I Married My Ex's Billionaire Father
Chapter 204: A Talentless Hack

Chapter 204: A Talentless Hack

The stage area erupted. Oscar’s accusation, sharp and clear, hung in the air like a thunderclap, shattering the celebratory atmosphere. Whispers turned into murmurs, then into full-blown chatter.

The ushers at the event tried to led him offstage to the back, but he vehemently refused, his voice instead growing stronger.

"I will not be silenced when Judge Thompson is selling his conscience and giving unworthy people the award." He screamed louder.

All eyes turned to Judge Thompson, who stood near the judges’ table, his face a mask of shock and anger.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, rising to his feet. his voice trembling slightly. He pointed a finger at Oscar. "How dare you accuse me of cheating? This is slander! I will have you know that I am a man of integrity!"

Oscar, however, was undeterred. Emboldened by the support of the other contestants, he stood his ground. "I am not accusing you of anything you did not do, Judge Thompson," he retorted, her voice firm. "I saw you. I saw you accepting a bribe."

Judge Thompson’s face flushed crimson. He opened his mouth to protest, but Oscar cut him off.

"Don’t even bother denying it," he said, his voice ringing through the room. "I have proof."

Judge Thompson’s eyes darted around the room, searching for an escape. He knew at that point that he was trapped. Oscar’s accusation was too specific, too confident. He could feel the eyes of the other judges, the contestants, the audience, all boring into him.

"This is ridiculous!" he sputtered, his voice weak. "I am not going to stand here and be falsely accused. I’m calling the police!"

He reached for his phone, but Oscar stopped him.

"Go ahead," he said, his voice challenging. "Call the police and I will tell them everything I saw. I’ll tell them about the money. I’ll tell them about the deal you made with the unworthy contestant."

The room fell silent. Everyone was waiting, watching, wondering what would happen next. The tension was almost unbearable. They had come for a fashion show and now they were being served hot salacious drama.

Just as the speculation reached its peak, Oscar dropped another bombshell.

"It was not just Judge Thompson," he said, his voice ringing with conviction. "He wasn’t the only one involved. The contestant who colluded with him...it was Brooke."

A collective gasp filled the room. All eyes turned to Brooke, who stood there, her face ashen, her carefully constructed facade finally crumbling. She had been so sure that she had gotten away with it, that her secret was safe. But now, it was all being revealed, her treachery laid bare for everyone to see.

"That is a lie!" Brooke screamed, her voice shrill and desperate. "He is making it up! He is just jealous! Why would I need to pay anyone when I have already been a winner before."

Oscar shook his head, his expression filled with disgust. "I am not jealous of you, Brooke," she said. "I am just disgusted by you. You are a cheat. You’re a talentless hack and you don’t deserve to win."

He turned to the other judges, his voice pleading. "You have to believe me," he said. "I saw it with my own eyes. Brooke transferred money to Judge Thompson. It was a bribe. She paid him to rig the competition in her favor."

One of the judges, a woman named Ms. Evans, looked at Brooke, her face filled with disappointment. "Brooke," she said, her voice gentle but firm, "is this true?"

Brooke knew that she had been caught but she refused to concede. Her carefully constructed world might be crashing down around her, but she was determined to fight to the end.

She lifted her head and stared straight at Ms. Evans, her eyes filling with tears. "These are all just unfounded lies against me."

"This is unbelievable," Ms. Evans murmured, shaking her head in disbelief. "Brooke has won so many competitions. I find it hard to understand why she would need to bribe anyone."

Another judge, Mr. Davis, chimed in. "That is exactly what I was thinking," he said. "Brooke is a talented designer. She has won several awards. Why would she risk everything for this and not even win?"

The other judges nodded in agreement. They were all shocked by the accusations, struggling to reconcile the image of the successful, confident Brooke with the image of a corrupt, cheating contestant.

"That is exactly my point." Brooke said, her hope strengthening in the light of the judges speaking positively of her. "This is just a plot by my enemies to ruin my reputation." With that she directed a pointed look at Lyse.

"And if it is true and I bribed Mr Thompson, would I not be the winner?" Brooke continued, determined to sway people’s opinions and who as a better scapegoat than Lyse. "Why am I being questioned? Not Lyse Van Doren? After all we all know her husband is very powerful and can manipulate situations."

Before Lyse could say anything in her defense, Oscar cut in. "First of all, talent does not excuse dishonesty, not that Brooke has any." He said, sneering at Brooke. "And there is no need pointing fingers at anyone, we can see exactly who is manipulative."

He turned to the audience, her voice ringing through the room. "I’m not going to let her get away with it," she said. "I am not going to let her steal this victory. The other contestants, the ones who played fair, deserve a chance to win. They deserve to be recognized for their talent, not for their connections."

A murmur of agreement rippled through the audience. They were all shocked by the revelations, disgusted by Brooke’s treachery. They wanted justice. They wanted the competition to be fair.

Brooke remained undeterred, and she stepped forward and raised her voice. "As the judges rightly said, I have been winning these competitions, i don’t need to bribe anyone."

"Actually, I think I can explain why Brooke had so many awards and was mediocre at this competition." A calm but confident voice rang out, drawing everyone’s attention.