The Unwritten Encore Chapter 2

Living in the dorm was a breath of fresh air. The quiet solitude was a balm on my wounded soul, allowing me to pour all my energy into my studies and, more importantly, my dance.

In my past life, I had been offered a scholarship to study abroad with a world-renowned company in London. I turned it down for Liam. This time, I wouldn't make the same mistake.

It was ten o’clock when I left the dance studio, muscles aching with a satisfying burn.

“Clara, there’s someone downstairs for you,” my roommate, Jess, said, her eyes twinkling with curiosity. “Is that your boyfriend? He’s gorgeous.”

I glanced out the window. A tall, familiar figure stood under the sprawling oak tree, a small box in his hand, his eyes fixed on the dormitory entrance.

“No,” I said flatly, ignoring her teasing.

I didn’t go down. Instead, I pulled out my phone and sent Liam a text. “Did you need something?”

If I was going to cut ties, I had to be decisive. No more face-to-face meetings.

My phone buzzed with an incoming call. I hesitated for a second before answering.

“Clara, I brought you something to eat,” Liam’s smooth voice said through the phone. “Why don’t you come down and get it?”

“Thank you, but I don’t need it.” I hung up without another word, my heart a calm, steady rhythm in my chest.

Liam stood frozen, staring at his phone. He hadn’t expected such a cold dismissal. Something was different. Something had changed.

When he got back to his car, Ava was waiting in the passenger seat.

“Liam, did you see Clara?” she asked, her big, watery eyes full of faux concern.

“No,” he said, his tone clipped. He was still reeling from my rejection. “She wouldn't come down.”

“Oh, it’s all my fault. My ankle is twisted, otherwise I could have brought it up to her dorm myself,” Ava lamented, her lower lip trembling. “She hasn’t been home in so long. I hope she’s okay.”

Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to spill over.

Liam’s focus snapped back to her. A wave of protectiveness washed over him. “Hey, hey, don’t cry. I know you’re worried about her, but she’ll be fine.”

He gently brushed a tear from her cheek, his finger lightly tapping the tip of her nose. “You’re the one we need to worry about. You’re too thin. You need to eat more.”

Later that night, Liam found himself staring at my name in his contacts. Before my curt text earlier, the last message from me was from the day of the banquet. I had asked if he could arrive a little early; I wanted to wear the necklace he was getting me.

It was a new design by Mr. Chloe, a piece I had been dreaming of for months.

He had planned to surprise me with it. But Ava, in her infinite helpfulness, had told me the moment he’d secured the purchase. I had been so happy, my eyes sparkling like crushed starlight.

A faint smile touched Liam’s lips at the memory.

He typed out a message: “Are you asleep? Want to get lunch tomorrow?”

He waited. A long time passed, but the screen remained blank.

A flicker of disappointment crossed his face. She’s probably just asleep, he told himself. She didn’t see it.

Lying in my dorm bed, I saw his message and scoffed. Was this a date, or was he just following Ava’s instructions?

Every time we’d planned to be alone in the past, Ava would miraculously appear.

“Ava’s by herself, let’s just have her join us,” he would always say.

And I never questioned it.

Liam and I had known each other since we were kids. We grew up together. He’d sit for hours while I practiced, we’d study together, share our secrets. Our friends, our parents—everyone assumed we were destined to be together. An inseparable pair.

I had believed it, too. How naive I’d been.

Ava was five years younger, a little shadow who was always trailing behind us. While I excelled, she was… average. Quiet, timid, a fragile little thing wrapped in a cocoon of insecurity. My parents never pushed her, their only wish for her was to be happy. I, in turn, felt a natural, sisterly duty to protect her.

It never occurred to me that she and Liam were tangled together. My husband, the love of my life, and my sister, my own flesh and blood. The two people I trusted most, conspiring to push me into an abyss.

Looking back now, I was a fool. Utterly, completely blind.

I remember one Valentine’s Day. Liam and I were going to walk across Lovers’ Bridge. And then, suddenly, there was Ava, turning our twosome into a clumsy threesome.

I had gently tried to hint, “Doesn’t Mom need you at home?”

Tears immediately welled in her eyes. “Clara… am I bothering you and Liam?” she whimpered, stumbling back a step. “I’ll… I’ll go home right now.”

Her trembling shoulders and the sight of her retreating back, racked with sobs, was enough for Liam to turn on me. “Clara, she’s your sister! How could you say that to her?”

I felt a hot flush of shame, instantly regretting my words.

“Liam, don’t yell at Clara,” Ava cried, running back to grab my hand. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have intruded…”

Liam rushed to her side, pulling her into a protective embrace. “It’s not your fault. Your sister was out of line.”

And I, the fool, saw nothing wrong with that picture. I just stood there, drowning in guilt.