EXCERPT FROM BETRAYED - A romantic suspense novel | Page 22
MORGAN ST. JAMES
head about traipsing all over the country dancin’ for rich folk,
but it’s just plain nonsense, hear me? I won’t let it happen.”
Laurel pleaded, but Maude was past listening to her
daughter and screamed over her. “Shut up. It’s always about
you. Laurie, Laurie, Laurie. Does your sister dream of playing
the accordion at Carnegie Hall? Does your brother think he’ll be
a professional football player when he gets out of the Air Force?
Know what your problem is? You think you’re better than all of
us.”
Exhausted from the outburst, she’d dabbed at her damp
face with the wrinkled handkerchief she always carried tucked
into her sleeve.
More angry words tumbled out helter-skelter while her
daughter’s eyes flashed fire. In a desperate last attempt, Laurel
shouted, “You’re wrong, Mama. It’s not foolish. Why can’t you
understand? This is what I’ve worked for all these years. The
New York City Ballet wants me, Laurel Murphy. Why won’t you
even listen?”
From that moment, Maude squashed the sound of her
daughter’s whimpers farther and farther into the depths of her
memory. “You’re killing me, Mama. You’re smashing my dream
into pieces and killing me.” The memory of the pitiful plea
tormented her.
Nothing would ever erase the vision. Without warning, her
daughter had twirled faster and faster on one leg, as though
driven by the devil himself. Unable to stop, she kept crying, “It’s
my life—my life—my life—.” The sound of her shrieks had filled
the shabby living room with raw grief. Maude never questioned
why the girl couldn’t seem to stop spinning and screaming.
Instead, she had simply watched the spectacle unfold for what
seemed like an eternity. Finally Laurel tumbled to the floor like
a ragdoll, her body heaving with deep sobs.
After that awful day the fire in Laurie’s eyes dimmed bit-bybit, until nothing was left but a dead stare. Those empty eyes
haunted her now, unseeing, as though Laurel was in the room
at that very moment. Her daughter finally said in an
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