SHE'S A LOSER

For Paige, everything seemed to be happening so fast. Just this morning, she was being called a thief and kicked out of her house. And now, she was going to be performing on a show tonight.

She pinched herself to be sure she wasn't dreaming, and Jessica, who was staring at her, smiled, "Come on, let's go change your wardrobe."

"Thank you very much, Sir," Paige said, wiping the joyous tears which had formed in her eyes.

"Don't worry about that. Just get ready to perform." Zach said.

As Paige walked out, Zach stared at her, recalling his old days. His story seemed similar to hers as he had also been given a chance by someone he never expected.

While they went shopping, Jessica asked Paige, "Are you related to Mr. Zach? I mean, he did say you're someone who belonged to him."

Paige didn't know Jessica's relationship with Zach, so she didn't want to speak too much. She only said, "He's just helping me."

"Come on, Mr. Zach doesn't help people just like that. I mean, everyone knows who he is. He doesn't even like people in his space, neither does he let them get close to him.

And yet, he called for you to be taken shopping. Tell me the truth. I've had a crush on him for years, and I don't know how to get close to him. Please, you have to help me, Paige." Jessica revealed her feelings to Paige.

Paige stared at her in surprise. "I do not have the kind of relationship where I can recommend or try to pair you with Mr. Zach. He might get upset and kick me out of his house."

Jessica sighed, "And here I thought he had a soft spot in his heart. Alright, come on, let's get you your clothes."

After shopping, Jessica brought Paige back, and she got dressed in one of the outfits.

"Zach also called a stylist, who came and fixed her hair and wore her makeup.

Afterward, she got into Zach's car, and his driver drove them to the venue of the show.

Before they came out of the car, he said, "Look at the time. It's just a few minutes past eight and look at the date. Today is the day your career begins. I want you to start from the bottom and rise to the top so that you can value whatever you achieve in this life."

Paige nodded, "Okay, sir."

"Good, and also know that you'll face a lot of obstacles on your path. But if you're determined and focused, you will be successful. And as you pass the audition tonight, I will search for a good agency for you and make sure you get a manager when the time is right. Do you understand?"

"I understand." She replied.

"Alright now, you can enter through the backstage. Once they see your face, they'll lead you in. I've already spoken to the right people."

"Thank you very much, sir," Paige said once again. "I promise I won't fail you."

"I prefer actions to words. You can go now."

Paige stepped out of the car and took deep breaths as she made her way to the backstage. Just as Zach had said, the moment she arrived, a man approached her.

"Come with me, I'll take you to the dressing room," he said.

She followed him into a room, where she saw different girls busy with their makeup.

He said to her, "Your dress has been arranged. You'll all be wearing the same type of dress but in different colors. Blend in with the girls and agree on what to do. When it's time and you hear the Spark Girls being called, come out, okay?"

Paige nodded and took a seat. As she sat down, she overheard the girls murmuring. She turned around and finally spotted her sister, Candy.

Candy couldn't believe her eyes.

"Paige, what are you doing here? Who brought this thief here? Who let her into this room?" Candy exclaimed, wanting to drag Paige out.

One of the girls interjected, "Be careful with her. Didn't you see who brought her in? Haven't you noticed that our dresses are now five?"

"What? But we were originally meant to be four," Candy replied, shocked.

Another girl rolled her eyes and said, "Beats my imagination. I don't know where she crawled out from."

Candy stared at Paige, her body heaving with anger. She couldn't understand how Paige, who had been kicked out of the house in the morning, ended up there. She had struggled hard in the audition that brought her among these girls, even stealing Paige's song. She had put in her best effort. How could Paige now be here with her?

"No, I cannot let her outshine me," Candy said to herself.

Seeing that all the other girls were busy, Paige decided to go into the toilet and rehearse. Since everything had happened quickly, she wanted to make sure she didn't disappoint Zach. She believed he would be watching from his car. So she stayed in the toilet, rehearsing her lines.

Meanwhile, Candy looked around and saw that the other girls were engrossed in their tasks. The dresses they were given were short, sleeveless gowns with cross lines at the back.

Paige's dress was black, while Candy's was white. She noticed Paige's name attached to the gown and walked closer to it.

She took a razor, and cut a small part of it. Then she returned to her seat and pretended as though nothing had happened.

When it was thirty minutes to the performance time, the man who had brought Paige in knocked on the door and said, "Come on, girls, get ready. It's almost time."

One of the girls knocked on the door, and Paige quickly emerged. She had already done her makeup and hair, so all she needed to do was change her clothes. She took off the jeans and top she was wearing, revealing a bra top, and underwear. She swiftly put on the black dress without noticing that the rope at the back of the gown was almost loose.

Afterward, they were called, and they all went out. Each of them grabbed a microphone from the backstage staff who were assigned to them.

In no time, they were all standing in front of a crowd. Paige's heart began to beat fast. This was her first time standing in front of such a large audience. She had sung many times before, but it was always in the comfort of her home, either with her mom back then or in front of her mirror.

There were so many people cheering for them. They all stood together, each wearing a different color. One girl wore white, another blue, another green, Candy wore red, and Paige wore black.

According to the arrangement, they would each sing a different verse, with all of them taking one song.

They were to sing until the last verse. They would then start from the beginning. This way, they would be able to determine the top two among them.

Paige had no doubt that she would be among the best, especially since Zach had told her she had an amazing voice. She was placed at the end, and they were going to sing one after the other. She could even hear some people in the crowd asking, "When did the Spark Girls become five? I thought they were four. What happened? What happened?"

As she waited for the event to begin, she spotted Zach in the crowd, causing her eyes to widen in surprise. She hadn't expected him to show up. His arms were folded, and he seemed to be hiding, but his gaze was fixed on her. Her heart started racing, as she didn't want to disappoint him no matter what.

The first girl began singing, and Candy stood close by. The crowd fell silent, captivated by the melodious voice. After she finished her verse, the next person took their turn.

Eventually, it was Paige's time to sing. Just as she was about to open her mouth, Candy placed her hand on Paige's back and pulled the already-cut rope.

The gown came loose, and Paige's heart skipped a beat as it almost slipped off her body.

Shocked, Paige immediately let go of the microphone which rolled on the ground, and clutched her gown, holding it tightly to her body. A part of her bra top was exposed, causing the entire crowd to gasp.

She started hearing murmurs and comments like, "What's happening?"

"It's a wardrobe malfunction!"

"Come on, sing!"

"She's a loser."

She stood there, staring at the crowd, feeling frozen and hoping that the ground would swallow her up.

She had no idea what to do. The girl at the beginning began to sing to fill the time, as they had a limited timeframe.

Meanwhile, Paige's gaze remained fixed on Mr. Zachary as tears began to stream down her face.