SWNOVELS Chapter 191-200
Chapter 191
Man, if only she knew, she would’ve waited a bit longer to give her a splash!
“I really want to give you a piece of my mind.” Olga wanted to give Arabella a scolding, but Yolanda was holding her back tightly.
At this point, Yolanda’s face was looking pretty grim, looking at Arabella with humiliation.
The crowd had grown from a handful to a small group, and if things went on like this, they’d be the laughing stock!
“I’m sorry, it was an accident.” Yolanda just had to bite the bullet and apologize.
But Arabella raised an eyebrow, clearly not satisfied with her apology: “Do you want everyone to see was it an accident or on purpose?” Yolanda had no choice but to humbly apologize: “I’m sorry, it was my fault! I won’t do it again.”
“Just stay away from me.” After Arabella finished her sentence, she ignored her.
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Olga wanted to follow, but Yolanda grabbed her arm tightly and pleaded in a low voice, “Mom, please, don’t make a scene!”
“Yoli, why did you apologize to her? Why are you afraid of her? She slapped you twice; we’re the ones in the right!”
What Yolanda was afraid of was her plagiarism of the piano piece being exposed; that was the real problem!
Clearly, Arabella already knew about her stealing the piano piece; would she expose her next?
The piano piece was found in a room where Arabella used to live. Although it was just a climax part, the piano teacher hired by the Murphy family praised it highly, saying it was so good that it made him feel inadequate!
She searched online many times but didn’t find this piece, so she decided to compose a prelude and an ending to it and submit it. To her surprise, it was accepted and even won second place!
She went from a musical nobody to a musical prodigy!
She struggled to achieve her current status; she must protect her reputation. What’s a little apology?
Arabella was fostered by the Murphy family and learned piano and composition, but what proof did she have that the piece was hers?
Yolanda comforted herself: Don’t be afraid; Arabella couldn’t make much of a storm!
Even if Arabella insisted the piece was hers, as long as Yolanda didn’t admit it, what could she do?
In the end, Arabella would be the real joke!
Just then, someone exclaimed, “President Jasmine, you’re here?”
Yolanda looked in the direction of the voice and saw a woman with a strong presence and feminine charm walking towards them. She was wearing a women’s suit, looking both cool and stylish.
That’s Jasmine, the president of the National Piano Association!
She was a highly skilled pianist, winning many awards both domestically and internationally at a young age. She became president of the National Piano Association before she hit forty and was revered as a piano master.
Seeing her, Yolanda quickly tidied her clothes and checked herself in the mirror. Under the dim light, the blush on her face seemed like makeup.
Realizing her manners were appropriate, she quickly walked up and introduced herself naturally: “President Jasmine, hello, I’m Yolanda, and I won second place in the piano competition.”
Jasmine had originally spotted Arabella in the crowd, but when she went over, she found that she was gone and felt somewhat disappointed.
She turned to the girl who was greeting her. Hearing the familiar name, her eyebrows furrowed slightly. “Are you the daughter of the Murphy family?”
She had heard from Arabella about the unsavory people of the Murphy family.
Yolanda was originally happy that President Jasmine knew her, but she didn’t expect Jasmine’s face to suddenly turn cold.
Chapter 192
Yolanda was a bit puzzled, but she still managed to smile and say, “President Jasmine, I really dig your music. Any chance could I learn from you?” President Jasmine raised an eyebrow, looking a bit curious. “Which of my tunes do you fancy?”
Yolanda was instantly stumped. She was just trying to show respect, but she couldn’t, for the life of her, remember any of Jasmine’s songs!
All she knew was that President Jasmine was a big deal, made a name for herself at a young age, and was admired by many piano scholars.
Some people nearby started to chime in:
“My favorite is President Jasmine’s ‘Bud.‘ It’s like I can immerse myself in a sea of flowers. I can even smell the strong fragrance of flowers through the music.” “I’m all about the ‘Melody of the Ocean“.”
Seeing Yolanda’s face turn a rosy color and being at a loss for words, they couldn’t help but say, “You dare say you like President Jasmine’s songs with that kind of
reaction?”
“I can play all one hundred and thirty–two of President Jasmine’s famous tunes, can you?”
“I wonder how you got to be in second place.”
Yolanda’s face turned even redder. Embarrassed and awkward, she said, “Sorry, President Jasmine, I was so excited to see you, I got a little carried away.”
Just as President Jasmine was about to leave, Yolanda quickly stopped her. “President Jasmine, I truly admire your talent. I wonder if there’s a chance I could receive your guidance. I promise to practice hard and not let you down!”
She thought Jasmine would be moved by her dedication, but Jasmine saw through the girl’s ambition and coldly said, “Sorry, I’m not accepting disciples.”
Everyone around was stunned. They didn’t expect President Jasmine to reject her so bluntly. It seemed she really didn’t like Yolanda.
As the second–place winner of the piano competition, she didn’t even know President Jasmine’s music.
Yolanda was beyond embarrassed. Seeing that Jasmine was still about to leave, she quickly shouted, “President Jasmine, do you have any other students in mind?”
Jasmine stopped for the third time; this time, her sharp gaze fell on her. “I do have someone in mind, but even if I didn’t, I wouldn’t pick you.”
Yolanda’s face immediately turned pale. “Can I ask why?”
“Because I don’t like people from the Murphy family.” Jasmine bluntly finished, then took another look at her outfit. “You’re not suited for these clothes or these accessories. Queen Abby has personality; wearing her pieces is simply ruining them.”
People around gasped, taking a closer look at Yolanda; indeed, she couldn’t pull off these clothes and accessories.
It just didn’t jive.
Seeing Jasmine walk away, the onlookers also left. Olga stood there stunned. It took a while before she stepped forward. “What a terrible president! How could she speak so bluntly to a child? That’s way over the top!”
Chapter 193
“Mom, I’m fine.” Yolanda said, “It’s my fault for not remembering the name of her song”
“Just because you forgot the name of the song, she had no right to embarrass you in front of everyone! You even achieved second place!” Olga glared angrily at the retreating figure of Jasmine, “She even criticized your outfit and jewelry for not suiting you. who is she to decide? We’re rich, what’s wrong with buying clothes and jewelry from Queen Abby?”
“Mom, let’s go.” Yolanda didn’t want to stay here any longer and be the laughingstock.
“She doesn’t want to take disciples, we’re not even interested in being her students!” Olga took Yolanda’s hand and returned to the audience, complaining all the way, “Everyone knows that the best planist now is Leonard, we’ll look for him to be our teacher later!”
Yolanda wanted to say that there were already too many people wanting to become Leonard’s disciples, not to mention her, even Serena, whom Leonard wouldn’t even look at!
But she didn’t say anything at that moment, and returned to her seat, quietly feeling a bit sad.
Just then, Attlee’s friend Leo Bright curiously asked, “Mrs. Murphy, I noticed from afar that President Jasmine was chatting with Yoli in the aisle. Did President Jasmine take a liking to Yoli? Does she want to take her as her disciple?”
Because of the distance, Leo Bright couldn’t see clearly, only knowing that a crowd was surrounding them, and that they were chatting about something. Yolanda was already feeling embarrassed, and with this question, her expression became even harder to hide, as the situation was extremely awkward. However, Olga just laughed, “Oh, President Jasmine did have this intention just now, but in this industry, the best is Leonard, so I told Yoli to think about it and not to rush to agree with her.”
Leo Bright was surprised that they were so ambitious. He laughed and said, “To be able to catch President Jasmine’s eye proves a high level of piano skill. My daughter has been learning piano for many years. I’ve used many connections to try and get President Jasmine to give guidance, but President Jasmine didn’t agree. Yoli can make President Jasmine take notice of her, that’s really something!”
“Yoli got second place, our daughter only got fifth; how can you compare with her?” Leo Bright’s wife laughed and said, “Yoli is so excellent, she probably has a high chance of catching Leonard’s eye in the future.”
Olga, who was up until now in a bad mood, brightened up again after hearing this.
“After the presenter finishes the opening speech, the top eight competitors will all have to perform their pieces on the stage. Yoli must perform well, maybe Leonard will be impressed by the playback of today’s stage.”
“Good point!” On hearing this, Olga immediately nudged Yolanda, “Yoli, did you hear that? You must give it your best!”
“I got it,” Yolanda was originally feeling down, but then her phone beeped with a notification of a message. It was a message from Zachary, and her mood instantly improved.
[I’m among the audience, where are you?]
Yolanda immediately stood up to look for Zachary, and when she saw him, she waved and called out, “Zachary, I’m over here!”
After saying this, she immediately rushed over excitedly to meet Zachary.
“Someone’s here?” Mrs. Bright was a little surprised, “Yoli seems really happy.”
“Oh, it’s Yoli’s boyfriend, he’s here to cheer her on!” Olga didn’t expect Zachary to show up at this time, and her mood got even better.
“Yoli just graduated from high school, and she already has a boyfriend?” Mrs. Bright saw that Zachary was very handsome, and couldn’t help asking, “He looks very well–educated, which family is he from?”
“Oh, he’s the son of the richest family in Golden City.”
“Zachary?” Mrs. Bright was a little surprised, she didn’t expect the Murphy family to have such a connection with the Panter family!
“Do you know Zachary?” Olga knew about Zachary’s family’s status, once mentioned, others could only envy her.
“I can’t say I know him.” Mrs. Bright only had a few interactions with Zachary’s mother but didn’t really have much contact with Zachary himself.
Chapter 194
Yolanda, arm in arm with Zachary, strutted to the fifth row of the audience seats, casually introducing him as her fiancé to the folks around.
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Zachary didn’t plan to show up, but after some hemming and hawing outside, he finally decided that it wouldn’t make any sense if he, as a fiancé, didn’t attend his bride–to–be’s award ceremony.
So, he bit the bullet and came.
Despite his reluctance, he still greeted everyone with grace and charm when Yolanda introduced him.
His conduct undoubtedly added a touch of dignity to the Murphy family, making Attlee and Olga swell with pride.
Mrs. Bright, on the other hand, sneakily whipped out her phone and texted Mrs. Panter, “You really know how to keep a secret, eh? Why didn’t you spill the beans about Zachary and Yoli’s romance? If I hadn’t bumped into them in the audience, I wouldn’t have known you already had a daughter–in–law in the making!”
At that time, Mrs. Panter was enjoying her morning tea. The message almost made her choke. She quickly replied, “What?”
She had warned her son multiple times in the past few days not to chase after that Murphy girl, but the knucklehead didn’t listen.
All talk and no action, truly!
“It’s the National Piano Competition award ceremony! My daughter got fifth place, so I tagged along. Never expected Yoli to bag second! You really have a good eye.”
Feeling suffocated, Mrs. Panter quickly replied, “Where’s this ceremony? I’ll swing by.”
“Yolanda didn’t invite you?” Mrs. Bright teased, “They seem pretty cozy.”
Right now, Yolanda was sweetly holding onto Zachary’s arm, and whispering something into his ear. Zachary listened and gave a chuckle.
The scene was picture–perfect.
Mrs. Panter was about to blow her top, “othing is set yet, it’s just child’s play.”
“Huh?” Mrs. Bright was taken aback, “But their parents seem pretty serious about i”
“Well, you know, a lot of folks want to tie the knot with the Panter family.”
Only then did Mrs. Bright realize that the Panter family parents hadn’t agreed to this match, yet they were advertising it far and wide.
While Zachary was watching the host’s opening remarks with Yolanda; his phone buzzed. It was a message from his Mom.
“Are you trying to send me to an early grave? I’ve told you time and time again to break up with that girl! But you never listen!”
“Fine! You may as well marry into the Murphy family! Consider yourself disowned! If you’re so fond of her, don’t bother coming home ever again!”
Zachary was astonished. Zachary read his mother’s message, and he was puzzled as to how she knew he was there…
He looked around. Except for the parents of the Murphy family, he didn’t recognize anyone else.
This was weird.
“Mom, I’ll be home soon; don’t be mad,” Zachary didn’t really want to be there, he just wanted to be there for Yolanda, otherwise, it would feel like something was missing.
Yolanda, who was close enough to see the conversation on his phone, felt a stab of disappointment. But she couldn’t show it, so she gently said, “Is that your mom asking you to come home? If so, you should go. Don’t worry about me.”
Chapter 195
Zachary glanced over and saw the innocence and kindness in Yolanda’s eyes, which made him falter a bit.
“Zachary, you should go home. Don’t make your Mom upset; she’s only got you,” Yolanda understood his predicament and comforted him, “No matter how she views me, as a Mom, she just wants you to be happy, to find a good partner, and live a blissful life.”
“Aren’t you mad at her?” Zachary was surprised, looking into her eyes, he asked, “In the hospital, she said so much that hurt you.”
She was against this marriage, even thought Yolanda wasn’t good enough.
Yolanda shook her head, and with a smile she said, “She and I, we both love you, we both want you to be happy. I know her intentions are good, so I’m not mad.”
The classmates‘ jeers didn’t bother her, as long as she could become Zachary’s wife in the future, who would dare laugh at her?
She didn’t want to be adopted by a janitor, but life played a cruel joke on her. Yet she didn’t complain; always treated people around her with kindness. Was there any better girl in this world?
Even if she had dated other guys, so what? She grew up without father’s love, longing for someone to care for her, was that wrong?
Thinking about her family situation when she was young, Zachary suddenly had a question, “When did you learn to play the piano?”
He remembered she had mentioned that her Mom had a tough time raising her.
Under such circumstances, it was unlikely she had the chance to learn the piano.
Yolanda hadn’t expected Zachary to suddenly ask this question, which also piqued the curiosity of Olga nearby, “Yeah, Yoli, it seemed like you hadn’t learned piano. before you returned to the Murphy family!”
So, how did she learn to play the piano and even win awards?
“After I returned to the Murphy family, once, I saw a piano in my sister’s room, and then I just learned it online.”
That was true, in order to improve her image, Yolanda had self–taught a lot online.
“There are piano lessons online; I practiced when no one was around. Later, my Dad saw that I really liked the piano, so he bought me a new one, and even hired a tutor for me.”
That was also true, Attlee had a tutor come in every day to teach her after he saw her interest in piano, but they didn’t know how much Yolanda had learned. “So, you just learned it like that? Piano is complicated. I learned for ten years, and only got first place in a competition in the last two years.”
Zachary never thought his fiancée was so talented. She just returned to the Murphy family for a few dozen days, and she already mastered such a difficult instrument!
“That’s what talent is. Arabella treats the piano like a decoration! Wasting such a costly piano!” Olga became upset whenever she mentioned this, “On the other hand, Yoli only studied for a bit, and she already got second place! Incredible!”
Yolanda felt a bit embarrassed being praised like this. She knew her own abilities; she only knew this one piece. Although the tutor taught her other pieces; they were far from praiseworthy.
Anyone who knew the piano could tell what her skills were really like.
So, she had been practicing her competition piece at home non–stop, just so she could perform normally today.
She knew Zachary knew the piano, so she practiced very hard.
At that moment, she noticed that Zachary’s gaze toward her became as gentle as before, and she felt a temporary sense of relief.
On the stage.
Chapter 196
The eighth–place winner was performing his original piano composition.
This year’s competition not only tested the contestants‘ piano playing skills but also required them to compose their own music. Many people who were adept at playing the piano couldn’t participate in this year’s competition because they didn’t know how to compose.
At this moment, the eighth–place winner finished his performance, stood up gracefully, and bowed to express his gratitude. And the host started applauding, then invited the seventh–place winner to perform on stage.
Suddenly, Louisa received a phone call and whispered to her two daughters, “Your grandmother has been in a coma for many days, and she has finally woken up. We are going to see her, we’ll be back soon.”
“Dad, Mom, don’t worry about us.” Serena was very understanding, “My award ceremony still has some time, so no need to rush.”
“We’ll try to come back before your performance.” Louisa kindly said, then looked at Arabella, “Bella, call Mom anytime if you need anything.”
“Okay.” Arabella said.
After Kenneth and Louisa left, Serena looked at Arabella with pride and asked, “Sister, have you ever learned to play the piano? Have you won any awards?”
She looked at the stage and confidently said, “I started learning the piano at the age of four, and that teacher Andy, who doesn’t accept students, took me under her wing after watching my performance. Do you know who Andy–is?-She’s a famous piano master in the country. Many people want to learn from her but don’t have the qualification. Under her guidance, my piano skills have improved rapidly, and I have won over–fifty first prizes from a young age!”
Her tone was full of pride as she raised her head and asked, “What’s the name of your former private tutor? Has she won any awards in this field?”
However, Arabella might not have heard her question because she turned her head and noticed that Arabella had already put on her headphones and was fully focused on playing a game.
Serena got a bit angry, but thinking that this country girl might only be capable of that, she didn’t feel it was a big deal.
After a while, the host held the microphone and said passionately, “Next up is the second–place winner of this competition, Yolanda Murphy. She will perform a piece called ‘Misery‘ for everyone.”
Yolanda heard the host’s voice, smiled, and stood up, wearing a dress worth millions. She walked onto the stage.
Yolanda sat at the piano, took a deep breath, and then slowly began to play this beautiful piece that won her second place.
Jasmine, sitting in the front row, felt a bit displeased during the first half of the piece. But when the entire composition was played, she felt a sense of familiarity,las if she had heard it somewhere before.
In the audience, many people were privately discussing.
“The climax of her piece is really beautiful! It’s so evocative!”
“It’s just that her playing skills are a bit rusty. Maybe it’s because she’s too nervous.”
“If we don’t consider the beginning and ending of the composition, the climax she created is really good. A teenage girl managed to write such a beautiful piece.” Many people praised Yolanda’s performance, including the piano master Kent, who couldn’t help but smile and turned to Jasmine, saying, “President Jasmine, weren’t you looking for qualified students recently? What do you think of this Yolanda?”
Jasmine didn’t have a favorable opinion of the Murphy family, so she didn’t have much goodwill towards Yolanda. When it came to talent, she hadn’t seen a more talented child than Arabella in all these years! Arabella’s piano skills surpassed hers, to the point where it could be said that Arabella was far superior. Even if she were to take on a student, it would be Arabella taking her as an apprentice.
However, a young and talented master like Arabella would never consider taking on a student. The thought of it was out of the question!
“That second–place winner not only knows how to compose music, but she does it well, especially the climax. It’s truly beautiful.”
“I was also captivated by the climax of the piece. It’s like being hypnotized. After listening to it once, I want to listen to it again.”
“Me too!”
“While the composition’s beginning and ending weren’t well–written, the climax she created is truly impressive!”
Several important guests around Jasmine were praising Yolanda’s piece. After her performance, Yolanda stood up gracefully and bowed to everyone present. As she lifted her eyes, she happened to see Zachary in the audience, his eyes filled with love and admiration, applauding for her.
Yolanda felt a bit excited. Then she looked at Jasmine, expecting to see a regretful expression on her face. After all, missing out on such a talented female student would surely be a loss for Jasmine! However, Jasmine’s expression didn’t look good. She furrowed her brows and tapped her fingers on the table, seemingly lost in thought. Did she think the performance just now wasn’t good?
As Yolanda was about to shift her gaze, she unintentionally caught sight of Arabella sitting in the third row, just two seats away from the daughter of the billionaire, Serena! She was extremely surprised. How was that possible?
Those seats were either occupied by people of status and position or by the winners or their family members. But Arabella was none of those. What qualified her to
sit there?
Was it because Serena, being beautiful and kind–hearted, didn’t mind? Or was it that she was accompanying some wealthy sponsor?
Yolanda deliberately looked to the side, but there was no one of the opposite sex beside Arabella. She couldn’t figure out what kind of sponsor could make Arabella sit on the same level as the daughter of a billionaire.
Arabella was incredibly lucky!
At the sight of Yolanda’s graceful bow, enthusiastic applause resounded from the audience, even the judges and seniors on the award stage couldn’t stop praising the child.
“The name of this piano piece is ‘Misery, but I could hear hope in the climax, like encouraging those who have experienced natural disasters and man–made calamities to bravely live on. There are still many beautiful things waiting for us in life.”
“Yes, when I heard the climax, images of earthquake ruins and the courage to start anew came to my mind.”
“I had the same feeling. It made me think of scenes of natural disasters.”
“Me too.”
Jasmine suddenly realized where this familiar feeling came from–earthquake, inspiration, bravery, resilience. She looked at Yolanda as she stepped down from the stage, her eyes filled with displeasure.
Next, Serena was invited to perform on stage. As the final performer of the award ceremony, she received a warm round of applause as soon as she appeared. Even though Romeo and his grandfather weren’t present to watch her award ceremony, seeing Arabella’s envious and jealous expression made her feel satisfied. Serena sat gracefully at the piano and confidently played her own composition. Five minutes later, she stood up to thank the audience. But when she looked towards the audience seats, she noticed that her parents hadn’t returned yet, and Arabella was still playing her game, showing no sign of envy or jealousy. Serena immediately became angry.
The applause from the audience continued.
“Serena’s piece is really good! Just like her, it’s outstanding.”
“No wonder she’s the daughter of a billionaire. She has been exceptional from a young age!”
Chapter 197
“Even so, I’m more into Yolanda’s tune, the climax part is really uplifting!”
“I dig Yolanda’s tune too, but only the climax part.”
Serena stepped off the stage just in time to hear these comments. Her nails dug into her palms, but she still smiled and nodded at everyone.
Serena had to admit, the climax part of Yolanda’s tune was indeed catchy, and her composing skills were définitely above hers! But it was a shame that the other parts didn’t perform well, so she ended up in second place.
Yolanda, hearing that everyone liked her tune, especially the climax part, was thrilled and excited, feeling like she was the star of the show.
“The first eight winners have already performed their award–winning tunes for everyone, and I believe you all have a better understanding of their achievements. Now it’s time for the most important part of today – the award ceremony. Please welcome the famous piano master, Professor Kent, to present the honorary certificates to the fourth to eighth winners!” The host said.
The audience burst into applause.
Kent buttoned up his suit and presented the honorary certificates to the winners one by one, taking photos for memories. After they stepped off the stage, the host picked up the microphone and passionately said, “Next, we invite our Piano Association President, Jasmine, to present the trophies to the top three winners!” The applause from the audience was even louder, deafening.
The third–place Frida, second–place Yolanda, and first–place Serena each left their seats and walked gracefully towards the stage.
They were only seventeen or eighteen years old, talented, and good–looking.
On their way, Yolanda waved and greeted everyone while also nodding at Serena, but Serena seemed not to notice her friendly gesture, didn’t respond, and just waved and smiled at others.
After Jasmine took the stage, she handed the champion trophy to Serena and the third–place trophy to Frida, then looked at Yolanda with an icy stare. It was as if she was looking at a thief!
The host paused for a moment, then quickly said, “President Jasmine, the second–place winner, you forgot to present the trophy.”
Yolanda looked a little embarrassed. But with so many people in the audience watching, and the cameras following her, she smiled politely, “Presidènt Jasmine, I am the second–place winner of this competition, Yolanda.”
“I know.” Jasmine’s voice was cold, her gaze sharper than before.
When Yolanda mentioned that she was second place, Jasmine itched to expose her lie. Everyone was a bit puzzled, even the host didn’t know what had happened, feeling that President Jasmine was looking at Yolanda as if she were an enemy.
He could only hint at the girl holding the trophy next to him with his eyes. The girl smiled and brought the trophy to Jasmine.
Jasmine remained standing and her gaze was icy.
“You don’t deserve the second–place trophy!” She said.
The whole audience was shocked by this statement!
Even Yolanda’s complexion turned pale in an instant.
Chapter 198
From the audience, Attlee and Olga stood up abruptly, “What’s going on?”
Even Zachary was dumbstruck, couldn’t believe that the usually kind and friendly President Jasmine would say such words!
“What do you mean by that, President Jasmine?” The host asked with a smile, “Are you suggesting that Yolanda could rank higher after listening to her performance?”
Upon hearing this, the audience, who initially thought there was an issue with Yolanda’s piece, breathed a sigh of relief. So that was it. Did President Jasmine think Yolanda could steal the show?!
Serena, who was standing next to her, subconsciously tightened her grip on the championship trophy. No way, President Jasmine wouldn’t announce in front of everyone that Yolanda was more deserving of the championship, would she?
“I’m asking you.” Jasmine looked into Yolanda’s eyes, “Did you compose the piece you just played by yourself?”
Yolanda, realizing something was off, was so nervous that her body was getting weak, “Of course.”
“So you’re saying that every note, every melody of this piece was thought out by you, with no one else involved?” Jasmine asked.
Yolanda was barely able to stay on her feet. She didn’t understand Jasmine’s implication. Did Jasmine know that she plagiarized Arabella’s climax, so she was questioning her in public?
Impossible, who did Jasmine think she was, how could she know Arabella? Unless Arabella approached her and told her something…
“President Jasmine, I don’t know what others have told you Yolanda decided to deny everything, the best strategy at this moment was to distract her, “If it’s because I was admiring you from the audience earlier, and I foolishly thought of becoming your student. I’m sorry.”
Yolanda maintained her poised demeanor, “You mentioned earlier that you don’t take students, and even if you did, you wouldn’t take someone from the Murphy family. I don’t know what we Murphys did wrong. But as a senior, you have the right to choose your favorite student. I understand that. I even feel I’m not good enough to gain your favor. But earlier, in front of so many people, you said I’m not worthy of wearing Queen Abby’s clothes and jewelry. You probably don’t know, but I’ve always idolized you, and my efforts to learn the piano were to get closer to you.”
With just a few words, she painted President Jasmine as a rude and snobbish person. This was the first time Jasmine had encountered such a person, young and out of line!
didn’t expect President Jasmine to be like this. Yolanda worked her tail off learning the piano to get close to her. She doesn’t have to take her as a student, but she didn’t need to say such hurtful words. Yolanda must be so upset.”
“I think Yolanda looks great in Queen Abby’s clothes. Is President Jasmine being too nosy? What someone wears or puts on is none of her business.”
“It’s okay if President Jasmine doesn’t want to mentor the younger generation, but she intentionally embarrassed them at such an important event.”
“President Jasmine lacks manners.”
“Yolanda has strong mental fortitude. She’s a real lady, not like ordinary people.”
Most of the audience was praising Yolanda.
Upon seeing how she turned the tables with just a few words, Yolanda looked at President Jasmine with a hint of challenge in her eyes.
Chapter 199
How could Jasmine not see through her? With a cold chuckle, she announced to the crowd, “You totally ripped off the climax of Melody’s ‘Wish‘ for your own piece!” The room fell silent at the accusation. Yolanda had plagiarized from Melody?!
Melody was a legend in the piano world, bagging numerous prestigious awards locally and internationally in the recent years, and was considered a maestro on par with Leonard! But Melody was more mysterious than Leonard, with no one having seen her face or knowing her age.
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“President Jasmine, how can you be so sure that Yolanda plagiarized Melody’s work?” The host tried to defuse the awkwardness, “I’m a fan of Melody too, but I don’t know of any piece called ‘Wish‘. Do you have any proof?”
A glimmer of hope sparked in Yolanda. Even the host hadn’t heard of Melody’s ‘Wish, and she had gotten the climax part from Arabella’s room, hand–written by Arabella!
What was more, she had searched online multiple times and found no such piece; which was why she was confident enough to use it in her own work! Arabella, unfazed, watched the scene unfold on stage, even catching Olga’s furious rant from behind!
“What’s up with President Jasmine? If she didn’t want to award Yoli, fine, but accusing her of plagiarizing a maestro’s work! Trying to embarrass Yoli, as if my girl, with her piano skills, needs to steal from others?” Olga was itching to confront President Jasmine.
But Attlee held her back, “Maybe President Jasmine has listened to too many piano pieces, and thought Yoli plagiarized when she heard something similar. Let’s just chill and wait.”
Zachary, however, had a sinking feeling, “President Jasmine is always fair. She wouldn’t say this without sufficient evidence.”
“Zachary, why don’t you believe in Yoli? You werè just praising her earlier.” Olga was irked.
“That’s odd.” Mrs. Bright chimed in, “Didn’t President Jasmine just chase after your Yoli, wanting to take her as a disciple? Why is Yoli now saying that President Jasmine doesn’t want her, and that she’s not worthy of Queen Abby’s designs?”
Caught off guard, Olga floundered for a response, “Really?”
She had totally forgotten about it! She had gloated before Mrs. Bright that President Jasmine wanted to take Yoli as a disciple. But they thought President Jasmine was beneath them, aiming only for Leonard. Talked about shooting oneself in the foot.
Mrs. Bright saw through her lie, looking at her with disdain…
“Evidence? Of course I have!” The room was in shock.
Yolanda turned pale. Impossible.
“But before I reveal the evidence. I want to ask you, what are you trying to express in the climax of ‘Misery‘?” Jasmine asked.
Yolanda brightened a little at the question. She had asked her tutor about this, who said it conveyed sadness.
“Of course it’s sadness! Everyone interprets music differently, but believe good music resonates. The emotion my piece conveys, just like its title, is endless sorrow! It’s about a person enveloped in sorrow, struggling to break free but can’t.” Yolanda said.
Chapter 200
Jasmine snickered, giving Yolanda a dismissive glance. “You got it all wrong, girl! If you don’t believe me, ask everyone else here what they thought of the climax. Anyone cares to share?” Jasmine said.
The host broke the silence first. “All I heard was intense sorrow, like being engulfed by an overwhelming tidal wave of grief. After what felt like forever, a ray of sunlight broke through and suddenly, and I felt this pull, like a force telling me to keep going.”
1
Some audience members stood up and the host handed them the mic.
“I heard courage and strength breaking free from sorrow.”
“The image that came to my mind was the earthquake reported in the news last year.”
“Same here. Last year’s earthquake in H city caused countless deaths and injuries. The scene of the quake just rushed into my mind when I heard the climax.” “I also thought of natural and man–made disasters!”
Jasmine watched as Yolanda’s face gradually paled. She smirked, “Exactly! Last year’s earthquake in H city left countless people homeless. The survivors were in deep anguish, unable to escape their sorrow. Melody wrote ‘Wish‘ aiming to comfort them with the power of music and help them move on!”
Yolanda didn’t understand music, and her tutor was no expert either, so what they heard was entirely superficial. They knew the climax was sad, but they didn’t realize that beneath the sorrow was a force pulling the survivors to keep going.
“Why am I so sure Melody wrote ‘Wish‘? Because this March, with–my–help, her song was included in the music textbooks. The new textbooks have been printed and everyone can see Melody’s work in September! This hasn’t been announced before!” Jasmine said.
Everyone was stunned, they didn’t expect this. Even Yolanda was flabbergasted. She couldn’t believe it.
“Melody’s original version sounds much better than your version! I bet you copied Melody’s climax, but you were afraid people would find out, so you wrote the rest yourself. But you couldn’t reach that level, hence the song sounded so weird!” Jasmine said, “At first, I didn’t notice anything and even thought it was a bit off! But when the climax kicked in, it struck me as familiar! If it wasn’t because of the climax, the judges wouldn’t have let you advance. Your song is mediocre at best. You wouldn’t even make it to the top 20, let alone second! You copied Melody’s work and refused to admit it. You don’t deserve this award! You don’t belong in this field! As a representative of the Piano Association, I reject your membership!”
After Jasmine’s words, everyone was beyond shocked. To think Yolanda, at such a young age, would dare to plagiarize a senior’s work. Not only did she refuse to admit it, she even tried to smear Jasmine to divert attention.
Yolanda’s face turned ashen, she could barely stand. Being publicly sentenced by the president of the Piano Association that she could never become a pianist was worse than death!