Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Walter looked at the two people in front of him and sighed. “Samantha. Harmony. This is my first time being fully responsible for hosting a competition. Time flies and we’re now at the very end of the competition. The most important moment is now here.

“It has been my absolute pleasure to see the both of you grow and progress with each step that you have taken during the past month. Whatever the final result is, you’re both outstanding individuals. I’m sure that you will both be future rising stars in the anchor world!

“Now then, I shall announce the final results.”

Walter opened the envelope slowly and pulled out the card. His expression fluctuated slightly when he glanced at the name on the card. He then raised his eyes and looked at Samantha while saying, “The winner of this competition is…”

After pausing for a second, he turned to Harmony and announced the winner out loud, “Harmony Johnson!”

A thunderous applause erupted from all directions.

Lychee TV was also broadcasting the announcement live, so netizens were all able to see the news right away.

Everyone thought that Samantha would be the champion because she had been gaining momentum. No one expected that Harmony, the dark horse, would eventually clinch victory.

Harmony smiled and covered her lips with her hands, as if she could not believe it.

Samantha’s long eyelashes quivered lightly but she continued to smile and applaud.

If she were to be honest, she was confident that her ability was at least on par with Harmony. However, since the competition was fair, she wholeheartedly accepted the results even if it was not what she wanted.

Nevertheless, she would be lying if she said she had no regrets.

After all, she had promised Timothy that she would bring the trophy back and give it to him as a celebration gift.

The reporters from Lychee TV had already circled Harmony in a mad dash to interview her. It was only natural that Samantha was squeezed out from the crowd.

Only the winner would be remembered by the masses. No one cared if the person in second place left.

Samantha was turning to leave when someone patted her on the shoulder all of a sudden. She turned around unconsciously and was surprised to see Jade.

Jade has always been at odds with her, so it was likely that Jade came just to taunt her. Samantha did not want to entertain her at all, but Jade was not about to just let Samantha go. She stood right in front of Samantha and sneered, “Are you surprised that you lost, Samantha? Didn’t I tell you that winning this competition would depend on your capability? Your status or your husband’s status doesn’t matter one bit!”

“You relied on your identity as Mrs. Barker to come out tops in the first round, and you secured advancement in the second round without competing. And what happened in the end? A large-scale competition like this depends heavily on your ability. You can’t just do whatever you want. How does it feel now that you’ve lost the competition and your dignity in front of everyone? Who knows, Mr. Barker might just abandon you if he’s unhappy that you embarrassed him!”

Jade smiled proudly and arrogantly as she spoke.

Samantha smirked and opened her mouth to speak. “Did you win the competition?”

The sudden questioning stunned Jade for a moment. She narrowed her eyes in disgust at Samantha and scoffed, “Are you blind? Or are unable to face the fact that Harmony is the winner?”

Samantha nodded. “Harmony is the winner, not you. I’m in second place and you’re in third, yet here you’re mocking me. Let me ask you then. How do you feel after losing three times in a row to a greenhorn like me when you’ve previously won the rookie anchor award? Eat. My. Dust.”

“…You!” Jade was angry that her face immediately turned ashen.

Samantha lifted her feet and walked away without looking at her again.

As someone who also made a living with words and language, Samantha was well-versed in sarcasm too. She simply could not be bothered to hold it against someone like Jade, but that in no way meant that she did not have a temper.

Samantha was not to blame if Jade insisted on looking for trouble.

She had taken a few steps forward when Jade finally reacted. In a couple of steps, Jade rushed forth and stretched out her hand to push Samantha, but Samantha reacted quickly and turned her body to dodge the attack.

Jade did not manage to push her, but instead staggered a few steps forward and nearly fell due to the force she exerted. She gritted her teeth in anger and sneered at Samantha. “Do you know why you lost, Samantha? You lost because of your bad character! I just had a peek at the transcript. You and Harmony were given the same scores by the judges, but when it came to the audience’s vote, only one vote separated you from Harmony! Only one vote! Does that make you upset? Does that piss you off? Well, you can keep wallowing in your unhappiness. You failed to get the audience’s approval because your attitude stinks!

“Harmony kept her word, unlike you. You said you wanted to help when the madman came in the other day. Your words were nice to hear, but what happened in the end? Wasn’t it Harmony who went to deal with the madman and rescued the child? Where were you during the entire incident? And you have the nerve to stand in front of us and act all high and mighty? Disgusting!

“I’m glad the truth came out in the last five minutes, otherwise it would have been such an injustice if someone like you won the competition!

“As they say, Samantha, man proposes and God disposes. Do you think you can exert your influence just because you have the backing of the Barker Group? This is a big fat slap in your face! Bwahahahaha!”

Samantha did not take Jade’s words seriously at first, since Jade was not the kind who would say anything nice. Jade would only be satisfied if Samantha got angry.

However, the latter part of Jade’s rant stunned her.

What did Jade mean when saying that Harmony was the one who dealt with the madman that day? What was all that about Samantha’s disappearance from the scene?

Samantha was the one who dealt with the madman and got injured in the process of saving the child. She had been bedridden for more than a week and there were still occasional bouts of pain on her waist. Why did the savior suddenly become Harmony?

She keenly picked up the key phrase about the truth coming out in the last five minutes.

Since she had been in the midst of a live broadcast and was subsequently waiting for the results to be released soon after, the situation surrounding the votes was unknown to her. She only realized that something was not right after Jade mentioned that.

Of course, Samantha was not that mindless to ask Jade directly. After all, it was impossible to glean any useful information due to their hostility toward each other. It was best for Samantha to find out for herself.

With that thought, Samantha left without looking at Jade again.

After getting into the taxi, Samantha took out her cell phone and clicked on Waybo.

The top three trending searches on Waybo were all about the final round. The entry [Harmony won the competition] had already reached third place in a short period of time.

On the other hand, the first entry—which was also about Harmony—read: [Harmony is the most beautiful anchor]

Samantha clicked on it.

The designation as the most beautiful anchor was not a compliment about her appearance, but about her character and bravery.

The reason was due to a video uploaded by an anonymous netizen. It was very blurry, but one could see Harmony—who had her back against the camera—dealing with the madman. When the madman went berserk, she bravely rushed up and brought the child away..