Chapter 17 Abandoning the Race for Him Three Years Ago
Susanna and Flandre chatted for a bit more before hanging up.
The next morning, Susanna submitted her final design and waited for the results, which would be announced in three days. But to everyone's surprise, when the time came, there was no result. Instead, the organizers released an announcement inviting the eleven finalists to an award ceremony where the rankings would be revealed on the spot.
Susanna received an official invitation to the award ceremony next week. She sent a screenshot to Flandre with a message: [Going to the award ceremony. Rankings will be announced there.]
Flandre replied excitedly: [You've got this! First place for sure. But it's weird they changed the rules this year.]
Susanna found it odd too. This competition, held every three years, was highly respected and fiercely competitive, with many designers eagerly awaiting the chance to win.
Flandre: [Susanna, the Abbott Group reached out again. They want to know if you made it to the finals and offered even better terms to recruit you. This is a rare opportunity. Are you still considering it?]
Susanna felt conflicted as she had never disclosed to Flandre that her ex-husband was Aaron. After careful consideration, she crafted a plausible excuse: [I want to finish my studies first. Working would take too much time. Getting my diploma is my top priority right now.]
Flandre agreed: [Exactly! Whether it's for future studies or work, you need that diploma. Whatever you decide, I support you.]
After their conversation, Susanna posted the screenshot on her social media with the caption: "Three years and three more. This time, I won't quit halfway."
Not long after, Aaron stumbled upon the list of finalists and was taken aback to see Susanna's name among them. Intrigued, he reached for his phone and navigated to Facebook, where he discovered Susanna's recent post. As he scrutinized the content, Aaron mumbled to himself, "Three years and three more? Wasn't it three years ago when she married me? That coincided with the last H.F. International Design Competition."
A realization dawned on him as to why she had abruptly quit back then.
The next day, Edward and Aviana came over with gifts to celebrate Susanna making it to the finals.
Edward asked cautiously, "Susanna, your post mentioned "three years and three more." Did you compete in this contest three years ago too?"
Susanna nodded. "Yes, but I had too much going on at home and couldn't prepare for the final design, so I quit."
Edward and Aviana were surprised. They almost met Susanna three years ago but missed the chance.
Madison wiped her tears as she said, "We held you back. If it weren't for us, you wouldn't have..."
Susanna quickly interrupted, "It's all in the past."
Edward's face darkened. "What exactly happened three years ago?"
Madison choked up, "Three years ago, Vincent had a car accident and needed a lot of money for the hospital. Susanna gave up the competition to work as a caregiver for a wealthy family to earn money." Though emotional, Madison didn't mention Susanna's marriage to Aaron.
Justin put his arm around Susanna's shoulders and suggested, "The award ceremony is next week. Susanna, let's go buy a dress for the event."
With his experience in walking red carpets and attending events, Justin thought Susanna should look stunning for her first award ceremony.
Susanna nodded in agreement. Edward let out a silent sigh. The competition being hosted by the Jones family posed a dilemma for him—he couldn't risk showing up and potentially exposing his identity, which could unsettle Susanna. Therefore, he reluctantly decided to have Justin accompany her instead.
However, the next day, Justin had a last-minute work commitment and couldn't go either. Aviana ended up taking Susanna to the mall.
At the mall, Susanna noticed that all the stores were high-end boutiques. She tugged on Aviana's sleeve. "Aviana, everything here is too expensive. Let's go somewhere else."
"Don't worry, Susanna. I have a friend who works here. She's already picked out a few discounted evening gowns for you. It's your first award ceremony; you should look stunning," Aviana reassured her, pulling her into the store. They headed straight to a top-tier brand's flagship store.
"Susanna, you actually dare to come here? The clothes here cost tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of dollars. Do you think you can afford anything with your background?" Elaine, who had just finished a beauty treatment, saw Susanna enter the mall and followed her, blocking their path with a smug look and a designer bag in hand.
Aviana scoffed, "It's just a dress. Why are you making a fuss about it?"
Back in Novaria, Aviana never even glanced at price tags. She simply bought whatever caught her eye. She had already sorted out the details with the store for Susanna's dress, but unexpectedly, a rude girl appeared and dared to mock Susanna, saying she couldn't afford the clothes. If it weren't for wanting to keep things low-key with Susanna, Aviana would've had someone put Elaine in her place in a heartbeat. With her six brothers' fiery personalities, they might have just bought out the entire mall to teach Elaine a lesson.
Elaine laughed haughtily, "This is a high-end mall for wealthy people to shop and relax. Poor people like you don't belong here because you can't afford anything."
Susanna stood up abruptly. "Elaine, watch your mouth." She could tolerate insults directed at her, but not at Aviana.
Hearing Elaine's name, Aviana immediately knew who this rude girl was. The Abbott family really was insufferable!
Just then, a store clerk approached with several evening gowns. "Ladies, you must be Ms. Johnson and Susanna. These are the evening gowns we selected for you. Please take a look."
Elaine sneered at the gowns, "Susanna, why are you buying an evening gown? Do you think you're going to the award ceremony next week?"
Susanna remained calm. "What if I am? Do you have a problem with that?"
"Susanna, you might not be aware of this, but only finalists are invited to the award ceremony. Unless you're some VIP or loaded with cash, you won't be able to attend," Elaine said, convinced Susanna hadn't made it to the finals.
Aviana stood up. "Who said Susanna didn't make it to the finals? Not everyone stoops to your level. You cheated by buying the design, and now you've been caught and disqualified from the competition. Looks like the Abbott family is truly overflowing with 'talent.'"
Elaine looked flustered. "You're talking nonsense!"
"Nonsense?" Aviana smirked. "You think you're the only one with connections? If you had paid the people you hired as agreed, you wouldn't have been reported. Your pockets are as empty as your head."
