“I want to get to know you better Ruth. If you would just give me a...”

Ruth knew what Syndesi was about to say but she didn’t want to hear it.

Out of the classroom was her sole escape. Leaving behind Syndesi’s incomplete message, she didn’t want to hear anymore. Words she knew would threaten to change her mind.

If she could cover her ears and run away, she would. But that wouldn’t befit her character, even if the classroom was totally empty. She walked out gracefully. Quietly out of the classroom and hit a dead left turn for the staircase.

She darted down the staircase and left the rear gate. She thought she could finally take a breath of fresh air but no. Her palpitating heartbeats began to suffocate her.

Thoughts poured into her mind and she walked faster. She wanted to get rid of these haunting thoughts but she couldn’t.

Before she knew it, steps turned into strides turned into sprints.

As she ran down the quiet suburb streets towards the city, questions flowed like an endless river.

But there was one question that seemed to echo louder than the rest.

“Am I becoming just like the person I so hated?”

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2 hours ago, Ms Sophia and Ruth were having a heated conversation in the confines of a private room.

“Ruth, this is your chance to rise back up to the top. As a pianist myself, it is my DREAM to see you play on the Grand Stage of the Carnegie Hall in New York City.”

“Thank you for the invitation, Ms Sophia, but I stopped playing piano 3 years ago.”

“That’s the part that puzzles me! You are every pianist’s dream! Winning the Elite International Music Competition at the age of four! You are the most talented pianist history has ever seen!! Even Mozart and Beethoven would concur. So why did you give up on that dream?”

Ruth opened her mouth agape but the words were stuck at her throat. She closed her mouth and her sharp eyes softened around the edges. Her head slightly bent down towards the side. A simple question but she couldn’t answer.

“I am sorry, Ruth. I was inconsiderate. But I have to ask again. If you are willing, the school is ready to excuse you from all responsibilities. And the school principal affirmed that he will cover all the travelling expenses for you and your family if you are willing to perform. He pulled his connections and networked with many top musical leaders to request for a new Carnegie Hall Invitation. This is the third time the Carnegie Hall has sent this exclusive invitation and it’s likely the last. I will give you some time to think it through. No rush. The choice is yours. Let me know when you have really thought it through, okay?”

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As she recalled fragments of memories along the way, she didn’t realise she was already standing in front of the gates of her residence. Smacked right center in a bustling city filled with limousines, it was a rich man’s town.

A wide and expansive mansion with a size comparable to that of the school. Maids and butlers bowed 90 degrees to greet her as the gates opened in obedient submission.

“Welcome back, Milady.”