Chapter 402
+25 BONUS
Rosalie’s face twisted with fury. “I did no such thing! What apology letter? There was never any such arrangement! “Merida Jones! You’ve gone too far!” She glared in Elara’s direction, stepping forward as if to confront her.
Just then, Xavier pulled out his phone, opened an app, and tapped a button.
Suddenly, the control screen at the event console switched to a music player interface, and a rousing march blared through the speakers. The children in the audience instinctively began clapping along to the rhythm.
The entire auditorium erupted in lively energy as an Al voice announced through the sound system, “Let’s give a warm welcome to Rosalie Fisher! Ms. Fisher, please come up to the stage!”
Elara burst into laughter and gently ruffled Xavier’s hair.
“Xav, good job!”
Now, with all eyes on her, Rosalie had no choice–if she refused to apologize, there would be no graceful way out.
Praise from Elara made Xavier turn to her, his bright eyes shimmering like a sky full of stars. He was someone who rarely smiled.
Only around Elara and Merida did he show the carefree, innocent grin that a boy his age should have. Sitting in the row behind them, Beau watched Elara and Xavier exchange smiles, and his heart twisted painfully.
His small fingers fidgeted nervously as his lips puckered into a pout.
Xavier was really too much! Rage flared up in Beau’s mind in an instant.
A child’s temper would come and go quickly–all the peaceful moments he had shared with Xavier over the past days vanished in that moment, as if they had never existed.
Meanwhile, the children’s applause grew louder, and the music in the auditorium showed no sign of stopping. The parents all turned their gazes toward Rosalie.
Harold shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Maybe… You should just go up there?”
Rosalie gritted her teeth. “Go up there for what? I didn’t do anything wrong! How dare Elara let her daughter treat me like this?”
She stood up and stormed toward Elara. “Get your daughter off that stage right now!”
Elara met her gaze calmly. “Didn’t you promise Merida that if she won first place, you’d go on stage and apologize publicly?”
She pressed further, “Did you finish editing your apology draft, Ms. Fisher? Wouldn’t want you to make a fool of yourself up there.”
Rosalie trembled with rage, as if a bucket of icy water had been dumped over her. She had torn up the apology draft long ago–she couldn’t even remember what it said anymore.
A cold laugh escaped her lips. “You expect me to apologize? Never!”
On stage, Merida pressed her lips together with her hopeful eyes fixed on Rosalie. Noticing the shift in Merida’s mood, Elara rose to her feet, concern flashing across her face.
Meanwhile, Harold remained seated, acutely aware of the parents‘ stares burning into them. He could only feel humiliation.
1/2
+25 BONUS
Chapter 402
“Rosalie, why did you make a bet with a child in the first place? Don’t you think losing and refusing to admit it is even more embarrassing?”
Paisley looked on the verge of tears. She rushed over to Harold and buried her face in his lap. Then, mustering all her courage, she lifted her head and bit her lower lip before speaking to Rosalie.
“Mom, just apologize to Merida and her mom. Please.”
Rosalie reacted as if she’d been stepped on. Her voice was shrill as she shouted, “Why should I apologize? Now, even you want me to humiliate myself?”
Paisley’s brows knitted together. “Why did you target Merida in the first place? If you hadn’t kicked her out of the Swan Lake rehearsals… maybe I could’ve won the grand prize!”
Before she could finish, Rosalie shoved her away. “After everything I’ve done for you, this is how you repay me? By taking their side?
“If I apologize now, how are you supposed to hold your head up at school?”
Paisley tumbled onto Harold’s lap, and he quickly steadied his daughter. The triumphant march blaring through the auditorium grated on Rosalie’s nerves.
Her expression turned vicious, eyes bulging as if they might pop out. “I won’t apologize!”
She spun on her heel and strode away.
On stage, Merida stood clutching her grand prize trophy, watching Rosalie’s retreating figure. The host, realizing the situation was spiraling out of control, quickly placed a hand on Merida’s shoulder to guide her offstage.
“Merida, sweetheart, maybe you should come down now. It’s not right to demand an adult apologize to you like this,” the host whispered.
Behind the curtains at the stage entrance stood Darcie, class 1B’s dance teacher. Arms crossed, she snorted in amusement when she saw Rosalie refusing to indulge Merida. Some of her bitterness over her Swan Lake performance losing the top prize dissipated.
“Merida, don’t push your luck! Winning first place is enough, so why are you forcing Ms. Fisher to apologize?” she called out.
Merida’s expression grew increasingly dazed.
“Watch your tone!” Finnegan’s icy voice cut through as he set down his phone, his intimidating aura making Darcie visibly shudder.
Meanwhile, in the audience, Lesley exclaimed indignantly, ‘How can she act like this?”
“Rosalie Fisher!” Elara called out just as a dozen class 1B children formed a circle around Rosalie, blocking her path.
Rosalie’s eyes
widened in shock when she saw the children linking hands to barricade her exit.
