Chapter11
Thatsocialitehadn’tfinishedsaying“dockling”beforesheandeveryoneelse noticedtheyoungwomandescendingthestepsfromthe
secondfloor
Theyoungwomandonnedasoft–coloreddress.Herlong,lockscascadeddownhershoulders,framinghersliceevenmore.Thosequiriesandherelegantlyscalptedfeaturesmadehergorgeousbeyonpare
Nobodyatthescenecouldtaketheireyesoffher
“Howpretty.”
okathowshepresentsherself.Shedoesn’tseemlikesomeonewhogrewupinthecountryside.”
“IsthattheMurray’slonglostdaughter?Lookat
“Yeah!SeelooksssierthanYasmin,whomtheMurraysspentyearsraising!
Yasmin’sexpressionsouredoncethosplimentsforYvettefilledthehall.JealousydrippedfromhergazeasitsnappedtowardYvette’sstuningappearance.Sheregrettednotpulling afewstuntstodisfigureYvette’sface
Asforthesocialites,theyreflectedontheimentsaboutYvetteearlier.Theirfacesheatedupwithhumiliation,esifaninvisibleforcehadppedthem.
“Everyone,thisisourprecious daughter,whomwe’vefinallyreunitedwith!”YaraandIrwinannouncedas theyledYvetteonstage.
Yvetteallowedittohappenwithoutanyemotioninhereyes.Shedislikedthesituationbutyedalongbecauseshecouldn’tbeardisappointingherparents.
YasminwatchedYacaandIrwinembraceYvette,findingthesceneparticrlyjarring.Shebitherlowerlipbeforefollowingthetrioonstage.
Then,shesqueezedbetweenthemandsmiled“Ourfamilyisfinallplete!Tocelebrate,Yvettehasspeciallypreparedapianopieceforeveryone.Wehopeyou’llenjoyit!”
Withthat,chatterimmediatelyfilledthehagain
“Howsurprising!Ididn’tthinktheMurrayfamily’syoungdaughterknewhowtoythepiano!Didn’ttheysayshegrewupinthecountryside?”
“Indeed!Ineverimaginedagirlwhogrewupinthecountrywouldknowhowtoythepiano!“.
Yvette’seyesmetYasmin’s,recognizinghowthtterwaschallengingher.Evenso,herexpressiondidn’tchangeonebit.Shelookedatthenoandcouldtellsomeonehadtamperedwithatfirstnce.
ThersofYvette’sredlipstuggedasshesneeredatYasmin.Shedecidedtogoalloutsincethtterinsistedonyingtheselittle
“Yasmin,aren’tyougoingtoywithYvieYaraaskedinconfusion.
“Today’sbanquetisinWerro’shoon.So,thefirstsongshouldbeyedbyYotto,ofcourse!”AperfectsmilesatonYasnan’sinnocentface,yetvenombrimmedinhereyes.“I’llywithYvetteforthesecondsong”
IrwinandYara’sheartswarmedwhentheyheardYasmin’sthoughtfulwords.Theyquicklypraisedher,saying,“You’resoconsiderate,Yasmin!
YasminLipscurvedintoaninnocentandsweetsmile.Littledidanyoneknowshewasscathinginwardly.
ShehadtoadmitYvette’spianoskillswereaboveaverage.However,shehadalreadytamperedwiththeneonstage.Becauseofthat,Wettewouldn’tbeable toywell,nomatterhowskilledshewas
Yasminthoughtto herself,“Goandmakeatoolofyourselfinfrontofallthesepeople,Yvette!I’lIgetthehouseholdstafftoswitchoutanewnoonceYvettetailssuperbly.Withsuch adrastontrast, everyonewillknowYvetteisnomatchforme!*
Yvettegraduallysatbeforethepiano.Thestagelightsshoneonthegracefulcontoursofhersideprofile,whichwereasshamningasasculpture’s.
Alleyescouldn’thelpshiftingtowardher.Everyoneheldtheirbreathsandwaitedinsilence
EvenYasminkepthereyesonrette,whowasnowonstagealone.Yastcouldn’twaitforYvettetohumiliateherselfonstageandbetoday’ughingstock
AwhitePorschecametoasteadyhaltoutsideMurrayMannejustthen.
“It’sallyouguys”leultforstoppingmefromleavingthehospitallThankstoyou,I’mnotol”MarthaexitedthePorschewithSamuelstandingrespectfullybyherside.Hehelpedapertthecardoorforher.
“Where’sWin?Whyhasn’tbeshownupyet?”Marthasked.
Chapter11
Samuel’sbrowsfurrowedashecautiouslyspoke.“Mrs.QuinnSenior,Mr.Quinnhasaskedmetodriveyouherefirst-”
Beforehecouldfinish,Marthainterruptedhim,“Don’tbeataroundthebush.Tellmerightnow–where&Will?Where’shegone?It’shisfiancée’sbanquettoday!Howcanhenotbepresent?”
Samuelcouldonlyhelplesslyrespond,“Mrs.QuinnSenior,Mr.Quinnhasthingstodealwithtoday,sohecan’tmakeit-
“What’smoreimportantthanhisfiancée!”Marthascoffedbeforeadding,“Idon’tcare!HavehimgetoverhereASAP!I’mgoinginsidenow.You’dbetterinformhimthathe’storushoverrightthisinstance!”
Havingsaidthat,MarthahastenedtowardMurrayManor.Shewasnervouslysmoothingoutthecreasesonherclothesandhadanoticeable.grinonherface.Excitementbubbledwithinheratthethoughtofmeetingherfuturegranddaughter–inwsoon.
Uponenteringthebanquethall,Marthaheardabeautifulpianopiecebeingyed.Therewasawhimsicalqualitytoit.
Shecouldn’thelpimmersingherselfinthemusiclikeeveryoneatthescene.Forabriefmoment,sheforgotaboutfindinghergranddaughter–inw.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.
Whileeveryonewasengrossedwiththemasterfulying,onlyYasmin’sfacepaledtoaghastlygrey.Shedidn’tunderstandhowthiscouldhavehappened.
Yasminsworeshehadtamperedwiththepiano,yetYvette yedtheinstrumentlikenothingwaswrong.Ontopofthat,Yvetteevenyed.incrediblywell.
Yvettestoppedyingonceeveryonebecamedeeplyenthralledbythemusic.Herstrikingeyes lookedupfromthepianoandsettledonthescowlingYasmin.“Thissong’saduet.Whydon’tweythepiecetogether?”
Everyone’sattentionsnappedtowardYasmin,renderingherunabletorefuse.IfsheturnedYvettedown,everyonewouldthinkherskillswerelesserthanYvette’s.However,therewasnotellinghowthingswouldturnoutifshewentonstagenoW
“You’renotafraid,areyou,Yas?”Yvette’sfrostytonerangout.Whileshespokeslowlyandinnocently,hervoicewasextraaggravatingto
Yasmin
ItangeredYasminsomuchthatshestormeduptothestagewithamaliciousgaze.However,sheconcealedherburninghatredwithasmileonherface.“Alright,everyone.Pleasebearwithmyaverageskills.”
“Oh,yay!I’msolookingforwardtothis!”
“Yasmin’sthefirst–cewinnerofthisyear’spianpetition!IdoubtherskillswilllosetoYvette’s!”
BecauseYasminkeptbraggingsincewinningthepianpetition,everyonelookedforwardtoseeinghery
IttookYasminagreatdealofefforttoythetamperedpiano.Plus,thepiecewaschallenging,soshestruggledtokeepupwithYvette’spaceShewassofranticthatsheidentallyyedthewrongnote.
Fromherfingermovementstoherrhythmandbeat,YasminlostineveryaspecttoYvette.Thelosswaspainfultotheeyesandears–of
others
Alltheexpectationsoftheaudienceturnedintointensedisappointment.Somecouldn’thelpfrowningandvoicingtheiropinions.
“What’sgoingon?WhatonearthisYasminying?”
“Yeah!Whataflop!Coulditbethather‘firstce‘winwasfalsified?”
“Ithastobe!Howcouldshewinfirstcewithsuchpoorskills?Whatajoke!”