Chapter 240
“Is that why you won’t pick up the pen? Feeling guilty, are you?”
“Echo’s right here. Does she even dare to challenge her? Does she have the guts to have her handwriting tested?”
“If I were her, I’d drop to my knees right now and beg Echo for forgiveness. Then I’d never show my face in the piano world again.”
Every mocking voice felt like a knife twisting straight into Olivia’s chest. She looked up, her eyes red and wet, and met Charlotte’s icy, unreadable stare across the room. The tears just kept coming, spilling over before she could stop them. Just moments ago, she’d felt so smug and unstoppable. Now, all that confidence was gone, replaced by humiliation and pain. This was what it felt like to be completely shattered in front of everyone.
“The results are out.” The staff member’s voice cut through the chaos, and the camera zoomed in on the report.
In the results section, the words were clear: [After analyzing the handwriting, we confirm that the sheet music and Charlotte’s sample are from the same person.]
The room exploded with noise. So Echo really was the composer behind “Light.” Olivia clenched her jaw, suddenly freezing cold, like she couldn’t move even if she wanted to.
A minute hadn’t even passed when the staff spoke again. “Since Olivia refused to provide a handwriting sample on site, we’ve used the one from her competition registration form. And the result… The composition is not her original work.”
So it was official. She was the one who copied. She was the one who lied and played the victim.
“I’ve never seen anyone so shameless-copying someone else’s work and then demanding an apology from the real author!”
“Olivia, you’re fake!”
“Olivia, apologize!”
“Olivia, get out of the piano world!”
Everyone was shouting at her, their anger filling the room. The staff handed over the results and quietly left.
“The plagiarism is confirmed,” the judge announced. “Olivia’s competition results are hereby canceled.”
“I’ll be notifying the piano association to revoke Olivia’s eligibility from any future competitions.”
There was no place left for Olivia in the piano world.
The words hit her like a final blow. Her legs buckled and she collapsed, unable to keep standing. The jeersz and insults just kept coming, echoing over and over in her ears. It was over. Her dream, her future-gone.
“And Laura paused, turning to Charlotte with a respectful look. “Echo, since Olivia plagiarized your
work and damaged your reputation, do you want to seek compensation?” After all, Olivia was her own sister…
Compensation? At that, Olivia’s head jerked up, tears streaming down her cheeks. She’d already lost everything. What more could they possibly want from her?
Right then Steven and Elizabeth
broke through security, rushing up
onto the stage. The moment Elizabeth saw Olivia on her knees
looking so defeated, her own eyes
filled with tears.
Steven helped Olivia up, then turned on Charlotte, his voice shaking with anger. “Is
this what you wanted? Are you happy now that you’ve destroyed her?”
He’d known Charlotte wasn’t here for anything good.
Happy? Charlotte heard him and pressed her lips together, her eyes colder than
ever as she answered slowly.
“Thanks for reminding me. Actually, I’m not happy yet.”