Chapter 43
“Sophia… are you sure you want to sign up?” The teacher’s voice pulled me back to the present. Her brow was furrowed, and her skepticism was obvious. “This performance is very important. All the shows need to be approved by the school leaders, and if it’s not good enough, it will be canceled. It could be a waste of effort.”
I met her gaze confidently. “I’m sure, teacher.”
“Okay,” she said slowly, writing my name down on the list. “Any other students want to participate?”
From the front row, Linda raised her hand delicately, her voice soft but firm. “I’d like to participate as well, performing a piano piece.”
The moment her hand went up, the atmosphere in the room changed.
The same classmates who had been silent when I volunteered burst into cheers for Linda, and the teacher smiled warmly, clearly pleased.
Linda had always been the golden girl, the one everyone adored.
“She soaked up the attention with a graceful smile, her eyes flicking toward me briefly, a hint of
challenge in her gaze.
I ignored it, quickly packing up my things to leave.
I had bigger things to focus on than Linda’s usual games.
Ethan had heard about the performance and had told me that he knew a famous designer who could create a custom outfit for me. I was going to make sure everything was perfect.
After school, Ethan was waiting for me outside, leaning casually against his car.
Ethan was a few years older than me and had an air of maturity and elegance that made him stand out. His good looks and gentlemanly demeanor made heads turn wherever he went, and today was no exception.
When he saw me, he opened his arms with a warm smile.
“Sophia!” he called out, pulling me into a friendly hug. He then opened the car door, gesturing for me to get in. “Ready to meet the designer?”
30.1%
As I climbed into the car, I noticed Ryan standing near the school entrance with Linda and a group of students.
They had all seen the exchange between Ethan and me.
I could hear the murmurs as Ryan’s friends whispered among themselves.
“Is that Sophia’s new guy?” one of them asked, their tone full of disbelief.
Linda, ever the actress, feigned shock.
“He looks older than us… What’s his relationship with Sophia?” Her voice dripped with fake
innocence, but the underlying judgment was clear.
Under Linda’s influence, the whispers grew.
“I knew it,” one of the girls muttered. “Sophia’s always trying to act like she’s something special. Guess she’s only special when rich older men are involved.”
“No wonder Ryan doesn’t want to be with her. If it were me, I wouldn’t even be able to look at someone like that! So young, doing this kind of thing. It’s disgusting!”
Mia’s voice was sharp, her words cutting through the air.
