Chapter 9 — The Mother Who Stole Her Dream

09

As soon as Ms. Lam's sentence ended, the eyes of everyone in the hall turned to her. My mother's face turned pale for a moment, then she immediately raised her voice.

“I did it because I wanted it to be good!”

"His leg was injured like that but he still tried to jump. Who would be responsible if he jumped until he became disabled?"

Duong Duong was so angry that he burst out laughing.

"When he didn't have food to eat, why weren't you afraid that he would starve to death?"

My mother glared at her.

“Shut up!”

Miss Lam stood between me and her and immediately called the selection office of the City Dance Troupe. The call was quickly connected. Ms. Lam told me the name of the academy and my name.

“We want to confirm whether student Khuong Le's pre-qualification status has been canceled or not.”

The sound of documents being flipped was heard on the other end. A few seconds later, the other person replied:

“The system shows that Khuong Le has asked to drop out of the preliminary round due to health reasons.”

My finger holding the phone gradually tightened. Ms. Lam looked at me.

“The student is next to me now. She hasn't given up.”

The other person was also surprised.

“But in the morning we received a call from the parents, and in the afternoon we received a waiver confirmation.”

In the hall, there was a soft sound of chatter. My mother's lips moved, her eyes began to wander. Ha Minh Triet's voice became lower.

“May I ask who submitted that confirmation?”

The other said:

“The note states that the submitter is authorized by the student.”

“The file has the student's signature and identification information.”

My heart is cold. I never signed any waiver. I have never given my identification information to anyone else to handle this matter. Duong Duong immediately looked at my mother.

“You forged his signature?”

My mother screamed.

“Don't spit blood on people!”

"Who can blame him for throwing his things around?"

As soon as the words came out, she herself stopped. Ha Minh Triet raised his eyes to look at her.

"Miss Dinh, just now you said her things were lying around."

“How do you know there is identification information in the file?”

My mother's face became even more unsightly. My younger brother pulled her sleeve and lowered his voice.

“Mom, let's go.”

But she rode on the tiger's back and couldn't get off anymore. She sat down on the ground, pounding her thighs and crying.

“You all bully me!”

"I am a mother, can I still harm my daughter?"

“His leg is not suitable for dancing, so what if I refuse to replace him?”

Finally I spoke up.

“I'm not afraid your leg will be injured.”

I looked at her.

“I'm afraid that if you join the City Dance Troupe, you won't be controlled by me anymore.”

Her crying stopped. I continue:

"I'm afraid you have a salary."

“I'm afraid I have a place to stay.”

“I'm afraid the money my grandmother left behind will reach me.”

“I'm even more afraid that you will turn over all the books over the years.”

A ferocious look flashed in her eyes. At that moment, I knew I was right. Ms. Lam said to the other end of the line:

“Please do not block Khuong Le's pre-qualification application.”

“The school will immediately send an explanation.”

The opponent seems awkward.

“The list will be finalized before six o'clock tonight.”

“If there is truly a problem with the application, the student must submit a withdrawal request before six o'clock.”

Miss Lam immediately asked:

“What time is it?”

Duong Duong looked at the clock.

“Five hours eight minutes.”

Only fifty-two minutes left before six o'clock. The dean immediately said:

“To the text room."

“I will seal the academy.”

I was just about to follow, but the other end of the line added:

“One more thing.”

“The waiver must not be submitted online, but must be brought in person to the admissions office.”

“The security guard has written down the name of the deliverer.”

I stopped walking. Ms. Lam asked:

“Who is it?”

The opponent turned over the registration book.

“Manh Tinh.”

The whole hall suddenly fell silent. Duong Duong raised his head.

“Isn't she the backup main dancer of our class?”

My mother's crying completely stopped. I finally understood why the laughter in the cafeteria sounded so familiar.

10

When the name Manh Tinh was mentioned, even my younger brother was stunned. It looked at my mother.

“Are you still looking for her?”

My mother immediately pushed his hand away.

“I don't know it!”

“Which Manh Tinh? I've never heard of it!”

Duong Duong coldly said:

"You don't know her, so how did she know Khuong Le was about to participate in the preliminary round of the City Dance Troupe?"

My mother opened her mouth but couldn't answer. Ms. Lam did not let her continue to cause trouble. She told the dean to take me to the office to complete the documents first, and asked the security guard to guard the lobby door. My mother wanted to follow but was stopped by Ha Minh Triet.

"Miss Dinh, from now on every word you say can become part of future investigation documents."

Her face stiffened, and in the end she did not dare to rush forward anymore. In the office, the computer is turned on, the printer makes a beeping sound. Ms. Lam wrote an explanation and asked me to recount the incident.