A Film Queen Chapter 6A Film Queen Chapter 6
Chapter36PublicApology
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Uponhearing thesewords,thealreadytenseatmosphereinthessroomseemedtocooldownslightly.
ThefirstpersontoreactwasMilly.Hereyeswidenedindisbeliefathisaudacitytosaysuchathinginfrontofeveryone.
Withouthesitation,shegrabbedthebookfromthetableandhurleditathim.“Whatareyousaying?!”
Georgesmoothlycaughttheflyingbook.Insteadofgettingangry,hesmiledindulgentlyandspokeinahalf–coaxing,half–teasingtone,“Okay,I’lllisten<b>to</b><b>you</b>.Ifyoudon’twantmetosayanything,Iwon’t.”
Millywassofuriousthat<b>she</b>felttheurgetophim.
What<b>was</b>with<b>his</b>tone?Whatdidhemeanby“listeningto<b>me</b>?WhatdidhemeanbynotspeakingifIdidn’twanthimto?Themoreshelistened,themoreitsoundedlike<b>he</b>wasteasingherinaflirtatious
<b>manner</b>.
AfterringfiercelyatGeorge,sheturnedtoLeonandexined,“Ignorehisnonsense.Ihavenoconnectionwithhimwhatsoever.Ifwe<b>must</b>have artionship,thenheismyenemy!”
Thstwordswerepracticallygrittedthroughherteeth.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.
Ireallydon’tunderstandhowtheseCEOs<b>nowadays</b>aretakingthiskindofclingyandannoyingapproach.Shouldn’ttheybefollowingtherouteof“ifyoudon’tmarryme,I’llthreatenthe<b>lives</b>ofyourentirefamily,thenblocktheentirecity<b>so</b>youcan’tfind<b>a</b><b>job</b>“?Isn’t<b>that</b>therightwayto<b>go</b><b>?</b>
Ifitwereindeedthecase,itwouldbeeasytohandle.Iwouldmakesureheregrettedevercrossingpaths,withme,<b>using</b>myfiststoteachhimthetruemeaningoflife!
Butifnot…Idon’tknowwhereto start.
Itwastruewhattheysaid.Agoodwomanfearedapersistentman.
Leonsmiled,and whenhelookedatMilly,thegloominhiseyeshadlongdisappeared.“Well,IbelieveinMilly.”
Millysmiledwithhereyescurved.
Jordan,whowasobservingthe<b>scene</b>fromtheside,feltapangofjealousyforthefirsttimeinhislife.Hepursedhislipsbutultimatelyswallowedbackthewordsthathadreachedhismouth.
Whentheprinciprrivedwithasmile,hewasmetwiththesightofaconfrontationbetweentheinfluentialfigures.Hisshortandchubbybodycouldn’thelpbuttremble.
AlthoughCrestwoodHighhad alwaysbeenstrictwithitsentranceexam,regardlessofwhethertheywerethechildrenofofficialsorthewealthy,iftheydidn’tmeetthecutoff,theywouldn’tbeadmitted.ItwasnotabouthowstrongCrestwoodHighwas,butitwasbecausetheinfluentialfiguresheldtheminhighregard.Otherwise,withjustastompoftheirfeet,CrestwoodHighwouldhavecopsedlongago.
So,hehadtobeself–aware.Iftheinfluentialfiguresofferedrespect,hehad<b>to</b>eptit.Heshouldn’tignorethem.
That’swhy,whenheheardthatbothMr.TateandMr.Buthaetoday,hedidn’tevenhave time.
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Chapter36PublicApology
“Mr.Tate,Mr.But,it’sanhonourtohaveyou
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ere.Theprincipalsmiledwithafacefullofwrinkles.
JordanandGeorge’sattentionwasfocusedonMilly.Theybothgaveafaint“Hmm”anddidn’tevenbothertoshakehands,
Theprincipalwipedthesweatoffhisforehead,unsureofwhatwashappeningtothem.Hecontinued,“Mr.Tate.Mr.But,theswearingceremonyisscheduledtobeheldontheyground.Butit’squitehottoday.Ifyoufeelit’snotsuitable,wecanmoveindoors.Whatdoyouthink?”
JordanandGeorgefinallyreacteduponhearing this.
Althoughitwasnotmidsummer,itwasstillscorchingnearnoon,especiallyontheshadelessyground.Theydidn’tmind,butifMillygotsunburned….
Aftersomeconsideration,Jordansaid,“Let’sswitchtoindoorsthen.”
Theprincipalrespondedpromptly,“Sure,Iwillchangethenimmediately.”
“Sir,wait!”aclearvoicesuddenly interrupted.
MillyfrownedandturnedtoJordan,saying,“Jordan,let’sstickwiththeyground.Iprefernottoswitch
indoors.
Iftheymovedindoors,wouldn’titbenefitStephanieandMnie?Shewaseagertoseetheirlittle.performance.
Theaffectionate<b>tone</b>whencallinghisnameinstantlysoftenedJordan.Thecolddemeanourhehadmomentsagovanished,hislipscurledup,andhisgazetowardsLeonbecamemorerxed.“Okay,let’sgowithMilly’ssuggestion!”
Look,mysisterstillcalledmesosweetly.
Holdingtheswearingceremonyontheyground wasnothing.IfMillywantedtogotothemoonnow,he’devencontactNASAhimself.
Theprincipalwasmomentarilysurprised,thenquicklysmiledapologetically.“Okay,let’ssticktotheoriginaln.Theceremonywillstartathalfpastnine.Pleaseremembertoarriveontime.”
Milly’slipscurledslightly,andhereyessparkledwithexcitement.IfStephanieknewthatshehadn’tpleadedforher,wouldshefaintonthespot,ordidshehavesomeothertrickuphersleevetogetoutofit?IfshesawJordanstandingontheygroundwatchingherundertheprotectionoftheButs,wouldshecryonthespot?
Themoreshethoughtaboutit,themoreexcitedshebecame.Shecouldn’twaittoseetheperformance.
Atthismoment,Milly’sexcitement wasevident,andGeorge,whohadbeenobservingher,couldn’thelp<b>but</b>smileindulgently.
Thislittlehedgehogisreallycute.
ThoughIdon’tknowwhat’sgoingoninhermind,judgingfromherexcitedlook,thereshouldbeagood<b>show</b><b>to</b>watch.
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Chapter36PublicApology
Ontheyground.
“Wow,lookatthosethreemen.They’resohandsomeliketheysteppedoutofa<bic</b>book.”
“Yeah,aretheycelebrities?Sotandhandsome.Aretheymodels?”
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“Oh,who’sthatcountrybumpkinstandingnexttothem?Sooutdated.Whostillrocksthosethickbangsthesedays?Soold–fashioned.”
Theswearingceremonywasattendedbyallthestudentsintheschool,includingfreshmen,sophomores,andparents,fillingthefield.
Inthecrowd,Jordan,George,andLeonstoodouteffortlessly.Theirstrikingappearancealonecapturedeveryone’sattention.
ThethreestoodbesideMilly,castingashadowoverherandshieldingherfromtheringsun.
Millypaidnoattentiontothesurroundingdiscussionsandsharpnces,standingconfidentlywithoutbeingaffected.Thesenceshadlittleimpacparedtoherpastexperiences.
However,shecouldn’thelpbut feelthattheopeningspeechoftheceremonywasrushed.Boththeschoolleadersanddepartmentheads seemedinahurrytofinish.
“Next,beforethestudentrepresentativesspeak,wewillinvitetwostudentswhomademistakesteonstagetoreflectandapologise.Thesestudentsnderedanddefamedourseniorstudent,MillyBut,withoutknowingthefullstory.
“Toupholdschooldiscipline,educateindividuals,andserveasawarningtoothers,thesetwoindividualswipologiseandreflectunderthenationalg.Wehopethiswillbealessonforotherstudentstofollowschoolrules,studydiligently,unitewithssmates,andbedisciplinedstudents.”
The<b>show</b>wasabouttobegin.