The contestants observed the artwork that Josie had rejected. They couldn’t help but comment, “Indeed, the drawing is quite impressive. Why was it passed over…”
“I don’t understand. It’s much better than mine.”
“This contestant is really unlucky to encounter such a judge.”
“How could this have happened?”
Josie was left speechless.
She didn’t pay attention to their words. Instead, she turned to Lily. “Do you think this is a good piece of work?”
“Seriously?” Lily scoffed, “Are you questioning me? With my years of experience in this field, I can definitely distinguish between good and bad works.”
Josie nodded in agreement.
“Alice, I seriously doubt the credibility of the awards you’ve received over the years.”
Amidst the commotion, Dexter couldn’t find the familiar face he was searching for. He took a deep breath, feeling melancholic. He wasn’t fond of such lively scenes, and he had shown great patience by staying until then.
The staff members on the side were trembling with fear. They couldn’t understand why Dexter suddenly took an interest in watching the competition, doing nothing but observing the crowd…
When they first received the news, the higher- ups were so frightened that they wanted to personally come and welcome him. However, Larry turned down their offer.
“Mr. Russell, perhaps we should leave first. I’ve arranged for someone to keep watch.”
Dexter remained silent, his face gloomy.
Josie was not present.
For two years, he had visited countless places where she might have been, but she was never there.
Every hope had turned into disappointment. Just then, a sudden quarrel erupted from across the way, attracting a crowd.
Larry muttered, “What happened over there?”
Dexter looked up.
Just then, a female voice rang out, “This piece of work, as you’ve mentioned, from its composition and lines, even down to its concept, is indeed perfect. You could even say it’s top-notch.”
It was highly recognizable, somewhat muted, yet as clear as day.
Dexter immediately recognized the voice.
Josie had slowly risen, her entire figure coming into view.
“Why did I give him such a low score?” she asked, a mocking smile playing on her lips as she looked at Lily and the others. “Because this piece is a copy of my work from last year.”
As she spoke, she turned her laptop around to show everyone. Displayed on the screen was her own handwriting, the very piece that had won her an award the previous year.
The crowd gasped in astonishment.
Lily turned pale. She never expected Josie to be so capable.
“Lily, I’m not sure whether to say you don’t understand me, or you’re simply too inexperienced. Regardless, thank you for your compliments,” Josie said.
When Lily praised this piece of work, she was essentially praising Josie.
Josie’s smile widened with a sense of ease and disdain. This pride made her appear even more noble.
“You!”
Lily hesitated, feeling too embarrassed to speak further in front of so many people. At this point, she had become the judge who was unworthy of her position, unable to even detect plagiarism!
Everyone was pointing and whispering.
Lily, in a fit of anger, stomped her high heels and stormed off.
The organizers, fearing trouble, hurriedly followed to mediate.
However, Josie simply returned to her original spot as if nothing had happened. She half- propped her head and lazily continued to review the works.
She still had long hair, but her style of dress had become more sleek and simple. Her actions and words carried more weight than before. Her voice had changed slightly.
While her appearance hadn’t changed much, Josie’s demeanor had undergone a complete transformation.
She sat there perfectly still, just a hundred meters away, yet it felt as if a chasm separated them.
Dexter stood motionless, as if the entire world had been upended, his heart pounding relentlessly. In that moment, he saw only Josie.
While she remained composed and collected, Dexter’s pulse teetered on the brink of spiraling out of control.
