Chapter 78

Chapter 78:

Kristine was just as shocked. There must be some inside story here! She couldn’t accept that Madisyn was actually a judge. Perhaps Madisyn had gotten someone to go along with a ruse!

“Practice hard. We’re all eager to see how you do,” Dane said to Kristine.

Kristine bit her lip, feeling a rush of heat on her cheeks. While Madisyn, as a judge, remained low-key, Kristine kept boasting about herself. How infuriating!

Once Elaine and the others had departed, Lynda immediately sought out Trevor, who was responsible for choosing the judges. The national competition had only four judges, each renowned for their exceptional dancing skills.

“Trevor, why is Madisyn a judge? She’s so young. How did she qualify?” Lynda inquired.

Trevor looked at her, his brow furrowed. “You don’t know?”

“What should I know?”

“Your niece is incredible,” Trevor said, clearly impressed.

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Lynda was puzzled. “Do you have a video of her dancing?”

Trevor said with a smile, “You might have seen it, but I’m not at liberty to discuss it.”

Lynda was left bewildered, but with Trevor revealing nothing more, she decided to let it go. Based on the scores Madisyn would later give at the competition, Lynda could determine if she truly had a knack for dancing.

Soon after, the dance competition kicked off. It began with the introduction of the judges. The first three judges introduced were all in their forties, a typical age for dancers to have established significant achievements.

When Madisyn made her appearance, it caused quite a stir. Murmurs filled the audience.

The competition then got underway. Each finalist was skilled in dancing, captivating the audience. Midway through, Kristine performed, and her dance notably impressed the crowd.

“Wow, Kristine is definitely a top contender for the championship! She’s so talented!”

“I completely agree!”

“She’s amazing!”

The audience erupted in applause following Kristine’s performance.

Watching from the front row, Lynda couldn’t help but frown. She thought Kristine’s performance fell short compared to her dance in the living room at home the other day. Kristine mentioned it was an impromptu dance. Was her sudden excellence due to being in great form? Lynda wished she had recorded it, feeling let down.

Nonetheless, Kristine was highly competent here, and the judges awarded her high scores. She temporarily led the competition.

Several more contestants performed, and then it was Jenna’s turn. Jenna’s dance abilities were average among the finalists. Her scores were not high.

The host made the announcement after Madisyn gave her verdict. Jenna awaited her final score with high hopes, but was shocked when she heard it.

Only 6 points?

The previous contestant had scored a 7! She didn’t believe her performance was poor!

With such a score, there was no chance she’d receive any awards! Moreover, Madisyn had given her just 4 points, while the previous contestant received 5.

“I object!”

Suddenly, Jenna’s voice brought the hall to a hush. She faced Madisyn and said, “I don’t think she’s fit to judge! I believe I performed well, yet she gave me a very low score. Could it be that she has an issue with me? How can someone swayed by their emotions judge fairly? Plus, I know her. She’s not even a good dancer. I can’t fathom how she got to be a judge!”

Her words stirred a commotion among the audience. There was already skepticism about Madisyn’s role as a judge. Yet, her scoring had seemed reasonable until now. With Jenna’s public challenge, doubts began to surface among others too.

“The judges in any dance competition are typically over 30 years old. This girl is barely in her twenties.”

“I find it odd too. I’m well-acquainted with the dance community, yet I’ve never heard of her.”

It was the first time that such a thing had happened in the competition. Promptly, the organizer responded, “Jenna, our selection of judges is completely fair. You needn’t worry.”

“I want to trust you, but it’s obvious she’s young. Have we ever had such a young judge before? The rest are all renowned dancers. I have no objections to them, but she is simply not on their level!” Jenna refused to accept that her performance might not measure up and resolved to expose any underhandedness, continuing, “I don’t understand how she qualified as a judge, and I won’t acknowledge her authority!”

Jenna stood firm and resolute. She believed she was courageously confronting wrongdoing!

Relieved to hear someone voice similar sentiments, Kristine breathed easier. She would never support Madisyn’s appointment as a judge.

The organizers found themselves in a tough spot.

Kristine chimed in at just the right moment, “This competition has always stood for fairness over its many years. If doubts are raised, we should demonstrate the fairness of this event and allow the judge to showcase her competence.”

Everyone supported her suggestion.

“Yes, let her dance!”

“Surely, judges are selected because they are exceptional dancers, right?”

The sentiment resonated throughout the crowd.

Elaine frowned, turning pale. Dane reassured her, “She’ll manage.”

“I know, but I can’t help thinking…” Elaine bit her lip, leaving her sentence unfinished.

However, Dane grasped what Elaine was implying. It was one thing for someone else to make such a statement, but Kristine? He had cautioned her before.

Jenna then urged, “Madisyn, would you dare to dance right now?”

“Yes, I can. But can anyone question the judges’ authority or this competition’s fairness? Your baseless doubts are disrupting the entire event,” Madisyn retorted sharply.

“It all depends on whether you truly qualify as a judge! If you prove worthy, I’ll never compete here again,” Jenna said firmly. “But if you’re not worthy, you owe everyone here an apology, admit your bias, and change my score!”

Madisyn thought Jenna was a fool, desperately wanting to cause herself trouble. It seemed like the perfect moment for a dance.

“Okay.” Madisyn agreed and stood up, ready to dance.

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