Chapter 2: A Voice Worth Fighting For

A song isn't much to me.

But I wrote it. I wrote it for him.

I planned to play it for him when I confessed next week.

Because he once said: "If someone ever wrote a song just for me, that'd be the most romantic thing."

I remembered those words for a long, long time, even though I have no real talent for songwriting.

Just like how I don't even like music that much, but still chose the music college for him.

Even though... I'm mute.

The tears that had welled up finally rolled down, burning my hand, and I shrank back.

I looked at him in disbelief: "You knew?"

He said impatiently, "So what if I knew? It's just a song. Is it really worth it, Lillian?"

"Today's competition is really important for her. It affects her scholarship. She's had a rough time and works so hard."

"Did you have to call her out in public and embarrass her?"

"Do you want her to never be able to show her face at school again?"

"Do you want her to carry the label of 'song thief' forever?"

I tugged at his hand, pleading: "But that's my song. It took me a month to write it."

"You know, during that flu, I had a 102-degree fever but still forced myself to finish it. That song was for you."

He wasn't surprised or shocked, just waved his hand dismissively: "Fine, fine, I'll have her apologize to you later, okay?"

"I don't want that!" I signed fiercely.

I grabbed his hand and pulled him back.

He tried to calm me down, and when I wouldn't listen, he yelled at me.

"Lillian, that's enough! You know you can't talk, right? Even if you wrote the song, so what? Who would believe someone who can't speak could write something like this?"

Suddenly, I let go of his hand.

When did Derek become like this?

"I believe."

A part of me wanted to scream, even if no sound would come out. I wanted to shake him, to make him see me—not the mute girl, not the background friend, but the one who put every bit of hope and heartbreak into that melody. My hands trembled, not from weakness, but from the fight that still burned inside me. If he wouldn't stand up for me, I would have to do it for myself, for the first time.