Bride To Be Not Me (Janice and Simon)

Out of nowhere, Harry lunged forward, grabbing Heidi by the hair.

A middle-aged man who had fought tooth and nail to rise through the ranks, only to be thrown back to the bottom, was certainly a force to be reckoned with.

His frustration and fury exploded in an instant, and Heidi didn't stand a chance.

"Let go of me!"

Harry let out a cold, twisted laugh. "Shirley, huh? Do you really think you can betray me and walk away without consequences?"

A sharp scream rang out from backstage, drawing everyone's attention.

Gregory and Emma were the first to react. They raced into the hallway, only to find Harry attacking Heidi. "Stop this right now!"

But Harry had already lost it. His career, his reputation, his future everything had crumbled. There was no salvation, no way back. And if he was going down, why should this cunning, arrogant woman walk away unscathed?

No matter how many people tried to hold him back, they couldn't tear him away.

Fragile and defenseless, Heidi had no chance against his wrath. Within moments, his blows left her bruised and bloodied until she crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Seated in the audience, Janice watched in silence as the ambulance arrived, carrying a bloodied and unconscious Heidi away. She wasn't the only one unmoved-Edward and Calvin showed no reaction either.

The business representatives kept their distance, unwilling to get involved.

No one knew exactly how the altercation had escalated into such brutal violence.

Hearing the news, Matilda rushed over, her face full of confusion. "What happened?"

Unbothered, Janice casually texted Jacob and attached a few snapshots of the chaotic scene.

Since Heidi had never hesitated to use underhanded tactics against her, Janice saw no reason not to return the favor.

When Simon caught wind of the altercation, a wave of panic swept over him.

Heidi was his only hope, and he couldn't afford for anything to go wrong.

Desperate for answers, he bombarded those around him with frantic questions, unaware that someone nearby had captured the entire scene on video.

Once the commotion settled, the competition continued as if nothing had happened.

Leonard took the stage again and announced the final results.

As expected, Janice's design won first place, securing her spot as Cruznia's representative in next year's international championship. Her award-winning crochet piece was securely stored in a locked case, ensuring it remained untampered with.

As Leonard stepped down, he personally handed the champion's trophy to the Prosper Stitch Group team. "Congratulations! Your victory is well deserved."

Turning to Edward, he added, "My deepest apologies, Mr. Moore. Today's incident must have been quite the ordeal for you."

Edward remained composed. "As long as the results are fair, that's all that matters. We'll be heading out now, Mr. Beckinsale."

"Of course. Wishing you a safe journey."

Outside the venue, Matilda clutched the trophy tightly, her eyes gleaming with excitement. This was Prosper Stitch Group's first-ever qualification for an international competition. Unlike the routine seasonal contests, this victory carried significant weight.

Even the trophy itself looked more prestigious.

Back at the office, Edward, Calvin, Matilda, and Janice gathered for a discussion.

"So... what exactly happened with all that chaos earlier?" Matilda asked.

"No idea. We weren't interested in the drama," Calvin replied flatly.

Matilda sighed in disappointment. She still couldn't believe Heidi had actually gotten beaten up.

Janice took a sip of water, carefully piecing together the events. "I received a message from the International Crochet Union earlier. They told me the final round had been rigged. I wasn't going to let that slide, so I asked for their help. Not long after, Mr. Beckinsale must have caught on and arranged a second round of public voting.

"If I had to guess, Mr. Beckinsale confronted Harry about it and probably told him that Shirley was the one who reported it. And well... Heidi has been claiming to be Shirley, right? Plus, Harry and Heidi had been working together from the start to rig the finals in favor of Melody & Loops Creations. In the end, it was just two schemers turning against each other."

A heavy silence filled the room.

After what felt like an eternity, Calvin finally said, "So, you and Shirley—"

Janice answered calmly, "I am Shirley."