Abby

I feel frozen to my spot as the judges make their way toward Daniel’s station.

The grin stretched across his face almost makes me feel sick, and it’s all I can

do not to run off the stage right now.

“Wow,” Vanessa says as she takes the first bite of Daniel’s dish, which looks

leaps and bounds ahead of mine just by presentation alone. “Really, Daniel;

wow. Despite everything, you created a phenomenal dish.”

“Thank you so much,” Daniel says, his eyes flickering toward me. “You know,

with my sous chef’s wrist in so much pain, it was difficult. But we made it.”

Enter title…

Next, the judges begin making their way toward me, and I feel like I’m going to

be sick. They stop in front of my station, and I can feel the cold weight of

Logan’s gaze on me already.

“Hello, Abby,” Vanessa says, her gaze sweet as ever despite the circumstances.

“Your performance in the second round was lacking, but you’re here now. How

do you feel?”

I swallow. “I feel…” I pause, my throat cracked and dry. “I feel… Hopeful,” I

mutter. Vanessa nods in response along with the third judge, but Logan—his

face is as inscrutable as ever.

judges begin their taste test, times feels as though it’s

me, Abby, the

his presence

vast and

voice low. “This… This

expected from you.”

panic begins to set in. “I… I tried

to explain,

not one of understanding. “I see what you tried to

together on the plate.

the second judge, Xavier, a chef of few words. His

and I see it there before he even

unbalanced,” he adds simply, his voice

my dish, to say that the

words. They know the

away, and yet they seem to expect the impossible

clear and authoritative,

we have here is a fundamental problem,” he states,

meeting mine.

clutch the edge of my station, my knuckles whitening. “Please, enlighten

that the quiver in my voice

eyebrow. “Well, to put it plainly…” He

effect. “You didn’t follow the instructions, Abby. This dish is not what

asked for.”

find myself gasping for air. “But I—I

“This is

mushrooms. It’s exactly

wrong,” Logan says with

mafaldine with black truffle

raise, but Logan is already digging

in horror as he stabs a piece of black truffle and holds

it this way and

look like a black truffle

of

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255