Chapter 6

It was at that moment that the host announced a mini game—couples would play a piano piece on the stage, and the best performers would win a jewelry set. "That jewelry set is lovely!" Kaitlyn's eyes lit up. She tugged at Dylan's sleeve and purred, "Dylan, my birthday is around the corner. Can you and Ms. Thalman win that gift for me?" The socialites around them chuckled. "Kaitlyn, you're putting Ms. Thalman in a difficult spot. She doesn't even speak Gremanian; she probably doesn't play the piano." Someone suggested, "Why don't you and Mr. Schneider perform instead?" Kaitlyn turned to Dylan. "Is that okay?" He nodded gently. "Yes." When he agreed, Kaitlyn looked at Julia with glee. "I'll borrow Dylan from you!" The audience quietened when Kaitlyn and Dylan performed on the piano. Kaitlyn's fingers danced on the keys, and Dylan played the duet very well. They seemed like a real couple who had good chemistry. Their performance earned praise from the audience. Beneath the stage, Kaitlyn's friends surrounded Julia and dropped disparaging comments. "See that, Julia? They're a match made in heaven. You're just a country bumpkin who doesn't speak Gremanian or play the piano. You don't deserve to be with Mr. Schneider. If you know your place, you should leave him." "I heard you lived in the slums west of Cabana City before this. It's hard to imagine someone living there. No wonder you reek of poverty." "You're just a pauper dreaming of becoming a princess. Don't embarrass yourself." The jarring laughter pierced through Julia's ears. She clutched at the hem of her dress and attempted to leave, but someone deliberately made her trip. When she fell hard onto the floor, a blinding pain shot through her body. Before that pain had passed, a socialite wearing red heels stepped on her wrist. The socialite faked a shocked expression. "Oops! Sorry." Yet, she continued rubbing the heel cap on Julia's wrist. "I didn't see you." Following a loud crack, Julia nearly fainted from the pain. She instinctively looked at Dylan, who sat before the piano. She asked for help through her eyes as she lost her voice at the moment. Dylan looked in Julia's direction, but just briefly. He looked away as though she were a stranger, and he went back to flipping the pages for Kaitlyn. Julia bit her lip hard to stop herself from crying. Three years ago, she had accidentally cut her finger when she worked part-time at the grocery store. Upon hearing the news, Dylan skipped his work and rushed over to bring her to the clinic. Even after the doctor told him it was a minor wound, he stubbornly stayed up the whole night for fear she might run a fever and catch an infection. Now, Dylan couldn't bother to look at her when her wrist snapped in half. He exchanged a smile with Kaitlyn, like a prince and princess in a fairytale. "Ouch!" The heel cap drilled into Julia's wrist, and she could clearly hear her bones snapping. The pain rushed through her body as her consciousness slipped away. Before she blacked out, the performance onstage ended. A thunderous applause followed. … Julia woke up to a strong disinfectant smell in the hospital room. There, a doctor was updating Dylan on her injury. "Mr. Schneider, Ms. Thalman suffered from a comminuted fracture. Even if her wrist heals, the damage is permanent. She'll never be able to lift heavy objects. Since the nervous system is intertwined, she'll suffer from extreme pain for the next month. Please make sure she's well looked after." The color drained from Julia's face. She immediately lifted her wrist and reached out for the glass of water next to her bed, but she knocked it over due to the excruciating pain. The doctor and Dylan turned around when they heard the sound of glass shattering. After the doctor left the room with a sigh, Dylan hurried over to the bed and filled up another glass of water for Julia. He handed her the glass with a frown. After swallowing a few times, he began, "I'm sorry. I was too focused on playing piano and didn't see you fall. Does it still hurt?" The sight of his face reminded Julia of the tenderness in his eyes when he gazed at Kaitlyn before the piano. She wondered if he truly did not notice her fall, or if he simply didn't care at all. She closed her eyes slowly, fighting the heartbreak as she insisted, "I want to file a police report." Her words stunned him. "What did you say?" "Did you hear what the doctor had said? My hand is crippled now. Shouldn't the culprit pay for her actions?" She lifted her arm cast with misty eyes. He looked at her, conflicted. "Well, you can't lift heavy objects, but that's about it. Things have changed now. With me around, you will never have to take on grunt work." After a pause, he argued, "Those ladies are Kaitlyn's good friends. You'll put Kaitlyn in a difficult spot if you refuse to put this behind you. Do you really have to complicate things?"