Dumping The Ice King His Mini-Tyrant novel Chapter 348

Some parents sat in their seats, choosing not to join the argument. Instead, they kept their heads down, editing the video they’d just recorded before uploading it online.

“If Dafina refuses to quit, then let her make a fool of herself onstage,” one mother muttered.

“The audience knows exactly what’s going on. If she drags down my daughter’s performance, I’ll make sure she’s torn apart by the internet,” another replied.

A few parents whispered together, their words sharp and poisonous.

“Mommy,”

Daph’s voice was barely above a whisper as she tugged at Selene’s hand. Selene curled her daughter’s small, chubby fingers into her own palm.

Daph bit her lip, her other hand pressed to her chest, fingers nervously picking at the rhinestones on her costume. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, lashes casting shadows across her cheeks.

“I… I think I should just quit.”

She’d made up her mind. Even as she’d put on her costume earlier, some of the other kids had giggled behind her back.

When she asked why, they told her it was because she was fat.

Daph didn’t think she was fat—she liked herself just fine. But after she made a mistake onstage, doubt began to creep in.

Selene knelt down in front of her. “Daph, is that really what you want?”

Daph nodded, head bobbing with conviction. Selene had always respected her choices.

Daph reached up and took off the white feather headband from her hair. Her dark hair tumbled down, and Selene gently ran her fingers through the strands, smoothing them out.

“I don’t want to be laughed at. When I’m on stage, dancing, the way some people look at me… it just makes me feel awful.”

She glanced over at her dance teacher.

“Miss Hargrove, if you don’t like me, you can just say so. You don’t have to pretend to be nice in front of me. I’m five, but I don’t drink strong tea.”

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