Chapter 20: The Rivalry Escalates
Ava stared at the screen behind her, wishing it would magically glitch and explode. Ethan’s smug grin practically radiated across the seminar stage as the audience murmured their approval of his "scientific" approach to love. The glowing testimonials and polished graphs were working exactly as intended.
Ethan stood beside her, holding his tablet like a prize he’d won in a science fair. "Any questions?" he asked, addressing the crowd with the confidence of someone who had definitely practiced this in the mirror.
"Yeah," Ava muttered under her breath, "can we skip to the part where you fall off the stage?"
The audience laughed politely, though it was clear Ethan’s high-tech spiel had left them impressed. Ava gripped her notes tighter, frustration bubbling beneath her professional facade. She needed to win them over. Fast.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward. "While Ethan’s presentation was certainly... polished," she began, her smile straining, "I’d like to point out that love isn’t something you can plot on a chart or reduce to numbers. It’s messy. It’s unpredictable. And that’s what makes it meaningful."
The crowd’s polite murmurs continued, though a few skeptical faces lingered in the front row. Ava pressed on, determined to regain their attention.
"Think about the couples you know," she said, her voice gaining strength. "The ones who found love in the most unexpected ways. Do you really think an algorithm could’ve predicted that spark? Or the chemistry that comes from shared laughter, mutual respect, and—"
"Shared tofu," Ethan interrupted smoothly, his grin widening.
The audience chuckled, and Ava’s teeth clenched.
---
Ethan turned to the crowd, gesturing grandly. "Of course, Ava has a point. Love is messy. But that’s exactly why people need tools like Cupid’s Algorithm. Why stumble around in the dark, hoping for a spark, when you can have clarity? Efficiency? Science takes the guesswork out of love."