Where The Melody Remembers Love

She gave him her youth, her loyalty, her love, and in return, he gave her betrayal. For eight years, Nora Song believed in her marriage to Chance Hart, until his first love, Jenny Young, returned from abroad. He brought Jenny home on their wedding anniversary, and handed Nora the divorce papers. He asked her to step aside, just so he could fulfill Jenny's dying wishes. He unreasonably wanted her to be understanding, so she calmly packed up to leave. However, walking away was not an option. Bound by the crushing debts of her parents, Nora was forced to remain in the Hart household as nothing more than a servant. She was a proud world-class pianist, but she had to endure the humiliation of being mocked and belittled in her own home. That was until she discovered something that could change everything, eighty percent of the Hart family's shares, was signed over to her by the man who once saved her life. She would not leave empty-handed. She thought to herself, 'If Chance thinks I'm still the same woman who loves him unconditionally, he's about to learn just how cold a broken heart can be.' Chapter 1 The day Chance Hart brought Jenny Young home, she was wearing a white dress. Her face was unusually pale, making her look fragile and pitiful. I only glanced at her once, then went back to wiping the table. I was nothing more than a servant in the Hart household, after all. "Nora, Jenny isn't feeling well. Your piano room will be her room from now on so she can get some sunlight." I felt frustrated and mildly annoyed. That piano room was a gift from Chance when I won my first Asia Pianist Award. It was built the way I liked it. He also committed to buy all lots when he bought that piano in the auction. He had told me, "Nora, your hands can play the most beautiful music. You deserve the best piano." However, those hands were marked by years of labor, and it was because of him. I looked at them coldly and replied, "Alright." Jenny lifted her brows at me tauntingly. Her gaze was fixed on the unique ring on my finger. "I'm sorry, Nora. It's only because of my poor health that Chance divorced you. Blame me if you have to blame someone, just don't be angry at him," said Jenny. Then, she covered her face and wept. Chance shot an impatient look at me and asked, "Why do you have to look so upset? Apologize to Jenny." I looked at the man I spent eight years with in shock. My hands trembled in anger. 'I didn't do anything, but I'm being asked to apologize?' Jenny nestled into his arms when I stayed silent. "Chance, Nora's ring is so beautiful. I'm so envious…" said Jenny. I looked down on my ring. The initials of our names were engraved inside the band. Eight years ago, Chance had knelt on one knee to propose to me. He promised he would love me forever. "Take off the ring and give it to Jenny," he said, voice cold as ice. I could not bear to part with it, even in my deepest disappointment. I shakily said, "This is our wedding ring! It's engraved with the words 'Chance Hart will love Nora Song forever'." Chance hesitated, as if he had forgotten all about that. A flicker of guilt washed through him. Suddenly, Jenny clutched her chest and slumped. Chance was shocked, and in his rush, he swept a vase off the table. Shards of porcelain grazed my ankle, leaving trickles of blood on my pale skin. "Forget it, Nora won't give it to me. I've always been alone, after all. I'm not like her, who has always had your love," said Jenny. Chapter 2 Chance suddenly ran over to grab my wrist and twisted it hard. The edge of my ring dug into my flesh, but I kept my hand clenched, refusing to let go. "Nora, are you done making a scene?" he scolded. The veins of his temple bulged as he shoved my head down toward the floor. "If my family hadn't paid for your mother's debts, you wouldn't even be qualified to work as a servant here!" he yelled. His words cut through me. It reopened an old wound I had buried for eight years. I pushed him away and laughed abruptly. He froze; he did not expect me to fight back. I threw the ring into the pile of broken porcelain by the time he let go. The shards cut the band. The diamonds were streaked with blood as they rolled to Jenny. She screamed and stumbled back, and it revealed a ruby anklet. Last year on my birthday, Chance claimed that he was too busy to get me a birthday gift, but he had arranged for someone to bid for that precious anklet. They had been in contact even then. I had been a fool waiting for a gift that was never mine. … Three days later, I got a call from the hospital while I was cleaning the kitchen. "Ms. Nora Song, you have an urgent medical report to collect in person." I was puzzled. Last week, Jenny told me it was time for a 'servant check-up' and had the household doctor draw my blood. I thought it was a routine check-up. I never imagined it would end up in a major hospital. I wanted to ask questions, but I heard a loud crash. Jenny had collapsed at my feet. "Jenny!" yelled Chance. He came running and glared at me. "Nora! I told you I'd remarry you after fulfilling Jenny's wishes. Are you that eager to see her dead? I can't believe you're so vicious!" he yelled. He carried Jenny away without letting me explain. I felt drained. I had promised Mr. Hart that I would take care of Chance forever. We had been in love once, but I still lost to his so-called first love. I felt hopeless, and the debt I owed Mr. Hart was crushing me. He did not give me the chance to explain, dead certain that I pushed Jenny. The soup I had made for her was still simmering on the stove. I opened the hospital app almost without thinking. The spoon slipped from my hand and landed on my foot when I saw the words 'Human Leukocyte Antigen Typing Report'. Type B blood. HLA-DRB1*1501… A perfect match. Jenny had secretly sent my blood for a compatibility test after the household doctor drew my blood. The so-called 'servant check-up' was a ruse to get my blood. All those nights when she had coughed so hard in front of us, she knew she could receive a new heart. Perhaps I still held a shred of hope for Chance, so I called him. "Jenny Young doesn't love you at all. She only came back for my heart," I said. "Enough, Nora! How many times are you going to slander her? I always thought you weren't very smart, but at least you knew your place. Now, I see you're nothing but a malicious and unreasonable woman," he said. I had to let out a cold laugh when he hung up. I asked myself–what was I expecting? I stared at the name 'Chance Hart' on my screen, and my nails dug deep into my palm. Chapter 3 The man who once swore to protect me from all harm would not even spare me five minutes to explain. I stared at the massive wedding portrait in the living room before taking it down. It was a portrait of Chance holding me tenderly. Tears streamed down my face. I could not believe how unworthy all those years of love had been. I smashed it with a hammer, strike after strike. It tore and vanished slowly like fragments of my memory. "Nora, you're the one I love most in this world. I'll only ever love you. We'll be together, till death do us part," he had vowed. What a laughable vow. What a laughable love. All of it, nothing but empty words. Chance looked angry when he came back. He grabbed my hand without warning and dragged me to the door. He said, "You're coming with me to the hospital." "For what?" I asked. I struggled to pull away, but he slammed me against the entryway cabinet. "Jenny needs surgery. Your heart is a compatible match." I froze, unable to register the fact that he wanted my heart. "Are you out of your mind, Chance? I am your wife!" "Ex-wife." He pushed me away and took out a document from his suit. "You'll do the paperwork tomorrow, and sign the organ donation agreement while you're at it," he said. The words were printed in bold on the cover, 'Voluntary Heart Donation Application.' The signature space for the first party was filled with Jenny Young's name. The signature space for the second party was left blank, waiting for me to take the bait. My reflection in the glass showed how pale I was, like I was a corpse. We had been married for eight years. I had spent the best years of my life in the Hart household to repay what I owed. The day I carried my suitcase into the villa, I had learned how to take care of him, leaving a night-light on when he came home late from social dinners. The fingers that had once been able to play world-class music were coated with kitchen grease. I had done all of that. It seemed that to Chance, I was not only a toll to repay debts, but also a 'living warehouse' from which organs could be harvested at will. He knew that Jenny did not come back because she loved him, but he still wanted to give her my heart? "And if I don't sign?" I asked. He scoffed and took out his phone to play a video. I then saw it: my parents pinned to the ground by several men in black. My mother had hair matted with blood, and my father's glasses lay shattered at his feet. "I can make them stop anytime for the money they owe," he said. He grabbed my chin and forced me to look at the brutal scenes. "You don't have a choice, Nora," he said. My body trembled with rage. My parents were finally able to live a normal life after so many years, yet they were dragged into this nightmare! "Chance Hart, you brute! It was your grandfather who saved me back then! How could you do this to them?!" I yelled. He looked at me coldly, his gaze indifferent. He knew where my softest weakness lay the whole time. Mr. Hart had used that debt to bind me to his side back then, and Chance had used my parents' lives to force me to give up my heart. "Alright," I said with an abrupt laugh, my tears spilling, "I'll sign." I added, "But I want to see my parents first." Chance squinted and stepped closer to kiss my forehead. "That's better. I'll remarry you once Jenny's recovered," he said. He took out his car keys and said, "Be back in half an hour, and don't try anything." The rain grew heavier. I sat in the back seat and looked at the side of his face. The man I had spent my youth loving was as cold as ice at that moment. The car passed through an intersection. I suddenly lunged forward and grabbed the steering wheel. Chapter 4 "You're so dead!" he yelled. He slammed on the brakes. The tires skidded across the rain-soaked street before the car slammed into the roadside barrier. I took the chance to open the door and bolt into the rain. His furious yells echoed behind me. The rain and my tears blurred my vision as I stumbled through three blocks, until the flashing red-and-blue police lights came into view. "Officer, I want to make a report…" Before I could finish, I felt a sharp pain from the back of my neck. The last thing I saw before I blacked out was Jenny Young standing there, bloodied wrench in hand. She had a cold and sinister smile. "Sorry, Nora," her voice was sinister, "but your heart is mine." … The scent of disinfectant hurt my nostrils. I found myself lying on an operating table when I opened my eyes. My wrists were strapped with leather restraints. The overhead light blazed on me. "Are you awake?" I heard her voice from behind me. Jenny wore pale blue scrubs, she had a syringe in her hand. "I was going to wait until you signed before giving you anesthesia, but you just wouldn't behave," she said. I kept struggling, and my face was pale as panic surged through me. "Where's Chance? He promised I could see my parents!" I yelled. "Oh, him?" Jenny pushed the syringe into the IV line, her smile laced with mockery. "He's downstairs, saying goodbye to your parents' bodies," she said. I froze. "What did you say?" I asked. The door swung open. Chance stepped inside, his white shirt was splattered with dark red stains, and his blood-streaked phone clutched in his hand. There was a photo on his phone screen of my parents lying lifelessly in a pool of blood. "They tried to run. The debt collectors beat them to death," he explained, tone so casual as if he were talking about the weather. "Don't worry. I'll make sure they have a fine headstone after you donate your heart to Jenny," he said. The world went black for a moment, and I nearly passed out. "Let's begin," said Jenny. She put on surgical gloves, and tapped against the scar beneath my collarbone. "I heard this scar came from a surgery to save Chance. How touching, but this heart will belong to me now," she said. Pain ripped through my chest when I woke up again. "Nora?" I could hear his voice from my bedside, softer than I had heard in years. "The doctor says a mechanical heart takes time to adjust to, that's why it hurts. Your life is not in any danger, so don't worry," he said. I turned my head to see him in an immaculate suit. His tie had swapped for the navy blue one I had given him. His fingers brushed the back of my hand as if we were still the loving couple from eight years ago. "Where are my parents?" I asked. Whatever patience and tenderness I had been clinging to were gone the moment I heard my parents were dead. He hesitated. "The funeral is over. I bought the highest-grade grave plot for them…" he said. "So they are dead?" I asked. I sat up quickly, the searing pain from the mechanical heart shot from my chest to my limbs. A flicker of panic crossed his eyes. "I didn't mean for it to happen. I didn't think they would try to run after hearing about your transplant," he replied. Perhaps he did not intend to kill them, but they were dead all the same. "Don't get worked up. Your heart…" he said. He tried to press me back down, but I shoved him off. The red glow from the monitor reflected on his face, and I suddenly laughed. "Chance Hart, do you think you can erase everything you've done by giving me a new heart?" I sneered. His lips pressed tightly as he reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a check. "Jenny's doing much better now," he said. Chapter 5 "Here's fifty million dollars. Once you've recovered, we'll have our wedding in the Maldives. You always said you wanted…" he said. "Wedding?" I repeated. I took the check and slowly tore it into pieces, hissing, "Do you think I'd ever marry a murderer again?" … A pair of high heels owned by Jenny was by the entryway when I returned to the Hart villa. I could hear sweet laughter coming from upstairs. "This necklace is gorgeous, Chance! It's so much prettier than the pearl necklace Nora has." My fingers tightened weakly around the banister. The mechanical heart in my chest began to burn. I heard his voice threaded with intimate laughter as he said, "Buy a few more if you like it." He wrapped his arm around her waist, and he was twining his fingers through her hair. He did that with me eight years ago. Jenny waved her phone at me. "Nora. Look at what people are saying online. 'The socialite wife of a rich heir is actually the daughter of a call girl.' Haha! So your mom was a prostitute!" My vision went black. The mechanical heart thumped in my chest. The pain nearly made me faint. She had taken my heart, so why was she cruel still? My mother was already dead! Chance frowned at me and asked, "What now? Jenny has just recovered. Don't upset her," he said. I lunged to snatch the phone. "Enough!" he yelled. He shoved me, causing me to stumble and fall down the stairs. The mechanical heart whirred inside me. However, he turned to cradle Jenny in his arms, his voice tender as he said, "Don't worry. I won't let her come near you again." I laid on the floor and stared at their embracing figures. I felt more than pathetic. … Jenny brought me to the seaside. She told me she was going to erase the online rumors of my mom if I went there. The rain was pouring hard. Jenny walked over with an umbrella. There was a victorious smile on her face, and she waved a yellowed diary at me. "Guess what's written inside, Nora?" she asked. She flipped the pages, rain drops splattering the yellowed pages. "March 12, 2005. Day eighteen of being sold to a club by debt collectors. Today, a man named Mr. Hart paid my ransom. He said he wanted me to be his mistress… I'm grateful he saved me, but… I have a family. I have a wonderful husband and daughter. Turns out our family's debt was because of this man. He wanted to own me, and I was foolish enough to be grateful to him!" she read. … "In the end, I agreed to sell my daughter to him. I'm sorry, Nora. I had no other choice," she continued to read. "Shut up!" I yelled. I ran to get the diary, the pain from my mechanical heart tearing me apart. Jenny only laughed and stepped back. Her heels sunk into the wet sand. "What's wrong? Afraid I'll tell everyone you were sold to the Harts by your mom? Do you think Chance doesn't know? He knew all along. He thinks you and your mother are disgusting. Your mom was nothing but a wh*re who seduced his grandfather, and you're the same," she said. I could hardly believe what I was hearing. It was ridiculous! "Nora!" I heard Chance from afar. He ran through the rain but stopped abruptly when he saw the diary. Jenny took the opportunity to shove me to the ground. "Chance, she's trying to kill me!" she yelled. He pulled her into his arms protectively, his gaze on me full of loathing as he said, "Since you like making up lies so much, why not go take a dip in the sea to clear your head?" I stared coldly at the man I had loved for eight years, my chest tightening with anger and sorrow. "You've killed four lives." I spat. Without a second thought, I dove into the sea.