Chapter 12
I froze, then laughed bitterly. "Yes, I am afraid of him. I was with him for ten years. I know how much he values Sophia—he never questions anything she says. Even I don't measure up to her little finger. So please go now. If he finds you, I won't be able to protect you."
Leo's brow furrowed as he fell silent.
I urged him again to leave.
"If we're leaving, we leave together," he stated firmly.
Looking into his deep eyes, the panic in my heart mysteriously calmed.
"Ms. Wipere, here's the sales contract. Once you sign, it takes effect. The car will be ready in two days after processing the paperwork."
The salesman returned with the contract. I quickly signed and handed it back. "No problem. I'll pick up the car in two days. Leo, let's go."
"You're not going anywhere!" Sophia suddenly rushed over with Lillian, blocking our path. "I've already contacted Leo's assistant. He'll be here any minute! You can't escape!"
My heart sank. Leopold was coming! We definitely couldn't stay.
I shoved her aside and pulled Leo toward the exit. Sophia shouted furiously after us, "Stop right there! Lucinda, you can't run away! When Leo gets here, I'll tell him everything you've done. Just wait for him to deal with you!"
Fear still gripped my heart, but I didn't look back. I pulled Leo along, rushing out of the dealership and flagging down a taxi.
Once inside, I realized my entire back was soaked with sweat.
"Leo, when we get back, pack your things and leave town. When it's safe, I'll contact you, and then you can come back."
Knowing Leopold as I did, if he discovered I'd found a lookalike and kept him close, he'd feel utterly humiliated. He would search the entire city to find him if necessary. Leo was innocent, and I couldn't let him get caught in the crossfire!
"Lucinda, calm down. Things might not be as bad as you think," Leo said, unconvinced.
"No! They'll be worse than I imagine." I touched my knee, speaking softly, "If anyone else had discovered this, it might not be so bad. But it had to be Sophia! She'll definitely embellish today's events when she tells him."
"Leopold Percy is proud to the point of arrogance, and given our contract, he'll torture you mercilessly."
"Leo, I've dragged you into this. Please trust me and leave. I'm begging you."
Tears welled in my eyes. Not wanting Leo to notice, I turned away. But in the next moment, Leo cupped my face, turning me back toward him. A tear escaped, rolling down my cheek and into the creases of his fingers.
"Don't cry," his voice was deep. "I'll do as you say."
---
Two days had passed since Sophia's discovery. I kept waiting for Leopold to confront me in rage, but he never appeared. Even Sophia hadn't come to the dance company.
She only showed up on the day of the performance.
"Sophia!" The others rushed to greet her.
I ignored the commotion, silently stretching my legs in the corner. Shortly after, Sophia approached me directly.
"Lucinda, I won't forget this! Just wait—I'll pay you back!"
I stopped stretching and looked at her. "What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have spent the last two days..." Sophia stopped mid-sentence, restraining herself. "Just wait. I'll make you regret ever competing with me!"
I dismissed her as simply being dramatic and didn't take her seriously.
Soon, it was seven-fifty. Ten minutes until the performance began. I double-checked my costume one last time before putting it on.
As I left the dressing room, I picked up my phone and, after hesitating, sent Leo a message: [Are you coming tonight?]
A minute passed with no reply. I silently locked my phone in the locker.
The curtain rose with a thunderous sound. Classical ballet music flowed through every corner of the stage. Though Sophia had been made the lead dancer on short notice, she performed brilliantly. Her spins and jumps were steady, her movements graceful.
She became the center of attention while I contentedly played my supporting role, losing myself in the dance. As the final note faded, the performance ended perfectly. Thunderous applause erupted from the audience. Everyone was elated.
After the curtain call, we filed offstage. Sophia was directly in front of me, and I noticed something odd about her walk—one step high, one low, as if her ballet shoes were causing problems.
As I puzzled over this, she suddenly collapsed. Everyone was startled.
"Sophia, what's wrong?"
Sophia clutched her leg in agony. "It hurts so much..."
"Look! Is that blood on her toe shoes?" someone cried out in alarm.
I looked over and saw red marks on the tips of Sophia's shoes.
"Let me see." Lillian pushed through the crowd and carefully removed Sophia's shoes.
As soon as the shoes came off, everyone gasped—Sophia's feet were covered in blood!
"My God! How did this happen?"
"So much blood! Where's the director? Get the director!"
"Forget the director—call an ambulance! Quickly!"
Everyone descended into chaos. A sense of foreboding washed over me.
Just then, Director Samuel arrived. Seeing Sophia's injury, he became furious.
"Mr. Flores, someone put glass powder in Sophia's shoes! These tiny shards rub against the skin as the dancer moves, eventually breaking through and causing this bloody mess!" Lillian explained, her eyes red.
"Who did it? Did anyone see anything?" Samuel immediately looked at all of us.
The rest of us shook our heads.
Lillian, however, turned to me. "Mr. Flores, I know who it was."
Samuel pressed, "Who?"
"Lillian, don't," Sophia weakly tried to stop her.
"Sophia, Lucinda was trying to ruin you! She doesn't deserve your protection!"
As Lillian's words hung in the air, a deathly silence fell over the room. All eyes turned to me.
A chill ran down my spine. Had Sophia lost her mind? To frame me, she was willing to sacrifice her own career! An accusation like this—harming a fellow dancer—could get someone permanently blacklisted from the industry!
"Mr. Flores, it wasn't me. I didn't do it."
Samuel frowned deeply. "Lillian, Lucinda doesn't seem like that type of person. If you're accusing her, what proof do you have?"
"I saw it with my own eyes, and I have evidence!"
Lillian retrieved her phone from her locker and played a video for everyone. In the video, after Sophia and Lillian had put away their clothes and shoes and left, "I" sneaked in, took out a bottle containing white powder, opened it, and poured the entire contents into Sophia's shoes.
Icy dread crept up from my feet, freezing every nerve in my body.
I frantically denied it. "Mr. Flores, that's not me in the video! I never did this!"