The Pianist's Reckoning

her husband, Mark Chandler. Their love felt like a fortress, built over years of shared dreams, music,

everything. Ava treated her like a younger sister, never seeing the envy that simm

ed with

hite thing Mark had gifted her.

y, Snowbal

rough the quiet mornin

d to Lila

r, her face a mask o

ne! Snowbal

ed to c

her, Lila. Cat

es fixing on Ava with a stran

teppe

you talki

alous Mark gave her to me! Je

ice rose,

This was not Lila' s usual drama. Thi

nsane. Why would

me! To mak

A piece of cheap paper

her hand trembli

ook what

tay away from my husband. Next time,

punch to the gu

e. A badly staged,

this, Lila. You

e note. "Who else could it be

ir bond. He would see th

iano keys. He' d whisper, "You' re magic, Ava." He' d held her hand through every premier

onfidences, even her dreams for the future with Mark. She' d dismissed Mark' s occasional, mild observations about Li

said I was getting too close to Mar

ed Mark to be kind to Lila, to

instances, a twisted word here, a played victim there, but always d

ila' s carefully or

sobbing out the story, the note

for Mark to laugh it off, to pull her clo

did

en and loving when he lo

va' s so proud, isn' t she?" "She doesn' t like me sharing your suc

trusting in their love, to see the crack

o Ava, his eyes filled with

How cou

t, but it cut deep

. This is Lila. She' s lyi

then at the weeping Lil

ess was c