Escape from Mr. Whitman (Emma and Theodore) novel Chapter 525

[Emma, what's wrong?]

Renee was waiting for her to continue.

She smiled faintly and replied: [Renee, love and hate both take so much energy. So, I don't hate anyone anymore. And I won't love anyone again either.]

Renee guessed that she and Sebastian must have broken up. She'd never been optimistic about them anyway, so it was better to rip the bandage off quickly. Still, she knew Emma must be hurting again.

Instead of offering hollow words of comfort, Renee decided to liven things up: [What do you mean you won't love anyone? Don't you love me?]

Emma chuckled. [I love you, I love you, I love you! Happy now?]

Renee sent back a 'besties' GIF.

Emma was now living with her aunt most of the time but still occasionally stopped by her old place near the school, perhaps for a lunch break or a quick shower after dance practice.

Sebastian was no longer next door, but his sister, Genevieve, still was. They would sometimes run into each other.

Genevieve still called her by her name, but warmly.

Emma found it difficult to face her, while Genevieve felt guilty about the whole situation, making their encounters mostly awkward.

Then one day, after greeting her, Genevieve didn't walk away. She stood there, looking like she wanted to say something.

Emma still felt a pang of guilt about Sebastian. If he was truly struggling because of her, she wouldn't be able to rest easy. She wanted to know how he was.

"Genevieve," she said, forcing a smile. "Is there something you want to talk about? How is your brother?"

Genevieve's eyes immediately reddened.

"What is it?" Emma grew anxious. Had something happened to Sebastian?

Genevieve quickly shook her head. "Emma, I was worried you hated me and would never speak to me again."

"Of course not," Emma said. It was just... she didn't know how to face anyone from the Remington family.

"My brother's doing alright now," Genevieve said. "He's started at the company and is really busy. And... my parents are setting him up on dates."

A weight lifted from Emma's shoulders. She genuinely hoped Sebastian would be happy.

"Please don't feel pressured, Emma," Genevieve added. "My parents will take good care of him. To be honest, my dad never really liked him dancing. Bringing him back home now is exactly what he wanted."

Emma set aside two days for auditions.

Her technique was solid. She performed the required combination flawlessly, her strength, flexibility, and control all commendable.

What truly shocked Emma was her choice for the free performance segment: a piece from *Forest Lullaby*. She danced it completely, her interpretation spot-on.

It was clear that if they didn't accept Isla, they couldn't accept anyone else.

After consulting with the company's senior members, they finalized the list of new hires. Isla's name was at the top.

With the new dancers on board, the company plunged into an even more intense rehearsal schedule. The second half of the year was packed with festivals and performances, and they already had several bookings.

For the first few weeks, Isla was a model dancer. Her exceptionally strong technique made her stand out, and Emma was already considering grooming her to be the next star.

But then, the starlet developed an attitude.

During rehearsals, she started constantly nitpicking Emma's work.