The Year She Stopped Being Crazy for Him novel Chapter 19

Natalie had just changed into her practice gear and arrived at the studio when the head director walked in. She paused, catching his shifty, evasive gaze.

"Natalie, there's been a last-minute casting change for the lead dancer. You don't need to rehearse today."

Leaning against the wall, she raised an eyebrow. "A change? To who?"

"Mr. Carlson requested that this opportunity go to Ms. Sutton. You can still stay on as a lead dancer, but you'll be reassigned to the third floor..."

The third floor was strictly for rookies. They barely ever got stage time. Yet the director's tone implied she should be eternally grateful for such a blatantly humiliating demotion.

She lowered her eyes, masking whatever thoughts were churning inside her head. A moment later, she offered a sweet, flawless smile. "Sure."

The director breathed a massive sigh of relief. It seemed Natalie was still the same old Natalie—the moment Hassan Carlson's name was dropped, she'd cave to anything.

Hassan's assistant had specifically warned him to keep things civil and avoid a blowup. He had genuinely feared she was going to tear the studio apart.

Kara Langley swaggered over. She was a veteran at the Kingswood Arts Center, having been there far longer than Natalie.

"Don't act like Gardenia stole your spotlight," she sneered. "It belonged to her in the first place. You're the one who stole it from her. She's just taking back what's rightfully hers."

Natalie scoffed, her lips curling into a mocking smirk. "Can she even dance?"

Kara's face flushed with anger. "Natalie! So what if she's physically impaired? She works harder than anyone else! She earned this opportunity herself."

Natalie nodded slowly. "Oh, right. She earned it. It had absolutely nothing to do with external strings being pulled. An impaired dancer suddenly getting shoehorned into a nationally televised performance... I'm really curious how that works."

Smack!

A vicious slap struck Natalie's face. Her skin instantly flushed a furious, swollen red.

Without missing a beat, Natalie raised her hand to strike back.

But an even faster, brutally strong hand clamped around her wrist like a vice.

She followed the line of those elegant fingers upward, taking in the familiar luxury watch, the sapphire cufflinks, the sharp black suit, and the breathtakingly handsome face she had once loved with every fiber of her being.

One by one, every single person in the room stepped forward, unanimously aligning themselves with Gardenia.

The blood in Natalie's veins turned to ice. Four years of camaraderie, yet they had never once viewed her as one of their own. Gardenia was the only one they recognized.

Her throat grew so painfully dry she couldn't speak.

No wonder Hassan had pulled strings to get her into this specific company. He merely viewed her as a convenient placeholder for Gardenia. Now that the rightful owner was back, the disposable tool was expected to make a swift exit.

The choreographer gently tugged at Natalie's sleeve. "Natalie, staying on the third floor isn't the end of the world. If a spot opens up, I'll talk to the director about moving you up to the fourth floor. I know it doesn't compare to the main stage, but..."

Natalie gave a stiff nod. "Thank you for trying," she choked out, her voice horribly raspy.

She spun around and walked out. She had already drafted a resignation letter and left it in her locker, originally planning to hand it in after her final performance.

It seemed she wouldn't have to wait that long.

Having calmed the rest of the troupe down, Kara turned to Hassan. "Mr. Carlson, I'm so sorry. I couldn't control my temper. The way she was talking about Gardenia... I just couldn't hold back."