Tuned Out No Second Chances for My Cheating Fiancée

Before the final show of my world tour, I received a bank notification. Half a million dollars had been charged to my card. I checked the statement. My fiancée, Serena Sterling, had bought the custom Steinway Black Diamond piano I’d ordered six months ago. But right before I was about to perform, that very piano showed up in front of Serena’s favorite student. I just raised an eyebrow and played it cool. I went on stage and performed as if nothing had happened. Once the show was over, I gathered all my students. I casually wrapped my arm around her waist and smiled. "A biased fiancée doesn't make a good mentor's partner, Serena. If Ethan gets a Steinway, the rest of the students should get one too." That night, Serena maxed out all her credit cards. And I called off our engagement in front of everyone. As a world-renowned pianist, I have never been short of money or women. Before the final performance of my world tour ended, I arranged for several of my students to perform on stage. I had taught them for years. Now that I was at the peak of my career, it was time to let them shine. Listening to my star student play, a sense of pride washed over me. "Maestro Julian, you seem to be in an exceptionally good mood today!" the event organizer flattered me. I couldn't help but smile. "I am." The joy in my eyes was impossible to hide. I was thinking about the Steinway Black Diamond piano I’d been waiting over six months for. I was going to play it during my performance later. The anticipation made me incredibly happy. What made it better was that Serena had secretly bought it for me. She wanted to surprise me. Even though she used my card, the gesture was enough. I narrowed my eyes, tapping my fingers to the beat of the music. But just as I was eagerly waiting to hear the next piece, the music coming from the stage made the judges' faces freeze. Ethan Ward, a student who shouldn't even have been on the program, was playing passionately on stage. And the piano sitting right in front of him was the exact Steinway I had been waiting for. My smile vanished. I stared coldly at Serena, who looked thrilled in the audience. I understood instantly. The judges looked incredibly uncomfortable, but out of politeness, they tried not to show it. One of them coughed awkwardly. "Well, this young man's technique is a bit raw, but that instrument is magnificent." "Is that a Steinway Black Diamond? Only master-level pianists can get their hands on one of those." "He’s still young. If his family keeps supporting him financially, he might have a future." "But to reach Maestro Julian's level? He still has a long, long way to go." Their polite words didn't make me feel any better. In fact, it made the situation more humiliating. Every word felt like a slap in the face to my teaching standards. I had always prided myself on choosing students based on talent, not family wealth. Now, Ethan was parading this ridiculously expensive piano on stage. He was basically telling the world that he had bought his way in through the back door. This was Serena's doing. But honestly, I should have expected it. Maybe it was my fault. I shouldn't have given her the authority to manage the final show of my tour. "My apologies, everyone," I spoke up, keeping my voice smooth. "Since this is the final show, my other students were eager to perform. I decided to let them all get some stage experience." My assistant, standing nearby, was quick on his feet. He immediately arranged for the rest of my students to perform as well. That solved the problem. It didn't look like favoritism anymore. The other students wouldn't feel left out either. Before my final performance, Serena rushed backstage to find me. She probably had a whole speech prepared to explain herself. But she never actually changed. Why should I waste my time listening to her? I walked right past her without a word and walked onto the stage. I used to look forward to that piano, but now that someone else had touched it, I didn't want it anymore. I preferred things that belonged entirely to me. Under the spotlight, I was still Julian Vance—the confident, world-famous pianist. When the performance ended, Serena chased after me. "Julian, let me explain..." The sharp click of her high heels echoed down the hallway, drawing curious stares from the staff. I stopped and turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow. Serena choked on her words. After a long pause, she mumbled, "I just saw how hard Ethan was practicing. I wanted to give him a chance to show what he can do." I didn't get angry. Instead, I let out a soft laugh. Serena watched my face closely. Seeing me smile, she finally relaxed. She wrapped her arm around mine and said softly, "When I look at him, I can't help but think of how you used to be." "I’m basically his mentor's fiancée, Julian. I wanted to help him." I looked at her, my eyes curved in a pleasant smile. "I know you meant well." "But a biased fiancée isn't a good mentor's partner, Serena. If Ethan gets a Steinway, the rest of the students should get one too." With a quick glance, my assistant gathered the other thirteen students who had come to watch the show. In front of them, I spoke clearly, "That Black Diamond piano is a custom masterpiece. You can't even buy it on the market anymore." "But there are twelve of the three-hundred-thousand-dollar models left in stock. A gift is about the thought that counts. I’m sure you guys won't mind a slight downgrade in price, right?" My assistant was already standing in front of Serena, politely holding a credit card terminal. I squeezed her waist and looked at the students. "What are you guys waiting for? Thank Serena for her generous gifts."Everyone knows that playing the piano is an expensive pursuit. To be my student, you had to come from a decent background. Even the two students who got in purely on scholarships had made a lot of money from performances over the years. So, a three-hundred-thousand-dollar piano wasn't an impossible luxury for them. But Serena's bank account was about to take a massive hit. Some of the students realized what was happening. They exchanged glances but chose to keep their mouths shut. They politely thanked Serena. Serena’s smile completely froze. I tightened my grip around her waist and whispered, "What's wrong? Do you really want everyone to think you favor Ethan?" She took a deep breath. "Of course not." She handed over her card. On the surface, she tried to act like it was nothing. But her knuckles were white from gripping the card so tightly. Once the transaction cleared, I laughed. In the crowd, Ethan looked incredibly uncomfortable, trying his best to disappear. I looked at him and said gently, "Of course, out of all my students, you’ve been here the longest, but you have the least talent." "Serena went to great lengths to get you the most expensive piano. If you don't work harder, you’ll be letting her down." Ethan kept his head down and mumbled, "I'll work harder..." His voice was trembling, on the verge of tears. Serena looked at him with so much pity it made me sick. I had no interest in watching this soap opera. I turned around and walked away. Behind me, the guests were whispering about the performances. Ethan, whose skills were clearly inferior to the others, became the center of gossip. "Who even is that Ethan guy? He completely ruined the show." "Does he have no self-awareness? You can't just buy your way onto a world-class stage like this." "Just look at his piano. Even Julian Vance doesn't show off like that. He’s so arrogant..." Ethan’s eyes were red as he fled the venue in humiliation. "Julian, don't you think you went too far?" Serena called to interrogate me the moment she got home. I scoffed. "What did I do?" She went quiet. I didn't start those rumors. It was the consequence of her own foolishness. I could overlook mediocrity. But the rest of the world wouldn't. Realizing she was being unreasonable, Serena changed her tone. "Fine, I didn't think this through." "You’ve had your revenge. Let's just put this behind us." She was trying to give us both an easy way out. I didn't agree, but I didn't refuse either. Serena paused, then continued, "Come with me to a high school reunion tomorrow. Are you free?" I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes. "Send me the address." We were supposed to get officially engaged in a week. Just as she said, I had already given her a warning. This little incident wasn't enough to make me call off the engagement yet. As long as she knew her boundaries and played the part of Mrs. Vance, I wouldn't make things difficult for her. Without waiting for her reply, I hung up. I was willing to let it go, but she just couldn't stop pushing her luck. Before the reunion, she even came to pick me up from my office. "The people at the party are all my old classmates. We’ll be interacting with them after we get married. Think of this as getting to know them early." I agreed, treating it like a standard business dinner. I thought she would at least show some respect for my first meeting with her friends. But I overestimated her manners. The moment we walked into the private room, before she could even introduce me, her phone rang. She looked at the screen, hesitated for a second, and said, "I need to take this." Then she walked out without looking back, leaving me alone with a room full of strangers. I wasn't embarrassed, but a wave of disgust washed over me. And what her classmate said next completely triggered my anger. "Look at Serena, she’s so busy these days. What could be more important than her handsome little toy boy?" A man walked over and casually put his arm around my shoulder. "Hey, you must be Ethan, right?""Serena posted pictures of you on her Snapchat." "You looked so sweet in the photos, but you seem pretty cold in person. Are you shy?" Looking at the knowing, smirking faces in the room, I realized something. Serena hadn't even told her friends who I was before bringing me here. I smiled slightly and looked at them. "Nice to meet you." "I am Julian Vance, Serena's fiancé." The room fell dead silent. The man who had his arm around my shoulder froze, his smile completely vanishing. Fortunately, Serena came back after finishing her call, breaking the awkward silence. A few people shot her desperate looks, but she was too distracted to notice. Serena looked worried. She bit her lip and said, "Julian, Ethan was so upset by what you said yesterday. He’s been locked in the practice room all night." I looked at her coldly, giving her one last chance. "What does that have to do with you?" The last bit of her guilt seemed to vanish. She frowned at me. "Julian!" "You are his teacher, and I am his mentor's fiancée. If you don't care about your own student, can't I show some concern?" "Do you know they said Ethan practiced all night? His fingers are bleeding!" "He’s working so hard. Can you stop putting so much pressure on him?" Serena yelled at me, then sighed. "He only listens to me right now. I need to go check on him. Wait for me here." Without hesitation, she turned and left. The classmates in the room finally figured out what was going on. "Oh, my mistake! I can't believe I got the wrong guy!" "Maestro Julian, let me buy you a drink to apologize. So, when is the big day..." "Uh, Mr. Vance?" I had no reason to stay there anymore. Serena had just used up her very last chance with me. On my way out, I called my best friend. "Are you free tonight? Let's get a drink. I’m celebrating being single again." After getting engaged to Serena, I had taken my role seriously. I never did anything to make her worry. But my respect only made her take my kindness for weakness. Since she couldn't respect our relationship, I wasn't going to force it. I would gladly let her go. While I was drinking, my phone kept buzzing with messages from Serena. Julian Vance! You actually left? Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was for me in front of my classmates? Why aren't you answering my calls? You’re the one who hurt Ethan's pride, and now you’re throwing a tantrum at me? I’m only nice to Ethan because he reminds me of how you used to be. Just because you’re famous now doesn't mean you can look down on people who are struggling! If you don't reply to my messages by tonight, I don't think we need to get married. I smiled, flipped my phone face down on the table, and kept drinking. For the next few days, Serena didn't send me a single message. The day before our planned engagement dinner, our parents started making preparations. I knew she hadn't told her parents about our fight. That was fine. It would be easier to settle everything tomorrow when both families were present. I had drank too much over the last couple of days. Still slightly hungover, I went back to my penthouse to clean up and get ready. But the moment I opened the door, the sight before me made me instantly sober. The living room wasn't messy. The cleaning service had obviously been there. But I could immediately tell someone had been in my apartment. I held my breath and walked through the rooms. The towels in the bathroom had been moved. There were fresh fingerprints on the piano in the living room. And the sheets on my bed had been washed and changed. There were still a few stray hairs on the carpet. Serena's long, blonde curls. Ethan's short, brown hair. It was obvious. I smiled. One of them had tried to hide it, while the other had desperately left clues for me to find. How pathetic. I looked down at the trash can and saw a used condom. I immediately called my assistant. "Call the police. Someone broke into my apartment." ... The engagement dinner was intimate, with only close family members invited. Serena had arrived early. When she saw me, she forced a smile and tried to take my arm, acting like we were a happy couple. Watching her pretend made me feel disgusted. It was like watching a clown. I stepped aside, brushing off my suit jacket. Serena stood there, frozen in embarrassment. My parents immediately noticed something was off. "What's going on with you two? Did you have a fight?" "If there’s a misunderstanding, clear it up now. You’re getting married soon." My mother walked over and patted Serena's hand to comfort her. Serena looked as if she had found her savior. She complained tearfully, "It was just a small misunderstanding, but he hasn't spoken to me in days." "I thought he would at least try to behave in front of our parents..." I let out a cold laugh. "Why should I pretend?" "Didn't you say you wanted to call off the wedding?" Serena’s eyes turned red. "I was just angry!" My parents and her parents started lecturing me. "Julian, you’re the man. You should be more patient with Serena. What could be so bad?" "Don't fight over little things. You’re both adults now, you need to be responsible..." I raised my hand, cutting them off. "I understand all of that." "So, Serena, why don't you explain to our parents what you and my student, Ethan, were doing in my apartment last night?" "And what was that used condom doing in my trash can?"