Rebirth: Love me Again

Chapter 124 A Stage Set for Drama

[EVE]

The bell had barely rung, signaling the end of the school day, when I found myself being herded toward the auditorium for the after-school practice session.

Our school's rendition of

Cinderella

was coming up fast, and as much as I pretended to be annoyed about having to stay late, I had to play my part as a graduating student.

Besides, there was no way I'd pass up the chance to get back at Sophie.

I was cast as one of the evil stepsisters, and with Riri playing the other, our scenes were guaranteed to be

entertaining

—if nothing else.

Riri and I were in full character as we took center stage, circling around Sophie, who was playing Cinderella.

Sophie, in her plain rags costume, was crouched down on the floor, pretending to scrub it with a cloth, her expression perfectly conveying the downtrodden heroine.

Riri and I, on the other hand, were fully embracing our roles as the cruel stepsisters. I leaned in, lifting my chin haughtily, and gave Sophie a look that could curdle milk.

"Oh, dear sister," I drawled, flicking an imaginary speck of dust from my sleeve. "Do you think this peasant girl even knows how to clean properly? Look at this mess!"

Riri gasped in exaggerated horror, clutching her chest like she'd been mortally wounded. "You're right! It's absolutely filthy! Cinderella, you're doing a terrible job as usual!"

She nudged Sophie with her toe, and I caught the slight twitch of annoyance in Sophie's eye.

Sophie was a natural actress; she knew how to play the victim without overdoing it. Her eyes filled with fake tears as she looked up at us, trembling in her pretend fear.

"I'm trying my best," she said softly, her voice laced with just the right amount of hopelessness.

Was I seeing things?

As the scene continued, I could tell the president's was getting a bit exasperated with Daniel's lackluster performance, but what could she do? It wasn't like we could replace him at this point.

And besides, the main selling point of our

Cinderella

play was Daniel as the prince. Without him, probably half the girls on campus wouldn't even bother to show up.

Riri and I continued our part, hamming it up as much as possible.

We both towered over Sophie, our voices filled with mock disdain. "You think the Prince would ever want to dance with

you

?" I said, my voice dripping with false pity. "You're nothing but a lowly servant!"

Sophie straightened up, her eyes flashing with determination. Even though this was just a rehearsal, I could see a genuine spark in her performance, like she was channeling her frustration at us into her acting.

"I may be a servant now," she said, her voice firm, "but one day, I'll be more than that."

I raised an eyebrow. It wasn't part of the script, but fine, whatever . . .

"Know your place, maid!" I declared, pointing sharply at Sophie. But to everyone's surprise, she stumbled backward, collapsing to the floor in a dramatic heap.

"You don't have to push me like that!" she cried out, instantly drawing the attention of the entire cast.

"Eve! What the hell are you doing? That's not in the script!" someone shouted from the side.

I blinked, stunned. I hadn't even touched her.

Oh, right . . . Sophie was putting on her usual performance, pretending to be the fragile damsel in distress, and I was the usual bully.Nôv(el)B\\jnn