Her next destination was Krista's dressing room.

"Miss, Effie has finished drinking the glass of water I took to her," the waitress reported.

Krista smiled excitedly when she heard this. "Good job. I'll wire the rest of the money to your bank account by the end of today,” she promised.

The waitress was glad to hear this, but she also couldn't help but feel very guilty. She had never done such a thing before. But, she felt she had to do it this time because she needed money badly. Her brother had cancer, and her family was financially incapable of paying his bills.

She felt that even if Effie could no longer sing again, she would still be the daughter of the Harris family. She didn't think Effie's life would be too greatly impacted.

Eventually, the finals began.

The contestants were all excellent in their own individual ways. The audience and judges enjoyed their performances immensely.

Before long, it was Effie's turn.

She was wearing a burgundy suit that made her look really beautiful.

The audience was captivated by her and they found it difficult to tear their gazes off her charming face.

Her fans in the audience happily cheered her on, giving her confidence a boost.

“Effie, you're gorgeous!"

"You're so pretty and excellent at singing. Effie is the only one that can win this competition!"

“I heard that all the contestants will sing songs that they composed on their own. I wonder what she will sing this time."

Everyone couldn't wait to see Effie's performance. But Krista Looked at them and snorted under her breath.

"Stupid people! Just wait and see! No matter how excellent Effie's song might be, she will not be able to sing anymore, unfortunately," she muttered to herself.

At this point, she felt a slight itch in her throat and she quickly picked up a glass of water and took a sip.

The accompaniment resonated, akin to a meteor streaking across the night sky. A hush fell over the audience, drawn into Effie's stage presence; everyone awaited her melody with bated breath.

Krista's fists clenched, palms damp with sweat. Despite the prolonged prelude, Effie remained silent. A sense of success surged within Krista; her plan had seemingly stifled Effie's voice.

Silently cursing Effie, Krista lamented in a low voice, "You could have been a fine actress, why sing now? It was your own fault that you ended up like this."

Suddenly, a voice behind her asked, “What did you do?"

Startled, Krista turned to find Karol. Flustered, she struggled to respond, her lips quivering.

“Have you done something in secret? Tell me the truth. I am your mentor," Karol demanded, eyeing Krista sharply.

Under Karol's piercing gaze, Krista confessed her actions.