Third Person POV
The Lloyd's knew that they couldn't hide in the house forever, that they had to do something, to say something to divert the attention in the meantime.
Evelyn had a frown etched onto her face as rage coursed through her body knowing that Aurelia had taken her champion spot. Her father turned to look at her with a concerned expression that masked his features.
"Eve, are you okay?"
James' voice jolted her back to the harsh reality as the chaos and noise echoed in her ears once again.
What?! Of course, I'm not okay! I'm disqualified, dad!" She snapped at him in frustration, her voice laced with agitation as she glared at her father. "Aurelia took my spot! I'm supposed to be the champion, not her!"
Natalie reached out to hold her daughter's hand, her brows furrowed together. "Eve, your dad is just concerned about you," she explained in a soft voice that was laced with a hint of worry. "Don't be mad at him, alright?" She urged.
Evelyn let out a loud scoff, displeasure written all over her face.
"Don't be mad at him?" She repeated with an incredulous look plastered across her face, as she tossed the words back at her mother. "He couldn't even do something simple right! I mean, how did they find out about the bribe? This is ridiculous!" She shrilled, her high-pitched voice piercing through the air and her cheeks turned red with anger.
Natalie's eyes widened as surprise flashed past her eyes for a fleeting moment and her lips were now agape. "Bribe?" She asked as she snapped her head to look at her husband. "You bribed the judges to let our daughter win?"
He turned to look at his wife, not an ounce of shame or guilt evident in his eyes.
"What? Are you seriously going to lecture me over this small matter?" His voice boomed loudly as his face darkened visibly. "Our daughter said she wanted to win, she wanted to be the champion to get back at Aurelia for stealing her boyfriend. I'm just helping our daughter, is that so wrong?!"
A cold chuckle left Natalie's parted lips as she stared at him with disbelief.
"Of course it is wrong! You bribed them! Do you not trust your daughter to do well on her own?!"
"Daddy was just helping me," Evelyn chimed in this time as she wrapped her arm around her dad's, her anger now turned to unleash on her mother. She narrowed her eyes at her, anger swirling in the depths of her eyes. "Why do you always have to act like you are on some moral high ground? Is this because it affects Aurelia?" She questioned, her voice dripping with accusation.
"What? No. What does this have to do with her?"
"I don't know! You seemed to always be subconsciously siding her over me. I won the competition and you couldn't even be happy for me! And now that I'm disqualified because they found out about the bribe, are you happy now?" She asked, her voice carrying a sharp edge to it.
"I…" Natalie let out a breath as she shook her head lightly. "I would be happy for you if you won based on your own capabilities and not because your father bribed the judges!"
"Enough!" James' voice boomed loudly, echoing in the huge living hall as the two of them turned to look at him. "Whatever it is, they found out about it. For now, we can just deny it for now until we get ahold of our lawyer."
That was when an idea popped into Evelyn's head. A smirk started to tug at the corners of her lips and a knowing look gleamed in her eyes.
"I got an idea."
That was how Evelyn found herself standing in front of the endless crowd of reporters that gathered at their front gate. Their eyes lit up in an instant when they finally realised Evelyn was standing right in front of them and chaos quickly unfolded.
Questions after questions were hurled right at her as the reporters began to push and shove each other to get to the front, to get near to her.
"Is it true that your family has bribed the judges so that you will win the competition?" One asked as she shoved the microphone into her face.
"How do you feel about this situation? Will you be issuing any apology to the public?" Another questioned.
The unfamiliar voices echoed in the air and her eyes began to glisten with tears as she put on a look of innocence and pity.
"I truly apologise for everything, for all the confusion and disappointment that this has caused," she started and her voice began to tremble as she held back tears. She lowered her head for a moment before looking back up. "But I would like to make it clear here today that I was never involved in the bribery… I believe that I have been framed," she declared and watched as the flashes of the cameras started to go crazy, almost blinding her.
"By whom? Who would do that to you?"
There was a short pause before she let the name leave her lips.
"Aurelia Holt."
Gasps erupted from the crowd as a wave of shock and surprise washed over them in an instant.
"Are you saying that Aurelia Holt, the new champion, is responsible for this?"
"Why do you believe that she framed you?"
"I… I… don't know…" she began, stuttering as she hid the disdain and contempt in her voice with the pitiful look that masked her features. It was obvious that she was trying to garner everyone's pity which seemed to be working. "I don't know why but she had always been insecure and jealous of me. But I forgave her when she took my boyfriend away from me… but now… she's trying to sabotage my work and career too. I can't sit back and stay silent any longer."
Watching the live footage play on screen, James couldn't help but let a satisfied smile fall on his face.
"Are you not going to stop her? Are you just going to let her go out there and spout nonsense?!" Natalie snapped as she turned to glare at her husband.
"Why should I? She's doing a good job, she was just defending herself and diverting the attention to something else. You won't get it."
"What will happen if Aurelia sues her for defamation? This isn't just some small matter or a joke, James Lloyd."
"That's enough!" He raised his voice louder than usual, startling her. "I'm starting to think that Evelyn was right. Our daughter isn't lying. Aurelia did steal her boyfriend. Why are you never helping your own daughter? You seemed to be more concerned for another woman who isn't your daughter," he sneered with a disdainful scorn.
"You are being ridiculous. I am just concerned about our daughter," she retorted, her voice remained unwavering. "I don't want this lie to snowball into something bigger and potentially ruin her life."
"You don't have to be. The Lloyd's have some of the best lawyers, and you are afraid of Aurelia suing our daughter?" He mocked as a laugher escaped from his lips. "Not a chance."
***
First Person POV
I felt strangely calm for what had just unfolded before my eyes.
Meanwhile, Xavier's eyes were still fixated on the television screen.
I watched as his face darkened visibly upon hearing the words that rolled off the tip of Evelyn's tongue and his fists were clenched tightly beside him, his knuckles were even starting to turn white.
"Is she being serious?" He sneered with disdain and contempt in his voice. "I'm not going to stand here and let her talk shit about you and utter pure nonsense."
It didn't take too long before a group of reporters flocked to show up outside the front gate of his house. A frown appeared on Xavier's face as he turned to look outside.
"Xavier Wilder! Aurelia Holt!" They continued to call out our names, hoping that we would come out to address the issue and give them the answers they desired. They continued to yell and shout, disrupting the peace in the neighbourhood.
"I'm going out," he declared with a determined look plastered across his face. Before I could even say another word, I watched as he spun on heels to leave in a hurry, his face bore a serious expression as anger pulsed through his veins.
The front gates slowly opened in a dramatic manner as he walked out to face the swarm of reporters that surrounded him within a split second, eager to hear what he had to say.
"Did you help Aurelia frame Evelyn for bribery? What do you have to say about this?"
"Whether or not she was framed, the investigation will reveal the truth," he answered casually.
"Is it true that you have dated Evelyn previously but you left her to marry Aurelia?"
"Yes, we did date in the past but we have broken up and I married Aurelia."
There was a short pause as I ran up to him, his name was about to leave my lips when I stopped and stared ahead in shock as he uttered the next few words.
"It took me a while…But I realised the marriage was a mistake. I'm still in love with Evelyn."