\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 54 A Failed Performance\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI guess she just wanted to show off how talented her men is, but it completely backfired.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u0f66 77%u\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSeriously. The kid just froze up there like a statue, looking completely lost. Doesn\u2019t seem very quick on her feet, to be honest.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vanessa had already stopped moving entirely, but the piano music continued relentlessly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She could hear every word of the critical chatter floating up from the audience. Her eyes reddened with humiliation, and tears streamed freely down her face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Sabrina remained lost in her own musical world, completely absorbed in her performance. She remained oblivious to the crowd\u2019s murmuring\u2014and even to Vanessa\u2019s quiet sobbing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Eventually, however, the piano piece drew to a close.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sabrina had poured her heart into the performance, fully expecting a wave of enthusiastic applause and admiration. But the moment she stood up from the piano, she was met only with a sea of disapproving whispers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And there, right beside her, stood Vanessa, crying.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cVanessa, what\u2019s wrong?\u201d Sabrina asked, suddenly panicked. She crouched down in front of the girl, her face full of concern.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Without a word, Vanessa pushed Sabrina\u2019s hand away and walked off the stage alone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Down in the audience, Scarlett overheard the other parents gossiping about Vanessa and felt a pang of heartache. When she saw Vanessa leave, her first instinct was to get up and follow her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But just then, the teacher called Clara\u2019s name.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clara, perceptive as always, could see that Scarlett was worried about Vanessa. \u201cAuntie,\u201d she said softly, \u201cyou can go check on Vanessa. Mom and I will be fine for our performance.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett looked down at Clara\u2019s earnest face, bit her lip, and shook her head. \u201cIt\u2019s alright. I\u2019ll go find her after your performance is over.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
They had rehearsed this skit together so many times at Theron Manor-Scarlett didn\u2019t want to let Clara down because of her own personal worries.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clara wanted to insist, but Scarlett gently patted her check and said, \u201cCome on now, let\u2019s go.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
With Scarlett\u2019s quiet encouragement, the three of them walked onto the stage together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their performance-a classic fairy tale brought to life with vibrant energy-completely won over the audience. Everyone clapped and cheered enthusiastically.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Backstage, Sabrina finally caught up with Vanessa, apologizing repeatedly. \u201cVanessa, I\u2019m so, so sorry, I didn\u2019t think this through properly.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vanessa\u2019s eyes were red and swollen, tears, still tracing paths down her cheeks. She looked at Sabrina but remained silent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After all, she had been the one to suggest the piano piec, and the dance, too. Now that the performance\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
09:31\u00a0<\/p>\n
Wed, Jan\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 54 A Failed Performance\u00a0<\/p>\n
had been such a disaster, how could she possibly blame Sabrina?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u0f66 \u0f4a\u0f71\u0f72 77%L\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sabrina had looked absolutely stunning in her gown, playing the piano under the bright stage lights-under different circumstances, people would have loved it. So why had it felt so wrong here, at the kindergarten event?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vanessa just couldn\u2019t understand it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just then, the sound of roaring applause caught her attention. She turned and saw Scarlett and Clara still on stage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their silly little skit had won everyone\u2019s approval?\u00a0<\/p>\n
But how?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Wasn\u2019t it just the same old boring fairy tale everyone had seen a million times?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Up on stage, Scarlett, who had been quietly worrying about Vanessa the whole time, glanced over and finally spotted her in the wings.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett saw Vanessa standing there, and she saw the unmistakable mix of envy and confusion in Vanessa\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vanessa saw Scarlett looking back. Her heart ached, and fresh tears welled up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If Mom had come with me today, would all that applause have been for me instead?\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the thought quickly turned bitter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett clearly had the time. She had chosen to come with Clara rather than be there for her own daughter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A wave of anger and hurt washed over Vanessa, the sadness feeling almost suffocating. She turned and buried her face in Sabrina\u2019s dress, hugging her tightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sabrina, at a loss for words, could only gently rub Vanessa\u2019s back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Soon, all the performances concluded. Clara\u2019s skit won first place, earning her three little stickers as a reward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After the awards ceremony, the teacher announced the next activity-a communal cookie-making session.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vanessa and Clara were in different classes, so their groups were separate. During the cookie-making, Scarlett and Vanessa weren\u2019t seated together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Each table accommodated five children and their accompanying parents, all working together to make cookies. Once finished, they would be cooked and enjoyed as a group.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their class areas weren\u2019t far apart, so while making cookies, Scarlett kept glancing over toward Vanessa\u2019s table.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sabrina sat beside Vanessa, but her elaborate, fancy gown made her stick out awkwardly amidst the casual, practical clothing of the other parents.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Eager to help Vanessa save face after the earlier disaster Sabrina rolled up her sleeves and attempted to knead the dough. But as soon as she pressed down, one of her long, manicured fingernails bent backward painfully, and blood dripped directly into the dough mixture. Everyone at the table stared, utterly\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
09:31 Wed, Jan\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 54 A Failed Performance\u00a0<\/p>\n
speechless.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u0f66\u0f71377%\u0f47\u0f7a\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMa\u2019am, are you here to spend time with your child or to walk a fashion runway?\u201d one parent finally exclaimed in disbelief. \u201cYou just got blood in the dough how are the children supposed to eat this now?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou might look all dressed up, but this is just unhygienic,\u201d another muttered with distaste.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHow can someone like you be a mother? Didn\u2019t it occur to you to trim your nails or change into something more appropriate before coming to a kindergarten event?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIs this even your child, or did you just pick her up off the street for the day?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sabrina had never been subjected to such blunt criticism before. Her face flushed a deep, mortified red. Her finger throbbed painfully, and blood continued to seep from the broken nail.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Send Gifts\u00a0<\/p>\n
1.0K\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
09:31 Wed, Jan 7 uuu.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Awakened Housewife: Ignore Betrayer\u2019s Begs\u00a0<\/p>\n
Silent Dreams Never Die \u2014 Author: John Miller 54 \u00a0 Chapter 54 A Failed Performance\u00a0 \u201cI guess she just wanted […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[81],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27418","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-impossible-condition-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27418","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27418"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27418\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27418"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27418"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27418"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}