With the corners of her mouth lifted, Janet couldn’t help but laugh at her mother’s words.
Yet, her laughter immediately irritated Emily. Discontented, Emily frowned. “Janet, what’s that supposed to mean?”
What does she mean now? Is there something wrong with me winning the championship? How dare she laugh at me? Does she even know how to play the piano? Who does she think she is to laugh at me? She does not even qualify to take part in the competition!
Janet poured herself a cup of water as she pursed her lips nonchalantly. “Nothing.”
Her lazy look annoyed Emily even further. Nonetheless, this wasn’t the time for her to lose her temper. She couldn’t fall for Janet’s trick. She had to maintain her good image in front of Megan; otherwise, Megan would be pissed off. Swallowing her anger, she clenched the hem of her dress and walked to the piano. Gently, she smiled. “Mommy, Grandma, let me play a song for you.”
She wanted to play the piano in front of Janet intentionally. No matter what, I’m better than her when it comes to playing the piano! Janet is someone who doesn’t even qualify to participate in the competition. She has no right to laugh at me. I’ll definitely win the competition and flaunt the trophy in front of her. I’ll prove her wrong! She wanted to tell the Jackson Family, even the world, that she was better than Janet. Janet can’t even compare herself to my finger with her useless skills. Although Emily was criticizing Janet in her head, the movements in her hands did not stop.
Soon, the lively and melodious sound of the piano flowed from her fingertips. The melody was beautiful. Sometimes, it was as wild as a galloping horse, but sometimes, it was as cheerful as a mountain stream; it was fascinating.
As soon as the music stopped, Megan and Jade opened their eyes slowly and clapped. They couldn’t help praising her, “That was beautiful.” It was undeniable that Emily’s piano skills had improved significantly over the previous months.
Emily didn’t seem surprised to receive the compliments. In fact, she began acting humbly. “Mommy, Grandma, you flatter me. It’s all thanks to Mr. Hilbert’s lessons!”
When Janet heard her, she raised an eyebrow. She retracted her fingers that were tapping against the table and said nothing.
Staring at Janet for a while, Emily held back the hostility in her gaze and looked at her innocently. “Janet, how does my song sound?”
Janet was leaning against the sofa lazily. Looking at Emily’s superior smile, she grinned. “Even though I’m no professional, I can tell that it’s not bad.”
Emily didn’t think Janet would understand the song in the first place. After all, she didn’t know a thing about the piano. Even if she did, she only had a smattering of knowledge about pianos. Janet couldn’t possibly know if I did well or not. However, she actually said that she could understand the song!
How ridiculous! She isn’t willing to give in even when it comes to playing the piano?
Right away, she smiled. “Janet, if you let Hilbert teach you, maybe we can—”
Remaining in her previous position, Janet tapped her slender fingers against the table rhythmically and interrupted, “But, the melody sounds familiar. I think I’ve heard that somewhere before…”
Emily was flustered when Janet interrupted her and questioned her song. Nevertheless, she continued to tug at the hem of her dress, trying her best to regain her composure. “Janet, what are you getting at? I wrote this song during my time at the Royal Academy of Music. This is my original creation! Are you questioning me or denying my capabilities?”
At her remarks, Janet turned around and brushed away the hair strand on her forehead. There was a hint of a chill in her smile as she smirked at Emily. As if she was laughing, she said, “I didn’t mean that. What I was saying was that there could be similarities between excellent pieces.”
