Broken Melody，The Heiress's Hidden Loyalty

On our third wedding anniversary, Chloe went to pick up her ex-boyfriend from the airport. At his welcome-back party, she gifted him the song I spent three years writing for her. That was the moment I finally realized—every single line of lyrics she had penned was about her undying love for Julian. After finding out, I quietly burned every manuscript I had ever composed for her, leaving behind only signed divorce papers. Later, I heard the untouchable Sterling heiress turned the entire city upside down, desperately searching for me. The candlelight on the dining table flickered out. The food had already gone stone cold. I picked up my phone and checked the time. It was already 3:00 a.m. I wasn’t the least bit sleepy. For someone with severe clinical depression, chronic insomnia was a regular torment. When it was at its worst, I couldn't fall asleep for whole nights without Chloe by my side. After that, no matter how late it got, she always made sure to come home. Yet, five hours ago, Chloe sent me her last message of the night: "Just wrapped up at work. I’ll be home soon." That "soon" had stretched into five excruciating hours. I didn't text to ask why she wasn't back. Half an hour after that message, I saw her all over the entertainment news. Location: JFK International Airport. The headline was sensationalized: "Sterling Heiress Reunites with Her Ex! Caught in a Tearful Airport Embrace!" That photo of her hugging Julian was plastered right at the top. Deep down, I knew Chloe wasn't coming home tonight. Still, a faint glimmer of hope lingered in my chest. Maybe she would at least shoot me a text. Even if it was just a cheap excuse. But until the candle burned down to ashes and the dawn broke, my screen remained completely dark. My emotions flared up, triggering my depression with full force. I got up and took the pill bottle from the drawer, but my hands were shaking so violently that pills scattered all over the hardwood floor. I hurriedly swallowed a few sleeping pills just to force my mind to shut down. A rustle at the door jolted me awake. I sat up from the sofa just in time to see Chloe walking inside. She must have stayed up all night, but the dark circles under her eyes couldn’t conceal the radiant glow on her face. The moment her eyes met mine, that warmth vanished instantly. "Why are you sleeping on the couch?" Her gaze swept over the cold, untouched dinner on the table. She paused, then frowned with pure impatience. "It’s cold. Have the maid throw it out." I stared at her, unable to hold back the question burning in my throat. "It's our third anniversary. Did you go to see Julian?" I gripped my trembling hand, fighting to keep my voice steady. "You promised me you would never see him again." Chloe scowled. "He rarely comes back to the country. What's the big deal if I just picked him up from the airport?" "It was just a quick ride. We won't be in touch after this." "Besides, what's so special about an anniversary? Can you stop making a scene over every trivial little thing?" A bitter taste flooded my mouth. So our wedding anniversary was just "trivial little drama" to her? She claimed she didn't care about dates like this. But I vividly remembered that back when she dated Julian, she kept a dedicated note on her phone. It was packed with every anniversary they shared. One month together, ninety-nine days together, their very first road trip... Every little milestone filled entire pages. Yet with me, even mentioning our wedding anniversary was treated as an annoying chore. Chloe slammed the bedroom door shut with a loud click. As she moved, a soft pink invitation slipped out of her designer tote. I barely caught a glimpse before she frantically shoved it back into her bag. Before locking herself in the room, Chloe tossed out a cold remark. "I’ve got things to handle over the next couple of days. I’m staying at my parents' place. Don't call me." I stayed silent. It was always like this. Whenever I expressed even the slightest dissatisfaction, she packed her bags and stormed off to her family's penthouse. In the past, I would always apologize instantly, begging her to stay. Not today. I was too exhausted, drained of every ounce of energy. Just as I was about to grab some takeout to fill my stomach that evening, my phone buzzed. It was a friend request from an unknown number. The second I accepted it, a digital invitation popped onto my screen. Soft pink. Identical to the one in Chloe’s bag. "It's my homecoming party tonight. Aren't you coming, kid?" Seeing the word 'kid,' a sharp pain pierced my chest. The dark shadows of my past crept back over me. "Chloe told me you were busy, but I figured that’s just because I hadn't personally invited you." The last message sat there coldly: "Coming?" It was a silent, arrogant provocation. The next day, I hailed an Uber to the venue. I didn't care about anything else. I just wanted to see what Chloe was hiding from me so desperately.Traffic was awful. By the time I arrived, the party was already in full swing. I squeezed past the crowd, scanning the room for Chloe. Suddenly, an all-too-familiar melody filled the air. A sweet, enchanting voice echoed through the grand ballroom, dripping with tenderness in every single lyric. It was my song. And it was Chloe singing. I froze, turning toward the sound. On the stage in the center of the hall, Chloe held the microphone, gazing down affectionately at Julian. As the music faded, a delicate blush tinted her cheeks. "This song is for Julian. It holds everything I’ve ever wanted to tell you. I hope you like it." Amid the rowdy cheers from the crowd, Julian stepped onto the stage and took her hand. To everyone else in the room, they looked like the perfect couple destined to be together. Julian spotted me. With a smug grin, he tightened his grip around Chloe’s hand. "I know Chloe and I went through a lot of misunderstandings in the past. But it doesn't matter. I believe true love conquers all obstacles." He held the mic and stared right into my eyes, deliberately pressing hard on the word "obstacles." Chloe finally noticed me. Panic flashed across her face, and she reflexively tried to pull her hand away, only for Julian to clamp down harder. The guests caught on and turned their heads, whispering in disdain. "Is that the heiress's husband?" "Yeah! Don't you know? He went to college with Julian! He played the victim to get between them back then." "Right, I remember he accused Julian of plagiarizing his work, played the depression card, threatened to slit his wrists, and basically ran Julian out of the country." "Then why did Chloe marry him?" "Probably to shield Julian's reputation. Look at them today—it's obvious who she really loves." The whispers grew nastier by the second, and Chloe’s expression darkened. She muttered something to Julian, finally making him let go. With a pale face, Chloe marched off the stage and yanked me into an empty hallway. "What the hell are you doing here?" Her voice was icy, filled with undisguised irritation. "Shouldn't I be asking you that? Why are you here with Julian?" I looked her in the eyes, demanding an answer. "Didn't you promise me yesterday that you wouldn't see him again?" Chloe looked momentarily embarrassed before curling her lips in contempt. "He's back in the country for good. We run in the same circles, and business overlap is inevitable. You’d better get used to it." She didn't give a damn about my feelings. That familiar numbness crept back into my brain, and my hands began to tremble uncontrollably. I shut my eyes and forced out my last question. "Why did you give him that song?" I wrote that song during my three darkest years of depression. Every note was carved out of my soul. Chloe had watched me skip meals and work through sleepless nights. She had seen me coughing up blood from stomach ulcers while still clutching those sheet manuscripts. She knew what that piece meant to me. She knew giving it to her was my declaration of love. Yet tonight, in front of high society, she claimed it was her message to Julian. She handed it over to Julian—the very plagiarist who had nearly pushed me into an early grave! What about me? Were all my pain and my devoted heart just trash for her to step on? Chloe’s expression twisted. She parted her lips, hesitating several times. Amid the heavy silence, Julian casually strolled over. He waved a stack of sheet music in his hand, his eyes dripping with malice. "You really are a musical genius, Leo. The melody is top-tier." "When the single drops, I'll be sure to give you a special shoutout." Staring at the original score in his grip, my blood ran cold. I swung my head toward Chloe. "You gave him the original manuscripts too?" Singing it could be brushed off as a party stunt. But handing over the master manuscripts was literally handing him my entire life’s work on a silver platter. Chloe averted her eyes, speaking indifferently. "I wrote the lyrics. It’s a joint piece. Why can’t I give it away?" The rage I had suppressed for so long finally erupted. My emotions shattered, and a metallic taste filled my mouth. I opened my lips to speak, but the room began spinning violently before my vision went pitch black. Before I collapsed, all I caught was Chloe’s panicked face. "Leo! What's wrong with you?!" "Why is his heart rate so high? Did he skip his meds today?!"When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed, with Chloe sitting beside me. Seeing my blank, emotionless face, a flicker of guilt crossed her eyes. I didn't want to look at her. I had no idea how our marriage had degraded into this nightmare. Back in college, Julian and I were roommates. He was the golden boy on campus—wealthy, popular, with parents who dominated the music industry. I was just a nobody on a scholarship. Once he realized my songwriting talent, he bullied and pressured me into ghostwriting for him. Every hit song that shot him to fame was stolen from me. I tried to expose him, but nobody believed me. They all mocked me, saying I was just a jealous loser trying to drag Julian down with cheap slander. Except Chloe. At the time, Chloe was Julian’s girlfriend. They were from the same wealthy social circle, celebrated as the power couple of the campus. Chloe had initially fallen for Julian’s supposed talent. But after dating him, she realized he wasn't the genius he claimed to be. His lack of basic music theory and superficial talks about songwriting made her doubt everything. That was when Chloe started paying attention to me. Back then, the devastation of having my work stolen had plunged me into deep depression, and I had attempted suicide multiple times. Chloe found me in time and rushed me to the emergency room. Seeing the private drafts in my notebooks, she finally confirmed that the talent she admired had belonged to me all along. Later, with her family's influence, Julian was forced to leave the country to avoid a full-blown public scandal. "His family has deep connections. Let's just let it go. Can we leave all the bad memories behind and move on?" Chloe had gently pleaded with me back then, asking me to drop the charges. Looking into her earnest eyes, I agreed. I buried the past. Looking back now, she was only trying to protect Julian. In her heart, Julian was always the one who mattered. That was why, even after promising never to see him again, she rushed back to his side the moment he returned. Staring at Chloe, I couldn't help asking, "You’ve never really gotten over Julian, have you?" Chloe shifted her eyes, deliberately brushing off the question. "I already told you, he's back to rebuild his music career." "We're in the same industry. We’ll cross paths all the time. Stop overthinking things." "Rebuild his career?" My voice spiked with outrage. "He's a proven plagiarist! What right does a fraud like him have to work in this industry?" Chloe’s expression turned troubled. She hesitated, looking conflicted. Finally, as if making up her mind, she spoke. "That's why I need your help with something." My stomach dropped, an uneasy dread spreading through me. Sure enough, she dropped the bomb: "Could you come forward as the original whistleblower, clear Julian’s name, and publicly apologize to him?" "Clear his name?" I couldn't believe my own ears. Chloe avoided my gaze, stammering, "Whatever happened back then, he already paid the price by living abroad for years." "Besides, he promised that if you clear his name, he'll give you a massive financial settlement..." I drilled my eyes into hers, utterly crushed. "A settlement? You think money can wipe away the hell he put me through?!" "You knew better than anyone how he destroyed me and slandered me back then!" "I could take anyone else telling me this garbage, but not you, Chloe! Never you!" My voice grew louder and raw with pain, startling her. The door swung open, shattering the silence. Julian strutted in, wearing an annoyed sneer. "Are you done crying yet? You're just holding out for more cash, aren't you? Cut the act." "A street rat like you should be thanking your lucky stars that you married into the Sterling family!" "Take the payout and shut your mouth! Don't think wearing the title of Chloe’s husband makes you untouchable." Chloe frowned slightly, but she didn't defend me. Instead, she sighed and turned back to me to continue her pitch. "It's just a public statement saying it was all a misunderstanding..." "Chloe." I cut her off. My voice was eerily calm, stripped of all emotion. "Let's get a divorce."