<b>Chapter </b>144


    55 vouchers


    Mason


    I lifted my brow, surprise etched on my face for a while. I am sure the MC made a mistake. A terrible one at that. There was certainly no way Lydia had volunteered to sing at an event she didn’t know of until today.


    Lydia was engrossed with typing, so she didn’t hear the MC. “Is Miss Brooks here with us?” The MC asked, his eyes sweeping across the crowd in the hall. Those seated close to us recognised her and looked in our direction.


    I leaned towards her and tapped gently on her arm. She raised her eyes, and her hand on the keyboard stopped. “Hmmm?” “You didn’t volunteer to sing, right?” I asked just to be certain I wasn’t wrong.


    She chuckled, “Why would I do that?” She resumed typing, “Why would you even think that?” An amusing look spread over her features. “Then I think we might have a little problem.” I scratched the bridge of my nose. The MC was now looking directly at us.


    “Someone wrote your name on the list, or the MC is mistaken,” I said. Lydia was yet to understand what was happening. The MC closed the distance before I had a chance to exin.


    “Alyssa Brooks,” the MC, a middle–aged man, said with a smile. He seemed to be enjoying his role. “Pleasee up with me.” Lydia looked from him to me and then back to him, still not registering what was happening. I closed my eyes and opened it, unsure whether the MC was ready to listen to any exnation we might have.


    “I think there has been a misunderstanding, Ly- I mean, Miss Brooks never said she’d be singing,” I exined. “Singing?” Lydia scoffed, “Wait, you weren’t joking?” She asked, and I inhaled sharply. Everyone has their eyes on us at this point.


    The MC checked the tab he held, “There’s no misunderstanding. Her name is right here.” A look of panic shed past his eyes. Lydia rose from her seat, “I’ll sing.” She said, “Are you sure about this?” I asked her, then added, “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”


    She looked at the MC emphatically, “I’m sure.”


    The MC led her to the podium. When she got there, he introduced her once more, and apuse resounded


    in the hall.


    I turned to see a smirk on Julia’s face as she raised her ss to her lips. I squinted, suspicion rising in the bottom of my stomach. Lydia held on to the microphone, the hall fell quiet, soon rhythm filled the hall, and Lydia’s voice slowly joined.


    I stood and walked to the bottom of the podium, where the MC was standing in the shadows away from the view of the audience, swaying his body to the sound. I tapped on his shoulders and he turned, “Who wrote Miss Brooke’s name?” I asked without beating around the bush.


    He checked his tab, “her friend,” he answered. “What friend? Lydia didn’t have friends. “What’s this friend’s name?” I inquired.


    “Julia. Julia Everett.”


    55 vouchers


    I fist my palm, anger pressing on my chest. This must be a little trick from them. But why? Lydia has always been a bad singer, did mom do this to humiliate her?


    However, right now, it is different. I looked over to Lydia. She had her eyes closed, her face expressing every emotion the song was meant to convey. She had the entire audience captivated by her voice.


    She wasn’t a bad singer. Was it possible to change? Warmth spread over my chest<b>, </bpletely eradicating the anger that was growing. It seemed that these five years hadpletely changed Lydia. I couldn’t help but conclude that there was more I had yet to know about this new her.


    I looked over to Mom and Julia. Mom had a look of surprise on her face while Julia’s lips were twisted, evident that her n to humiliate Lydia had beenpletely ruined.


    ***


    Lydia’s POV


    A few seconds after the sound ended, the hall erupted in loud apuse. I straightened and bowed a little, my. heart beating against my ribcage. My hold around the microphone loosened. The apuse didn’t stop until the MC walked to the podium and stood beside me. “You did amazing.” He said before taking the mic and speaking into it.


    He started by acknowledging me. “That was a wonderful performance by Miss Alyssa Brooks. Thank you.” I smiled. I never expected I’d be standing in front of everyone, receiving praise for singing. I was never a good singer, but it seemed the years of working hard and trying to change that finally paid off.


    I walked down with my shoulders squared, feeling a sense of aplishment. At the foot of the podium, ady fidgeted with her hands, and she tried to catch the attention of the MC who had just called the name of


    someone.


    I approached thedy, “Hey!” I greeted, “Is there a problem?” I asked, hoping she didn’t see this as me being nosy. Her eyes darted around before falling on me. She pointed to herself with one finger. “Are you speaking to me?” She asked in disbelief, and I nodded.


    “What’s wrong?” She bit down on her lips as if contemting whether it was a good idea to tell me. “You can trust me,” I assured her.


    “The pianist hasn’t arrived yet. He said he is caught up in traffic and may not make it on time.” She said, scratching her neck, “This was my only task for the night, make sure the pianist is avable, and I have ruined. it.” She cried.


    I felt a lump in my throat. I have been in her position once, before I met Mason. Memories pressed against my mind, and the hair on my hand rose. I inhaled a scent of breath. There was a white piano at the side. “After this person, Joe should be next.” I figured Joe was the name of the pianist.


    “I’ll help you speak to the MC.” I offered, but she shook her head, “That won’t change anything. I’ll be fired.” Her eyes dropped. “But thank you anyway. I truly appreciate your help. All I need now is someone who can do this. Or at least volunteer to do this.”


    I believed there was something I could do. “I’ll help you,” I said, a n brewing in my mind. The MC hadn’t made a mistake when he invited me to the stage, someone had rmended me.


    <b>8:50 </b>Thu<b>, </b><b>Sep </b>11


    44


    55 vouchers


    Julia and Victoria were present, so it wasn’t hard to guess who did. A mischievous smile settled on my lips. “I


    want to rmend someone.”


    I had once watched an interview of Julia saying she knew a lot about music, although I had my doubts. What better time to confirm what she said than now?


    “You don’t mind, right?” I asked, and thedy’s eyes lit up. I gave a name and went back to my seat. I looked over to Julia, who had her eyes closed and her hand on her chest, swaying her body side by side to the rhythm of the song, if only she knew what was about to hit her.


    One side of my lips curled upwards.


    I felt Mason’s hand on the small of my back, “You did great, what changed?” he asked. He knew I didn’t know how to sing, “I waspletely blown away.” He admitted, and I found myself blushing at hispliment.


    “Well, well, like you always say, change is constant.” There was so much about me that changed, and he’d have to wait to discover them.


    “I found out who wrote your name.” He whispered. “Julia,” we both said at the same time. He gasped, I leaned into my seat, “I figured out no other person would.”


    “I’m sorry about that, it’s all because of me.” He apologised, “I’ll be sure to-”


    “You don’t need to do anything.” I cut him shut. I wasn’t a child and could take care of things myself. I turned to him, unable to hide the glistening look in my eyes, “What did you do?” He asked.


    “Guess!”


    At that moment, the MC called her name. “Since the pianist is runningte, Julia Everett has volunteered to step in and bless our ears with amazing sound.” A bright light fell on the white piano on the side. “The floor is yours.”


    Julia’s eyes almost bugged out of his socket. I stifled augh. “Oh no, you did not!” Mason said, giggling.


    “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” I said.


    my


    “Lydia, you are ruthless, and I love this version of you,” Mason said. I picked up my ss and twirled it, eyes pinned on Julia, taking in her every action. Victoria was equally as surprised as Julia who was already beginning to panic.


    Her head whipped over to my direction, and I raised my ss. The MC was already in front of them. “Miss Everett, thank you for volunteering.” He said.


    What a lifesaver. Now, let me judge her skills. She either surprises me or embarrasses herself.


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