Chapter 5

My expression turned ugly.

"Billson, what nonsense are you spouting?"

Kristian's face also darkened. "Miss Billson, please speak respectfully. I went to the cemetery to keep the teacher company."

Billson froze for a moment, then trembled with rage.

"His mom is fine in the hospital, and to cover up your affair with Guy, you're actually cursing her."

"You were the teacher's student. She practically treated you like her own daughter. Do you have any humanity left?"

"And you, Guy!"

Billson looked at me furiously.

"She's cursing your mom right here, and you're not saying a word!"

I painfully turned my head away.

Kristian said coldly, "Miss Billson, you have no right whatsoever to criticize Guy or me."

"The teacher passed away a week ago, and you never showed up once from beginning to end."

"The heartless one is you!"

Billson's face suddenly turned deathly pale.

"That's impossible!"

"Guy, tell me what she's saying isn't true."

"Billson, calm down."

Claude held Billson and turned to question me.

"Guy, something as major as your mother's death—how could you not tell Billson?"

Billson seemed to find an excuse and immediately followed up with her own question.

"Right, why didn't you tell me?"

I answered coldly, "I wanted to tell you too, but did you give me a chance to speak?"

Kristian took my hand, offering me comfort.

"Guy, let's go! Billson, if you have any heart left, go pay respects at the teacher's grave."

"Don't you dare leave!" Billson broke away from Claude to block me.

Claude was pulled off balance, his wrist hitting the corner of the table. He cried out in pain.

But this time Billson ignored him, spreading her arms to block my path.

I sighed helplessly and said to Kristian.

"You leave first. Wait for me outside."

Kristian nodded and said to Billson in a cool voice.

"The teacher is gone. You have no standing to blame anyone."

Billson didn't respond. She just looked at me.

After Kristian left, I asked calmly, "What else do you want to say?"

Billson was very agitated.

"Why didn't you tell me? Mom passed away? What right did you have not to tell me?"

"Everyone knew except me. How do you expect people to look at me?"

So she only cared about how others saw her. I laughed at myself inwardly.

"Don't worry. I already explained for you. No one will look at you with judgmental eyes."

"From now on, you'll still be the pairs piano champion in everyone's eyes. The center of attention!"

Hearing this, Billson's body swayed, and she collapsed weakly to the floor.

"No, that's not it. That's not what I wanted."

"You should have told me. You should have told me."

She repeated it over and over, tears streaming from her eyes.

It was the first time I'd seen her so fragile.

But I felt no sympathy! Because my heart was already dead! It could no longer feel pain!

Billson looked up at me, tears ruining her makeup.

"What day did Mom pass?"

I looked at her, my eyes devoid of emotion.

"The same day you and Claude won the championship."

"Mom left with regret. You know what her wish was. We were just one step away from achieving it, but that day I called you over and over."

"What I got instead was you and Claude standing on that podium."

Billson frantically pulled out her phone, fumbling through her call history, finally seeing the dozens of missed calls from a week ago.

"After Mom passed, I called you right away, but you were only focused on celebrating your victory with Claude."

"An entire week. If you'd shown even the slightest concern for Mom, you wouldn't have ignored it completely."