NovelEnglish
Then, Karl’s brown eyes almost seem to gloss over, and he shakes his head.
“No,” he says, the denial in his voice immediate and almost instinctive. “I didn’t
try to bribe the judges. Daniel is lying.”
But even as he speaks I can see the flicker, the slightest shift in his eyes that
betrays him. My heart sinks even more than it already has.
“Karl, don’t you dare lie to me.” My voice breaks, a crack in the facade of
strength and poise that I’m desperately trying to maintain right now. “I know you.
We used to be married. I can always tell when something’s off with you.”
For a moment, he just stares at me, and it’s like I can see the war raging behind
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇthis eyes. Then, finally, he lets out a deep and exasperated sigh.
Enter title…
“Okay,” he says quietly, sinking down onto a stack of boxes behind him. He tugs
his mask down so I can finally see his entire face, and then he runs a hand
through his already-tousled hair.
“Okay?” I murmur, taking a tentative step forward. “What is that supposed to
mean?”
Karl is quiet for several more moments that feel like an eternity, and it makes me
want to reach across the tiny supply closet and throttle him. But then, finally, he
speaks.
“Daniel only has half of the truth, though,” he says, his brown eyes lifting to meet
my gaze.
I frown and fold my arms across my chest. “Explain. I don’t have much time.”
As if on cue, the PA system outside flickers to life, muffled through the door of
the supply closet: “Contestants, please return to your marks in five minutes.
Repeat, this is your five minute warning.”
Karl pinches the bridge of his nose and shakes my head. “Alright,” he says, as
though battling with something unspoken. “I… I did try to talk to the judges.”
My heart feels like it stops. The supply closet feels as though it’s shrinking, like
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmI’m caught between four walls that are closing in and will slowly crush me. The
air feels hot and thick, and I can hardly breathe. I find myself taking a few steps
back and leaning against the door, one hand clutching my chest and the other
reaching for the door handle.
“You… why would you do that?” I murmur, my voice choked and thin.
Karl, seeing the disdain in my eyes, suddenly shoots to his feet. “Abby, I swear,
it’s not what you think,” he says, his hand reaching for me.
But I slap his hand away, shaking my head. “No. This can’t be happening. You…
You shouldn’t have done that, Karl!” I say, my voice rising. “No wonder the
judges hate me. No wonder I’ve been doomed to fail this whole time. Because
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