Chapter 7

Megan shook her head repeatedly. "No, Beth. I can't. You understand the laws of the design industry. If I admit it, my career will be ruined," Megan explained. Bethany couldn't accept it. "But Meg, if we don't clarify, then I—" Megan wiped her tears and replied, "You want to get into Baruy Studio, don't you? Let me handle this." "But..." Bethany didn't want to start her career with a reputation as a plagiarist. Megan looked genuinely remorseful. "Beth. Remember back when your incident with Trys happened? I was so messed up that I couldn't even come up with a single idea. That's how I ended up making such a big mistake." Megan pleaded with Bethany. "Can you forgive me this time? I truly believe that once you make it into Baruy Studio, you'll be able to show everyone what you're made of." Bethany was speechless. Since it had all started with what had happened a year ago, Bethany could only forgive Megan. "Alright, then I trust you to handle things with Baruy Studio." Megan sighed in relief. "You can trust me. Leave it all to me, and get ready to join us." After Bethany left, Megan wasted no time and sent a WhatsApp message to Serene. "The issue with the paintings has been sorted out." "Well done, Meg. I always knew you're the best," Serene replied promptly. On the other hand, Bethany returned to Jenny, feeling disheartened. "How did it go? What did Megan say?" Jenny inquired eagerly. Bethany fell onto the couch and let out a deep sigh. "She confessed." Jenny's eyes widened. "What? Was it really her? I knew she was no good! That woman was born to be a nuisance." Jenny sensed Bethany's sour mood and moved in closer. "Beth, what's her plan now? How's she going to make it right?" Bethany sighed once more. "She said she did it in a fit of anger and confusion. If she sets the record straight now, everything will be ruined for her." Bethany glanced at Jenny with a helpless look. "But she swore she'd help me get a job at Baruy Studio." "Seriously? No way. How shameless can she get?" Jenny fumed in anger. Bethany had the talent to become a top artist at Baruy Studio with her own merits. But she was now getting in through connections and being painted as a plagiarist. Jenny hissed through clenched teeth, "If that woman has any morals, she won't let you be treated badly at work." The two sat on the couch in gloomy silence for some time before Bethany came to terms with the situation. "All right, I've chosen to turn the page on this. Once I get into Baruy Studio, I'll make an effort to impress them, especially Regina," Bethany stated confidently. Jenny nodded firmly. "Alright. It's great that you've come to terms with it. Shall we celebrate?" "Sure!" Rather than going out to an expensive meal, the two decided to grab some beer and celebrate at home. While Bethany was overjoyed to start a new chapter in her life, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness about her and Trystan's divorce. Bethany wept and laughed uncontrollably as she embraced Jenny; she had accidentally consumed too much alcohol. "Jen, I'll treat you to a big meal once I get my paycheck. Wait, no! Three meals!" "Sounds good. I'll be waiting." "Jen, I'll probably be divorced soon. Hehe, I have nothing to do with Trystan anymore." "Forget about him, Beth. It's all too painful." Jenny had observed Bethany's feelings for Trystan over the years. She knew how miserable Bethany had been in that marriage. As a bystander, she had often reminded herself not to end up like Bethany. "Forget him? Yeah, forget him. I should have forgotten him long ago. But, Jen, it's tough. Why is it so hard? Why?" Bethany sobbed uncontrollably. … Three days later, Bethany finally arrived at Baruy Studio. Regina was the one who received her. "So, you're cousins with Megan?" Regina's scornful gaze fixed on Bethany from the moment they met. She wore a mocking expression. Regina had seen plagiarism before, but she had never encountered someone who had plagiarized a family member. What astounded her was Bethany's willingness to plead with Megan to let her get a job there despite being exposed. She couldn't believe Bethany's nerves. "Yeah," Bethany mumbled. Her head was lowered, and her voice was barely audible. She could hear Regina's disdainful snort, which echoed like thunder in her ears. The two remained silent as Regina led Bethany to the artist's studio and pointed to a corner. "You can sit there." As one of the best studios in the country, the office equipment was second to none. The entire workspace was spacious and bright, with towering skyscrapers visible through the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows. The four artist workstations in the center stood out, with plenty of room and required gear, such as PCs, tablets, and drawing boards. However, only one computer was in the corner, a dramatic contrast to the rest of the office. Bethany furrowed her brow, noticing that one of the four workstations was unoccupied, so she gestured toward it. Before she could say anything, Regina coldly interjected, "That spot is taken. Someone will be joining us shortly." Regina didn't even bother to introduce Bethany to the others before leaving. Bethany stood there awkwardly as everyone's gaze fell on her. Finally, she summoned her courage and said, "Hello, everyone. I'm Bethany Reyes, the new artist. Nice to meet you all." "Oh, you're the director's cousin!" Another artist, Sharon Jolson, replied with a half-hearted smile. The other two artists gave Bethany a once-over before silently returning to their work. Bethany sat in the corner, astonished to learn that Megan had been appointed director. Had Megan gotten the job because of her paintings? That couldn't be. … Nobody paid attention to Bethany all morning, as if she were invisible. During lunchtime, Bethany received a WhatsApp message from Megan. "Beth, did your first day go smoothly? I've been busy, but I told them to treat you well." "It was okay." "That's good. Trys is coming back tonight. Let's celebrate your first day together." "That won't be necessary." Megan didn't respond after that. Bethany put her phone away. Now that Trystan had returned, they should be able to finalize things soon. Bethany felt a pang in her chest and let out a bitter chuckle. With everything that had happened, why was she still upset? After work, Bethany left the building and saw Trystan and Megan waiting by the road. They stood out so much that Megan's colleagues couldn't help but greet them as they passed by. "Hey, Ms. Reyes, is that your boyfriend? He's so handsome." "Ms. Reyes, having him pick you up from work must feel great. I'm so jealous." "Ms. Reyes, is your boyfriend a celebrity? He's quite the catch." Without explaining Trystan's identity, Megan smiled and said goodbye to everyone. It was the same as subtly acknowledging their relationship. Bethany's heart sank as she saw things unfold. She turned aside and went in the opposite direction, hoping to disappear quickly. However, Trystan noticed Bethany, who was attempting to leave. He nudged Megan, who was next to him, and said, "She's over there. I'll wait for you in the car."