Brian was busy recording a new song he had written a few weeks back ,for his late mother, in his home studio.
Seated before the microphone, headset secured over his ears, his expression was grave as he began to sing.
You came into my life and then you disappeared
You left me with nothing but despair
You know it's only you that can make my worries disappear
You're the only one that matters in my life.
'Cause no one else can love me the way you do.
With you, Mom, I would have been complete
You're my world, you're my life
I wish you were still here with me.
It's only you.
Mommy, it's only you
Only you.
…
This hole in my heart, only your love can fill it up
I wish you could come back to me, 'cause it is lonely without you in my life
I wanna spend my whole life knowing that you're around
So why did you leave?
Mommy… why?
Please come back to me
I don't wanna spend my life alone anymore
I want you here with me, so please come back
It's only you mama.
It's only you
Only you.
…
There's something I never get to tell you.
Mama, I love you
Yes, I do
Mama, I need you
Yes, I do
I really love you
And ever since you're not around, I miss you
I'm so incomplete…
---
Before he could finish the final line, his voice cracked.
Tears choked his throat as he ripped off the headset and squeezed his eyes shut.
He wanted to release the song, but he knew better.
It would only invite pity again. He couldn't keep his emotions under control long enough to complete a clean recording.
What he hated most was the way his mother had been murdered… simply because she had given birth to him.
Perhaps if he had never been born, she would still be alive.
Rising to his feet, he ruffled his hair and wiped the tear clinging to the corner of his eye.
He needed strength, more strength than this before hardening his heart and letting the world hear the song.
He wanted to scream his grief into the void. To tell everyone how much he missed her. How he would give anything to have her back.
Even though he knew it was impossible.
The memories weren't fresh anymore, but he could still feel her warmth, how she used to hold him as though he were the most important thing in the world.
His phone vibrated, pulling him out of his thoughts.
He hated feeling pathetic, yet he couldn't stop.
Every time he remembered the balance in his bank account… and the pages of struggle documented in his mother's diary… something shattered inside him.
If only she were here.
He could have filled every hole in her life.
Loved her.
Protected her.
Taken care of her.
Sniffling, Brian reached for his phone.
He just got an inbox message, from an unknown number.
Only a handful of people even had his contact.
The message read:
A man needs that special someone in his life, someone he can share things with and slowly build something along the way.
Emma William is a woman willing to give you a chance to have a cup of coffee when you crave one.
She wouldn't mind clinking wine glasses with you when you feel like drinking, and she can lend you her ear when you need someone to talk to.
Brian, you've got a friend in me.
It's up to you whether you grab this opportunity, it won't be available for long.
Brian frowned.
What audacity.
What kind of woman thought she could approach him like this?
Annoyed, he blocked the number immediately.
Then deleted the message.
A sour feeling lingered in his chest, like harassment disguised as kindness.
He dropped the phone aside and replayed the song he had just recorded.
He planned to make a live version of it.
Yet once again, he broke down before reaching the final note.
That was why his music resonated so deeply.
People felt every word, his voice had a way of touching the soul.
Brian grabbed a bottle of water and took a long drink, then inhaled deeply.
He needed to let it out.
And this time, he would.
As if courage surged from nowhere, he opened a live stream and began singing again.
The internet erupted.
Within thirty minutes, the stream crossed two million views, and the numbers continued to climb.
When he reached the final note, his voice faltered. Tears spilled freely as he bit down on his lower lip, embarrassment flickering across his face.
After saying a few words to his fans, he ended the stream and exhaled shakily.
The tears didn't stop.
"I wish you could come back, Mom," he whispered. "Your son hasn't grown up. He's still just a baby… who needs you."
…
Olivia watched the stream as well.
The sincerity in Brian's eyes cracked something inside her.
She loved her parents, but she had never truly understood the weight of someone's absence.
Now, tears slid down her face.
Something she had never placed much value on, the sheer existence of another person had reduced a grown man to this fragile, broken state.
She didn't know what came over her.
But she joined the flood of fans spamming the comment section with crying emojis.
They offered comfort.
They cursed fate.
Some even went as far as saying that if it were possible to dig Brian's stepmother out of her grave, they would torture her and tear her apart.
Olivia stared at the screen, heart strangely heavy.
And for the first time…
Brian wasn't just a target anymore.