"Indeed. This has probably surpassed what you can handle, hasn''t it?" Jett said to Blythe, his voice grave.


    "But I''m not just trying to make things hard for her. I really do like this crown," Blythe muttered, lowering her gaze. "Why are you and Dad always taking her side?"


    Her words took Jett and Mrs. White by surprise-they were both momentarily speechless.


    "Blythe... We''re not taking her side," Jett replied with a deep frown. "But you''re letting your emotions run away with you. We get it, you don''t like her—but this isn''t how you deal with people."


    "He''s right, sweetheart. There''s no need for this," Mrs. White gently added.


    As her parents tried to reason with her, the auction continued. Calliope had just imed the crown.


    Blythe seethed, ring at Calliope with a poisonous intensity.


    But Calliope was unfazed by Blythe''s hostility. The auction went on, and she kept her eyes on the next item up for bid.


    Each time Calliope bid for something she wanted, Blythe jumped in, trying to outbid her at every turn. No matter how determined she was to win, Calliope walked away victorious every single time. The frustration darkened Blythe''s face with each defeat.


    Jett and Mrs, White exchanged looks of concern and quietly shook their heads. Blythe had never acted like this before. This time, it was as if she had developed a particr grudge against Ms. Jewell-each round making her more irritable and unreasonable. While Calliope kept herposure, Blythe''s animosity only grew. What was going on? Did they have some hidden history? From the outside, Ms. Jewell appeared calm and never did anything to provoke her; if anything, Blythe seemed bent on starting trouble.


    Eventually, Blythe was so distracted bypeting with Calliope that she forgot all about her parents sitting beside her. Anything Calliope wanted, Blythe insisted on


    fighting for, no matter how many times she lost-it became an obsession.


    Calliope, for her part, remained cool. When she noticed Blythe was deliberately trying to run up her bids, she decided to y her own game. When something came up that she actually didn''t want, Calliope boldly raised her paddle and drove the price up.


    Just as she expected, Blythe instantly countered, sending the price even higher. Back and forth it went, the two locked in a silent showdown-until suddenly, Calliope stopped bidding and let Blythe have it.


    The gavel came down with a decisive bang. The item was Blythe''s.


    Blythe heard the word "Sold!" and stared in shock-what had she just done?


    "Blythe," Jett said sternly, his disappointment in. Both he and Mrs. White had witnessed the entire episode. She''d been needling Calliope on purpose, and now Calliope had outmaneuvered her.


    "I didn''t even want this!" Blythe eximed, her voice trembling with frustration. "That was all her n!"


    "You brought this on yourself," Jett replied, his voice calm but firm. "She may have yed along, but only


    because you kept trying to mess


    with her. Blythe, this isn''t the girl we raised. Even if you don''t like ber-if you want topete you do it fairly. What you pulled just now, that''s not right. And everyone saw it, too. This is a special event; you need to remember you''re not just representing yourself."