The night before the festival, Lívia was in the music room alone, trying to polish the final notes of a new song she and Miguel had been writing. The melody kept escaping her fingers, and something felt off—inside the music, and inside herself. That's when Marina appeared.
Her older sister walked in with that same casual confidence that always made Lívia feel small. She sat beside her, a bit too close, and smiled like she knew a secret.
"You and Miguel seem pretty close lately," Marina said, her tone sweet but sharp.
Lívia hesitated. "We're working on the band stuff. That's all."
Marina smirked. "Funny. Because he and I used to be... close too."
It took Lívia a few seconds to register the words. Her hands froze above the keys. "What do you mean?"
Marina tilted her head. "It was before he came here. In the city. We had a thing. Didn't he tell you?"
Lívia's breath caught in her throat. Every part of her wanted to believe it was a lie, some twisted game her sister was playing. But when she confronted Miguel later that night, the truth shattered her.
"It was before I even knew you existed," Miguel tried to explain, pain etched into his voice. "I didn't know Marina was your sister until I saw you two together. And by then, I didn't know how to tell you."
"But you kept it from me," Lívia whispered. Her voice trembled, her chest tight. "You let me fall for you while holding that secret."
Miguel reached for her, but she stepped back.
That night, she didn't sleep. The betrayal burned hotter than she expected—not just because of Miguel, but because of Marina. Her sister had always taken things from her: attention, affection, trust. Now she had taken this too.
The next morning, Lívia didn't show up for rehearsal. She didn't answer her phone. Her seat at the festival was empty, and her absence echoed louder than any feedback on the speakers.
Miguel performed alone. He sang one of their songs, the one they had written together late one evening, laughing over coffee and scribbled lyrics. His voice cracked midway through. And though the crowd applauded, he felt nothing but the silence she left behind.