Frogs and Foolproof Plans

Vivienne’s praise hung in the air. No one questioned it—nods and faint smiles said all that needed saying.

The challenge, though, was another matter. It hadn’t gone unnoticed. It drew quieter reactions—nothing overt, just a faint shift of attention, a shared awareness among those who already knew how things stood… and how stubbornly certain people continued to pretend otherwise.

On the screen, t