Chapter 21 Not Up to Par
Erica traced Aaron's line of sight and noticed Susanna's figure ahead, a frown forming on her face. "Susanna's in the finals? Didn't see that coming! Making it to the finals is no small feat. I was puzzled at first, but seeing her male companion cleared things up."
Aaron turned back to her. "What do you mean?"
"Aaron, the man with her is my sixth cousin, Justin Jones, a movie star from Novaria. I didn't expect to see him here, let alone with Susanna. He's always been low-key, never seen with a woman." Erica's words had the desired effect; Aaron's face grew colder.
She shut her mouth, glancing at Susanna again, a flicker of doubt in her eyes. When did Susanna get to know Justin?
Relations had always been strained between the three cousins and the Jones family. Ever since the disappearance of the Jones heir and Edward's scheme to bring in a look-alike from the orphanage to deceive Charlotte Jones, relations had soured further, prompting the cousins to keep their distance.
Erica had tried to build a good relationship with them, but they ignored her because she was just a stand-in. A flash of resentment crossed her eyes. Why did Susanna get to be close to her cousins?
Erica looked at Aaron beside her. "Aaron, I'm really surprised you came as a guest judge. Thanks for showing up."
Aaron nodded and walked towards the banquet seats.
Suppressing her disdain, Erica whipped out her phone and shot a quick message to the event organizer: [Did you take care of it?]
the event organizer: [Don't worry, Ms. Jones. Everything's set.]
A cunning grin crept onto Erica's face at the response. Tonight, she would make sure that Susanna faced a public humiliation in front of Aaron.
Susanna sat in her seat, with Justin a row behind her. The eleven selected designers were seated in the second row. The first row was reserved for special guests and judges.
Susanna saw Aaron walk over and sit in the middle of the first row, right in her line of sight.
Just then, Elaine, reeking of strong perfume, strutted over in high heels and plopped down in front of Susanna. The scent made Susanna hold her breath, triggering some pregnancy-related reactions.
Elaine turned around, smirking at Susanna, "Surprised, Susanna? Even without trying, I can still attend the banquet. That's the difference in our status. Aaron and I are here to support Erica. We're going to be family."
So Aaron was here for Erica?
Susanna lowered her eyes, hiding her true feelings. Since they had already signed the divorce papers, whoever Aaron was with was none of her business.
Soon, Erica took the stage, confidently announcing the start of the awards ceremony. "As you all know, this year's competition rules are different from last time. Only ten will be selected, with one being eliminated. To ensure fairness, the designers' names will be hidden during scoring, and the award order will be adjusted, starting from the tenth place."
Susanna glanced at the judges' table, spotting Aaron among them. Knowing he was one of the judges made her even more nervous. A message from Justin on Facebook popped up: [Don't worry, you've got this!]
Seeing the message, Susanna relaxed a bit and smiled.
After half an hour of judging and scoring, Erica stood on stage to announce, "Now, I'll reveal the tenth to fourth place winners. In tenth place, we have... In ninth place..."
As Erica read out the names, only four contestants remained. Besides the top three, the fourth person would be the one eliminated.
Elaine spun around to taunt Susanna, "Hey, Susanna, you seriously think you've got a shot at the top three? Give me a break! You're just set to—"
"That's it! Zip it!" Aaron cut in abruptly, his tone quiet yet commanding. Elaine recoiled, silenced by his stern interruption.
Susanna was stunned, glancing at Aaron's profile. 'What's gotten into Aaron lately? He's acting so strange,' she thought.
But her wandering thoughts were quickly pulled back to the tense atmosphere as Erica continued announcing the results.
As Erica announced the first-place winner, Allison Becky, Susanna felt a wave of disappointment wash over her. She observed the girl beside her leap up with joy and rush to the stage, her face beaming. Meanwhile, Susanna remained rooted to her seat, her hands gripping each other tightly. For a fleeting moment, she had allowed herself to entertain the hope of victory, only to have it dashed in an instant.
Hearing someone else's name felt like a slap in the face, making it hard to breathe. She had hoped to at least place, but now she was eliminated.
Elaine sneered, "See, Susanna? I told you not to get your hopes up. First place was never for someone like you. Stop dreaming."
Unable to bear it any longer, Susanna stood up and left the hall, locking herself in the restroom. Splashing cold water on her face, she attempted to regain her composure. Her phone buzzed incessantly in her bag, but she didn't have the courage to answer. In that moment, all she desired was to retreat from the world and find refuge in solitude.
After what felt like an eternity, there was a knock on the restroom door. Susanna remembered she was in a public place and opened the door. To her shock, it was Aaron.
She hadn't expected to see him there. Attempting to make a swift exit, she found herself halted as Aaron reached out and grasped her wrist firmly. "Is this the result you wanted?" he questioned.
Susanna looked up with confusion. "I don't understand what you mean."
Aaron sneered, "Still playing dumb? Your new guy couldn't even get you a single award."
"Let go! I don't want to argue with you here!" Susanna was in no mood to explain Justin's identity.
However, Aaron persisted, his grip unwavering. "Oh, are you upset now? Take a step back and reconsider your choices. If your heart is set on finding a wealthy suitor, I know just the person to introduce you to. I could even—"
