Sonata of The Shattered | Book I

Going Public

11 July 2022

ㅤRumors. Rumors. Rumors.

Rumors spread widely from one to another through words exchanged. The story of a professor falling in love with his own student and leaving as soon as he got rejected became a tale for some. Not only the lecturers— but even students in other universities. ㅤNobody knew whom but the four of them. Nobody knew the identity of the tale from a long time ago that was still around until today. Some guessed yet they failed, some tried to find out by they weren't able to do so.

Fransesca and Clayton's love story back then when they're still student-professors became a hit to everyone at the start of each academic year. As if it became a story no one would ever complain... it became an annual talk. It became a hot topic to be discussed by everyone every single day.

From NTU to every single university in the whole country. Even students from SIM would know about this particular story that has been going around for almost two decades already. Several started fanfictions regarding the two unknown identities who were (and actually still) in love with each other. Little did they know that their story never ends there, but it started again today.

Today, when they're much older and mature. Sixteen years later, where they finally knew the truth that drifted them apart from each other.

When Fransesca told him regarding the fictions made around them last night, he could only laugh. He never thought that the tale would be told from generation to generation. Even after nearly two decades. He never thought that someone would know about their love story and kept it a secret for so long.

There were suspicions, but was never proven to be true. Only baseless rumors that one would brush it off, as they never thought that Fransesca would be the one.

The woman spent her day at the university, giving lectures to students. Three classes, from the morning to the afternoon, she knew that it would be a long and exhausting day. Not to forget that she also held a pretty high position at the university, so meetings were often conducted by the head of the faculty.

Then, she would go back and forth between two universities at once. After finishing her classes and work of the day at the National University of Singapore, she would quickly drive herself to Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. Indeed, working between two universities at once was not a nice thing to do, especially with the amount of workload that might drive someone crazy.

If she's not blessed (and good) at taking care of her schedule; the time management skills that she should've had, then perhaps at this point she would be juggling in insanity. The two universities needed her responsibility to make sure that the future generation would learn things they should.

To know how exhausting it would be, Clayton told her again and again that she should reconsider her work. He told her, even before their reconciliation yesterday, to choose one instead of juggling in between two workplaces. Surely it would stop her from being stressed out over work and having less time to rest or to spend some free time.

With his presence around them now, he would love to see her taking some time off from all the workloads that haunted for years. For almost two decades long. He would love to see her spending her time in beauty salons, treating herself with what she deserves, or perhaps spending her day in shopping malls to buy some luxurious things for herself. Things she couldn't buy, have, or enjoy after being kicked out penniless by her father.

The businessman, now a multibillionaire, could see how her cheap stuff looks luxurious and expensive because she's just naturally pretty and nothing else matters. Using those on her would make it far more beautiful than it actually was. But, he wanted to treat her with things she should have tasted years ago. Now that she could live well and more than enough (with him to support her and their daughter's needs), Fransesca could spend more money without being so tricky on how to spend it wisely.