The Echoes of the Piano

Breaking Point

The drive home was long, filled with an uncomfortable silence that Haerin had grown accustomed to over the years. The throbbing pain in her fingers made it hard to focus, and as the luxury car pulled into the mansion's driveway, Haerin felt the weight of the upcoming hours pressing down on her. The piano room awaited her, and with it, another round of relentless practice under her mother's watchful eye.

Her mother was already in the grand music room when Haerin entered, sitting at the piano bench, her fingers poised above the keys like a conductor waiting to command an orchestra. As always, her mother was focused, calm, and expectant, her eyes never wavering from Haerin. To her, there was no room for weakness, no excuse for slowing down.

Haerin stepped inside the room, her hands trembling as she approached the piano. She tried to hide it, but each movement of her fingers sent a sharp reminder of the pain that had been building up in them for weeks. The bruises, the calluses, the ache from the constant practice—it all came crashing down on her, threatening to overwhelm her.

"Let's begin," her mother said coolly, motioning for Haerin to sit at the piano.

Haerin swallowed hard, her throat tight as she tried to compose herself. She sat down gingerly, her hands hovering over the keys, dreading the upcoming onslaught of fast runs, arpeggios, and scales that she knew her mother would demand. The pain in her fingers was almost unbearable now, but she didn't dare speak up. Not again.

Her mother's voice cut through the tension in the air. "Play the scales, Haerin. Fast. All the way up and down. I know you can do it."

Haerin's heart sank. Her fingers ached, each press of the key sending a shock of discomfort through her body. She tried to push through, but the pain made it harder to focus. Her vision blurred as she forced her hands to move faster, but the rhythm wasn't right. Her fingers couldn't keep up.

"Faster," her mother commanded, her voice sharp. "You're not playing fast enough. You're slowing down. Again."

Haerin's chest tightened. Tears threatened to form in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Not in front of her mother. She glanced down at her hands, now trembling slightly, and finally, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Mom, please," Haerin choked out, her voice breaking. "I can't... my fingers hurt so much. I can't play any faster."

Her mother's eyes narrowed, the coldness in them as sharp as ever. "You will not get anywhere by being weak, Haerin. Do you think anyone will care if you're in pain? They won't. So stop complaining and focus."

Haerin's heart twisted, and before she could stop herself, the tears spilled out. She pulled her hands away from the piano, clutching them tightly in her lap, trying to stifle the sobs that racked her body.

"Please, Mom, I can't. I need a break. My hands—" Haerin's voice cracked as she begged. "Please... just a little break. I can't go on like this."

Her mother remained unmoved. "You've had enough breaks. Get up and play. If you want to win, you'll have to push yourself harder."

But Haerin couldn't do it anymore. Her hands burned, and the fear of losing herself to this endless cycle of perfection, to the suffocating expectations of her mother, was starting to consume her. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. All she could feel was pain.

In the next instant, the door to the music room slammed open with such force that it made Haerin jump. Her father stood in the doorway, his face flushed with anger. He had always been the quieter of her two parents, but there was something in his eyes now that Haerin had never seen before.

"Stop it!" her father shouted, his voice shaking with emotion. "Enough! You're breaking her."

Haerin's mother didn't react right away. She was silent, but the look on her face was one of disbelief. "What are you talking about? I'm pushing her to be the best. To be perfect. She will thank me for this."

"No," her father snapped. "No, you don't get it. She's just a child. She's not a machine. You're destroying her, and I can't stand by and watch it anymore."

Haerin felt a rush of mixed emotions—relief, fear, confusion—as the two of them argued. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her pulse quickening. She didn't know what was happening, but part of her wanted to scream, to finally let out all the emotions she had kept bottled up for so long.

"You don't understand, do you?" her mother retorted, her voice icy. "She needs to be the best. She needs to surpass everyone else. I did it. Why can't she?"

Her father shook his head, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Because she's not you! She's Haerin! You're destroying everything she is for the sake of your own glory. And I won't stand for it anymore."

The tension in the room was unbearable. Haerin felt like she was drowning in it. She wanted to shout, to run away, but her body was frozen in place. Her mother and father stood there, locked in a battle of wills, and Haerin was caught in the middle.

And then, in a moment of finality, her father's voice broke the silence. "I can't do this anymore. I can't live in this house with you, treating our daughter like this. I'm filing for divorce. I can't stand by and watch you destroy her."

Haerin's heart shattered as the words hit her. Divorce. Her parents were finally at the breaking point. Her mother didn't say anything, but her expression was unreadable, her face a mask of anger and hurt.

Haerin's father turned to her, his eyes full of sorrow. "Haerin, I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice soft. "I love you, but I can't stay. Not while she's doing this to you."

And with that, he walked out, leaving Haerin standing there in stunned silence.

Her mother didn't move, didn't say a word. Haerin looked up at her, her face streaked with tears, her body trembling from the weight of everything that had just happened.

"Mom..." Haerin whispered, her voice barely audible. "Why... why are you doing this to me?"

Her mother turned away, not meeting Haerin's gaze. "I'm doing this because I know what's best for you. You'll thank me later. I promise you, Haerin. You'll thank me."

But Haerin wasn't sure she ever could. Not when the cost was so high. Not when the pain was this great.

And as she stood there, alone in the silence of the music room, Haerin realized that everything had changed.