Chapter 3
Eric forced me to sit down at the table.
He placed the half-eaten bowl of seafood chowder they'd shared right in front of me.
Vivian's face instantly twisted into a look of calculation.
Before I could even react, a scalding heat suddenly shot through my arm.
Vivian let out a piercing scream, milking the moment for all it was worth, "Eric, it hurts so much!
"Allison, I know you're upset with me, but you can't just dump chowder on me!"
Eric shot up from his seat and shoved me aside, barely sparing me a glance.
He swept Vivian into his arms and rushed out of the room.
I reached out, grabbing the edge of his shirt, raising my arm, still slick with soup.
"Eric, it's so hot," I said, my voice trembling.
Eric didn't even turn around. His voice was cold as ice as he said, "You survived a fire—this little bit of heat shouldn't even faze you."
As I watched him walk away, it felt like my heart was being ripped apart.
To Eric, I was just something dirty and not even worth showing my face.
How could I ever measure up to Vivian, who was worth her weight in gold?
After I handled the burn on my arm alone, Eric called.
"Allison, I only said those things because I was so worked up.
"But you weren't exactly innocent, either. Vivian's really fragile, you know.
"She can't take that kind of hurt," he said, his voice a little softer now.
The huge blisters on my arm burned so bad I couldn't even sit still.
It was like I'd been thrown right back into that inferno; every breath felt like I was inhaling smoke all over again.
Eric continued, sounding like he couldn't care less, "But Vivian's being generous and not holding it against you. As punishment, you're out of the Radiant Creations contest."
His final verdict choked me up, like I was drowning in smoke.
Vivian's smug grin popped into my mind.
"That gold medal's going to be mine, too," she had said.
Eric knew full well that winning the gold medal in this contest and becoming Luna's apprentice had been my lifelong wish.
This time, I was not just going to compete with Vivian.
I would crush her under my heel!
On the day of the design competition, I was the last to present.
When I finished my introduction—every word memorized by heart—I wrapped it up smoothly.
But instead of the gasps I'd expected, the audience fell into a dead, awkward silence.
I looked down at the ring on the display tray, and my face went white as a sheet.
There was a diamond missing from the ring—one that was supposed to be there.
This wasn't my design!
"Ms. Wayne, how dare you plagiarize? Do you realize what event this is?" one of the judges snapped, his voice sharp with fury.
"Bringing something like this out here—are you trying to destroy your own future?" another judge shouted, his words slicing through the air.
The judges' angry voices shook me so hard I almost lost my balance.
The crowd was buzzing with gossip, but I could hear Vivian's mocking voice loud and clear.
"Pathetic. Didn't I tell you? You could never beat me!" Vivian sneered, her voice dripping with contempt.
Vivian, of course.
Stealing my life wasn't enough—she wanted to destroy me, too.
My lips trembled as I tried to explain, but panic left my words tangled and scattered.
Pointing fingers from the crowd and the disappointed looks from the judges pushed me toward despair.
Wait—Eric! He could help me!
After I finished the ring, he was the one who submitted it for me.
"I have someone who can prove it!" I blurted out, my voice trembling with desperation.
I gave Eric a pleading look, silently begging him to back me up.
"You were the one who handed in my design! Just tell them—tell everyone what really happened!" I said, my voice shaking with panic.