Olivia reached for me, but I stepped back.
She stumbled and fell into Ethan’s arms, as if
deeply wronged.
“What should I do, Ethan? She still won’t
forgive me.‘
“It was my mom who made those mistakes,
not me. I just want to get along with her.”
Seeing his beloved upset, Ethan grabbed my
wrist.
“Why are you being so stubborn? You lost
your mom, but what does that have to do with
<
Olivia? She just wants her family.”
“Nora Reed, I’m ordering you to apologize to
Olivia.”
I shook my head. “Never.”
The stage manager noticed something was
wrong and told me to go rehearse.
I nodded and walked past them.
Today’s performance also involved aerial
work. The harnesses were custom–made for
each dancer’s weight.
Our names were even on them.
The performance was in ten minutes.
I saw the rigging assistant rush past, but I
didn’t think much of it. I waited calmly to get
my makeup done.
Right before I went on stage, I saw Ethan
again.
His malice was clear. “Naughty Nora gets
punished.”
He spoke softly, then his expression returned
<
to normal. “Don’t misunderstand, you’re still
the one I’m with. Olivia just sees me as a
brother.”
“It’s natural for a brother to look after his
sister. That’s why I wanted you to apologize.”
“Do a good job with your performance. Olivia
and I will be watching.”
I pressed my lips together, a sense of unease
growing.
But the show was about to start. I didn’t have
time to think.
I took my position, graceful and light, moving
to the music, my white dress swirling.
The harness lifted me up, then lowered me
down.
But something was wrong with my harness.
I shifted my weight, trying to maintain my
pose as I descended. The music masked the
sound of the snapping cable.
Ten feet.
<
Falling.
I only had time to protect my head.
As I tumbled, I thought I saw the corners of
Ethan’s mouth twitching. He was talking to
Olivia.
“Since she won’t apologize, let’s give her a
little punishment.”
“Happy now?”
Olivia blushed, but nodded.
Pain swallowed me whole.
I woke up in the hospital. Ashley’s eyes were
dark, like she’d been up all night.
She hugged my arm and cried when she saw I
was awake.
“What happened? Why did your harness break
when everyone else’s was fine?”
I parted my lips, wanting to speak, but my
throat was dry from dehydration.
“Maybe I’m just unlucky.”
Ethan and Olivia walked in. Ethan was holding
<
a container of porridge.
Seeing Olivia, Ashley wiped her tears and
angrily tried to take the porridge from her.
“What are you doing here? Come to gloat?”
“You’re not worthy of feeding Nora the
porridge I made.”
Olivia clutched the container tightly, her voice
timid, “Ashley, Nora’s arm is broken, let me
feed her.”
“Oh!”
She stepped forward with the porridge, but
tripped, and the open container spilled all
over me.
Instinctively, I raised my injured arm.
Ashley frantically cleaned me up and called
for a doctor.
Olivia was so scared she fainted in Ethan’s
arms.
He snatched my doctor. “See to Olivia first,
she’s fainted.”
<
By the time I was out of surgery, it was dark.
The anesthesia wore off, and the pain made
me want to cry.
But the tears wouldn’t come.
I stared at the ceiling, thinking maybe I’d
already cried all the tears I had.
Chapter 2
I only told Ashley I was being discharged.
With my arm in a sling, I went back to the
apartment I rented with Ethan.
It looked like no one had been there in ages. I
opened my phone and, on a whim, checked
Olivia’s social media.
It was filled with pictures and videos of her
and Ethan having fun while I was in the
hospital.
Different photos and videos every day.
But the locations were all too familiar.
The movie theater where we had our first
date.
The Ferris wheel where we had our first kiss.
The jewelry store where we picked out
promise rings.
Our first…everything.
But theirs was different.
A private showing at the movie theater, the
entire amusement park to themselves, the
store’s most expensive matching rings…
And on my right hand, I wore a plain,
unremarkable band.
It was so simple it didn’t even have a pattern,
but I treasured it. I’d wrap it in tissue every
time I washed my hands to prevent it from
tarnishing.
I took it off and threw it in the trash.
I went straight to my room.
I’d barely stepped inside when I heard the
front door open.
More than one person came in. Ethan and his
buddies.
“Hey man, if you want to get back at Olivia
for Nora, I have an idea.”
“Didn’t you take some videos of Nora a while
back?”
“The Payne family’s having a party in a few days. Perfect opportunity to share them. Give
us a good show…”
Ethan was silent for a moment, then nodded.
“Good idea.”
