Chapter 425 Zero Points
Fortunately, Natalie was mentally prepared, and she completed her catwalk flawlessly.
In the realm of artistic endeavor, instances of plagiarism were not rare. The event witnessed on this occasion was neither unprecedented nor expected to be the last in this industry.
The audience was alive with whispers and murmurs.
The judges, seated at the main panel, wore expressions of astonishment and proceeded to assign scores.
After Natalie left the stage, Flora gave Natalie a thumbs-up, praising her impeccable performance.
Natalie and Flora positioned themselves to one side, while the others maintained a hushed silence. Their gazes flitted between Flora and Susan, attempting to glean some insight from their expressions.
However, both Flora and Susan remained composed and undisturbed, displaying no signs of guilt. They appeared entirely unaware of the plagiarism controversy, which left everyone perplexed.
"Now, we'll reveal the scores for the participants!" the host announced, opening the envelope to reveal the scores in order.
The announcement of scores in reverse only served to amplify the suspense as they neared the reveal of Flora and Susan's results.
"Contestant number 5, Susan, received a combined score of - from expert assessment and online voting - 9.73 points!" the host exclaimed excitedly. After all, this was the highest score yet achieved.
The crowd broke into applause, with Susan receiving congratulations from those around her.
"Contestant number 19, Flora, receives zero points."
"What?!"
"What? What?"
"What happened?"
Voices of disbelief and confused murmurs spread among the audience.
"Wine, it wouldn't have mattered if we weren't competing in the same competition. However, to do such a thing in this setting is… unwise.”
Hearing that Flora received zero points, Susan completely relaxed and started to lecture Flora as if she were a mentor admonishing her mentee.
A score of zero indicated that the judges had found Flora guilty of plagiarism; this matter was as good as resolved.
Following today's worldwide broadcast, Flora would be labeled a plagiarist throughout the entire fashion industry, leading to her ostracization!
The other designers looked at Flora and Natalie; some were sympathetic while some were disdainful.
Their sympathy was directed toward Natalie, whose burgeoning career might suffer due to her association with a friend found guilty of plagiarism. However, the disdain was reserved for Flora, who had the audacity to commit plagiarism with utter disregard.
Meanwhile, Natalie was worried about Flora. She believed that Flora did not plagiarize Susan's work, but she also knew that Susan's tactics and cunning were beyond what Flora could handle. Sometimes, innocence and truth could be overshadowed by deliberate deceit.
"Don't worry," Flora reassured, taking Natalie's hand, "Natalie, I'm no longer the person I once was."
The host then proceeded to conclude the competition as planned.
The winners, along with the first and second runners-up, were announced. They, along with the models donning their creations, were called to the stage to accept their awards.
Cocker, who secured the position of second runner-up, looked at Natalie and Flora with both concern and regret in his eyes before he went up on stage. He held genuine admiration for Flora, Natalie, and also Jane. In his eyes, Flora's creations outshone Susan's in terms of craftsmanship and innovation.
Alas, plagiarism was a serious matter. In the fashion industry, plagiarism was deemed an unforgivable offense.
The individual chosen to present the awards was Fernando, a distinguished figure in the fashion industry. His hair was completely white. Despite nearing his eightieth year, he remained stylish and sophisticated. His standing in the fashion world was unparalleled, equaled only by that of Eric, Flora's mentor.
Fernando and Eric had markedly different styles. Their approaches to fashion were often considered beyond comparison. For some reason, the two had always been at odds.
At the same time.
"Sir, you can’t enter this area! This area is restricted!"
The concerned voices of the staff echoed as a tall man made his way swiftly toward Flora and Natalie.
The two women were taken aback to see Arthur approaching.
"Did she set you up?" Arthur asked as he held Flora’s hand. His usual calm and gentleness were nowhere to be seen at this moment.
Flora pulled her hand away with a look of scorn. She scanned the surroundings for her daughter, her anxiety peaking when Tina was nowhere to be seen. "Where's Tina?"
"She's in the audience. She's being looked after," Arthur responded tersely, his irritation evident. He pressed for an answer, asking, "What’s going on?"
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