"Sorry, everyone. This piece is too difficult, and my hand is a little uncomfortable today." She paused. "But as it happens, my sister—the former genius pianist Alex Henson—is also here. I'd like to invite her up to help me finish the second half. What do you all say?"
The spotlight hit me.
I narrowed my eyes at the stage.
She did it on purpose. She was the only person in Rongcheng who knew my hand was ruined.
"Alex Henson? Didn't she retire?"
"Let her play! Let's see if the genius is still there!"
Marcus looked at me. "Go. Sophia is giving you a chance—don't be ungrateful. Perfect time to get your feel back. Stop touching that worthless scrap metal all day and making your hands rough."
I sat in the shadows and didn't move.
His face darkened. He strode over and grabbed my wrist. "What are you still throwing a tantrum about? With this many people watching, do you want to humiliate Sophia?"
He squeezed hard—right where the bones had broken.
"I'm not going."
"You don't get to decide."
He dragged me up from my seat and shoved me toward the stage. "Play. If you don't play well today, I'll bulldoze your crappy repair shop flat."
I stumbled onto the stage.
The lights were blinding.