Chapter 10

"Ms. Katz!" Bethany slammed the sketches onto the desk. Regina's eyes betrayed her anger as she looked up at Bethany. She was waiting for the latter to continue. "Ms. Katz, don't you think you owe me an explanation?" Bethany stood her ground confidently. Regina couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. It was the first time she had encountered such boldness from someone who copied others' work. "Explanation? What kind of explanation do you want?" Regina retorted, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "The client accepted my drafts. Shouldn't you have informed me?" Bethany pressed on, "And why did you lose your temper for no reason when I submitted the drafts last time? "And finally, since my drafts were accepted, why haven't you assigned me new tasks? Give me a reason." Bethany laid out each point. Regina was speechless, surprised by the apparent logic of a plagiarist. After a moment's pause, she responded to Bethany's questions. "I've been busy these days and forgot to inform you about the drafts being accepted. I wasn't angry at you that day. I just thought your drafts seemed somewhat familiar." Her tone was filled with mockery. "Do you have any evidence? If you think my drafts resemble someone else's, show me," Bethany said earnestly. Regina's rage boiled over. She would have slammed the designs in Bethany's face if Megan hadn't warned her not to. "Show me." Bethany knew she had to clear her name this time. Regina's chest heaved with suppressed fury before finally managing to utter, "No." She despised Bethany. Regina stood up, locking eyes with Bethany. "You want new tasks, right?" Regina decided to assign Bethany new tasks without consulting Megan. She wanted to see who Bethany would imitate this time. Regina reached into her drawer and tossed a file at Bethany. "You've got five days. Give me drafts." Regina didn't waste any more words on her. Bethany paused, feeling the need to speak up. "Ms. Katz, I know I didn't leave a great impression during the interview," she said. Regina scoffed. "But I really enjoy drawing, and I really value this job. I'll show that the company made the right choice. Goodbye." Regina retorted, "If you really want to thank someone, thank your cousin." Bethany paused, then replied, "I will." The second chance had been hard-won as well, so Bethany immediately threw herself back into her work. During the weekend, Megan invited her out again. "Beth, they want to throw me a welcome dinner tonight. You should come too." "Oh? I have plans with a friend tonight; I'll pass. You all have fun." "Come on, Beth, you have to come. Trys will be there too. Having you two will make me feel welcome." Bethany hesitated. "Fine, I'll see you tonight." After hanging up, Bethany cast a sorrowful glance at Jenny. "Beth, I feel like Megan won't leave you alone as long as you're not divorced from Trystan," Jenny said, getting right to the point. "I'll talk to Trystan again tonight." Bethany changed into a sleek black dress for the evening. She didn't have many clothes, and most of them had been given to her by Megan. Serene had hated getting Bethany dressed up and buying her clothes. It was the only dress Bethany had bought in secret. She had meant to wear it on her honeymoon with Trystan, but… She had been too naïve. Emperor Hotel was the only seven-star hotel in the country. The welcome dinner was taking place there. It was also the place where Megan's birthday party had taken place. Being back there triggered a whirlwind of complicated feelings within Bethany. When Bethany arrived at the banquet hall on the 18th floor, it was filled with people, mostly Megan's friends who had also witnessed the scandal a year ago. They all looked at Bethany with curious eyes. "Beth, you're finally here." Megan approached her and immediately linked arms with her. One of Megan's close friends, Harper Whitlock, couldn't help but ask, "Meg, why did you invite her?" The others also chimed in. "Yeah, just cut ties with people like her." "She has the nerve to show up here. How embarrassing." "Enough, Harper. Let's be done with this. Beth knows she made a mistake," Megan said affectionately. "She's agreed to divorce Trys to make things work for us." The others scoffed in unison. "Trys!" Suddenly, Megan got excited. She released Bethany and ran to the door. The entry caught everyone's attention. In his well-tailored black suit, Trystan stood tall and powerful, his presence overshadowing everyone else's. Meanwhile, Megan looked beautiful and elegant in her sleek black fishtail dress. Together, they were a perfect match. Harper rolled her eyes and scowled at Bethany. "Do you see that? In front of them, you're the ugly duckling. Will you show some self-respect?" The crowd showered Trystan and Megan with compliments and adoration. Bethany could feel her eyes stinging. She found herself a seat and quietly sipped her drink. The lively atmosphere of the high-profile guests seemed distant and unrelated to her. She kept an eye on the commotion over there. Trystan didn't enjoy such lively scenes. As predicted, he went straight to the VIP room. Bethany got up, intending to follow. Just then, Megan showed up with a drink just in time. "Beth. Where did you go just now? What's stopping you from joining the fun?" Bethany forced a smile and said, "I'm feeling a little tired. I'm going to find Trystan and ask him about the divorce. Then, I'll go home. I'm exhausted today." Megan handed Bethany a drink and responded, "Okay, got it. I was just about to take this to Trys. Would you mind doing it for me?" "Sure." Bethany took the drink and headed to the VIP room. At the sound of someone walking in, Trystan, who was seated on the couch, opened his eyes in annoyance. The woman before him was dressed in a somewhat outdated cocktail dress. Her slender limbs were bare, and her waist seemed fragile, as if it could break at the slightest touch. She bent down as she placed the glass down, revealing her alluring form. It was impossible to deny how attractive Bethany's figure was. All men but Trystan could be crazy about her. "What kind of stunt are you pulling now?" Nobody could forget what had happened in this VIP room the last time around. Bethany blushed. "Trystan, it's been a month since we talked about the divorce—" "Is that why you're here? To give me a reminder?" Trystan smirked. Bethany felt uncomfortable and replied, "Yeah. Could you spare a moment to settle it?" Trystan casually took a sip from his drink. "So, you're really set on divorcing me? What was the point of getting married in the first place? Just who am I to you?" "I've explained what happened before countless times. I was drugged too. Forget it; you've never believed me anyway. I just hope you—" At that very moment, the VIP room door swung open again. Megan casually entered the room. Bethany didn't want to stay any longer. "Whatever, just get the paperwork sorted soon. I'm out."