Chapter 8
Behind the stage wings, Preston—Victoria's pampered, spoiled son who had scored dead last in the tournament—was throwing a violent, screaming tantrum against the wall. He hurled his gold-plated tablet across the concrete floor, shattering the screen into a spiderweb of useless glass and jagged electronic components. "Those fatherless freaks cheated! My mother paid for my first place! I demand a recount right now or I'll ruin this entire school!" Preston screamed like a toddler.
His unfiltered meltdown was inadvertently captured by a live backstage boom mic, broadcasting his pathetic whining across every single loudspeaker in the packed auditorium. Laughter erupted from the upper balcony, quickly swelling into a wave of open, mocking ridicule from the thousands of brilliant young minds in attendance. Victoria covered her ears with both hands, dropping to her knees on the dusty aisle carpet as her son's humiliation played out on live national television.
