Chapter 6 Why Did You Betray Me?

She was wearing a very simple and elegant white dress. The lights focused on her, making it seem as if she was walking out with a halo around her.

Evelyn not only dressed simply but also had minimal makeup and no jewelry. However, this actually accentuated her beautiful face.

"Evelyn?!" Liam couldn't believe his eyes. He hadn't figured out what had happened yet.

He instinctively stepped forward, facing Evelyn, and lowered his voice. "Why are you here?"

"I am here to participate in the competition, of course," Evelyn said with a faint smile of irony, glancing at him.

"Evelyn!"

Liam grabbed her wrist, and his low voice became filled with annoyance. "Stop messing around! This is not the place for your nonsense!"

Samuel narrowed his eyes in the VIP room, observing the restless hand on the screen. Suddenly, his gaze turned cold.

In the next moment, Evelyn forcefully withdrew her arm. "Mr. Scott, given the occasion, please behave yourself!"

As she finished her sentence, she was already on stage.

Her sudden change greatly surprised Liam. He turned around in astonishment, observing the woman now standing on stage. How could she, usually so obedient and well-behaved, act like this today...

"Dear esteemed guests, good evening everyone. I am Evelyn Taylor, Neogenito Fragrances' perfumer. Today's entry, 'First Love,' is a creation of mine," she said calmly, enunciating each word clearly for everyone present to hear.

As Vivian looked at Evelyn on the stage, she tightened her grip on her wine glass, trying to maintain a smile on her face. But the corner of her eye had already caught Liam's attention, urging him to come up with a solution quickly.

However, at this moment, Liam's gaze was firmly fixed on Evelyn, unsure of what she was about to do.

"The organizing committee has already informed me that 'First Love' has similarities with another fragrance. I myself am also surprised. However, I believe the judges will make a fair judgment, and I am willing to undergo scrutiny," she said, taking two steps back and slightly moving away from the microphone.

Evelyn looked decent and elegant, inexplicably making people willing to believe her.

Just...

"Evelyn Taylor? Why do I feel like I'm familiar with this name?"

"Yes, I remember now. She won the newcomer award in the provincial perfume blending competition before, but then she disappeared."

"That was a long time ago. In the international competition two years ago, she made a big mistake. Everyone said she was a perfumer without a sense of smell!"

"Ah, it's her! Now I know!"

For a moment, the crowd's gaze toward Evelyn changed.

The atmosphere was filled with mockery and disdain as if spectators were merely enjoying a spectacle.

Interestingly, the competition's requirements weren't particularly stringent, leading to a noticeable absence of participation from prominent industry players. Instead, it was mostly smaller and medium-sized companies vying for recognition.

Irrespective of the prize size, winning more competitions was crucial for gaining recognition both for the perfumer and the company.

Neogenito Fragrances, despite its affiliation with the Seraphian Group, was a newly established company and didn't rely on senior Seraphian perfumers, thus ensuring a level playing field.

Amidst the chatter around her, Vivian steadied her nerves, plastered on a smile, and gracefully made her way onto the stage.

"I apologize for wasting everyone's time. I am Vivian Reed, the perfumer for Liavian Perfumes. It is an honor to meet so many talented peers here," she said with a beaming smile. "Actually, I haven't been in this industry for long, just over three years, but I have been learning how to create perfume for a long time. After all these years, I never expected that my hard work would be plagiarized. It's really..."

Vivian smiled twice and shook her head, saying, "Well, I can only say thank you to the person who stole my ideas. This can also be considered another way of recognizing my work."

Turning her head, she playfully winked at Evelyn, showing no sign of guilt whatsoever.

Evelyn stood there, calmly watching Vivian make faces at her. Vivian was shameless, able to tell lies with such confidence.

Although both girls were smiling and their words sounded gentle and polite, the atmosphere at the scene was tense.

The host spoke in a timely manner. "It seems like both sides have very convincing arguments. Could this really be a coincidence?"

"I've been in this industry for so many years and have never heard of such a coincidence."

"Exactly! If it was just the same title, then it could be a coincidence. But even if the odor is similar, there would still be differences. How is it possible for it to be exactly the same?"

"Plagiarism. This is definitely plagiarism!"

"We cannot tolerate plagiarizers; it's a disgrace to the industry!"

Vivian once again took hold of the microphone. "As for me, I also detest plagiarism. But I believe that this competition will surely bring me justice!"

She was full of confidence, giving off the attitude of a winner. In comparison, Evelyn appeared too composed.

"What about Ms. Taylor?" the host asked.

"I trust the organizing committee. I also believe in my own work."

She smiled faintly, saying very little but with a firm gaze.

The host chuckled. "Since that's the case, then..."

Before he could finish speaking, his brow furrowed. "Um..."

The others quickly understood the host's change in expression, as most of them took a sniff and detected a peculiar odor.

To be exact, it was a very unpleasant odor.

This smell was not just bad; it seemed to also have a bit of a fishy and sour scent, mixed with a fragrance that altogether made people nauseous.

"What's that smell?"

Everyone present worked in the industry and was accustomed to various fragrances. Suddenly smelling this odor, they found it quite difficult to adapt.

"How did the organizers clean the venue? Why is there a foul smell?"

Someone voiced their question accusingly.

The host quickly explained, "The venue underwent a thorough cleaning just yesterday, so it's absolutely impossible..."

He hadn't finished speaking when he sidestepped, his gaze toward Vivian becoming somewhat complicated.

Vivian had intended to speak further, but before she could reach for the microphone, the host moved away from her. She froze instantly, her expression puzzled.

Seeing the host's action, the others understood immediately and leaned toward Vivian, only to recoil quickly.

"So it was her!"

"What is this smell? Open all the windows quickly!"

Upon hearing the criticism from the crowd, Vivian's face darkened with embarrassment. She had also detected that strange smell but hadn't realized it was emanating from her. The urge to lower her head and investigate grew, yet she felt too humiliated to act on it.

"Evelyn!" At that moment, Liam suddenly shouted Evelyn's name with a disappointed expression on his face. "Why did you betray me?"