Claire Montgomery
Listen to A Wise Choice by Claire Montgomery as a bilingual audiobook with synchronized read-along text in English and Serbian.
The morning sun streamed through the cotton curtains of Elena’s small bedroom, casting soft shadows across her wooden desk. An official envelope lay in the center of the desk, its metallic gold seal gleaming under the warm light. Elena took a deep breath before opening the letter that had arrived late yesterday evening. She unfolded the crisp paper, her eyes scanning the bold letters until they rested on the final figure. She had won first prize in the national sustainable design competition, along with a reward of five thousand dollars. For a moment, her breath caught in her throat as she stared at the impressive number. She had spent months researching plant-based materials and urban garden structures for her project submission. Winning felt like a dream come true, but the monetary prize was an even bigger surprise. Almost immediately, two conflicting thoughts raced through her mind regarding how to use the funds. On one hand, she had dreamed of purchasing a professional camera and attending an advanced design workshop in Italy. On the other hand, a folded piece of paper sat on the kitchen counter downstairs.