Chapter 2 Chapter 2 The Last Performance of Love

Backstage at the opera house, Clarissa sat in front of her dressing mirror. The reflection showed a woman in a deep emerald velvet gown, skin pale as porcelain, makeup flawless. But only she knew-underneath all that perfection was a heart completely falling apart.

The clock on the wall ticked steadily, hands pointing to thirty minutes before showtime.

Sebastian still hadn't shown up.

She kept lighting up her phone screen, only to watch it dim again, over and over.

The last message she sent him was yesterday-show details and seat number.

No reply. Nothing. Like she'd dropped a stone into water that didn't even ripple.

"Clarissa, how you holding up?" her assistant peeked in, voice cautious.

Everyone in the team understood this concert wasn't just another milestone in her career-it was also a hopeful witness to the love she'd fought for six years.

Clarissa pulled on a practiced smile. "All good. Just need to get in the zone."

She stood, took her skirt gently in hand, and walked toward the restroom-needing space from that dressing room filled with piled-up hopes and silent waiting.

The backstage restroom was lavish and softly lit.

Just as she reached the door, voices floated out that made her freeze.

"Did you see that trending topic? Sebastian actually went to the airport today to pick up Aria. Full celebrity move."

"Can you blame him? That's Aria. If it weren't for that 'accident,' she would've been Perry's student by now. Clarissa could never compare."

"Exactly! She basically butted into someone else's relationship and still has the nerve to play the loyal girlfriend for six years? Gimme a break. No matter how good her violin is, trash personality ruins everything."

Clarissa's fingers tensed on the doorknob-just a twitch. Then she opened the door with a calm, steady push.

Thud-

The soft thump echoed as the door hit the stopper. The two women inside, touching up their makeup, turned sharply. Their faces went rigid the second they saw who was standing there.

Clarissa stepped in without a word, her steps even. She flicked on the faucet at the sink and held her hands under the cold stream, letting the water drown her nerves.

In the mirror, her eyes met theirs-awkward, frozen.

"Gossiping about someone else's love life. Sounds fun?"

One of them flushed, scrambling, "We didn't mean-"

Clarissa turned off the tap, pulled a tissue, and dabbed her hands slowly. Then she turned around, calm and poised, lips curled in a faint, unreadable smile.

"Just to set the record straight-I've never, not once, gotten between anyone's relationship. Not in the past, not now, not ever."

She tipped her chin a little higher. "And for the record, I'm here tonight with a solo violin performance at this opera house not because of anyone else-but because I earned it. Every show, every note, every hour of practice. That's what brought me here-nothing else."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the two women and lingering just briefly-it looked calm, almost indifferent, yet somehow made them feel this invisible pressure that had them glancing away without realizing it.

"Just standing here is more than enough proof of what I'm capable of. I don't need your approval-or anyone else's-to define my worth."

With that, she stopped paying them any attention. She tossed the crumpled tissue into the nearby trash can with precision, turned around, lifted her dress slightly, and walked out of the restroom with her head held high.

Inside, the two women exchanged looks, their faces alternating between flushed and pale. It took a few moments of awkward silence before the sharper-voiced one finally mumbled under her breath, clearly not over it, "What's with her attitude? So what if she's good? She chased after Sebastian for six years and he still won't give her the time of day. Ran off to pick up his little goddess without even hesitating. Hmph."

But Clarissa? She was already out of earshot.

Or rather, even if she had heard them, it wouldn't have made the slightest dent in her heart anymore.

In the hallway, the lights stretched her shadow long across the floor.

She leaned back against the chilly wall, all of that calm front she'd put on crumbling in seconds, leaving behind nothing but bone-deep exhaustion.

She pulled out her phone, fingers trembling slightly, and used the last of her emotional strength to dial that all-too-familiar number.

The line rang for a long time before it finally connected.

"Yeah?" Sebastian's voice came through, drowned a bit by noisy background sounds, and there was the faintest trace of impatience buried in his tone.

Clarissa's heart dropped. She sucked in a deep breath and tried to keep her voice steady. "Hey... the concert's about to start. Where are you?"

There was a short pause. Then, a sugary-sweet voice cut in, smooth and flirtatious, loud enough to carry clearly through the phone.

"Sebastian~ I told you I could just take a cab! You're so busy with all your work stuff-why come pick me up yourself? You're totally wasting your time..."

It was Aria.

The moment her voice slipped through the speaker, it twisted around Clarissa's throat like silk thread-thin, soft, and suffocating.

Her mouth opened, trying to say something, anything-

But he didn't even let her.

"I've got something going on here. Can't get away." Sebastian cut her off, voice detached and half-hearted.

Before she could get another word in, he simply hung up.

Beeep-beeep-beeep-

Clarissa just stood there, unmoving, her phone still in hand.

After a long moment, she finally lifted her head, pulled in a shaky breath, and slowly let it out. Then, with her back ramrod straight like a soldier marching into battle, she headed to the dressing room.

*****

The concert hall was packed.

The lights dimmed, leaving one spotlight focused dead center on the stage. There stood Clarissa, holding the violin that had been with her for years, bathed in that single glow.

She closed her eyes. Every emotion-six years of love, longing, disappointment, stubborn hope, and now, this unbearable chill and heartbreak-poured into her grip on that instrument.

Bach's Chaconne flowed from her fingers. At times mournful and heavy, at others fierce and desperate. Her playing wasn't about impressing anyone tonight-it was her rawest feelings, her soul speaking out loud.

The audience forgot to even breathe. They sat there, completely gripped by the fierce, living music filling the room.

When the final note drifted into silence in the hall, a few seconds of stillness reigned-then, a wave of cheers exploded, thunderous and unending.

Fellow musicians, critics, and audience members surged forward, surrounding her with praise and congratulations.

"Miss Beckett, congrats! That was amazing!"

"I swear, that's the most moving version of Chaconne I've heard in years!"

"You totally deserve the title of the best among the younger generation!"

Flashes kept popping like fireworks, while Clarissa wore a polite smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

But then, someone in the crowd blurted out, hesitantly but loud enough: "Wait... did Sebastian really go to the airport to pick up Aria? Isn't he dating Clarissa? Why does he look so close to Aria?"

The room seemed to freeze.

All eyes turned to her in an instant.

After all, who didn't know she had chased after Sebastian for six years?

That buzz of celebration quickly faded, leaving only an awkward silence. People started to drift away, until she was left standing alone backstage, like a statue slowly losing warmth.

She slowly pulled out her phone and tapped on the news notification she'd been avoiding all day.

A high-res photo filled the screen-VIP terminal, blurred background of passersby. In sharp focus were Sebastian holding a huge bouquet of gorgeous red roses, smiling up at Aria.

Aria was beaming, eyes sparkling with joy. One hand was lightly covering her lips, her expression full of smug delight.

So, the "something going on" he mentioned-it was this.

It hit her like a sledgehammer to the chest. Her whole body ached, and she stumbled, tears stinging her eyes out of nowhere.

Her phone rang suddenly. "Natalie Harris" flashing on the screen.

She picked up, and before she could say a word, Natalie's voice exploded in her ear-furious.

"Clarissa! Did you see the freaking news?! That jerk Sebastian ditched your big night to fetch that two-faced witch Aria from the airport! What the hell is wrong with him?! You've given him six damn years! Six! For this crap? He's not worth it! Trash. Absolute trash!"

While listening to her friend fuming on the other end, the wall she'd been holding up inside finally cracked.

She leaned back against the cold backstage wall, slowly sliding down until she was sitting on the floor. Her deep green dress pooled around her like a wilted bloom.

She didn't cry. But her voice trembled just a little, rough around the edges. "Natalie... don't. I promised Mom I'd marry him. I have to be accepted by the Hamiltons..."

Her voice was soft, almost brittle. "That was her final wish."

There was silence on the other end-only the sound of deep, heavy breathing.

Clarissa looked up at the ceiling lights above, sterile and cold. "I'll give him one more chance. If he doesn't show up tomorrow... then I'm done."