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Claire’s fans flooded the screen with insults:
[This girl’s delusional,trying to copy Claire’s dance.She’ll probably trip and embarrass herself.]
[Claire’s comment about her dog must’ve pissed her off—talk about petty.]

The audience whispered among themselves.
Ignoring them,I moved in my tribal attire,mimicking Claire’s dance.
As the music sped up,I let loose,the silver bells on my headpiece ringing joyfully.The crowd went quiet.
When the song ended,I bowed to the audience.Thunderous applause erupted.
Claire’s face darkened,her glare murderous.If looks could kill,I’d be in pieces right now.
Some comments began to support me:

[This Appalachian girl’’s incredible!She nailed that tough dance perfectly.]
[Nailed it?She outdid Claire—like the dance was made for her.]
Claire’s fans fired back:
[It’s all a setup.She probably practiced secretly to steal the spotlight.]

[Exactly.It’s supposed to be original talents,but she copied Claire.Shameless.]
According to the rules,two contestants would be eliminated after the talent round.
The assistant had said even if I got cut here,the fee was the same,so it wouldn’t be a loss anyway.
In the staff’s eyes,the dancer,Lolita girl,and I were the same, the sole purpose of us three was to highlight Claire.
But now I couldn’t be Just ignored.The audience vote tally showed me far ahead of the dancer and Lolita.
Though I trailed Claire by a wide margin,I stayed.
The host asked us to say something to the person we most wanted to see.
Claire blushed,her lips parting:
“Honey,your cream of mushroom soup last time was amazing.I can’t wait for the next one.”
I stared at her,stunned,barely believing my ears.
When it was my turn,I blurted out:
“Nathan Sterling,didn’t you say you don’t eat mushrooms?Do you remember your promise to me?”
The crowd gasped.
The screen exploded with doubt:
[Is Mara here just to cause trouble?She stole Claire’s dance and now wants her man?]
[Nathan may have a fling plenty of women,but never this Mara.She’s lying about the mushroom thing.]
Amid the skepticism,a fan gifted me a diamond.
The crowd went quiet for a moment,then a torrent of gifts showered down,all from one user:SweetMara.
The audience,fans online,and I myself were all dumbfounded.
Who was SweetMara?
I couldn’t imagine anyone but my tribe supporting me,but they barely used the internet,let alone had money for gifts like this.
Who was this mysterious SweetMara?
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