A Lullaby He Will Never Hear

Erik seemed to have completely forgotten about the violin. A flicker of embarrassment crossed his face, which he quickly masked with impatience. "I'll buy it. Do you have to keep hounding me about it?"

"I'll buy it." He had said that countless times over the past five years. A stone thrown into water would at least make a splash, but his words didn't even create a ripple.

I stormed into Charlotte's room and pulled her out from under the covers.

"I'm going to divorce your father. Once the papers are filed, we'll go to Vienna together. How does that sound?"

For Charlotte, Vienna was a far-off, fairytale place, but for me, it was the only escape I could imagine. The Maxwell family's influence in New York was too great. If I didn't get far away, I wouldn't stand a chance if he decided to fight for custody. Only by going overseas, to the heart of classical music, could Charlotte's talent truly flourish.

All my savings combined were only enough to buy two one-way tickets on a budget airline.

Seeing my swollen, red eyes, Charlotte threw her arms around me and said softly, "Mom, can we give Dad one more chance? If he still doesn't remember by my birthday, then we'll leave."

"Alright."

But this was the last chance Charlotte and I would give him.

The next morning, Charlotte and I went out to set up our stall as usual. I had once been a top student at the Juilliard School, but I dropped out to have Charlotte. After being out of the professional circuit for so long, no orchestra would even consider me.

With no other options, I could only take Charlotte to the Union Square Christmas market to sell some handmade crafts. I sold Christmas ornaments I made myself, while Charlotte played her battered practice violin beside me to attract customers.

Charlotte had a sweet nature and a gentle demeanor. Many people would stop by my little stall just for her, leaving a few dollars as a tip.

"Excuse me, how much are these little angel ornaments?"

"Ten dollars for one, fifteen for two."

I looked up, and my breath caught. The customer at my stall was none other than Sienna, dressed in a lavish fur coat that made her look entirely out of place amidst the market bustle.

"I'll take two, then. Quick, before my friend sees."

As if afraid of being discovered, she handed me twenty dollars, glanced around furtively, and stuffed the ornaments into her designer handbag.

Just then, a large hand reached out from the side and grabbed Sienna's wrist.

"Sienna, I've told you a hundred times. You shouldn't be walking on that sprained ankle."

Erik snatched the ornaments from her hand and contemptuously tossed them back onto my stall.

"We don't want these."

The moment our eyes met, Erik's face instantly darkened, and a flash of panic crossed his eyes. However, Sienna seemed completely oblivious to his strange behavior.

"Oh, Erik. Look at her poor little girl, playing her violin out in the cold. Let's just buy two, to support her business."

At that moment, the pity in Sienna's eyes felt more like a knife cutting into my heart.

"Ah!" I gasped as the craft needle in my hand jabbed my finger. A bead of blood immediately welled up, dripping onto the pristine white angel ornament.

Seeing me bleed, Erik frowned and instinctively moved toward me.