Side Chick Era... Over

Loving Mom 179

Chapter 179

“This time, Sharon rearranged the piece,” Wendy said. “She tailored it to fit Matty’s strengths-recomposed it with him in mind. From now on, White Moonlight can be performed as a duet.”

Xavier spoke up. “I believe you now.”

The audience seats were still shrouded in darkness. No one could see Xavier’s face-just his voice, low, husky, and resonant.

“She’s… truly extraordinary.”

Wendy shifted her gaze toward the Biggs family’s section.

“They said Sharon was just copying Kelly. Said she was nothing but an imitator…” A small, cold smile curved her lips. “Well, now they’ve seen what she’s capable of.”

Across the aisle, Madeline and Denise sat frozen, staring at the stage.

When Sharon had first started playing, they’d still been sneering, tossing out their usual insults in low murmurs.

But somewhere along the way, the mockery had stopped. Neither of them could say exactly when.

Denise’s jaw hung slack. “Mom… wasn’t Sharon supposed to be useless? Just some pretty little airhead? How the hell does she know how to play the violin?”

And not just play-what Sharon had done went far beyond that. This wasn’t just skill. It was something else entirely. Something transcendent.

Madeline looked just as shocked. Her eyes betrayed a disbelief she couldn’t conceal.

pure,

to anyone who actually

was breathtaking. Flawless.

supposed to

agreed that, at best, she’d scrape by with a few squeaky notes-and at worst, sound like nails on

why had it been the

were pressed into a bloodless line, and her wide eyes gleamed with

again, whispering under her

believed

yet-but she was damn close. At her conservatory, she ranked consistently in the top ten. That was proof enough of

Her skill, her hard work-they were

compete with Sharon when

That was her

could beat Sharon at something

a pretty

1/2

Built to produce heirs

empty. Undeserving of Carter. Unfit to be

always believed that if Madeline hadn’t pushed her out back then, she would be the

going to dismantle Sharon piece by piece. Tear down that perfect mask. Make her

Powerless. Insignificant.