Anna and Mia had been waiting backstage, watching all the contestants' performances on the huge screen in front of them.
"Charlee did really well, her singing was great and her voice was so clean," Anna praised as she watched Charlee perform on the screen.
Mia shook her head. "You sing better than she does, and more importantly, your song choice today can definitely outshine everyone else's. I believe your voice can bring everyone an unprecedented shock."
Encouraged by her best friend's words, Anna felt even more confident.
But when Mia noticed that Anna remained calm and showed no signs of discomfort despite drinking juice from Charlee earlier, she began to frown slightly. Could it be that her guess was wrong? Did Charlee simply give Anna a drink without any ulterior motives?
Impossible! Charlee had always been vocal about wanting to win first place in the talent show competition at all costs. How could she have kindly given a competitor like Anna some pear juice?
"Cough..."
Anna felt uncomfortable in her throat and coughed lightly several times.
"What's wrong?" Mia asked with feigned concern but with a hint of excitement inside.
Anna coughed again but this time it only made things worse; there was now a burning sensation in her throat that grew stronger by the second.
"I'll get you some water," Mia said as she helped Anna sit down on the couch before quickly pouring a glass of ice-cold water for her.
Anna thought drinking cold water would make things better but instead, the burning sensation intensified even further until it became unbearable.
As soon as she realized that it might be difficult for herself to perform later due to this discomfort, an ominous feeling crept into her heart: Was it possible that Charlee tampered with the pear juice?
The thought made Anna's face turn pale instantly.
As time passed closer towards when she would have to go onstage herself for performance, not only did this unpleasant feeling persist but also worsened significantly until eventually her voice was hoarse...
"Why are you doing this to me, Charlee?" Hatred flashed through Anna's eyes while looking at herself in mirror backstage where tears started streaming down cheeks uncontrollably...
"Mia," She whispered hoarsely after taking deep breaths trying hard not cry anymore while looking away from mirror avoiding eye contact with anyone around them backstage area.
"I may not be able to participate anymore... I'll just forfeit." With regretful expression mixed disappointment over losing chance winning 100 thousand prize money.
"You want to forfeit? How can you do that? Haven't you been looking forward to this reward all along?" Mia feigned surprise.
Joke, how could she quit at this point?
Her only goal was to make Anna lose face on stage, to let everyone see her embarrassed side.
"I cannot stand on stage right now. Instead of standing on stage and making a fool of myself, I'd rather choose to give up now," Anna said sadly, thinking about her careful preparation over the past few days.
"Mia, I wish you success. I... I'll go first," Anna put her things in her bag and looked disappointed as she prepared to leave.
Mia quickly grabbed Anna who wanted to leave.
"Anna, you said every time standing on stage is your confident moment. You can't be a deserter at this time. Moreover, if you quit now, the company may not arrange for you to participate in any competition again in the future. This is a big blow for someone like you who needs prize money," Mia persuaded.
"But..." Anna sighed heavily.
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