Chapter 22
Norman polled back from her touch, his face hand and distant. “You’re inflating your importance, Iris. The moment you walked away from me after my ALS diagnosis, any feelings I had tot you disappeared
“Everything I did since then was because I was bitter about you abandoning me. That’s why I won you back, enjoying the hollow sense of achievement that came with admiration and obsession
your
“Everyday, I regret not realizing how I felt about Juliet sooner. That’s what led to this tragedy.”
Tears rolled down his face as he looked at Juliet. “Juliet, you’re the one I’ve always loved. But it was already too late by the time I figured it out. I swear, from now on “But I don’t feel the same way,” Juliet cut him off. “Don’t ever come near me again. I don’t want you in my life”
Norman’s face went pale, his expression contorting with agony, “Juliet, do you have any idea that seeing you came at the price of a death? I’ve been through death 100 times.” Juliet didn’t answer. She simply walked away. Time was too valuable to spend on anything other than chasing her dreams.
A few days later, Juliet took her seat in the VIP section at Iris‘ solo concert.
Iris‘ mother, Thelma Blumer, walked up and handed her a pair of emerald earrings. “Ms. Yule, I can’t thank you enough for being there for tris and helping her find her spark
Jullet gave a soft smile. “It’s truly my pleasure. Has Iris finished her new song yet? I’m looking forward to hearing it.”
Thelma’s face tightened for a moment before she replied with a forced sweetness, “She’s almost there”
As the concert was about to begin, Juliet wanted to say something encouraging to Iris.
Her brow furrowed in contusion as she asked, “Iris, I couldn’t help but notice a white figure following you. Could that be Juliet? Did she come to hear you perform? iris face went pale, and she quickly looked over her shoulder.
However, she regained her composure instantly and responded, “Could be Jullet always loved my songs when she was around.”
Juliet gave a small smile but didn’t say anything else. She turned and headed back to her seat.
Then, she pulled out her phone and typed a quick message “Mow in ten.”
Iris sang with intense passion, her energy filling the stage. Then, without warning, the background music stopped, leaving only her dry, strained voice.
Hur tans below the stage were in shock, their murmurs quickly rising into chorus of confusion and disbelief.
“Wait, Iris has been lip–syncing all along? Is her actual voice that terrible? I could sing better than that!”
“So, Iris isn’t the one who sang “Splendor? Then who’s been singing for us all this time?
“If that’s the case, then none of Iris‘ songs were actually hers. She didn’t write or sing them. This is a total fraud. I want my money back!”
“rofessor Lustig, that big name in the music industry, couldn’t stop raving about her talent, calling her a once–in–a–generation voice. Did she sleep with him to get him to say that! He really tarnished his reputation with that one!”
Irving staged onto the stage, his voice tack with anger, “You’ve got it all wrong! I was deceived, too! I had no idea she was using pre–recorded tracks for every performance!” He spun around to face Iris, his eyes blazing with rage.
*You saw sky, manipulative Bar! So, it was you who stole Juliet’s ‘Years Gone By and framed the for stealing your song, pushing her to her death at such a young age! Someone as vile as you doesn’t deserve to be up here, let alone liave a fabase. Get off the stagel”
The fans below exploded in Pury
How could that bonewrecked something like this? She didn’t just steal Juliet’s work; she took her husband, too. How does she even live with herself?”
“I heard that years app, the serial killer posted on Facebook claiming lets was his target, but in the end, it was Juliet–who looked just like her–who ended up dead. Now it’s otrious she’r gotten Mr. Walsh to do her dirty work. What a pair of disgusting monsters!”
iris stood utterly defenseless as the flous crowd pelted her with eggs and scraps of vegetables, leading her disheveled and humiliated.
She shielded her age and attempted to escape the stage, but Jullet stepped in her path.
“Ms. Ruth, you took a file, and now you think you can just walk away from 10
