Isolde's POV
I gritted my teeth. “This is her fault to begin with!”
Nicholas paused. Then, he suddenly reached up and unclasped Alicia’s necklace.
“Isolde, change clothes with her,” he said.
For a second, I thought I’d misheard. “You want me to admit I played that kind of piece?”
He gave a curt nod.
My mother was a revolutionary musician. I would never play that music. If Alicia messed up, that’s her mistake. What does it have to do with me?” I snapped.
“She just made a momentary oversight, that’s all!” Nicholas raised his voice and pulled her closer. “She didn’t train in a conservatory. She doesn’t know as much about music as you do, so don’t be so hard on her. I promise, just this once. After it’s over, I’ll marry you.”
“I don't want to!” I stepped forward and lunged for the necklace.
But he was taller and faster. He dodged me easily and pushed the pendant out the nearby window.
“No!” I reached, but he had one hand outside the window and the other holding me steady.
“Do you want her to shoulder the rumors?” he asked.
My eyes burned. “So I can just take them?”
For the first time, a flicker of pity showed in his face. “I’m sorry. I will marry you, and no one will dare bully my wife.”
I clutched at his jacket, desperate.
Then he changed tone as he added, “But if you still refuse, then I’ll destroy the necklace.”
“Wait!” I cried. The pendant dangled from his fingers, drifting in the wind. My hand trembled as I said, “I’ll go out—”
Before I could finish, the backstage curtain ripped open, and I was shoved into the light wearing Alicia’s gown. Before I could react, a microphone was smacked against my forehead with a thud, followed by angry shouts from the hall.
“Traitor! How could you disgrace your mother like this?”
“If your mother could hear that music now, she’d never rest!”
Tears blurred my vision. I clamped my jaw. “I’m sorry—” I began.
“What good is ‘sorry’? If you were truly ashamed, you’d go die!” someone screamed.
“Yeah, go die!” others echoed.
I trembled. Teeth clenched, I bent forward. “I’m sorry,” I said again.
They threw garbage, wilted program sheets, an old shoe, even a phone, and everything hit me. Blood soon slicked my forehead where something struck.
Then, at the edge of the crowd, I saw him. Nicholas stood back there, watching. For a heartbeat, I thought I saw concern in his eyes. Maybe I’d actually been knocked out.
Shortly after that, he turned and walked away.
When I stumbled back backstage, the necklace lay intact in the red velvet box, cleaned, shining like new.
“Here,” Alicia said, and unwillingly pushed the box toward me.
My hand shook as I reached for it. But before my fingers could touch, another hand snatched it away. Alicia’s cold smile flashed like a blade.
Then, with a sharp crack, the necklace hit the floor and shattered into pieces.
“You think I’d actually give this to you?” she sneered. “Dream on.”
Before he could catch on, a bloody handprint had already flashed across her face as I slapped her, causing her to collapse to the floor.
“Bitch!” I yelled and raised my hand again. But someone wrenches my wrist so hard I cried out. Then it was followed by a stinging slap, sending my cheek burning, and I hit the floor.
Nicholas never struck a woman, not even when he openly disliked me before. The worst he’d do was mock me. Even when I’d slapped him once, he hadn’t hit back.
