Our company was preparing for the annual Kids’ Charity Art Gala when my colleague, Sarah, approached me with red, puffy eyes. “My daughter Lily has leukemia,” she choked out, clutching my sleeve. “Can we please put her painting right in the center of the exhibition hall? Just to give her one last beautiful memory. I’m begging you.” My heart softened back then. I swapped her painting into the prime spot. I had no idea the painting was plagiarized straight from the internet. The original artist showed up at our office to sue us. When the scandal broke, Sarah immediately threw me under the bus in front of everyone. “It was Chloe who insisted on putting it there! I tried to stop her!” Without even investigating, the CEO fired me on the spot. Just as I was packing up my things to leave, a massive chandelier fell from the ceiling and crushed me to death. When I opened my eyes again, Sarah was clutching my hand once more, sobbing. “This is my baby’s last wish…” I pushed her away immediately and handed her a document. “Sign this disclaimer. It states that your daughter’s artwork is 100% original. If there’s any plagiarism, you take full legal and financial responsibility.”
“Chloe, what is the meaning of this?” Her voice trembled. “My daughter Lily is only seven. She stayed up all night painting this. How could she possibly plagiarize?” I didn’t say a word. I just pushed the paper closer to her. “You are insulting my child!” Her voice went up an octave. “She’s just a little girl! Whose work could she even copy?” Looking at her hysterical face, I felt absolutely nothing. “This is standard company procedure.” Sarah bit her lip, and tears began to pool in her eyes. “I just wanted to make my dying child happy. Her chemotherapy is so painful…” She gasped for air, sobbing dramatically. “Do you really have to push me this far?” In my past life, I was completely fooled by this act. I thought I was doing a good deed, but it ended up costing me my life. I pulled the paper back. “If you don’t want to sign, that’s fine. We’ll just display her painting according to the original submission queue.” She froze. “What did you say?” “Company policy states that all exhibited works must have a signed originality waiver,” I said coldly. “If you don’t sign, your painting goes to the back of the line.” Sarah’s face completely darkened. She wiped her tears, her voice rising even louder. “Chloe, do you have a single drop of empathy in you?” I didn’t answer. “My child has leukemia! As an adult, how can you be so heartless?” She pointed a finger right at my nose. “Are you even human?” “It’s the policy.” “Policy?” She let out a harsh laugh. “Even the law has room for humanity! Is our company policy stricter than the actual law?” Just as I was about to speak, I heard footsteps behind me. “What’s going on here?” Victoria, the Director of the Art Gala, walked over holding a cup of Starbucks. “I could hear you guys screaming from down the hall.” Sarah’s eyes turned red instantly. She threw herself toward Victoria and grabbed her hand. “Victoria, you have to help me!” Her voice cracked with fresh tears. “My little girl has leukemia. She just wanted a good spot for her painting to have one last moment of joy. But Chloe is forcing me to sign some legal waiver, claiming she’s worried about plagiarism… My baby is only seven! Who could she possibly copy?” Victoria frowned and looked at me. “Chloe, this is really poor form on your part.” “Victoria, that’s not what—” “The child is sick. Just give her a break,” Victoria interrupted me, waving her hand dismissively. “We host this gala as an employee benefit anyway. Why are you being such a stickler?” Sarah nodded vigorously on the side, her eyes watery and pitiful. I took a deep breath. “Victoria, did you already forget what happened to Mark from Sales last week? He helped someone bypass the check and display a painting. It turned out to be plagiarized. The company had to pay a $15,000 fine, and Mark was fired on the spot.” Victoria’s hand froze over her coffee cup. “I was there,” I continued, looking coldly at Sarah. “The employee blamed Mark entirely to save her own skin. So now, no unsigned artwork goes in the center spot. Period. Unless they sign the liability waiver.” Sarah’s face went pale for a second, then flushed red with anger. “My Lily absolutely did not copy!” she shrieked. “She painted our family cat! It is 100% original!” “Then why is it so hard to sign the paper?” “Why should I?” she glared at me. “You just don’t trust me! You don’t trust a mother of a dying child!” Victoria looked at me, clearly thinking I was being cold-hearted. Sarah’s tears spilled over again as she choked out, “I just want people to see her art. What if… what if she isn’t here tomorrow…” She covered her face, her shoulders shaking violently. Victoria sighed. “Chloe, it’s a minor thing. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?” “Victoria, I’m just following the rules,” I said, cutting her off. “No signature, no center spot. That rule came directly from the CEO.” Sarah snapped her head up. Her face was covered in tears, but her eyes were filled with pure venom. “Chloe, you’re just jealous of me, aren’t you?”
I blinked. “Jealous of you?” “Jealous that I have a daughter!” She spat the words at me. “You’re in your thirties, single, with no boyfriend, and absolutely miserable. You hate seeing other people happy!” Victoria’s gaze shifted, looking at me with sudden suspicion. Sarah got even bolder. “I’ve seen people like you before. You pretend to care about the rules, but deep down, you’re just bitter! You don’t understand the sacred bond of motherhood, so you try to ruin it for the rest of us.” She wiped her tears and sneered. “And you’re jealous of my work performance too. I ranked higher than you in the last quarterly review, didn’t I? You’ve been bitter about it ever since! Is that why you’re taking it out on my kid’s painting?” She got more and more self-righteous as she spoke. “I’ll say it right here, right now: my daughter’s painting is 100% original! If you don’t believe me, it’s only because your mind is twisted and dark!” I looked at her, slowly folding the document and putting it back in my pocket. “Fine.” Sarah’s eyes lit up, thinking I had backed down. I patted my pocket. “No signature, no center spot. I’ll find another painting for the main display. Yours will go at the very end of the line, based on submission time.” Sarah’s face turned completely black. Victoria slammed her coffee cup onto the desk. “Chloe! That is enough!” I turned to look at her. Victoria’s face was stern, her tone much harsher than before. “The rules are dead, but people are alive. A sick child’s last wish, and you’re really going to block it over a piece of paper?” I remained unfazed. “I’m doing this for the company to avoid unnecessary legal risks.” She pointed a finger at me. “The kid has leukemia! Even if she did copy a little, so what? Who would have the heart to sue a dying child?” Sarah nodded like a bobblehead, her tears flowing right on cue. Victoria looked at me with pure disappointment. “Go put Sarah’s daughter’s painting in the center spot right now. If anything happens, I’ll take full responsibility.” Hearing the Director’s words, I still stood my ground. “What?” she frowned. “My words mean nothing to you now?” “Victoria, I won’t hang that painting.” “I am the Director of this project. If I say we hang it, we hang it!” Her voice turned icy. “Are you going to do it or not?” Sarah crossed her arms, a smug smirk playing on the corner of her lips. I took a deep breath. “No.” Victoria’s face completely darkened. “Fine, Chloe. You think you’re so irreplaceable?” She sneered. “You think this gala can’t run without you?” She turned to Sarah. “Come on, Sarah. I’ll hang it for you myself.” Sarah’s eyes gleamed. She quickly followed Victoria. After taking a few steps, she turned back to give me a smug, mocking look that clearly said: “Who do you think you are?” I pulled out my phone and took a quick picture of their retreating backs. When they were physically hanging the painting, I took another one. By 5:00 PM, the exhibition setup was complete. I took a walk around the hall. Right in the center hung Lily’s painting. It was a cartoon kitten. The brushstrokes were so smooth and professional that there was no way a seven-year-old could have painted it. I took a photo of it. Then, I took a photo of the final setup approval form—the one Victoria had personally signed.
The next morning, the Kids’ Charity Art Gala officially opened. A large crowd quickly gathered around the painting in the center. “Oh my god, did a seven-year-old really paint this?” “This is incredible. The composition, the colors…” “This kid is a prodigy!” Sarah stood nearby, smiling from ear to ear, though she pretended to be humble. “Oh, it’s nothing, really. She was just playing around.” A colleague walked over to me. “Chloe, did you select this painting? You have an amazing eye.” I smiled faintly. “No, I didn’t select it. Director Victoria personally approved it.” The colleague looked at me in surprise but didn’t ask further. At 4:00 PM, it was time for the awards ceremony. The host held the microphone, his voice filled with excitement. “And the winner of the Best Artwork Award goes to—Lily Zhang for her piece, “My Little Kitten”!” Lily was Sarah’s daughter. The crowd erupted into applause. Sarah walked onto the stage under everyone’s envious gazes, her eyes glistening with tears. The host handed her the trophy. “Sarah, would you like to say a few words?” Sarah took the mic, her voice cracking. “Thank you to the company, thank you to Victoria, and thank you to everyone who loves my daughter’s art. My daughter has leukemia. She… she couldn’t make it here today. I am accepting this award on her behalf.” The crowd went dead silent for a second, and then the applause grew even louder. The Vice President, Richard, personally walked up to the stage. He handed her a giant prize check and the latest digital drawing iPad. “Sarah, we are so moved by your daughter’s strength. The company has decided to grant an extra medical fund for her treatment,” Richard said, shaking her hand. “Work hard, and know that the company always has your back.” Sarah sobbed openly. “Thank you so much… thank you…” The photographer snapped several pictures of them. Richard turned to the crowd. “Our company has always been a family. We help those in need. This is our social responsibility as an enterprise.” Cheering and applause filled the room. “The company is so wholesome.” “Sarah is amazing. A single mom working so hard.” “That manager Chloe tried to block her painting earlier. So heartless.” I watched them with a cold expression. “Laugh all you want now. The harder you laugh today, the harder you’ll cry when the original artist shows up.” The day after the gala ended, Victoria and I went to Richard’s office to report on the event. Richard leaned back in his chair, praising her. “The gala went great. Especially that story about the sick child. It brought excellent PR for the company.” Victoria smiled and waved her hand. “Oh, it’s what anyone would do. I just felt so bad for the kid.” Then, her tone shifted as she glanced at me. “Unlike some people who have absolutely no empathy! She fought me tooth and nail to keep that kid’s painting out of the center spot. I had to push through a lot of pressure to approve it.” Richard’s eyes fell on me. “Chloe, what’s this about?” “Company policy requires all participants to sign an originality waiver,” I explained calmly. “Sarah refused to sign, so I refused to give her the prime spot.” “Rules are rules, but we must make exceptions for special cases,” Victoria sneered. “The kid is dying, and you’re gatekeeping a charity event? If the public found out, we’d look terrible!” I looked at Richard. “Do you remember what happened to Mark last week? The company lost $15,000 because of plagiarism. I was just doing my job to protect the company from legal liabilities.” Victoria scoffed. “The gala is already over. What liability? If it weren’t for me, the company would be labeled as heartless by now!” Richard nodded, looking displeased with me. “Chloe, you need to be flexible. Don’t be so rigid.” I didn’t argue back. Richard waved his hand. “Victoria handled this beautifully. Expect a bonus next month. Chloe, you need to learn from her.” I nodded with a fake smile. Victoria beamed. As we walked out of the office, she purposely bumped her shoulder against mine. “See that?” she whispered. “You need a brain to play in the big leagues.”
Sarah cornered me in the breakroom. She was holding a mug of coffee, leaning against the doorframe, looking me up and down. “Well, well. Manager Chloe, drinking coffee all by yourself?” I ignored her and kept filling my cup. She stepped closer, lowering her voice. “I looked up that iPad last night. It’s worth over two grand. Plus the cash prize, I walked away with three thousand dollars. So, thanks. If you hadn’t tried to stop me, Victoria probably wouldn’t have pushed so hard to give me the award.” I screwed the cap onto my bottle. “It has nothing to do with me.” She laughed mockingly. “The more you tried to stop it, the more Victoria wanted to help me. Aren’t you just an idiot? You tried to fight me, and look what happened.” I looked at her like she was a clown. “Are you done?” She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Do you know why your life is such a mess? You’re in your thirties, single, with no boyfriend, and absolutely miserable. You’re rigid at work and lonely in life. You’re just jealous. Jealous that I have a genius daughter, and jealous that my review scores were better than yours.” I let out a cold laugh. “Sarah, your daughter has leukemia, and you’re using her illness to scam money out of the company. You don’t deserve to be a mother.” Her face twisted, her smug expression vanishing instantly. “What did you say?” “I said, you traded your kid’s illness for cash, and you’re actually proud of it. If you really cared about your daughter, you wouldn’t be showing off a stolen painting.” Her face went bright red, her lips trembling. “How dare you say it’s stolen! Do you have proof?” I grabbed my cup and walked past her. “Watch your back.” She chased after me, screaming, “Chloe! Stop right there!” I kept walking. She began to scream at the top of her lungs in the middle of the hallway. “Everyone, come look at this! Chloe is so jealous of my daughter’s talent that she tried to block her painting, and now she’s accusing me of plagiarism! She even demanded I give her half of the prize money! When I said no, she threatened me!” The colleagues in the hallway stopped and turned. Sarah’s eyes welled with tears instantly. “Do you know how hard it is to be a single mom? My baby is going through chemo, and she actually demanded a cut of the money, saying ‘everyone gets a share’…” Whispers broke out. “Oh my god, is Chloe really like that?” “I heard she tried to block the painting earlier…” “Maybe being single for too long made her mental.” I turned around and looked at her. Sarah was crying hysterically now. “Chloe, I know you’re single and childless, and your life is bitter! But you can’t bully us like this! My daughter’s painting is the only thing keeping me going… and you say she copied it… are you trying to drive me to suicide?” The surrounding stares felt like daggers—filled with pity for her, disgust for me, and excitement for the drama. I watched her finish her performance, then said calmly, “Since I’m such a horrible person, I’ll just resign.” Sarah froze. She didn’t expect me to say that. The onlookers shook their heads, enjoying the show. I walked away with my cup. The next morning, I had just finished typing up my resignation letter when someone came looking for me. Five minutes later, a young woman with a ponytail walked into my office. She wore a backpack and held an iPad, her expression grim. “Hi, I’m Emma.” She pushed her iPad screen in front of my face. “This painting, displayed under the name of Lily Zhang, is my artwork from three years ago.” I stood up and smiled. Without a second of hesitation, I said, “Let me take you to the CEO.” We walked to Mr. Carter’s office. The door was half-open. Inside, Richard’s laughter drifted out: “We should give Victoria the Manager of the Year award for this gala…” I knocked on the door. “Come in.” I pushed the door open and let Emma in first. “Mr. Carter, this is the original artist of the painting “My Little Kitten”. She’s here to claim copyright infringement.”
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