Chapter 582: A Bet

“What do you mean? Are you admitting you got in through connections?”

Christine’s eyes widened in shock. The rumor she had casually spread turned out to be true.

“You actually forced Mr. Herty to take you as his student! Mr. Herty is the pride of this orchestra, and you’re ruining it for everyone!”

Meryl couldn’t be bothered to argue with people like Christine. They were the type who couldn’t get what they wanted and would badmouth it out of spite. In truth, their jealousy stemmed from the fact that she was Harvey’s only protégé.

“I’m actually not a very patient person,” Meryl said coldly. “This is the second time you’ve provoked me. Don’t push your luck.”

Her gaze swept over Christine, her disinterest evident. Initially, Meryl didn’t care much about the internal selection competition. But suddenly, the thought of making Christine taste defeat seemed incredibly appealing. Christine was the principal cellist. Losing to a newcomer like Meryl would undoubtedly be humiliating.

“What better way to counter Christine’s hostility than to crush her in the competition?” she wondered.

“Care to make a bet?” Meryl said with a slight smile. “Whoever wins the selection wins. If you lose, you’ll apologize to me in front of everyone.”

Christine scoffed disdainfully. “You? You actually think you can beat me?”

Christine had heard Meryl play during one of the orchestra’s group sessions shortly after she joined. Her technique was amateurish, with glaring flaws that required years of training to fix. It was obvious to Christine that Meryl was just a hobbyist.

She didn’t expect Meryl to still dare to challenge her, a professional who had been playing the cello since childhood.

Confident in her skills, Christine smirked. “Fine. But if you lose, you’ll admit in front of everyone that you got in through connections and that you forced Mr. Herty to take you on as a student. Then you’ll quit the orchestra for good. How’s that?”

Meryl hesitated, surprised by Christine’s ruthlessness.

Christine pressed on, her tone mocking. “What’s the matter? Afraid to take the bet?”

“No, it’s not that. I’m just not sure how to admit to something that isn’t true,” Meryl replied evenly.

“Please, spare me,” Christine sneered. “No one ever admits they got in through connections.”

As the group argued, Meryl’s phone rang. It was Chandler.

Meryl stepped aside to answer. “What’s up?”

“Your orchestra is hosting some kind of internal selection competition in two weeks, isn’t it? I just received an invitation.”

Meryl paused. She vaguely remembered Harvey mentioning that external participants would be invited to vote during the competition. The major families would all receive invitations, with the aim of preventing factions from forming within the orchestra. The participation of external members helps to maintain the impartiality of the voting process to some extent.

“Yeah, that sounds about right.”

“Are you competing?” Chandler asked.

“Yes,” Meryl replied softly.

Chandler’s voice held a trace of amusement. “It’s been ages since I’ve heard you play. This will be a treat.”

His lighthearted tone made Meryl smile. “I’ve improved a lot lately. Don’t be too shocked when you hear me.”

“By the way, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“Mr. White is dead.”

Meryl froze. It took her a moment to recall who Mr. White was, though the name rang a bell.

“The man who almost raped Rachel at the bar last time, he was held by the police for over half a month and was just released yesterday. This morning, he was found dead in the bar he owned.”

Meryl was stunned. She wondered, “That’s… strange. How did he die?”

“So, what was the cause of death?”

Chandler hesitated. “Suicide.”