Chapter 5 - VICTORIA MERCER
Victoria Mercer arrived at Westbridge in a cream suit and never raised her voice.
She didn't need to.
She had donated $75,000 to renovate the auditorium three years earlier.
Her name appeared on a plaque near the lobby.
THE MERCER FAMILY PERFORMING ARTS FUND.
Elias saw it for the first time.
Now Chloe's confidence made more sense.
Victoria sat across from Dr. Foster and district arts coordinator Melanie Ortiz.
“My daughter made a stupid mistake with paint.”
Good.
She admitted something.
“But you're using teenage misconduct to cover an audition process that was compromised by an undisclosed relationship.”
Mr. Harrison said:
“There was no relationship with Elias.”
“With his father.”
“Twenty-three years ago.”
“Undisclosed.”
“I didn't know.”
Victoria smiled.
“Convenient.”
Elias watched from outside through glass? Better: he wasn't in the closed meeting. Later he heard summary.
Victoria demanded Chloe's immediate reinstatement.
District refused.
Then she threatened to withdraw funding.
Dr. Foster answered:
“Donations do not purchase disciplinary outcomes.”
That quote spread later.
Victoria did withdraw funding anyway.
The choir suddenly faced a problem.
District showcase travel budget depended partly on Mercer grant.
Buses.
Costumes.
Accompanist expenses.
Students became angry at Elias.
Not Chloe.
“If he just dropped it, we'd still go.”
“He got center and now everyone loses.”
Elias heard.
He considered withdrawing.
Mr. Harrison stopped him.
“If you leave because money was threatened, that's not a voluntary decision.”
“I don't want choir punished.”
“That isn't your responsibility.”
Still, Elias felt it.
Then something unexpected happened.
The other parents raised the bus money in twelve hours.
Small donations.
Fifty dollars.
Twenty.
Ten.
One anonymous $5,000 gift.
The showcase remained possible.
Victoria's leverage shrank.
Chloe became angrier.
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And Madison finally asked to speak privately.
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