"Oh, look, everyone," she said loudly, drawing everyone's attention. "Our special guest has arrived."
The laughter increased. Philip felt the blood rush to his face. Catherine approached him with theatrical steps.
"Tell me, dear delivery man, do you know what everyone in here has in common?"
Philip remained silent.
"We are all successful people: entrepreneurs, lawyers, doctors. And you? You deliver packages." Her voice was sweet but cruel. The guests laughed louder. Someone whispered comments.
Then Catherine had an idea. Her eyes shone with malice; she turned towards the piano and then back to Philip. "Do you know how to play the piano?" she asked with a mocking smile.
Philip looked her straight in the eyes. "Yes," he answered simply.
The entire room erupted in laughter. Catherine clapped her hands in amusement.
"Perfect! Then I have a proposal for you," she shouted dramatically. "If you can play this piano, if you can really play well, I'll marry you right here in front of everyone!"
The laughter became thunderous. Guests nudged each other, amused. Someone took out their phone to film.
"Catherine, you are terrible," a woman said, laughing.
"Come on, leave the poor lad alone," a man added, though he too was laughing.
Philip set the box down on a side table, slowly took off his yellow gloves, folded them carefully, and put them in his pocket. Then he looked at Catherine with an expression that nobody could decipher.
"I accept," he said in a calm voice.
Catherine's smile widened. "Wonderful. Ladies and gentlemen, let us watch the show."
Philip began to walk towards the piano. Every step seemed to weigh a ton. The laughter followed him like an echo, but inside him, something was about to awaken—something he had kept buried for years.
He sat down at the piano, his hands trembling slightly as they rested on the black and white keys. He closed his eyes for a moment, and then began to play.