Semua Bab My Best Friend Danced on My Grave: Bab 1 - Bab 8

My head spun as I processed what I had just heard. My bag slipped from my grasp and hit the floor. The medical report inside fluttered down beside it.Across the living room, candlelight flickered over the table where my boyfriend and my best friend sat together, sharing what looked unmistakably like a romantic dinner. Ethan Bennett rose calmly from his seat. "You're home. Why didn't you tell us you were coming back?"My face went pale. I pressed my lips together and forced myself to speak."What were you two talking about?"Vivian Carter quickly jumped in, changing the subject. "Eve, I won first place in the city competition, so Ethan wanted to celebrate with me. We didn't mean to leave you out. We thought you were working late." Ethan slipped an arm around my shoulders and guided me toward the table. "Just give us a heads-up next time you're coming home," he said. "You're making it sound like we deliberately excluded you." I stared at him as my eyes began to sting. "W

Vivian's face fell the moment I finished.I didn't bother waiting for either of them to say anything. I turned and started toward the door."Stay right there." Ethan's cold voice stopped me in my tracks. "Did I say you could leave?"I slowly turned toward him. "You're going to be Vivian's stand-in for next week's performance," he said. "You'll take her place onstage."I stared at him. "She's given so much to this company," Ethan continued, as if he were doing me some great favor. "This is the perfect opportunity for her to take some time off."Vivian let out a soft chuckle. "Ethan, are you sure that's a good idea?"He ignored her. "You wanted a chance to dance, didn't you?" His tone was flat, almost dismissive. "I'm giving you one. So you'd better learn to appreciate it."He looked at me coldly. "Vivian has built a reputation here. Being her stand-in is already an opportunity most dancers would kill for."Something inside me finally broke. Whatever love I still had for Et

Ethan shot to his feet. "What?" he screamed. Linda was confused. "Didn't you say she wasn't allowed back at the dance company?""I said I wouldn't let her come back, but I never said she had to leave. When did this happen?" Ethan questioned. Linda hesitated. "I told you a few days ago. You said, 'Whatever. Don't worry about her.'"She paused, then added carefully, "Don't take this the wrong way, but someone as talented as Eve shouldn't be pushed out of the company. If you really didn't want her dancing here, you could've at least made sure she had somewhere else to go."Ethan fell silent as the memory came back to him. Right. She had told him. But at the time, he'd barely been listening. He'd been too caught up in his vacation with Vivian to give it a second thought.Ethan's face went pale. He immediately pulled out his phone and called my number. The call went straight to an automated message saying my phone was turned off. He tried texting me next, only to realize that I'

When I arrived in Westbridge City, the dance company's manager was waiting at the airport to pick me up personally.His name was Julian Cross. Tall, handsome, and effortlessly polished, he greeted me with an easy smile before opening the car door for me."We've been trying to get you here forever," he said. "I'm just glad we finally managed to bring you on board."I glanced at him curiously. "What if I have a heart condition? Would you still want me here?"Julian laughed softly. "To be honest, I'm a huge fan of yours. With your talent and experience, having you join our company as a master instructor would be an incredible honor." He paused, then gave me a curious look. "But about that 'what if…'" I smiled. "My heart condition was misdiagnosed. There's nothing wrong with me."Julian's eyes lit up immediately, and his smile widened. "Then I just hit the lottery." …After I arrived in Westbridge City, Julian didn't immediately announce that I had joined his company. Instead,