Three Years Forgotten, Why Go Crazy When I Say Goodbye? novel Chapter 58

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our next competitor, Vivienne Sinclair! Ms. Sinclair is a master of freestyle, holding past championship titles in the halfpipe, aerials, moguls, and ski cross! She is undeniably the crowd favorite today!" As the announcer's voice echoed across the snow, Vivienne raised a gloved hand and blew a theatrical kiss to the roaring crowd. The spectators lost their minds. The girl standing next to Willow screamed at the top of her lungs. "Goddess! Goddess!" Not content to just scream, the girl aggressively shoved a pair of binoculars toward Willow's chest. "Look! She's blowing kisses! She's so beautiful! What an absolute queen!" "Thanks, but I'm good," Willow said, gently pushing the binoculars away. She had suffered through enough of Vivienne's true nature behind closed doors; she certainly didn't need a magnified view of her public performance. Willow sighed, irritated by the cruel irony of running into her here. As the starting whistle pierced the air, Vivienne launched herself down the steep incline. She hit the first jump with explosive speed, executed a flawless series of mid-air spins, and landed with perfect precision. The entire mountain erupted into deafening applause. The announcer's voice cracked with adrenaline. "Ninety-six points! An absolute record-breaker! Vivienne Sinclair just made history! She is our undisputed champion!" Her spectacular run sent the crowd into an absolute frenzy. These people had traveled solely for her, and seeing their idol crush the competition injected them with pure adrenaline. Their chants echoed violently through the valley. "Vivienne! Vivienne!" "Goddess! Goddess!" The overly enthusiastic girl decided she needed an autograph and tried to drag Willow along with her. Willow firmly planted her feet. The only reason she had stayed this long was because she was trapped by the mob. Now that the crowd was swarming the finish line, a clear path opened up behind them. Willow slipped away instantly. She rented her gear, trudged over to the beginner's bunny slope, and started familiarizing herself with the equipment. She was determined not to let Jade's gift go to waste. But just as she clicked into her skis, a shadow fell over her. She looked up and froze. Julian was striding directly toward her. He was holding Toby's hand, with Seth Sterling and Lucas Lane trailing closely behind. Hugo Harrington brought up the rear. Of course they were here. It was Vivienne's big moment; her dedicated entourage would never miss a chance to worship her. Willow immediately dropped her gaze, pretending she hadn't seen them, but they had no intention of letting her peace last. Seth stepped directly onto the tips of her skis, blocking her path with a nasty sneer. "I have to hand it to you, Willow. You are like a cockroach. No matter where Julian goes, you manage to crawl right out of the woodwork. Coming here, putting on this pathetic little beginner act—do you really think looking like an idiot is going to get his attention?" He let out a condescending laugh. "Though I guess you really miscalculated today. Did you honestly not know how good Vivienne is? Coming to a ski resort to pull your little stunts while she's setting records? You really have no shame." "Look at you, you can't even stand up straight. Save yourself the humiliation and go home. If anyone puts you next to Vivienne, you'll be laughed off the mountain." "Yeah!" Toby chimed in from behind Julian's leg, pointing a tiny, accusing finger. "You don't even know how to ski! I'm way better than you! Dummy! Dummy! Go away!" Lucas stood silently, originally intending to throw in a few sharp insults of his own to defend Vivienne, whom he treated like a cherished younger sister. But the moment Willow looked up, those striking amber eyes completely derailed his train of thought. Under Seth's expectant gaze, Lucas just gave a dismissive scoff and looked away.