Chapter 31 The Only Winner

Finished

Jean tilted her headzily, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. “Lacey, don’t tell me you lost your fake on purpose, just to scam my real one?”

Lacey’s eyes flew wide open.

It felt like a thousand worms were squirming inside her chest, her stomach twisting with nausea.

“Shut up!”

She couldn’t control the disgust, the fury boiling over. Lacey snapped, her voice rising with rage.

But there was nothing she could do.

The handkerchief really did look fake, just like Jean said….

She didn’t even have room to arg

Disgust. Anger.

argue.

Lacey’s fists clenched. She wished the world would end right this second. She had never felt so humiliated in her life.

At the same moment, on Twitter-

News of the police closing the case had somehow leaked, and the Hope Cup za was buzzing with fresh discussions.

“Cops just left.”

“Case closed?”

“About the Sterford Academy girls, right?”

“ssic Sterford dramab. /bBloody and messy as ever.”

“I still don’t get what happened. bCan /bsomeone just exin already?”

“Enough with the riddles. What’s the real tea on Sterford Academy?”

“I heard a bit…”

“Turns out the girl who yed the Tree got used of stealing. Cops looked into it, and she was innocent. The one ying the female lead framed her.”

“Bless byou /bfor exining. Now I get it.”

“My poor Tree. She didn’t deserve this.”

“Okay but real talk–what’s the actress’s name? Does she have a Twitter?”

“Her real name’s Jean, but I bcouldn’t /bfind her ount.”

“I’m so d she dides.

“bI’m /bbso /bd she didn’t actually steal. I really like her, and I wouldn’t have been able to if she had.”

“bJean/b… bwhat /ba poetic name.”

Back at Central Theater-

Chapter 31 The Only Winner

It wouldn’t btake /blong.

Soon, all the contestants gathered back on stage.

Jean stood near the Sterford Academy group, tucked into a corner under the stage lights.

Finished

Easton stood center stage with a microphone in one hand and the list of winners in the other, ready to announce the final results.

Naturally, the kids from Sterford still hoped to bwin /bsomething

But after everything Jean had done, their chances had plummeted.

Now, they could only hope while mentally bracing themselves–after all, with that kind of incident, losing made sense.

Easton read through the awards, one after another. But Sterford bAcademy’s /bname never came up

As team after team stepped forward to ept their trophies, Lacey bit down hard on her lip, face darkening.

The others stood slouched, their heads bowed, all of them silently wishing they could leave.

Jean alone remained impassive, standing quietly in the corner, her eyes fixed on Easton, listening halfheartedly bas /bhe spoke.

bFinally/b, ball /bthe group awards were announced-

Sterford had won nothing.

That was it. bAny /bst shred of hope was gone.

Not a single award. All their hard work–wasted.

And at that moment, their hatred for Jean only deepened.

That bitch had ruined everything.

“Next, the individual awards,” Easton bsaid/b, his bvoice /bsmooth and pleasant bas /bit echoed through the hall. The ceremony wasn’t over yet–there were still personal honors to give.

Lacey didn’t bhold /bout any hope.

If they didn’t get a bgroup /baward, what chance did she have with the morepetitive individual ones?

Easton read out the winners for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress–all names from schools other than Sterford bAcademy/b.

Lacey and the others stood stiffly under the lights, their expressions numb,

They’d already expected this, but bhearing /bit still hurt.

Teenagers full of rage, disappointment, band /bbitterness–barely able to hold themselves together.

“Finally, the Best Style Award, Easton announced.

The students from Sterford Academy just wanted him to get it over with. Up on the judges‘ panel, a handsome man nced at the name on the list. His eyes shimmered with a quiet gleam as he read aloud-

“The Best Style Award goes to Jean, from Sterford Academy.”

For a second, silence.

Then came the thunder of bapuse/b.

Chapter 31 The Only Winner

Why her!!

They bhadn’t /bwon a thing–but Jean did?

Finished

And it wasn’t even a pity prize. The Best Style Award bwas /breserved for the performer who left asting impression, generated buzz, and captured the hearts of the audience.

In short, it was the poprity award.

bAnd /bnow. Jean had it. She was the only one from Sterford Academy to win anything.

bIt /bbwas /bthe bultimate /binsult.

Aplete joke.

To them, it stung worse than getting nothing at all.

Shock, anger, disbelief–all bwritten /binly across their faces. If this weren’t such a public event, they’d be tearing Jean apart.

Jean was invited to center stage by the host. A guest presenter handed her a small golden trophy.

She held it in her hands, inspecting it curiously.

Is this thing actually made of real gold!

The judges began discussing her from the panel. praising her natural talent and stage presence,

Jean thought to herself–she was pretty talented at a lot of things, honestly. Heh.

“Jean, do byou /bhave any words for us?” the host asked with a cheerful grin, holding the mic to her mouth.

Jean’s eyes flicked to the side. Then, unhurriedly, she said, “I think this award bsuits me /bperfectly

That stunned everyone.

Two seconds passed–then the room erupted withughter and cheers.

Easton raised an eyebrow, watching Jean with keen interest from the side of the stage.

His eyes–ss–clear and glittering–were studying her like he was seeing her for the first time.

Jean seemed… different bnow/b.

But as Jean stood at center stage, her gaze shifted to something directly in front of her–a metal spring–loaded switch less

than a meter baway/bb. /b

This was

was it.

The master light switch the mystery person had mentioned.

ording to them—

She bwas /bsupposed to press it. And when she did, the lights across the entire venue would shut off. Then—

Then what

Jean had a bad feeling.

Whatever happened next probably wouldn’t be bgood/b.

She couldn’t go along with it.