Chapter 319: The Entire Competition Was Unfair

The lights flicker on and off, and then they dim. The audience sits down and stops talking as they wait for the presentations to begin. Avery watches everything from a small TV screen backstage. Several cameras throughout the auditorium show live footage of the stage and the audience.

Avery watches as Crystal climbs the stairs onto the stage. She smiles through closed lips as she crosses the stage and takes her place behind the podium. She clicks a button on a small remote, and a sketch appears on the screen behind her. The cameras zoom in, and Avery looks at her rival's designs.

The cufflinks are round and traditional, with Rebecca's rose quartz in the middle. Crystal clicks the button, and a more detailed sketch appears, showing that dozens of smaller diamonds surround the rose quartz. Each stone has been shaped to catch the light of the rose quartz and reflect it back at the larger stone.

"It's no wonder she's the top designer at D.O.," a stagehand whispers behind Avery. "Those cufflinks are stunning."

"Look at the detail," says another. "It's truly incredible. No one else can make such precise and complicated designs."

Crystal displays sketch after sketch, using a red laser pointer to highlight key features of the design. With each new image, she pauses and waits for the audience to clap and cheer. Avery feels a knot form in her stomach—the cufflinks are beautiful. She can imagine Evan wearing them.

"These may look like traditional cufflinks, but there's a surprise," Crystal says. "The cufflinks can open to reveal a hidden compartment inside. It's the perfect place to store a miniature photo of your beloved or a lock of her hair."

"Wow, that's so beautiful," the stagehand whispers. "I wish I could give something like that to my boyfriend."

On the TV screen, Crystal raises one manicured hand to quiet the audience. A hush falls over the room, and Crystal presses another button on the remote. Dozens of small sketches appear on the screen behind her: each sketch shows the same pair of cufflinks, but the stones are all different colors.

"The cufflinks can change color using state of the art microchip technology," Crystal announces. "The color of the stones reflect the wearer's mood. Blue means the wearer is feeling romantic, pink means he's happy, black means he's stressed, and so on. With this design, your man will be wearing his heart on his sleeve."

The applause is deafening. Crystal beams out at the audience, and multiple people jump to their feet to give her a standing ovation. The cameras cut back and forth between the thrilled audience and Crystal's gloating smile. Avery turns away from the TV screen and takes a deep, steadying breath.

"Avery, there you are," Sophie calls from the stage door. "Are you ready? Crystal is finishing up—it's almost your turn."

Avery nods and says, "I'm ready."

"Good," Sophie says. She pauses and looks at Avery's face and adds, "Don't be nervous. I'm not exactly an impartial judge, but your design is clearly the best. I'm sure Mr. Howel will see it that way too."

"I'm not so sure he will," Avery mutters. "Evan isn't exactly my biggest fan anymore."

"Oh, Avery, I had no idea he'd be involved," Sophie says, her face full of maternal sympathy. "When Rebecca came to me, I had no idea she was dating Evan. I would never have put you on the project if I'd known. It must be so hard for you to design something to celebrate their love."

"It's okay, Sophie," Avery says, forcing a smile. "Evan and I are finished. It's none of my business who he dates now. I'm a professional, and I did the job I was asked to do."

As she talks, she thinks about the kiss in the parking lot. She can still remember the heat of his body and the feeling of his lips crashing against hers. She tugs at her watch and looks at the bruise on her wrist. A wave of guilt washes over her.

Sophie sighs and crosses the room, "Oh, you're so like your mother—she suffered for love, too."

"Seriously, I'm fine," Avery says.

Sophie nods, but she doesn't look convinced. She smooths Avery's hair and adjusts her skirt, walking her toward the stage entrance. The audience is still screaming and cheering for Crystal. It sounds even louder by the door than it did backstage.

"Wait, does Rebecca know anything about you and Mr. Howel?" Sophie asks.

"I don't think so," Avery answers.

"Good, let's try to keep it that way," Sophie says.

A stagehand rushes over and tells Avery that she needs to be on stage in sixty seconds. Avery swallows hard and wipes her hands on her skirt. Her mouth has gone bone dry, but her palms feel clammy.

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Sophie wraps her in a warm embrace and says, "Belief in yourself. You're the best."

The stage door opens, and Crystal marches past. She bumps into Avery as she passes, and Avery stumbles backward before she catches her balance. Crystal smirks and mouths the word "sorry." Avery ignores her and takes her place behind the podium.

She takes a deep breath and clicks the button on the remote control. Her design appears on the screen. The cufflinks look like small coats of armor. In the middle, there's a wine glass made out of rose quartz. A small whip wraps around the stem of the glass, and a bouquet of flowers appears above it.

Avery clears her throat and says, "My design tells a story. Miss Arlington and Mr. Howel met at a benefit dinner when Miss Arlington was young. From the first moment she saw him, she knew she had feelings for him. The glass in the middle represents the moment they met.

"The whip represents Miss Arlington. She's an accomplished rider—one of the best horsewomen in the world. Mr. Howel realized he had feelings for her when he saw her on horseback. The flowers in the bouquet above are the symbols of the Howel and Arlington families—the bouquet represents their union."

There's more to explain, but Avery feels a lump forming in her throat. The spotlights are hot and blinding, and her head starts to spin. She braces herself against the podium, fighting the urge to run offstage. The silence onstage is unsettling—she can hear people whispering. 

"That's so meaningful," a female voice gushes. "The design is a little rougher, of course, not nearly as refined as Crystal's. But my God, the story is just beautiful."

"I don't know," a male voice says. "I think I prefer Crystal's. That color-changing detail is so unique."

Avery squints out at the audience, trying to see past the bright lights, but the speakers' faces are impossible to see. She reaches for the remote to end the presentation. She's about to turn the screen off when she hears Rebecca's accented voice rise above the murmur.

"Avery is so considerate," Rebecca says. "I really like her design. What do you think, Evan?"

Avery strains her ears to hear his response, but she doesn't catch a single word. She turns the screen off, and the lights in the room flicker back on. She nods and smiles at the audience and leaves the stage to lukewarm applause. A stagehand ushers her to a front-row seat, and she sits down next to Crystal.

"If Mr. Howel chooses your design, he's blind," Crystal whispers.

Avery ignores the comment and watches Sophie take the stage. Sophie raises her hands for silence, and the audience obeys.

"You've all seen the designs now, and I think you can all agree that both are impressive," Sophie says. "But here at D.O., we value our clients above everything else. So now it's time to find out which design Mr. Howel and Miss Arlington prefer."

Sophie gestures toward Evan and Rebecca's seats, and Evan stands. He's dressed in a crisp black suit, and he radiates power. The audience begins to whisper, and he waits until they silence themselves.

"Frankly, both designs are only okay," he says. The audience gasps, and he clears his throat. "But if I had to choose one, I guess I'd choose Miss Peters' work."

If he had to choose, Avery thinks. He's so rude. I know he wants to insult me, but there's no need to insult Sophie's entire company too. Avery looks up at the stage and sees that Sophie looks a bit flustered—her cheeks are pink, and her eyes are wide.

"May I ask why you chose Miss Peters' work?" Sophie asks. "What is your reason?"

"My reason?" Evan asks. He smiles and says, "I suppose it's because Miss Peters is a very generous designer."

The audience begins to applaud, and Avery groans. To the audience, it sounds like he's praising the thoughtfulness of her design. But she knows his comment is meant to be a jab. He's mocking her for designing the cufflinks for his new girlfriend.

Sophie wraps her knuckles against the podium and says, "It's my pleasure to announce that the final design will be—"

"Wait a minute!" a voice shouts.

Avery turns and sees one of Crystal's interns standing on top of his seat. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Crystal's face light up.

"This entire competition was unfair," the intern shouts.

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