Chapter 69
Murmurs rippled through the audience, disbelief and shock on every face. The judges exchanged uneasy glances, unsure how to proceed. The atmosphere that had been jubilant just moments before was now thick with tension.
But at this point I was the only one standing very calmly on the stage, as if I had known this was
going to happen.
Before anyone could respond, a member of the competition’s staff stepped forward, microphone in
hand.
“In this connection, please allow me to introduce the rules of the competition,” he began calmly, “in cases where a participant has a close relationship with a judge, that judge is required to abstain from scoring that participant. In this instance, Mr. Ethan Winter did not participate in the scoring of Miss Shirley Winter’s performance. He recused himself to maintain fairness and transparency.”
The staff member’s explanation seemed to quell some of the murmurs, but Lorcia wasn’t done. She opened her mouth to argue further when suddenly, the large screen behind the stage flickered to
life. The audience gasped as security footage began to play.
There, on the screen, was Lorcia, instructing a staff member to swap out my sheet music. The images were damning, showing her handing over money and giving specific instructions to sabotage my performance. The evidence was undeniable.
Lorcia’s face drained of color as she turned to look at the screen, her bravado crumbling in an
instant. The room erupted into chaos, with gasps and whispers filling the space as the truth came to light. The judges were quick to react, calling for an immediate review of the situation.
I took the opportunity to throw the score that had been replaced with the abusive words at Lorcia’s feet. “This is what I was given to play from,” I said, my voice steady despite the emotions roiling
inside me. The crowd, now fully aware of what had transpired, erupted into applause, admiration for my ability to play flawlessly from memory for nearly thirty minutes without the score.
and
The head judge, after reviewing the footage and questioning the bribed staff member, stood up addressed the audience. “It is with deep regret that we must disqualify Lorcia from the competition,”
he announced. “This is the first time in the history of this competition that such a penalty has been necessary. We uphold the integrity of our event and cannot allow such conduct to go unpunished.”
The room was In an uproar as Lorcia, her face a mask of shock and humiliation, was escorted off the stage by security. Cameras flashed relentlessly, capturing every moment of her disgrace. She tried to cover her face, but there was no escaping the scandal that had now marred her reputation.
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apter 63
orcia shook her head incredulously, ‘No, it wasn’t me, I was wrongly accused……‘ But in the face of evidence, no one believed her sophistry anymore.
As she stumbled off the stage, the host turned back to me, the golden trophy still in his hands. The applause began anew, this time louder and more fervent than before. I took the trophy, its weight solid and reassuring in my hands, and turned to face the audience.
The cheers were deafening as I held the trophy aloft, the gold medal hanging from my neck. My eyes found Ethan in the crowd, who was leading the applause with a proud, almost tearful expression. I smiled back at him, knowing that this moment, this victory, was mine and mine alone.
The night of the Serevia International Piano Competition was one I would never forget. The grand
hall, with its beautiful chandeliers and rich, red curtains, echoed with the applause of the audience.
was one of the most exciting nights the competition had ever seen. Usually, the competition was a
quiet event, attracting only those deeply interested in classical music. But tonight, everything was
different. The room was filled with young faces, people who had come to experience the magic of the piano.
As I finished my performance and stood up from the piano, I faced the audience, taking a deep breath. The applause was overwhelming, louder than I had ever heard before. I bowed deeply, a big
smile on my face. The crowd’s reaction was everything I had hoped for and more. It was proof that all my hard work had paid off.
I waved to the crowd one last time and left the stage, my heart still racing. Backstage, the
atmosphere was just as exciting. Other competitors and organizers congratulated me, their faces
showing how impressed they were.
I couldn’t wait to make my way to the stage to share this moment of my championship with Lorik, anticipating what his reaction would be.
However, when I arrived at the stage I couldn’t help but be a little disappointed that Lorik wasn’t
waiting.
Just as I was about to leave, a group of photographers and journalists surrounded me, and my gaze was completely obscured by the crowd that had squeezed over to make sure that Lorik was around.
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