, offered to
take her on as a student. Offers poured in
from conservatories around the world. Her
future was bright, limitless. She fly
could
away, leaving her parasitic family behind.
阿湯
The host invited her to give a speech. She briefly acknowledged her hard work, then dedicated her victory to her “loving mother,
thanking me for my support.
The host invited me on stage. I spoke from
دو
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the heart.
“Perhaps everyone experiences dark times.
But if you persevere, there is always light at
the end of the tunnel.”
“It’s never too late to pursue your dreams, to
embrace happiness.”
