When I mentioned that the exercises she made Ruby do after gaining weight caused her to resist, Hailey went silent.
I knew then that Hailey was angry.
Hailey was the best teacher in town, highly skilled and very strict.
She believed that hard work and talent were equally important. Without strong willpower, you shouldn't pursue ballet.
She was strict with the kids, weighing them at every class.
If any of the kids gained weight, she would increase their exercise, both to help them slim down and to instill habits for maintaining their figure.
"If you don't want to go pro, then by all means, do what makes you comfortable. But if you want to achieve your dreams, only discipline can bring freedom."
Hailey had always said that if you chose her as a teacher, you must trust her.
She had seen many talented students fall by the wayside and knew this path was littered with quitters.
Her time was limited, and she wouldn't waste a second on students who lacked determination.
When I told her what Ruby had said, she stayed silent for a while and didn't try to convince me otherwise.
After hanging up, I smiled at Ruby.
I thought Ruby would be happy. Instead, she rushed at me. "Mom, why did you tell Ms. Hall?!"
Her face was filled with panic, her eyes full of resentment. It caught me off guard.
After all, in my past life, she always said she didn't want to learn ballet, that it made her miserable.
Seeing Ruby's beautiful face so close, I really wanted to slap her and ask why she was so heartless!
But now wasn't the time.
I clenched my fist tightly and calmly said, "Didn't you say you didn't want to learn anymore and even talked about suicide? Ruby, nothing is more important than your health."
Ruby's face flushed, then turned pale. After a moment, she finally said, "But the school's arts performance is coming up. Wouldn't it be a shame to quit now?"
She cautiously looked at me. "Maybe… I could just go on a little trip to clear my head, and then that's it."
In my past life, Ruby had shone at the school's arts performance.
She became the dream girl of countless boys and caught the eye of the head of the dance department at Manvelle University. From then on, everything went smoothly for her.
Suddenly, I understood.
She wanted the spotlight again. She had just used the threat of suicide to get me to agree to her little trip.
She had always been a selfish, ungrateful brat.