A Surprising Twist of Fates (Sierra and Theo)

After discovering what Janice had done, Jemima lectured her, wanting her never to bully Sierra again.

However, after that, Janice's dislike for Sierra seemed to have deepened. Instead of causing trouble, Janice took learning the piano more seriously—almost to the point of obsession.

Whatever piece Sierra played, Janice would learn the same one.noveldrama

The only issue was that talent and effort almost never went hand-in-hand. Janice had a weak foundation in piano and couldn't keep up, lacking Sierra's comprehension of music. No matter how hard she tried, she always fell short and lost to Sierra in competitions.

It was a tough pill to swallow for someone as proud as Janice. Each of her failures only deepened her resentment toward Sierra.

Jemima had long understood Janice's jealousy toward Sierra. She had tried several times to talk to her about it, hoping to clear the misunderstanding, but Janice refused to listen. Instead, her misunderstanding of Sierra only deepened.

Jemima let out a long sigh, her expression clouded with worry.

Storming out of her house, Janice headed straight for the campus. She bashed the piano keys, venting her anger and resentment into the melody.

"Janice, what's wrong? You look upset." Felicia walked over and asked, concern in her voice.

"It's all because of Sierra!" Janice snapped, clearly still fuming.

Felicia sat beside her, confusion in her voice. "What did Sierra do?"

"My mom's letting Sierra come back to campus tomorrow! She's even going to coach her! Can you believe that? When she left before, my mom was furious, but now she's just forgiving her like nothing ever happened." "Sierra's coming back?" Felicia's expression changed, her eyes flashing with something unreadable. Quickly, she pressed on, "But didn't Ms. Anderson say she wouldn't teach her again unless she placed in the top three at the Marisol Cup?"

"I have no idea what Sierra did to make my mom change her mind," Janice commented bitterly, her teeth clenched.

Felicia's eyes flickered, and her hands instinctively clenched into fists. Lowering her gaze, she said, "Sierra's always been good at putting on an act. She plays the sweet, obedient student in front of Ms. Anderson, but around everyone else, she acts all high and mighty—always trying to be the center of attention. Honestly, she's the biggest fake."

Her words only made Janice even more frustrated. She lifted her hands to play again but found that she lacked the focus.

Felicia, seeing Janice's growing irritation, relaxed slightly and leaned in closer.

"You remember what I told you before?" she whispered. "If you had just talked to the judges, Sierra never would've passed the preliminaries. Yet, you were too kind, Janice. Look at what happened. She's now in the finals. Are you sure she made it fairly? She hasn't played for three years. How could she suddenly qualify unless she had help?"

Janice's fingers stiffened on the keys. The final note she played sounded sharp and jarring as her expression darkened. That was true. How could Sierra not be rusty on the piano when she hadn't played for years?

Doubt crept into her heart.

Felicia continued, her voice soft and calculated.

"Janice, I know you believe in fair competition. You want to beat Sierra based on skill alone, and I respect that. But what if she didn't play fair? Don't forget—her boyfriend is Mr. Benson. The Gray family has power over this entire city.

"I also heard that Gray Corporation is one of the major sponsors of the Marisol Cup this year. If the Gray family helped her, winning the championship would be effortless for her."

"That's impossible," Janice shot back immediately. "The competition is public. If Sierra didn't have real skill, anyone could hear it. My mom is one of the head judges—she is the fairest and most impartial person in this field. She would never allow the competition to be tainted. If Sierra did use underhanded methods, my mom would be the first to be disappointed in her."