With only two days left until Lightning Dance Studio's major performance, Ashley found her schedule packed. She spent her entire day rehearsing, rushing to her side job at a film studio as soon as practice ended, a secret she kept from everyone at the dance studio.
A fellow dancer invited her, "Want to join us for dinner?"
Ashley, always preferring not to waste time on meaningless social gatherings, declined with a straightforward, "No, thanks."
At the time, Ashley didn't realize that her refusal would give Alexis Meanwell, a dancer at the dance studio who had never accepted her, an opportunity to exploit.
Ashley had long heard Alexis grumbling about her supposedly having gotten in through the back door and looking down on everyone else.
Ashley didn't care about such talk, but others
