Introduction

I used to play my saxophone for joy, but for three years, it was a soundtrack to my gilded cage.

My brother, Leo, was gravely ill, and I lived in Ethan Vanderbilt' s high-rise, his secret, his "charity case."

He paid for Leo's life, and in return, I endured his cold disdain, his casual cruelty.

But then, I heard him call me "old news," "desperate," "nothing special" to his friends, mocking the woman who sacrificed everything.

His new lover, Chloe, became the focus of his manufactured kindness, and I was just a "practice" run, a "charity case" to be displayed, then dismissed.

The final blow: he deliberately canceled Leo's life-sustaining payment, handing the weapon to Chloe, who gleefully blocked me.

Leo died that night, and the world I' d built for him turned into ash around me.

They gave me flowers I was allergic to, tweeted about new diamond bracelets, and celebrated birthday parties while my brother slipped away.

How could the man I gave my life to so carelessly destroy the only thing I lived for?

My chains snapped.

I walked out of his gilded cage forever, taking only my saxophone and Leo' s ashes, ready to reclaim the rhythm of my own life.