Freya stared at Calista’ retreating figure, a slight smirk playing on her lips. At this point, she was almost certain of Calista’ intentions.
The event staff were still checking the schedule, and Freya waited in the rest area.
Someone approached her, striking up a conversation, “Are you the dance teacher?”
Freya shook her head, “No.”
“Then are you a judge?” the person asked.
He was a male judge, typically slender and tall, with a clean and neat appearance. He exuded a sunny vibe. Freya was about to answer when Calista walked over. She immediately feigned a guilty look and whispered, “I am a judge, but I’m standing in for someone else.”
“Oh, I see. I wondered why I hadn’t seen you before. I know most of the judges for each dance competition, and I recognize quite a few faces. You seemed unfamiliar to me,” the man said.
Freya lowered her head, “It’s my first time here, and I don’t know much about it.”
“Well then, you can sit next to me later,” the man said enthusiastically.
Freya responded with a soft acknowledgment, appearing timid and weak, “Thank you.”
“You seem a bit scared. Don’t worry, you don’t need to be afraid of judging the performances. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask me. I can help you,” the man smiled.
Not far away, Calista pretended to inspect the dance costumes hanging on the rack, actually eavesdropping on their conversation. She looked secretive, fearing that someone might hear her. Freya moved a bit closer to the man, creating an atmosphere of confidentiality. However, she ensured that Calista, not far away, could hear their conversation clearly.
“I mentioned earlier that I’m filling in for someone else, right? In truth, I don’t know anything, and I’m not qualified to be a judge. I’ll tell you something in confidence, you must help me keep it a secret. I actually can’t dance either.” Freya whispered.
The man’s face showed clear surprise. How could someone who couldn’t dance be a judge? Wasn’t that a bit too much?
“You…” The man didn’t know what to say.
“You must help me keep it a secret,” Freya looked frightened.
Now the man understood why Freya was so scared. Seeing her pitiful look, he said, “I won’t tell anyone.”
“Thank you,” Freya said.
The man also smiled, “I helped you because you’re too beautiful. But now that I see your figure, it’s actually suitable for dancing. Although the effect is better when you start learning dance at a younger age, you can still exercise and maintain your figure. If you’re interested, I can be your dance teacher.”
Freya smiled, “I’m already married and have a child to take care of. I probably don’t have time to learn dance.”
The man was momentarily stunned, apparently not expecting her to be married and with a child.
“You don’t look that old,” he commented.
Freya said, “I’m not that young anymore.”
The man’s expression showed a brief moment of disappointment. Quickly recovering, he smiled, “I thought you were a college student. Since you’re not involved in anything related to dance, do you work at a company?”
Freya shook her head, “I’m a doctor.”
The man was surprised again.
“What department?” he asked.
“Surgery,” Freya replied briefly.
The man widened his eyes, looking at her delicate figure. She didn’t seem like someone who could handle a surgical scalpel. Regardless of the specific surgery department, they all required hands-on skills. Being able to handle a scalpel indicated a strong and compassionate heart. For such a fragile-looking girl, it was hard to believe she was a surgeon.
“What’s your specialty?” the man asked.
The man’s curiosity was piqued, but before he could ask further questions, someone came in, saying that the competition was about to start, and they needed to head to the venue. The man had to stop talking. He helped Freya pick up the judging cards and explained how to use them, “During the competition, the participants will come on stage one by one. They have numbers on their backs, and if you think they dance well, just mark a check on the card.”
Freya thanked him, and they entered the competition venue together. The music had already started, and participants were taking their positions with the lights shining on the stage.
The competition began!
Photographers on the side captured the enchanting moments of the participants. The audience consisted mostly of parents accompanying their children, all focused on their respective kids. There were passionate jazz performances, sensual Latin dances, and graceful cha-chas. Round after round, the competition reached its climax, and the atmosphere in the venue became heated. Cheers and screams, accompanied by waves of enthusiasm, enveloped the audience.
Before the final round, the voice of the host echoed through the venue.
“We’ve reached the last round of the competition, a crucial round. However, due to some regrets, the results of this competition will not be counted…”
Before the host could finish, an uproar erupted from the audience.
“Why? Our children have worked so hard all day, and the results won’t be counted?”
“Why is that? I took a day off just for this.”
“Why won’t the results be counted? Is there something wrong?”
The parents in the audience were discontented, and chaos ensued. Some were even on the verge of taking action, stopped only by the man who had spoken to Freya earlier.
“Just be patient. There seems to be a problem. Let’s hear them out.”
The participants were also bewildered.
“Just stay calm, everyone. Here’s the situation, we just received information that there was an imposter posing as a judge. Therefore, we have to cancel the results of this competition.”
The discontent in the audience grew even stronger.
“What’s going on? How can someone pose as a judge?”
“Is it your fault? Do you have loopholes in your organization?”
The complaints from the audience were endless.
The man who just spoke to Freya seemed to sense something and discreetly approached her. In a hushed tone, he asked, “Could it be that your business has been noticed?”
Freya was already aware that the blame was directed at her.
At this moment, Calista was hiding somewhere unknown, probably preparing to witness her embarrassment. Freya looked visibly frightened, “What should I do?”
The man offered a suggestion, “How about you leave first?”
Freya knew she couldn’t really leave, but she pretended to agree, “That’s a good idea.”
After saying that, she immediately tried to make her exit.
Calista suddenly emerged, grabbed Freya, and said to the dissatisfied parents, “It’s her. She posed as a judge. She can’t dance at all, and she doesn’t have the qualifications to be a judge. That’s why the results can’t be counted. Blame her.”
As soon as her words fell, all the accusations were directed at Freya.
Freya kept her head down, appearing frightened, while Elijah, who had arrived not long ago, observed her from a distance with a cold light in his eyes. Seeing Freya’s unwavering confidence, he refrained from intervening, just watching from afar.
“How did she get here? She can’t dance at all, so why be a judge? Did she use connections? Is it nepotism?”
“She doesn’t know anything but still acted as a judge, causing harm. How is she going to compensate for our time and our children’s efforts?”
Some parents were so agitated that they wanted to take action, but the man intervened and held them back.
“She didn’t use any connections; she’s just filling in for someone else. It wasn’t intentional,” the man explained on Freya’s behalf.
However, this explanation only intensified the dissatisfaction among the audience.
“She has no qualifications. Why did she fill in for someone? Isn’t this harming people?”
“Yes, she’s harming people. She must apologize and compensate us for our losses.”
Calista, seeing her victory unfolding, revealed a happy smile. At this critical moment, Freya suddenly lifted her head, looking directly at the disgruntled parents, “Did I say I don’t have qualifications?”
Everyone was momentarily stunned.
In Calista’ eyes, this was Freya’s desperate struggle, attempting to deceive her way out of the situation.
“Do you have qualifications? You’re just lying,” Calista sneered. “Even if you have a certificate, you can’t dance, so the certificate must be fake!”
Freya took out the certificate from her bag and waved it in front of Calista. “You can check if it’s real.”
This certificate was arranged by Mrs Quinn.
Calista refused to believe it. “How could you have a certificate? You must be lying!”
Freya swayed the certificate in front of her eyes. “I do have one.”
Calista, feeling that something was amiss, retorted, “Even if you have a certificate, you can’t dance. So, the certificate must be fake!”
The tension in the venue reached its peak as the accusations flew back and forth between Freya and Calista.