Chapter 1041 Shameless Talent
The host was still commenting on the piece, saying how the lighting, composition, and meaning of the photograph were excellent and why it deserved the gold medal, but Jane couldn't hear a word of it.
Madeline, shedding her previous awkwardness, gracefully walked onto the stage in her smoky purple dress. From over 30 feet away, she spotted Jane in the audience.
Seeing Jane's grim expression, Madeline arrogantly raised her chin, as if to say, "I won the gold medal, and you didn't even come close! The once-genius photographer, now out of ideas?"
"Wait!"
Just as the exquisite, artistic gold trophy was about to be handed to Madeline by the presenter, a voice broke the harmonious atmosphere of the venue.
Everyone instinctively looked towards the source of the voice.
They saw Jane standing up.
Jane stood there resolutely, like someone who had every right to disrupt the event.
"Miss, do you have a question? If you do, we can discuss it after the award ceremony. Please don't interrupt our proceedings," the host said.
Jane stood in a dimly lit area, but as she stepped forward, she was fully illuminated by the lights.
"No."
Addressing copyright issues on the spot would prevent more trouble later. Some organizers might downplay the issue to minimize negative impact, possibly giving Jane the trophy in private while the public still believed Madeline won the gold and was the photographer of the piece.
Some organizers might be even worse, ignoring the issue if the person raising it was a nobody, dismissing them as troublemakers desperate for fame.
"Ms. Watkins, what is your issue?" A judge in the front row stood up, looking at Jane with displeasure.
Jane recognized him as a capable veteran in the photography world. However, his impatience with Jane was unmistakable.
It was as if he had already decided Jane was just causing trouble.
Why was he reacting this way? Jane wondered.
"This piece," Jane quickly set aside her doubts and pointed at the big screen, continuing, "is my work."
The room erupted in an uproar.
Jane said, "You can check my submission records. I just logged into the website to verify. I did successfully submit this piece three days before the deadline, and it is identical to the gold medal-winning piece."
In other words, Madeline had stolen Jane's work and submitted it under her own name.
On stage, Madeline's face turned ugly, nervously clenching her fingers. She thought, 'How could it be Jane's? I bought it from an unknown online user who needed money and didn't know their own worth. I got the rights to this photograph for just $300.'
Jane had shown incredible talent in photography from a young age. If this piece was indeed hers, no one would doubt it. On the other hand, Madeline, who had been in the industry for three years, was unremarkable.
Some people even immediately believed it was a case of blatant plagiarism.
"Jane Watkins, I've always admired your talent and ability, but sometimes, having talent and ability doesn't mean you can just say whatever you want and distort the truth," the veteran judge said sternly. "Our committee, out of respect for your talent, was willing to give you a chance, but you didn't cherish it!"
Jane was puzzled.
"We did receive your submission, and it is indeed this piece," the judge pointed at the big screen, "but you submitted it four days later than Madeline!"
If Jane was the original creator and Madeline the plagiarist, how could Jane have submitted it later? And the content was exactly the same!
The committee decided to give Jane a chance, even if she had copied someone else's work, by ignoring her submission rather than publicly punishing her.
Jane understood the committee's message, and so did everyone else.
The way people looked at Jane changed instantly. The once-genius girl had fallen this far!
"She calls herself a photography genius, but maybe all her past achievements were plagiarized or done by someone else!" someone said maliciously.
Madeline quietly breathed a sigh of relief, cursing the online seller for being unethical and selling the same piece to two people.
Madeline picked up the microphone and smiled at Jane, saying, "Ms. Watkins, although we have some personal misunderstandings, you shouldn't bring our private grievances to such a formal and serious occasion to slander my talent."
Jane thought, 'The only talent you have is shamelessness!'
Jane looked sharply at the judge and said, "According to the organizer's competition rules, if there are doubts about a piece, shouldn't you contact the submitter immediately? Did you contact me? No! You judged me without looking at the evidence!"
No one noticed that at this moment, the door to the venue quietly opened, and someone walked in from a dimly lit corner.
The judge, feeling insulted, became furious. "Ms. Watkins, since you won't listen to reason, don't blame us for being unkind! Security guards, please escort Jane Watkins out!"
The security guards maintaining order in the venue quickly appeared and walked towards Jane.
"I've only said a few words, and you're already having me escorted out. Are you afraid I'll say more? The reaction you just had is a clear sign of guilt!" Jane stood her ground, even as the two security guards ran towards her to escort her out. She remained unflustered.
"How dare you!" The judge became outraged.
"You seem nervous," she calmly said.
Jane's gaze was firm, her demeanor calm, as if she had already won.
In contrast, the judge looked somewhat flustered and angry.
"Wait!"
The two security guards heard another voice and stopped. Everyone looked over.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
