"This is unfair!" Jessey suddenly shouted, her voice breaking the ongoing applause. All eyes in the room turned to her, including those of the judges, who were still sitting at their table, surprised by the outburst.
Jessey stood with her fists clenched, her breath heavy. "She wasn't even part of the contestants. How could she win? Just because she's pretty? Is that what you're looking for?" her voice almost trembled with emotion.
The room immediately fell silent, except for Jessey's ragged breaths.
An older male judge, who had previously given Silvia a standing ovation, glared at Jessey. "Jessey," he said, his voice low but powerful, "we judge the winner based on more than just physical appearance. Silvia is not just beautiful, she brings something more to the table. She showcased how the product she wore can be presented perfectly. She owns the clothes she is wearing—that's what we were looking for. What you saw was not just beauty, but the perfect synergy with what we seek."
Jessey felt like she had been frozen in place. But her anger only grew stronger. "So it's all about the clothes?" she scoffed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You're choosing her just because she can wear a dress gracefully, not because of her skill as a model! Silvia was just lucky to wear a dress that fit her. That's not hard work!"
One of the female judges, who had previously smiled subtly when Silvia was announced as the winner, now looked at Jessey coldly. "Jessey, you don't understand. The synergy is what matters. In the modeling world, it's not just about beauty. It's about how well someone can embody the product they wear, how they own it. Silvia is not just a pretty face—she has the right presence. Something that cannot be explained in words."
Jessey's blood boiled. She felt humiliated and her frustration reached a boiling point. "This is all ridiculous!" she screamed, her voice now shaking. "You're all just dazzled by her looks! What about those of us who really work hard to be winners? I've been practicing and preparing for a long time to be the winner of this competition. I won't accept my hard work being trampled on by those who just happened to choose the right clothes for themselves."
"I think you don't fully understand our criteria," the male judge responded, now more sternly, his patience thinning. "Silvia is not just a model with a pretty face—she is the embodiment of what we need. Maybe your work isn't hard enough, Jessey."
Those words felt like a slap in the face. Jessey's embarrassment was now palpable, but her anger was still too overwhelming to control. "You're all just looking at the surface!" she yelled once more, her voice trembling.
Waksi, who had been standing nearby, felt extremely uncomfortable in the situation. He glanced at Jessey, confusion and a bit of pity. He could feel how painful it was for her, he's not the kind of person who would defend someone like Jessey.
Before Waksi could say anything, Jessey turned sharply and began to walk swiftly toward the exit, ignoring the gazes of those around her.
Outside the hall, her tears broke free. The disappointment she felt was indescribable, mixed with an overwhelming sense of shame. She clenched her dress tightly, hiding her tear-streaked face. No one could stop her; although some of her friends tried to approach her, Jessey rushed out without looking back.
Once outside the hall, the cold night air hit her face, but it did little to calm the storm inside her heart. She felt betrayed, unappreciated, and the judges' decision seemed like a grave mistake. She ran aimlessly, away from the crowd, trying to escape the anger and disappointment that consumed her.
In the midst of her tears, Jessey began to feel a deep emptiness. What had she been fighting for all this time? What was she lacking that she couldn't win? All of her efforts seemed to go unrecognized, and now all those feelings surged within her.
Things were different for Silvia. After the announcement of the winner, she and the two other contestants who were selected were immediately invited backstage, took off all the clothes they wore on the catwalk and signed a contract as models for Tunic Proud. With this, it was official for Silvia to become a model.
Waksi immediately went into the room to meet his girlfriend. His face was burning with breath as he waited for an explanation.
"How? How could you win this competition so easily? You weren't even part of the participants." Waksi said, shaking Silvia's shoulder.
Silvia tried to avert her eyes, unable to look directly at Waksi. Soon an old man with a bald head who had previously been a juror came up to the two of them. Silvia was relieved to be able to avoid answering any further questions from her boyfriend.
"Congratulations on the win, Silvia. From now on, you are officially our brand ambassador. We'll be contacting you soon for a photo shoot. I hope you're ready when that time comes." The old man said.
"Of course. I'll look forward to it." Said Silvia with a wide smile.
"Wait a minute," Wakis interrupted, "I still haven't agreed with you to become a model."
"Excuse me, but if I may, who is this man?" Asked the judge.
"I'm Silvia's boyfriend. And I object to her having to model for your clothing company." Waksi said in a sharp tone.
But before the old man could respond, Silvia had already pulled Waksi's hand away from the room and said, "Sorry sir, don't mind him. I've signed a contract with you and, of course, I'm willing to cooperate. You can contact me anytime. I'll leave now. Have a nice day."
The hall was still bustling with people still hanging around taking pictures and videos. Silvia and Waksi walked as quickly as possible out of the room through the back door, the same door through which they had sneaked into the performance area. As they walked out, Silvia saw some of the cleaners confused by the many mirrors scattered on the floor. But the girl ignored them.
"Let go of me!" Waksi shouted, pulling his hand away as he walked out of the door, "I told you that I haven't agreed to you modeling, why are you still arguing with me?"
"Since when do I need your approval?" Silvia replied in a challenging tone, "From the beginning, our relationship was a fake one. You have no right to stop me. Besides, I told you from the beginning that if I won, you would have to agree to me becoming a model."
Waksi sighed heavily. This time he had unknowingly recognized Silvia as his girlfriend. Previously, he hated this girl and being by her side was just a compulsion from his father. But now, he seemed to be affected by this girl's existence.
"Fine, do whatever you want. It has nothing to do with me," Waksi said with cold eyes, "but at least you can tell me how you got into the competition and won."
"I can win this competition thanks to this." Silvia took out a mirror from her bag.
"The mirror that hurt Jessey earlier?"
"No!" Silvia denied, "From the beginning, this mirror was not meant to hurt Jessey, or any of the other contestants. It was for myself."
"I still don't understand," Waksi said, scratching his head.
"You're more stupid than I thought," Silvia said.
"What did you say?" Waksi became angry.
Silvia took a deep breath, preparing to give a long explanation and said, "fine, let me explain in a language that you can understand easily."