My boyfriend asked me, the winner of the North American Architectural Design Award, to draw his blueprints. After five years of dating and on the verge of getting married, I agreed. I pulled all-nighters, day in and day out, helping him with his designs, which landed him the sole coveted faculty position at the university. But when I went to help him organize his office for the new semester, I ran into his new assistant, Briar Thorne. “Audrey, your designs are so handy. It’s just, the paper for your sketches was so stiff, it wasn’t comfortable to lie on. It even chafed my skin. Next time, use something softer, like fine art paper.” “I’m attending Professor Thorne’s induction ceremony in three days, and Mr. Hayes worked so hard to get Professor Thorne to take me on as his protégé. What if I can’t even wear my dress?” I looked at the water-stained blueprints, and it hit me: my all-nighters, my blood, sweat, and tears, were just a flimsy pad for my boyfriend and his assistant to… well, *enjoy themselves* on! Noah always preached that Briar came from a rough background, and he was just “doing his part” to help her out. He told me to “broaden my horizons,” to stop being so “petty.” But he took my design plans and put Briar Thorne’s name on them! And for three whole months, my hard-earned designs? Just a prop in their twisted little *game*! Silently, I tossed the design sketches into the trash. Then, I called Professor Sterling Thorne, the man who’d been trying to recruit me as his protégé for years. “Professor Thorne,” I said, my voice cutting through the silence, “Your apprentice? It’s either me or her!”
“Audrey, you finally came around!” Professor Thorne’s voice was filled with barely contained delight. “You absolutely *must* be there for the induction ceremony in three days!” “It was always meant for you. You are the true star, the guest of honor!” I simply hummed in response, listening as Professor Thorne continued to give instructions. “That Noah kid, he did recommend a student named Briar Thorne to me.” “I saw that design draft. It was brimming with creativity and showed a deep foundation. But that kind of innate design sense? No ordinary student could pull that off.” “I found it suspicious then, and I’d been meaning to ask you about it. I just didn’t realize… you’re just too patient, kid.” Professor Thorne’s words stirred a bitter ache in my chest. After hanging up, I drove back to the apartment Noah and I had decorated together, a place filled with five years of memories. Pushing open the door, Noah was sitting on the sofa, drinking a beer, talking to Briar Thorne on FaceTime. His voice was so soft and gentle, it could melt butter. “Briar, don’t worry. I’ve handled everything with Professor Thorne. He really admires your talent.” “Just be stunning at the induction ceremony.” He saw me, but didn’t hang up. He just casually lifted his chin, gesturing for me to change my shoes. After he finished the call, he noticed my calm demeanor and realized something was off. He scowled, his face full of impatience. “What now, Audrey Blake? Who annoyed you?” I tossed my phone onto the coffee table in front of him. The screen showed the photo of the water-stained blueprint. Noah’s face instantly changed. “Audrey Blake, what is this supposed to mean?” “What do I mean? Noah, why is Briar Thorne’s name on *my* design?” Seeing that I’d caught him, his tone softened slightly. “Audrey, I only did this for *our* future!” “Think about it, if Briar becomes Professor Thorne’s protégé, won’t we have an extra connection in this industry? It’ll benefit both our careers!” He reached for my hand, but I sidestepped, avoiding his touch. “You’re going to doubt our five years together just because of a piece of paper?” “Audrey Blake, you’re really disappointing me!” Disappointing? I looked at his indignant face and felt nothing but absurdity. “Disappointment? Is it because I didn’t use softer paper, so it chafed *her* skin?” “You two know exactly what you did on my blueprints!” At that, Noah’s face turned beet red. He snarled, “Audrey Blake! How can your mind be so filthy?!” “Briar is young, she’s just a kid, she likes to joke around. Why are you getting so worked up over it? Don’t you have any dignity as an upperclassman?!” I watched his furious outburst, and the last flicker of warmth in my heart completely extinguished. That’s what true heartbreak feels like, when your heart just… dies. “Noah, we’re over.” I spoke calmly, and the air instantly solidified. The anger on Noah’s face froze. He probably thought this was just another one of my usual “tantrums.” Throughout our five-year relationship, he’d grown accustomed to my tolerance, my yielding, my habit of always revolving within the circle he drew for me. “Audrey Blake, you’re being utterly unreasonable! Fine, I’ll let you cool off for a few days.” He walked into the bedroom, slamming the door shut. “Once the induction ceremony is over, you’ll understand my good intentions.” I looked at this man, who had become completely unrecognizable, and a cold smile touched my lips. Noah, there is no future for us anymore.
Leaving the apartment and getting into my car, I watched the city lights fly by outside the window, remembering the laughable five years I’d spent with Noah. Noah’s talent was limited; he originally wouldn’t have been able to secure a faculty position. It was *me* who locked myself in the studio, researching, sketching, and building models day and night, helping him complete the design that earned recognition from FasTech and secured him that sole coveted faculty position. The last week before the project deadline, I was on my period, doubled over in pain, cold sweat drenching my clothes. Noah brought me a warm tea, his eyes full of feigned concern. “Audrey, maybe you should stop drawing. Your health is the most important thing.” I was so touched back then, I drank the tea, put on a heating pad, and gritted my teeth, continuing to work. Now that I think about it, his “maybe you should stop” was probably the only honest thing he said. The next day, I returned to the studio with bloodshot, swollen eyes. My assistant, Julian Reed, brought in coffee and gasped when he saw me. “Audrey, what happened to you? Did a client push you this hard?” Julian has been my assistant since I graduated. He’s two years younger than me, usually seems laid-back, but he’s sharper and more attentive than anyone. I didn’t say anything. I just silently opened my laptop and pulled up the design I’d made for Noah. “This…” Julian’s eyes lit up after just one glance. “Audrey, is this your new work? It’s brilliant! That mortise and tenon joint structure is simply divine!” I forced a bitter smile. “This design? It belongs to someone else now.” After Julian heard what happened, he slammed the folder in his hand onto the desk in anger. “Holy hell! You gave your blood, sweat, and tears to that jerk, and he hands it over to that manipulative snake? And they used it as a damn *pad*? Are you kidding me? Who *does* that?!” “Audrey, just wait. I’m going to have someone teach that jerk a lesson right now!” Seeing him hopping mad, my heavy heart lightened a little. “It’s fine, no need.” But Julian wouldn’t back down. He suddenly sat across from me, looking at me with a serious expression. “Audrey, seriously, are you just going to keep this dead weight around? Dump him, now!” He winked, a playful tone in his voice, “If you need a place to stay, you can come to my place. If you need a boyfriend, you can consider me.” “I promise, I’ll spoil you rotten, take care of your every need. I’ll never let you suffer any more injustice.” I laughed, amused. “Are you getting your lines from a bad rom-com, kid? Get back to work.” He pouted, wearing an expression that clearly said, “I’m serious, you know.” Just then, my phone rang. I answered, and Noah’s condescending lecture immediately came through. “Audrey Blake, stop messing around.” “You’ve had your fit, right? I’m apologizing, okay?” “Two days from now, dress up nicely and come to the ceremony. Apologize to Briar in front of everyone, and we’ll put this behind us.” “We can go back to how we were before, okay?” Before I could say anything, a sickly sweet, suggestive female voice came from the other end. “Mr. Hayes, hurry up, please. Help me with the zipper on the back of my dress, I can’t reach it…” It was Briar Thorne. Noah’s voice dropped, tender and comforting. “Don’t rush, I’m coming.” They didn’t even bother to hide it from me. I forced a bitter laugh. Julian, noticing my mood, clenched his jaw, his knuckles white. He looked ready to jump through the phone and tear that rotten pair apart. I reached out and gently pressed his hand, then spoke calmly into the phone. “Okay.” “I’ll be at the induction ceremony in three days.” With that, I hung up and dragged Noah’s number into my blacklist. Julian looked at me incredulously. “Audrey, you’re really going to…” “Apologize?” I raised an eyebrow. “What are you thinking?” I stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the bustling street below. “That ceremony was always *mine*.” “I’m just going to reclaim what belongs to me.” “As for apologizing… the one who needs to apologize? It’s certainly not me.” “Audrey, you look so powerful right now.” Julian’s eyes held a flash of concern, but he quickly put on a joking facade to comfort me. What I didn’t see was that the moment he closed the door, the smile on his face vanished. Julian pulled out his phone and dialed a number, his voice cold as ice. “Look into Noah Hayes and Briar Thorne from the Architecture Department at A-University.” “Yes, I want them… utterly ruined.”
Three days later, the induction ceremony. The venue was the city’s most exclusive hotel ballroom. Noah had clearly pulled out all the stops. To build momentum for Briar, he had already leaked my design, credited to Briar Thorne, to several friendly media outlets. Headlines screaming “Architectural Prodigy Takes the World by Storm!” and “Professor Thorne’s Visionary Discovery” were plastered everywhere. Noah wore a crisp, tailored suit, looking radiant. Briar, in a white strapless gown, her makeup flawless, nestled against his arm, playing the demure damsel. “Mr. Hayes is truly young and accomplished, and so sharp-eyed to discover such a talent like Briar!” “Indeed, a perfect match, a match made in heaven!” “Briar is Professor Thorne’s final protégé! We seniors will have to look after this little genius in the future, won’t we?” Noah beamed, unable to contain his joy. While his words were humble, his eyes were practically overflowing with smugness. “Oh, it’s nothing, really. Briar simply has immense talent and works incredibly hard.” “Everyone here is part of the same community now, so please, do look after our Briar.” Noah and Briar revelled in the compliments, completely oblivious to how dark Professor Thorne’s face was on stage! Professor Thorne took the microphone, his deep voice resounding throughout the ballroom. “Good evening, distinguished guests. Today, I’ve invited you all here to introduce a young designer whom I deeply admire.” He gestured to a staff member, who projected a 3D rendering of a design onto the large screen behind him. It was “The Nest,” the very design I had poured countless sleepless nights into. “This design, ‘The Nest,’ is a work of genius, whether viewed from its structure, concept, or humanitarian considerations.” Below the stage, Briar Thorne already wore a triumphant smile. She was even ready to elegantly walk onto the stage the moment Professor Thorne called her name. Noah also smugly adjusted his tie, preparing to accept everyone’s congratulations. Just then, I walked into the ballroom, arm in arm with Julian. Seeing me, the smiles on Noah’s and Briar’s faces froze. Noah strode towards me, his voice low and sharp. “Audrey Blake! How can you be so clueless?!” “I know you’re feeling wronged, but today is Briar’s induction ceremony. What are you doing here? Do you *have* to embarrass Briar?!” On stage, Professor Thorne’s gaze swept across the room, his eyes suddenly sharp. “Today, besides introducing a true genius, I also want to use this opportunity to reveal a truth and personally rid our design world of plagiarism and its perpetrators!” At these words, the entire hall fell silent!
The reporters Noah had invited to fill the room were the first to react, swarming around me. “Miss Blake, there are rumors circulating online that you maliciously plagiarized new designer Briar Thorne’s work. What’s your explanation?” “We hear you were in a relationship with Mr. Hayes. Did you make such an irrational move out of jealousy that your boyfriend was promoting a new talent?” “Are you here today to publicly apologize to Miss Briar Thorne and Professor Thorne?” Sharp questions came one after another, flashbulbs flickering wildly, threatening to swallow me whole. Noah looked at me coldly. “Just go back! The plagiarism rumors are already trending! Do you seriously have the nerve to come here and make a scene?!” After reprimanding me, he quickly stepped forward, adopting a humble and deferential posture toward Professor Thorne on stage. “Professor Thorne, please don’t be angry. Audrey is young, she made a mistake. I’ll make sure to teach her a good lesson when we get home!” Briar Thorne’s eyes immediately welled up, tears flowing freely. She weakly stepped to the front of the stage, pleading with Professor Thorne in a seemingly magnanimous tone. “Professor Thorne, please don’t blame Audrey.” “I know Audrey didn’t mean it. She probably just liked my design too much and made such a mistake.” “Please, I beg you, give her another chance. I… I’m willing to forgive her.” Her words, while seemingly magnanimous, were utterly insidious, directly nailing me to the pillar of shame for plagiarism. The gazes of the crowd below were already filled with disdain and contempt. Professor Thorne gave them a cold glance, saying nothing, but then turned the microphone towards me, his eyes burning with intensity. “Audrey, come up here!” “Now, I would like to formally introduce you to someone.” “This person is the true author of the genius work ‘The Nest,’ and the brilliant designer I have been searching for years to take under my wing—Audrey Blake!”
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297125”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic
Leave a Reply