"Now we wait." says Chris as number eight models go on the runway. Yes, now we wait.
The show goes on, from number eight to nine... Number ten's turn, there's no show. No one's going on for quite some time, we're stunned. I am too, I mean I didn't think they'd pull out. The number gets called out again, there's still no show. I look around, I'm not the only one looking around, everyone's murmur...people like drama a little too much. I can't find the woman anywhere, she left?
They call out the number again, we wait... I'm holding my breath, if she gives up now, what would've been the point of getting myself punished? So disappointing.
"How boring, she didn't put up a fight at all." That's how I'm feeling but I can't say it, Chris can though, with all the mirth he can master too.
Just when we think number ten has given up, the first model appears on the screen. I'm looking at the dress, they tried to tweak it now...but it was too late, they tried to remove the lace on the front and put a shear cloth but it's obvious it was messed with at the last moment,
"I feel like I've seen this design before." This breaks the dam...once it's brought up,
"You're right. I was wondering why it's familiar."
"I got it. Number seven had the same design."
Bingo.
"No way. Someone stole designs?"
"How's that possible?"
"The vetting here is so strict though?"
"You can't rule out anything."
"But to steal?"
The chatter is uncontrollable once it starts and that woman - I need to find out her name - walks in while people are getting animated in their theories. I'm serious, I've never seen her before. Why would she do something like this?
"She went through with it in the end." I'm still looking at her, I swear she's not familiar to me and I'm not someone to forget faces - at least those I take seriously. I can't lie, I'm a little disappointed she chose to go through with it, after all it would've been my mistake in thinking the worst of people but now,
"Why wouldn't she? She made little changes, didn't you see?" The disdain in Chris' voice is thick, stealing - plagiarism are intolerable to him, they'd make him loose money. So he feels strongly about what's happening.
Sigh, my manager's priorities are all wrong. There's no sense of justice at all.
"Number seven and number ten, please come forth." Comes from the announcer. So it begins...
"Wish me luck." I give Chris a tight hug. I'll take all the encouragement I can get,
"Kick ass, you've got this." He gives me a kiss on the cheek, and I'm off.
"She's surely the one who plagiarized, isn't she?"
"What else, with all that money, has she ever worked in her life?"
"How disgusting, first married men and now plagiarism, what a disgrace."
"What do you know, people like her feel entitled to everything."
With each step I take, someone hauls an insult my way. I mean, they've no idea what's going on but they've already concluded I'm at fault - annoying, annoying - clearly my reputation is something I can work on, not like it bothers me but I'm a married woman now and married into a family that values prestige, they haven't met me yet and I'm already covered in dirt. Won't it form a prejudice against me?
I'll worry about it later, now it's time to face the music.
The judges are there, so is Mrs Druid. No surprise there.
"I'm sure you're aware why we called you here." Steven, one of the judges says. I've worked with him before, he's given me his dresses to attend events. We're not close but we're not hostile either, I can trust him to be fair...I think.
"Your designs are similar and Trent, you had more designs than allowed." I don't reply, I want to see what they'll say first.
"In the many years I've been part of this show, we've never dealt with a situation like this, will one of you care to explain?" Vanessa, the only woman in the judge panel says, her eyes are trained on me though. So, she doesn't like me, good to know.
The vibe between the judges isn't coherent, so I guess their opinions differ too. How nice...
"Plagiarism won't be tolerated." So authoritative, I'm scared and I didn't do anything. Yikes...
"I don't know what happened either, I was surprised like everyone and I tried to alter my designs..." The woman exclaims, from her voice - I'm the thief?
"Stella, you're saying the designs are yours?" So, her name is Stella...how unmatched. I turn to look at her, scrutinizing her really and yet...nope, I don't know this person.
"Yes. The designs are mine." Her voice is so timid, it just tugs at one's protective nature. Wow, she lies so well, I feel like the thief. Too good, too good...I want to applaud her.
All eyes turn to me, Vanessa's especially venomous. What did I do to her?
"Not only did you steal designs but you had more designs than everyone else. What do you think this is?" Huh? She's already concluded I'm at fault?
"Vanessa..."
"What? That's someone else's hardwork, how dare she parade it in front of us, are the other designs even hers?" Is she in on it too?
The other judge and Mrs Druid haven't said anything like myself...
"Ms, you're a little biased for a judge...is that okay?" Honestly, is she allowed to behave in this manner before hearing my side of the story?
"You! You're the thief, how dare you question me?" All that's left is for foam to come out of her mouth, she's that angry.
"Vanessa!" She's overreacting...
"Am I?" How come I don't know?
"Trent Dion, from what I've heard, you've been taking part in this show for a long time and have never been chosen to take part in the fashion show, what...you thought Stella's designs were a ticket for you to getting there?" Venomous...real venomous, do we have beef or something? What. The. Hell.
This woman... she's throwing insults my way without the full story. I haven't been part of the fashion show because I always pull out, once I participate in the fashion show, I can't enter the following year. She's been a judge all the times I took part, doesn't she have a clue? I'm getting mad...
"Ms must be joking, you've been a judge all this while, aren't you aware of my results?" Seriously... I haven't offended her before, right?
"And as why my designs are more, that's because it was assigned that way. I didn't know they were more."
"What?"
"What?"
"What?"
They exclaim at the same time then turn to Mrs Druid,
"Mrs Druid even came to my company to check if I wasn't under pressure..." I'm lying through my teeth, the only problem is I can't make my voice as pitiful. What a shame.
"Actually, the models that wore Stella's designs are my ex models. They were changed suddenly..."
Like I said, this game, I can play it too, I just find it bothersome. Now, they can assume what they will and they do, from their varying expressions, I can tell they've come to the conclusion I want them to. Vanessa's is the most ugly, I don't feel bad for her at all.
"I had to start from scratch because my first designs didn't fit the new models but I didn't stop working on them...good too because when we got here, we were notified of the extra three models so, I made them wear my first designs. Who would've thought..."
Who said I couldn't act? If I didn't know better, I would believe me too. The rumours that circulated in the morning help too, all in all, it paints a picture that someone is out to get me and who has the power to do so...
"This..."
"We're supposed to believe you just because you say so?" The judge who's been silent all along interrupts Steven...oh? So, he doesn't like me too?
"Of course not, that would be careless and unfair to Stella." Very funny, why didn't he say that when Stella said the designs are hers? The bias...
"I have proof. My first designs from scratch, the models change...Mrs Druid can testify too, she had come to my company after all. It's all there."
What else do they have to say?
"Stella?" At least Vanessa knows to transfer those venomous eyes from me to the real thief.
"I...I...I..."
"Since it's like this, we'll make our own investigations before coming to any judgement. You can leave."
This Mikayla...she can't possibly think it'll end just like that right? She's not that naive. How could I be that nice?
"Mrs Druid, that won't do. Ms Vanessa here accused me of being a thief and it seems I was assigned more tasks than everyone and this Stella, she dared to commit such a crime..." Woman, you've been causing me trouble all this while, is it free?
"What do you want?"
Be angry, be furious - actually spit out fire, what does it have to do with me? We're not friends, I'll make as much trouble as you did for me. Self-defence... it's a thing. I'll milk it until people call me ruthless, they have a bad impression of me anyways, what difference is adding to it?
"I want an apology and for Stella to admit to everyone, and I mean people backstage that she's the thief. You see, when we were coming here, they were already pointing fingers at me."
"Trent!" Sebastian comes busting through the door. How convenient...he just arrived at this particular moment?
The Sebastian Druid I grew up with wasn't this disgusting, what changed? Can someone change this drastically? I hope not. I like my husband the way he is, how would I deal with it?
Shivers. Nope, no no no. People don't change, they reveal what's underneath. Yes, that must be it. Oh, how scary is that thought?
"Sebastian." Disgusting...was I really that blind in the past?
"Don't go too far." Ha. I'm not asking for his wife to apologize yet I'm going far?
"You can't be serious. Isn't this what I would've done if I were in the wrong?" No, I wouldn't have to because I would never steal.
I turn my attention to the judges, seriously - they have the final say in this; who's Sebastian Druid in the show? But they keep quiet...mum. I bet they're looking for the earliest escape. So disgusting...they ruined this event for me, why should I continue this farce?
"Ms Dion..."
"Sebastian, wasn't it just half a billion? My father can afford it, my mother can afford it...hell, I can afford it. Does your wife really think I had no means to keep you if I wanted to? Don't let her be pathetic anymore. It's embarassing..." I interrupt Mikayla.
Can't she just be happy with her husband?
I leave from there, what's the point really - I've achieved mine. I get backstage and all eyes are on me...
⊙.☉
What now? Chris hurries to me with all our luggage...my manager, he understands me so well.
"The screen wasn't turned off." He tells me tucking my hand at the same time. I let him drag me out.
"You mean..."
"Yeah, everyone saw and heard everything."
Ha. Ha ha ha ha. I can't stop laughing. She's really that desperate to drag me down?