Tara Blue was a new singer with a bright smile and a powerful voice. She dreamed of recording her first album, and she thought her chance had come when Victor Vale, a famous record producer, invited her to his studio.
Victor was known for his charm, but he was also known for something else: he was extremely sneaky. He loved making secret deals, twisting words, and taking credit for other people’s work. He smiled all the time, but his smile never reached his eyes.
On the first day in the studio, Tara sang her heart out. Victor clapped loudly and said, “Brilliant! Amazing! You are the next big star!” But when Tara asked about the contract he had promised, Victor said, “Do not worry about the papers. Just trust me.”
Tara did not like this answer, but she wanted her dream to come true, so she stayed.
Over the next week, Victor became stranger. He changed the songs without telling her. He added electronic noises she did not like. He even told the sound engineer, “Make sure Tara’s voice is a little quieter. I want the music to be the main thing.”
Tara overheard him and felt her stomach twist. It was her album, not his. Why was he trying to hide her voice?
One evening, Tara found a document on the desk while Victor was out of the room. It was a contract, already prepared. When she read it, her face went cold. It said that Victor would own her songs, her voice recordings, and even her stage name. She would earn almost nothing.
When Victor came back in, she held the contract up and said, “What is this?”
Victor gave his usual smile. “Just a standard agreement. Everyone signs something like that.”
Tara shook her head. “I am not signing this. You are trying to take everything from me.”
Victor laughed softly. “My dear, without me, you are nothing.”
At that moment, the sound engineer, Ben, stepped into the room. He had heard everything.
“Tara,” he said, “you do not need him. I have recordings of all your original takes. The ones before he changed the music. They are amazing.”
Victor turned red. “Those recordings belong to me!”
Ben folded his arms. “Not unless Tara signs. And she has not.”
For the first time, Victor’s smile completely vanished.
Tara took a deep breath. “Thank you, Ben. I am leaving. And I am taking my voice with me.”
She walked out of the studio, Ben following behind her. Later that month, they released her songs independently, and to Victor’s horror, Tara became a huge success. Her album went straight into the top ten, and people praised her natural sound.
Victor tried to claim credit, but everyone knew the truth. His sneaky tricks had finally been exposed, and no one wanted to work with him anymore.
Tara, on the other hand, continued to shine. She worked honestly, kept control of her music, and never forgot the day she escaped the sneakiest producer in the business.
Vocabulary Notes
Sneaky
Meaning: Behaving in a secret, dishonest, or tricky way so other people do not notice.
Example: “He was extremely sneaky. He loved making secret deals…”
Similar words: sly, crafty, underhand, devious.
Twist (words)
Meaning: To change the meaning of something in a dishonest way.
Example: “He loved making secret deals, twisting words…”
Similar words: distort, misrepresent, bend the truth.
Overhear
Meaning: To hear something by accident, not because someone told you directly.
Example: “Tara overheard him and felt her stomach twist.”
Similar words: catch (something said), listen in, hear by chance.
Contract
Meaning: A written legal agreement between two or more people.
Example: “It was a contract, already prepared.”
Similar words: agreement, deal, document, legal paper.
Vanish
Meaning: To disappear suddenly or completely.
Example: “For the first time, Victor’s smile completely vanished.”
Similar words: disappear, fade, melt away, go missing.
Comprehension Questions
- Who is Tara Blue, and what is her dream?
- What kind of personality does Victor Vale have? Describe him using details from the story.
- Why does Tara feel uncomfortable when Victor tells her not to worry about the contract?
- What changes does Victor make to Tara’s songs without telling her?
- Why does Tara feel upset when she overhears Victor speaking to the sound engineer?
- What does Tara discover when she finds the contract on Victor’s desk?
- How does Victor react when Tara questions the contract?
- Who helps Tara stand up to Victor, and how does he help her?
- What happens to Tara’s music after she leaves Victor’s studio?
- What happens to Victor’s career at the end of the story? Why?
Answers
- Tara Blue is a new singer, and her dream is to record her first album.
- Victor Vale is charming on the surface but very sneaky and dishonest.
He makes secret deals, twists words, and tries to take credit for other people’s work. - Tara feels uncomfortable because Victor avoids giving her the contract, and she worries he is not being honest with her.
- Victor changes the songs without telling her, adds electronic noises she does not like, and even tells the engineer to make her voice quieter.
- She feels upset because Victor wants her voice to be less important, even though it is her album. It shows he is trying to control the project unfairly.
- She discovers that the contract would give Victor ownership of her songs, recordings, and even her stage name, leaving her with almost nothing.
- Victor laughs, says it is a standard agreement, and tells her she is nothing without him, showing his arrogance.
- Ben, the sound engineer, helps her.
He kept copies of her original recordings and tells her she does not need Victor. - After leaving Victor, Tara releases her music independently, and it becomes very successful, reaching the top ten.
- Victor’s career falls apart because people discover his sneaky behaviour, and no one wants to work with him anymore.
Story written by ChatGPT.
Image created by ChatGPT.
CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads.
Reading Short Stories/Content for English Learners 
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