NovelApexChapter 385
There had already been quite a few groups on stage whose performances left much to be desired.
Seven forgot their lines in the middle of their act, standing there blank and helpless, until the performance
had to be awkwardly cut short.
Yet, no matter how poorly anyone did, the lowest possible score was always sixty a sort of encouragement
grade.
No one had ever received a zero.
Now, a wave of shock rippled through the audience, the room buzzing with whispers and incredulous murmurs.
"What's going on? Why did they get a zero?"
"Does anyone here speak French? Did they make sfatal mistake up there?"
"That can't be it—even if they slipped up, they still finished the performance. That alone should be worth at least
eighty points, right?"
"Wasn't Marvin's group actually really good? Honestly, | thought they did better than Keen's group."
"| speak French-they didn't make any mistakes at all."
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On stage, Marvin saw the glaring zero on the scoreboard and couldn't help but panic a little.
He worried that maybe he'd messed something up and dragged Stella down with him, causing the judge to give
them a zero.
Stella glanced down at Marvin, her eyes gentle and reassuring.
Slowly, Marvin managed to steady his nerves.
The judge who had given Stella's group a zero was a man in his thirties, glasses perched on his nose.
He held up his scorecard and declared bluntly, “Ms. Cameron, | suspect you of cheating!"
"Cheating?!"
A collective gasp swept the room.
Even the other judges sitting beside him looked utterly stunned.
After all, this was a kindergarten competition; cheating in such a setting was unthinkable. What kind of example
would that set for the kids? What would they grow up believing if this sort of thing was allowed to slide?
Stella glanced at the nameplate in front of the judge-Franco.
Her expression remained calm, as unruffled as if they were discussing the weather.
She replied with just one sentence: "Suspicion is not the sas proof."
Franco hadn't expected her to stay so composed after being accused in front of everyone.
He sneered, "I've heard you only have a middle school education. With that background, you expectto
believe you can speak French? Speak it so fluently? If you're not cheating, then how do you explain it?"
Stella shot him a cool look. "Heard? From whom? Just rumors, then?"
"And who says someone with only a middle school education can't learn French?"
"Mr. Franco, are you being prejudiced right now?"
"Would you liketo na few influential people with modest academic backgrounds?"
Franco's face twitched, caught off guard.
He realized he'd gone too far, his words harsher than he'd intended. He'd meant only to give Stella a hard time,
as he'd been instructed, but now, standing here, she wasn't meekly accepting his censure instead, she was
pushing right back.
It irked Franco, stoking his irritation.
He glared at Stella, his expression growing darker.
He'd planned to let her off with a warning, but since she refused to play along, she left him no choice.
A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips. "Apologies-you're right. My words were careless; | shouldn't have
judged your abilities by your education."
He paused, his gaze sharpening, voice colder than ever. "But tell me, Ms. Cameron: you've been a stay-at-home
mom for five years without a job. What gives you the right to compare yourself to great men and women of
history?" Franco's tone took on the air of a self-righteous crusader.
Still, Stella's composure didn't waver. Not a hint of embarrassment or shcrossed her face.
She looked him in the eye and answered, "I admit, I'm nothing like those heroes or historical figures. But tell me,
Mr. Franco-does your advanced degree make you their equal?”
Franco froze, momentarily at a loss for words.
When it cto quick wit and sharp retorts, he was clearly outmatched.
Compared to Franco's aggressive posturing, Stella's voice was like a calm river, soothing and steady-impossible
not to listen to.
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