Chapter 2She Ruined All Practice Pianos One Day Before My Music Audition

The atmosphere in the room instantly turned toxic. Dozens of hostile eyes locked onto me like laser sights.

Oliver tightened his grip, his voice booming off the soundproof walls.

"You are so incredibly fake. You're probably cursing Lola in your head right now."

"You think if you report her for vandalism, you'll eliminate your biggest competition, right?"

"You want the board to disqualify Lola just so you can finally achieve your pathetic little music dream."

His baseless, psychotic accusations instantly ignited the class.

The practice room exploded into a frenzy.

"Oh my god, her heart is literally black."

"Lola literally just defended you, and you want to ruin her entire life?"

"Classic snake behavior. Lola's kindness is totally wasted on trash like her."

"We can't let her leave. We need to teach her a lesson today so she doesn't try to sabotage us tomorrow."

Someone shouted the order, and a group of guys aggressively stormed over to my piano.

They moved with brutal efficiency. One of them snatched my thick binder of sheet music right off the music stand.

It was the repertoire I had spent three grueling years perfecting. The margins were filled with thousands of handwritten notes from masterclasses and late-night practice sessions.

"What are you even practicing for? Trash like you doesn't deserve to touch a piano."

A sharp, violent tearing sound ripped through the air.

They tore my sheet music in half with their bare hands. The shredded pages fluttered through the air like dead winter leaves.

The entire class erupted into roaring cheers.

Not a single person thought this was wrong.

A few girls even walked over and intentionally dug their expensive heels into my ruined notes.

"Trash paper for a trash person. Perfect match."

The rage boiling in my chest threatened to override my sanity, but I bit down on my lower lip so hard I tasted copper.

Fighting back now would only give them an excuse to physically lock me in a closet and make me miss the exam entirely.

I violently yanked my wrist out of Oliver's grip and bent down to gather the torn, dirty pages.

Oliver lifted his heavy sneaker and stomped down hard on the back of my hand.

"I told you. As long as I'm breathing, you aren't going anywhere near the faculty office."

"I will never let you hurt Lola."

Just as the mob was gearing up to humiliate me further, the heavy wooden door of the practice room swung open.

Professor Harrison, the head of the piano department, walked in carrying a clipboard with the final audition roster.

He froze in the doorway, completely stunned by the chaotic scene.

"What the hell is going on in here?"

He slammed his clipboard onto the lid of the nearest grand piano. The loud, hollow bang echoed like a gunshot.

"Tomorrow is the state conservatory audition. The best musicians in the country are making their final preparations, and you lot are in here forming a lynch mob?"

Professor Harrison's sharp eyes scanned the room. His gaze locked onto Oliver's shoe pressing down on my hand. His face turned dangerously dark.

"Get back to your seats. Now."

Oliver reluctantly lifted his foot, shooting me a lethal glare and dragging his thumb across his throat before backing away.

Lola immediately trotted over to Professor Harrison. She gently tugged on the sleeve of his tweed jacket, her eyes pooling with fresh, glistening tears.

"Professor... please don't be mad. It's all Lola's fault."

"Everyone has been working so hard and getting so stressed. Lola just wanted everyone to hear a softer, gentler tone to help ease their anxiety."

"Lola just loves everyone so much. I wanted to give them a beautiful memory before we all graduate."

Her pathetic, whimpering routine instantly melted the hearts of the guys standing nearby.

A few of the top-ranked students in the class loudly voiced their support.

"Professor, we are engaging in experimental artistic exploration. Is it a crime to pursue a different tonal aesthetic?"

"We are the elite musicians of this academy. Being a little flat isn't going to stop us from getting perfect scores. We aren't robots."