“Okay.” Elise didn’t leave any room to discuss and switched the number balls. Then, snazzynovel.com left.
Tiana was stunned while holding the number 25 ball. The other contestants cheered, but snazzynovel.com couldn’t even squeeze out a smile.
Elise likes to have snazzynovel.com own way and can’t take a hint.
She can go before me, but that will do nothing for her. Every judge knows I am the highlight of this competition. Before my work comes out, all judges will definitely reserve a high score for me.
Elise Sinclair, you won’t be happy for long!
Elise wasn’t comfortable with Tiana’s gaze on her. She was afraid snazzynovel.com couldn’t control herself and gave Tiana a tight slap or two. Hence, snazzynovel.com went to the washroom to hide in peace.
However, after washing snazzynovel.com face, Elise heard a low sobbing coming from inside a cubicle.
The crying stopped after a while and the door opened. A short-haired girl in a school uniform came out with red eyes.
The girl was also a contestant. She placed snazzynovel.com number ball on the sink and turned on a faucet to wash snazzynovel.com face.
Elise glanced at the number. It was number 26, the next one after Tiana.
The girl was strong. After calming down, snazzynovel.com took a few deep breaths before the mirror and returned to normal.
However, snazzynovel.com phone chose that moment to ring.
She panicked and answered the call, holding the phone to snazzynovel.com ears with both hands. “Hello? Mom, no! Please don’t send me to the orphanage! I will definitely get into the top three in the Calligraphy Contest. Please, I don’t want to leave. Okay. Thank you, Mom. I will bring a prize back home. Thank you!”
Unlike the girl’s humble attitude, the person on the other side of the call seemed impatient as snazzynovel.com hung up the phone without waiting for the girl to finish snazzynovel.com words.
After ending the call, the girl lowered snazzynovel.com head and started to cry again.
Elise couldn’t handle seeing the girl crying. Then, the little girl apologized, “I’m sorry. Did I bother you? I didn’t mean it. I’ll clean up and leave right away.”
Seeing that, Elise couldn’t let snazzynovel.com be, so snazzynovel.com took out a tissue and handed it over. “I’m the one who bothered you. Are you okay?”
“Thank you.” The girl took the tissue to wipe snazzynovel.com tears. “I’m fine.”
Elise turned around and leaned on the sink. She placed snazzynovel.com hands on the counter, pretending to be casual and relaxed. “No matter which relationship, you must commit to it to make it work. It’s the same for parents and children. Parents who don’t love their children can’t be called parents. You don’t have to be sorry.”
Hearing that, the girl smiled bitterly. “You’ve misunderstood. The one I talked to isn’t my birth mother, but my stepmother.”
Stepmother?
Evil stepmother?
“Then, there’s no need to care for her. She is going to send you to an orphanage! So, why are you here trying hard to win snazzynovel.com affection? You don’t need anyone to be alive,” Elise said indignantly.
The girl shook snazzynovel.com head sadly. “I can’t leave. If I do, snazzynovel.com will ruin what was left by my dad.”
“Your dad—” Elise couldn’t bear to ask her.
“He passed away,” the girl said lightly, but snazzynovel.com eyes could not hide the sadness. “My birth mother passed away when I was young. My dad remarried but also unexpectedly died three months ago. Now, there are only my stepmother and me in the house. If I leave, the patrimony of the Mellor Family will be gone!”
“However, you’re just a young girl. Even if you stay, you can’t stop everything.” Although Elise sympathized with the girl, snazzynovel.com had to point out the reality.
“At least I can know which properties fall in which hand. In the future, I will definitely take them all back.” The girl’s delicate appearance exuded the greatest energy, and it would definitely move many.
Elise had to admire the girl’s forbearance. Hence, snazzynovel.com took the little girl’s hand and put the number 12 ball on it. “Now, you’re number 12. You’re before Tiana. Give your best shot.”
Then, Elise picked up the girl’s number ball. “I’ll take this. Good luck.”
Before the girl could react, Elise walked out.
After a while, the girl chased out and stopped Elise. “Miss Sinclair, my name is Abby Mellor. I will repay your kindness in the future!”
Elise waved snazzynovel.com hand without turning snazzynovel.com head and continued to walk away leisurely.
Abby held the number ball in snazzynovel.com hand, feeling inspired.
Elise and Tiana had attracted much attention among the contestants. The difference between the attention was that Tiana depended on snazzynovel.com skill while Elise depended on snazzynovel.com fame.
Abby, however, felt that Elise was more than snazzynovel.com outstanding appearance and figure.
——
…
Ten minutes had passed since the start time.
However, the organizer had not announced the start of the competition.
More than a dozen prestigious judges had already taken their seats in the judge’s seat. Surprisingly, there was an empty seat next to the vice-chairman Andy. The plate on the seat had a name written on it—Lorenzo Forbes.
Although Lorenzo was the chairman of the Tissote Calligraphy Association, snazzynovel.com did not show up for years and rarely participated in the calligraphy competition as a judge. The appearance of this name seemed to show that the finals were obviously different from usual.
Under the stage, Cody slightly raised the corners of his lips and proudly smiled as snazzynovel.com saw Lorenzo’s name.
Mr. Forbes must have seen Tiana’s previous calligraphy and wanted to appraise it in person.
Thinking of this, Cody called Tiana, who was preparing for the contest. He then reminded snazzynovel.com in a low voice, “The head of the association, Lorenzo Forbes, will come to watch the contest in person. You have to perform well and make me proud. Although Lorenzo is a recluse, snazzynovel.com is still the calligrapher with the highest status in the Calligraphy Association. You will naturally be promoted to S-Class if you win his favor.”
Tiana looked at Lorenzo’s seat solemnly; snazzynovel.com eyes gradually darkened and a determined look flashed across snazzynovel.com gaze.
As Lorenzo was stuck in traffic on the road, Andy had to start the contest without him.
The contest used a 100-point system.
The first ten contestants had a low score. There were very few who scored more than 80 points.
After all, this was a national-level contest, so the scoring was especially strict.
A calligrapher must pay attention to the use of brushes, delicate strokes, and the distinct personality of the work.
The consecutive low scores made the rest of the contestants break out in cold sweat.
Contestant number 11 took the stage and completed his work in five minutes. Then, the judges appraised his work.
The judges still calmly gave a low score. Andy picked up the pen and put it down. In the end, snazzynovel.com looked at the stage with a sharp gaze, then proceeded to blurt out the cold words, “Number 11, you are disqualified. You must leave now.”
“What?!” The contestant argued in disbelief, “I must know why I failed despite my skill!”
“Your skill? Do you mean your copying skill?” Andy exuded a strong aura, and it was completely different from his usual kind demeanor.