Nicole dumped everything in her hand and, without even looking at her assistant, stomped away from the stage.
The young assistant instantly burst into tears. She was at a complete loss of what to do.
Stella closed her eyes and sighed.
âWhat is the situation?â she asked.
âThe organizer wanted her to give a short performance,â the assistant replied. âShe was supposed to play the piano ââ
Her words were interrupted by brief pauses because she was sobbing so hard, but Stella still managed to grasp the gist of what she said.
âSo youâll be alright as long as you get someone to go up there and play the piano, right?â
âWell, I guessâ¦
>>
Nicole was not that famous after all, so it didnât matter much if someone else performed in her place. But where on earth could she find another gorgeous lass who doubled as a piano player to replace Nicole?
âDo you have a dress or some other kind of costume?â Stella asked. âIâll quickly change into it and play in her place.â
âYou?â the young woman looked at Stella with surprise.
She went on to observe Stella more closely and was a little stunned. There was no doubt that this woman was very beautiful indeed. She might not even need the makeup because she was such a natural beauty, and her facial features were definitely superior to those of Nicole Douglas.
âButâ¦â the young woman hesitated. âCan you actually play the piano?â
Evidently, she had been paying little attention to the classical music scene.
Stella felt a little helpless. She was indeed not so famous that everyone in this city could recognize her.
âYes,â Stella assured her. âJust tell me what she was going to play.â
The young woman realized that she had no other choice but to give it a try since she desperately needed someone to replace Nicole Douglas right now. At the very least, it would be better than being publicly mocked and criticized.
And so she decided to agree to Stellaâs plan.
âOkay,â she reluctantly replied through gritted teeth. The dressing room is backstage. Follow me.â
When Nicole noticed that Stella really was going to perform in her place, the anger that had accumulated inside her almost exploded. She scowled at Stella, anticipating for her to make a fool of herself.
â(
Stella swiftly changed into the costume and followed the young woman up onto the stage. She glanced at her watch and realized that she had just enough time to perform this song before dinner.
Once she was up there, the organizer grimaced and went offstage to ask the assistant, âWhat the hellâs going on? Thatâs not the woman whoâs supposed to be performing!â
âIâm sorry, but something came up, and this lady stepped in just in time and agreed to help outâ¦â
âBut can she really play?â the organizer asked, full of skepticism.
After all, even Nicole Douglas, who had been rehearsing here over and over again, could barely pass as palatable. It was clear at a glance that she was a complete amateur who only accepted the job for the money.
Because of that, he assumed that all these entertainers were the sameâa vapid, unprofessional lot who got to where they were by relying on their good looks, skilled at hustling for freebies while lying to the public and their fans.
Naturally, he assumed that Stella was no different.
The assistant shook her head. Her face grew pale.
It was not that she didnât trust Stella, but in this situation, it was simply impossible that she didnât worry about what was going to happen.
Stella glanced at the noisy crowd in front of the stage. She was completely calm as she placed her fingers on the piano keys and gently pressed them.