Flora’s Guide to a Second Chance at Love and Life

"Lily, you're incredible! This latest piece is absolutely stunning!"

"Yeah, the judges were thrilled with you. They looked at you like you were a superstar."

As soon as Lily stepped backstage, she was met with a chorus of praise. She lifted her chin, basking in the compliments.

But for Kaylee, the admiration for Lily felt like a knife to the heart. Fuming, she pushed through the crowd and confronted Lily, glaring at her. "Why did you do it?!"

Kaylee was known for her gentle nature, rarely ever raising her voice. Seeing her this livid was a shock to everyone.

Lily looked at her with impatience, feigning ignorance. "What are you talking about?"

Kaylee's fists clenched at her sides, her eyes red with anger. She spoke slowly, emphasizing each word, "Why did you plagiarize my design?"

The backstage fell silent for a moment, then erupted into chaos.

Lily's expression turned icy. "What nonsense! Me, plagiarize your design? That's absurd!"

"You're just a freshman at the University of Maple Grove. I'm a junior, already signed with a top design firm, and I've been in countless competitions. Why would I need to copy your work?" Kaylee, always slow to anger and not quick with words, couldn't match Lily's sharp retorts. Even though she was fuming, she found herself speechless.

"Kaylee, maybe there's been some misunderstanding?"

"Yeah, how could Lily possibly plagiarize your design?"Têxt © NôvelDrama.Org.

The onlookers pretended to be concerned, but most were just there for the drama.

Then the stage manager's voice cut through the tension, "Number 20, Kaylee, you're up next! Get ready!"

Biting her lip, Kaylee nodded and went to prepare her model. She kept telling herself to stay calm.

Flora was in the audience, watching. Kaylee couldn't afford to show any weakness. She had promised to show Flora how much she'd changed; she couldn't let her down now. Even if Lily had stolen her design, Kaylee was the wronged party. She had to stand up for herself with dignity.

The judges were intrigued as Kaylee took the stage. Her talent had impressed them in the earlier rounds.

"Hello everyone, I'm number 20, Kaylee, from the Fashion Design Department at the University of Maple Grove," she began, her soft voice soothing despite the tension.

As she unveiled the red cloth covering her model, the judges leaned in with anticipation. But what they saw left them stunned.

Aside from the main color being a deep red compared to Lily's navy blue, everything else, from the patterns to the style, was identical!

A blatant case of plagiarism!

Louie's eyes sparkled with interest as he twirled his pen. Intriguing...

The other judges' faces darkened instantly. The excitement in their eyes was replaced with blazing anger.

One judge spoke up, voice full of fury, "Contestant number 20, I expect a reasonable explanation. Why does your design almost exactly replicate contestant number 17, Lily's design?"