I finished my fieldwork and checked my phone, only to be bombarded with messages. Some colleagues asked where I’d ordered my wedding dress from and who my husband was, while others immediately started calling me shallow and materialistic. I opened the work group chat and realized that I’d accidentally sent the wedding dress photo to the wrong group. Daphne Quinn, a colleague, was still typing away furiously in the chat. [How dare you steal my wedding dress photo and try to pass it off as yours? Have you no shame?] [My husband is Dorian Black! If he finds out you’re impersonating me, you’re in trouble!] At that exact moment, Dorian was lying on my lap, looking up at me. “Babe, don’t schedule so much work for yourself this week. Come to my private island and hang out with me.” ***** Dorian and I met in college, and we recently got our marriage certificate. Right now, we were caught up in wedding planning, barely keeping our heads above water. But then Daphne suddenly popped up, claiming Dorian was her husband. I didn’t tell him about it. He had been busy taking over the family business, and this was something I could handle on my own. Daphne and I had always been in competition, and she thought she had me cornered, so she wasn’t holding back. She was still in the group chat, demanding that I apologize. When I got back to the office, I went straight to confront her. “This wedding dress is mine,” I said. Daphne’s face turned red with fury. She stormed over, shouting, “I’ve never met anyone so shameless! The proof is right in front of you, and you’re still denying it! “Since you’re so sure, why don’t you tell me what kind of flower is on the veil?” The picture I posted only showed the dress, not the accessories. I said confidently, “It’s jasmine.” Daphne practically exploded. She screamed, “Did you hear that, everyone? She’s still lying to herself!” Then, she sent another photo to the group, showing the whole wedding dress, but this time, the flower on the veil was a rose. “Jasmine was just a sample accessory. This dress was completely redesigned by me to match my personal style. “You, poor thing, could only dream of the mass-market version.” I was confused. How did she manage to talk to the designer without me knowing? I never asked for any changes to the accessories. “Show me your chat history with the designer,” I demanded. Her gaze immediately shifted, and she stumbled, “Eliza, you post a picture and claim it’s your wedding dress, but you don’t even know the style, and you’re still asking me for proof?” The group chat exploded with more nasty comments. [Vain woman. She looks all perfect on the outside, but behind closed doors, she’s stealing and lying. What a fraud.] [I bet that designer handbag she had was probably a gift from some sugar daddy.] [No wonder she’s so good at sucking up to the boss. She’s always getting the top projects. Must have learned that from somewhere.] These people were jumping at the chance to spread rumors and gossip. I gripped my phone so tightly my knuckles turned white. Seeing the drama escalating in her favor, Daphne marched over, hand raised, ready to slap me. “Today, I’m going to teach you a lesson, you shameless bitch!” Quick on my feet, I grabbed a clipboard and blocked her hand. Her hand hit the wooden board, and she yelped in pain. “How dare you hit me!” She was about to lose it, but our team leader, Mason Brooks, stepped in and stopped us. “Alright, Daphne, don’t make a scene. The office isn’t the place for this.” Daphne, realizing it wasn’t worth making a bigger fuss, reluctantly backed off. When I got back to my desk, she still wasn’t done. She shot me a final threat. “Just wait. After work, I’ll make sure my husband deals with you.” Later, Mason pulled me into a meeting room and handed back the design proposal I had submitted earlier. “Eliza, did you create this design all by yourself?” A bad feeling crept over me, but I still answered honestly, “Yes.” He gave me a half-smile and then pulled out another document.
I felt a knot form in my stomach as I compared Daphne’s design with mine. Aside from some minor tweaks to the decoration and the final design being slightly different, everything else was identical. Suddenly, it hit me. Just a couple of days ago, I’d been working late and left my computer unlocked when I went out for dinner. Daphne had been there too. Looks like she had taken full advantage of that moment. “So, what do you think? Noticed anything? Just so you know, Daphne submitted hers earlier than you,” Mason said, his tone clearly favoring her. I took a deep breath and replied calmly, “Mason, I’m not sure how Daphne completed her design, but I can walk you through mine step by step.” I explained my design process, the inspiration behind it, and how I developed the concept. “Two days ago, I added a new element to make the design more appealing to the audience. Honestly, if I’d just wanted to finish quickly, I could have wrapped it up that afternoon. “You can compare my design approach with Daphne’s and judge for yourself.” Mason nodded but then said, “Eliza, you still don’t get it. I don’t need to ask Daphne anything. “No matter how well you explain it, her version is just different.” I was starting to feel confused. I was just presenting the facts, but he was talking to me like I was some rookie. Trying to hold back my frustration, I forced a smile. “I don’t quite understand. Could you explain it more clearly?” Mason seemed pleased with my polite response, taking his time to sip his coffee. “I get it. You’re talented and passionate, but talent alone won’t get you far here. “Do you know who Daphne’s husband is? He’s the heir to the Black family! If I don’t take her side, I might as well kiss my career goodbye.” I couldn’t hide my disgust. He was just blindly siding with her without even hearing me out, and he had the nerve to say this to my face. Honestly, flattering someone didn’t mean they’d return the favor. “You really don’t get it, do you? You’re making enemies everywhere. I’m covering for you this time, but what happens next time?” My fists clenched under the sleeves. “How exactly are you covering for me?” He casually replied, “I’ll keep the similarity in the designs under wraps. It wouldn’t look good for the company if it came out. “You won’t be punished or forced to apologize. Just redo your design, and Daphne will handle this project from here on out.” I couldn’t believe it. I was the one who got plagiarized, yet he was acting like I was the one at fault. I stood up quickly, startling Mason so much that he choked on his coffee. “W-what do you want? “I’ve been helping you. If it were anyone else, this would have been discussed in a meeting. Daphne already came to complain about you yesterday.” I bit my lip, forced out a sarcastic smile, and left the meeting room. As I opened the door, I saw Daphne standing right outside, grinning like she’d won something. “What’s up? Something wrong with your design?” I didn’t even bother answering her. She had stolen my work and now she was acting like the victim. I could tell she was more thrilled by my misfortune than her own success. Mason wasn’t much better. He was just sucking up to her and pretending to be magnanimous, even though I was the one who’d been wronged. But then again, even if I had gotten the project, I’d still be working under him, so maybe it was better to keep my distance. They both seemed like they were all about their own gain, Daphne trying to shine and Mason eager to please her. I could already picture how well they’d work together. So I forced a smile. “If you really want to know, maybe you should ask Mason. I’m sure he’d be happy to explain everything to you.” Back at my desk, I encrypted all my files, created a new document, and saved a recording of my conversation with Mason. I was planning to report this to the director. I could redo the design, but the team leader could also be replaced. In the afternoon, we had an impromptu team meeting, where Mason announced that Daphne would be taking over the project. Everyone was praising her, saying her design was brilliant. Daphne humbly responded, “It’s all thanks to Mason for giving me this chance. I’m not great, just worked hard.” I almost rolled my eyes. Since she got the task, she’d been slacking off, only putting in the effort to steal my work. “I’m not like some people, pretending something that’s not theirs is their own.” Some colleagues snickered, clearly glancing at me. Mason smiled. “Alright, as long as we all stay on the right path, everyone will get the chance to lead projects. Now, let’s get back to work.” But it was clear Daphne wasn’t done with me yet.
I had just finished work when a man in a sharp suit appeared at the door, slicked-back hair, roses in hand. Something about this stranger felt oddly familiar yet out of place. “Babe! You came to pick me up!” Daphne spotted him and instantly dropped her unfinished task, rushing over to throw herself into his arms. “I got a new project today! Praise me!” The man ran his hand gently along her waist. “You’re incredible, babe.” Daphne nestled into his chest, taking in the cologne before turning to introduce him to the team. “Oh, I forgot to introduce him. This is my husband, Dorian Black.” He gave a polite nod. “Thanks, everyone, for looking out for Daphne.” I couldn’t stomach the sight of them, so I started gathering my things, ready to head out. “Eliza, don’t walk away!” Daphne’s sharp nails snagged my sleeve. I yanked my bag away, knocking her hand off. “Let go.” She instantly started fake-crying, clinging to the man’s arm and pointing at me, her voice high-pitched. “She’s been bullying me! She took a picture of my wedding dress, claimed it was hers, and refused to apologize. She’s so full of herself!” The man raised an eyebrow, his gaze darkening as he turned to me. “Oh? You dared to mess with my wife? “Apologize to Daphne right now, or I’ll have your director fire you on the spot.”
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