Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

I stood there, totally floored, watching some woman hug my husband right in front of me.

To be real, she was more like a girl.

Bella glanced at them, then at me, looking all puzzled.

Ethan gently pulled her away a bit and asked, all cool, "When did you get to Starlight City?"

The girl was still hanging onto his neck, laughing with this super clear and happy voice, full of that young energy. "Surprised? I told you I'd give you a big surprise. I was gonna pop up and scare you, but I didn't expect to see you here." I suddenly remembered Fiona's text. Could this girl be the one who sent it?

Could she be Fiona? Or maybe she's connected to Fiona somehow?

Maybe 'cause of preconceived notions, I found she kinda looked like Fiona.

Bella chimed in, "Hey, his wife is right here. It's not cool to hug someone else's husband like that, you know?"

Bella's bluntness made Faye Taylor's smile falter a bit as she looked at me standing behind Ethan.

Ethan slowly took her hands off his neck, turned around, put one hand on my shoulder, and introduced me. "This is my wife, Emily."

Those words made me feel a lot better.

Ethan then said to me, "This is Faye Taylor."

Seeing how much Faye and Fiona looked alike, I had a feeling.

After the initial shock, Faye looked a bit awkward.

But she quickly put on a sweet smile. "Hi, Emily."

At that moment, I really checked out Faye.

She was tall, about five-seven, wearing a white short dress with long legs showing.

She had a sweet look, big eyes, an oval face, a simple and elegant bun, and a classic beauty vibe, giving off a very fresh and sweet feel. "Hello, Faye!" I couldn't even fake a smile.

"Are you Faye?" Oliver's surprised voice came from beside me.

Faye glanced at Oliver, her eyes twinkling with a hint of mischief. "Oliver, don't you recognize me? Have I changed that much?"

Oliver nodded, smiling. "Yeah, a lot. The little girl's all grown up."

Faye greeted Jason too, and after Jason gave her a faint smile, he suddenly looked at me with a worried expression.

I briefly met Jason's gaze before looking away.

Faye suddenly stomped her foot, a bit frustrated. "Are you guys here to watch the competition? I'll get nervous."

Ethan said calmly, "There's nothing to be nervous about. Just do your thing and believe in yourself."

Faye seemed pumped up and nodded vigorously. "Yeah, I'll give it my all."

Even after she went back to her team, I still felt like I couldn't catch my breath, like someone had punched me in the gut.

I regretted coming to watch this whole circus.

Faye kept waving at us as she walked with her team. But once, when I turned my head, she was staring right at me, and our eyes locked.

She wasn't smiling, her gaze was kinda sharp. But when I blinked, she had that sweet smile back on, making me think the hostile look was just in my head.

Ever since she showed up, my heart's been a mess.

There's this saying, "Love me, love my dog." Even though Ethan didn't act any different, I could feel he cared about her.

Later, I spotted another familiar face in the team, Connie.

She was rocking a simple white T-shirt and jeans, had straight hair, and wore a baseball cap. She had a guitar slung on her back. Compared to the flashy contestants, she was pretty low-key. But she had this refreshing and melancholic vibe. She saw us too and gave a gentle nod.

She clutched the guitar strap on her shoulder tightly, looking all nervous.

Oliver shouted, "Connie, break a leg!"

As the contestants went in one by one, Ethan suddenly grabbed my hand, and we headed towards the studio.

Ethan had VIP tickets, so we sat right in the front row. We could see everything on stage up close.

With so many contestants, each person's performance time was short. Many tried to cram in all sorts of talents in a few minutes, going all out with their outfits and even pulling stunts to make a mark.

The studio was filled with laughter now and then.

But I couldn't focus at all, my mind was all over the place.

Feeling too suffocated, I left midway to hit the restroom.

Not knowing the TV station's layout, I had to ask a few people before finding the restroom, which was a bit far from the studio, needing two turns.

Coming out of the restroom, I saw Jason standing in the hallway, silently smoking.

I shook the water off my hands and walked over. "Why'd you come out too?"

He said, "Too many people inside, kinda stuffy. Needed some fresh air."

I felt the same, though my stuffiness was more emotional.

Jason suddenly smiled. "The main thing is, there are too many contestants in the audition, with varying levels of skill. Some are just there for laughs, making it hard to hear any real talent." Hearing this, I couldn't help but laugh.

Neither of us felt like going back to the studio right away, so we walked along the hallway and stopped at the glass railing at the end.

"Faye is Fiona's sister," Jason said suddenly, leaning on the railing with both hands.

I thought Jason was really in tune with my thoughts; he totally got what was on my mind.

"They look so much alike, I kinda figured."

Jason stared at the busy traffic in the distance and slowly said, "Their family wasn't well off. Fiona started working as a bar singer early on to support Faye's education. For two summers, she brought young Faye, who was about ten, to the bar. Fiona was already dating Ethan back then. After Fiona passed away, the Taylor family struggled, and Ethan has been helping them out financially. For someone as successful as Ethan, it wasn't a big deal."

Even though everyone's life is different, each person is hustling to make it.

Jason said, "Ethan has always treated Faye like a kid."

I knew he was trying to make me feel better, but I couldn't shake it off.

Eight or nine years ago, Faye was just a kid. But now, she's definitely not a kid anymore.

I asked, feeling a bit down, "Do you think I'm being super petty?"

Jason turned around, leaning against the railing with his hands in his pockets, his head slightly lowered, a few strands of hair gently falling over his forehead.

"In love, everyone gets petty because you care. It's not wrong to care, but don't put too much pressure on Ethan. Men need space and trust. Ethan's a guy with boundaries."

Sharp as Jason was, he had already seen my inner worries.

I've been through stuff. Faced with this situation, I wouldn't be as impulsive and willful as a young girl. But the worry in my heart was still there, probably because I wasn't confident enough. When we got back to the studio, a beautiful female voice instantly caught my attention.

The person on stage at that moment was Faye.

Her voice was super captivating. Despite her young age, she could sing a sad love song with great emotion without any accompaniment. The judges seemed really into it.

Jason and I returned to our seats one after the other, and Ethan, who was staring at the stage, suddenly looked at me.

"You were gone for a while, everything okay?"

I told the truth, "Yeah, I ran into Jason outside and we chatted for a bit."

He responded with a nod.

I asked, "How's she doing?"

Ethan crossed his arms, his gaze back on the stage, and said confidently, "She should have no problem making it to the national finals."

After Faye's performance, the judges indeed gave her high praise.

One of the judges humorously said, "I was almost falling asleep, but her pleasant voice woke me up."

I thought the Taylor family must have a musical gene.

Faye looked like the perfect student, thanking the judges all polite and proper. Even when one judge gave her some tough love, saying she was too focused on technique and not enough on emotion, her smile wavered a bit. But she still said thank you, all obedient.

What kind of girl was Faye? Hard to tell from just one meeting. Overall, I felt her innocence was just a front; she had big ambitions, and they weren't just about her dreams.

Later, Connie was another one who hushed the whole room.

She picked up her guitar and sat on a stool, playing and singing.

She sang one of Fiona's songs. As soon as her voice started, I glanced at Faye standing on the side of the stage, and she seemed stunned.

In a competition like this, everyone except yourself is a rival, and every good voice makes you feel the heat.

That day, both Faye and Connie passed the audition.

After it ended, Faye was super happy and jokingly said Ethan should treat her to a meal.

Ethan, being the straightforward guy he is, immediately called to book a private room at a restaurant.

When invited, Connie declined.

Faye took the initiative to pour wine for each of us. When she was about to pour for Ethan, I took the glass away and said, "He has a bad stomach, he can't drink."

Faye's hand holding the wine bottle froze slightly, then she quickly said, "Ethan, is your stomach acting up again?"

I didn't know if I was being too sensitive, but I felt Faye's choice of words was very clever, subtly showing her familiarity with Ethan.

"Then drink water, I'll ask the waiter to get you a cup of hot water." Faye really acted both sensible and considerate, like she was the host of this table.

Ethan said, "It's okay."

The atmosphere never cooled down because Faye kept bringing up topics, mostly talking about the past and frequently mentioning Fiona. This made everyone feel awkward while she maintained an innocent smile. If she was doing it unintentionally, I wouldn't believe it.

Bella whispered, "Emily, be careful, a tough rival is coming your way. Watch out."

Halfway through the meal, Faye said, "Ethan, can you give me a ride later? I want to find a more remote guesthouse. Hotels are too expensive, and I can't afford to stay for more than a day or two."

I felt Faye's words had another layer to them.

Bella poked my thigh with her finger, signaling she noticed too.

Ethan put down his chopsticks and said, "Remote guesthouses have poor conditions and aren't safe."

For a moment, everyone was silent.

Faye sat there quietly, looking all helpless and innocent.

I saw Ethan seemed to want to say something more, so I jumped in before he could.