Chapter 9

Bethany hadn't expected Trystan to show up. The light in her eyes dimmed as she met his disdainful gaze. "No, I was just helping Meg pick something out," she replied. "Good. It's better that way," Trystan huffed. "I warned you before. Don't delude yourself into thinking you're entitled to things that aren't yours. Otherwise, it won't end well," Trystan warned. Bethany gritted her teeth. It was clear to her that in Trystan's eyes, neither he nor their marriage should be hers. She just the person who was solely responsible for everything that had happened. Bethany decided that it was time to leave. "Trystan, when you find time, let's take care of the paperwork together." "Bethany, do you imagine everyone's schedule is as empty as yours?" Trystan's expression darkened even further. "You can spare time to be here, but why—" Bethany began, but Trystan interrupted her with a cold chuckle. "Feeling neglected, are you? You're someone who will soon have nothing to do with me, and Megan is my intended wife. How do you think my time should be allocated?" Bethany's fists clenched. "If you're so eager to spend more time with your future wife, just settle the divorce with this old acquaintance fast." "Bethany, get things straight. That piece of paper has never changed anything," Trystan said before turning and walking away. Just then, Megan emerged from the fitting room, looking radiant in a strapless princess-style gown that accentuated her curves. "Where's Trys?" Megan asked Bethany. The enormous skirt, layered chiffon, and sparkling gemstone accents left a lasting impression. Bethany was instantly stunned. She could imagine Megan and Trystan's blissful wedding by simply looking at the wedding gown. "Beth? Hasn't Trys arrived?" Megan asked again. "Oh, he just left," Bethany replied, avoiding Megan's eyes. Megan's phone rang just then. She waved the screen in front of Bethany's eyes. It was Trystan calling. Megan stepped away to answer the call. "I left the stuff at the store," Trystan said impatiently. "Alright, I understand you're busy. Let's have dinner together tonight," Megan suggested. After hanging up, she shook her head in frustration at Bethany. "I told him not to come, but he insisted." Megan turned around and asked, "What do you think of this one?" "It's beautiful," Bethany replied honestly. Megan frowned. "No, the off-the-shoulder style is too much. Trys won't like it. Beth, just wait here. I'll go get another one," she said. "Okay." No longer interested in wedding dresses, Bethany turned her attention to the nearby cocktail dresses. The store boasted exquisite dress designs and lived up to its reputation as one of the country's best. As Bethany browsed through the dresses, she simultaneously sketched her inspirations. Lost in her drawing, she didn't notice when Megan approached her. Megan saw Bethany's sketches and quickly realized what was happening. Regina had given them the same client. "What are you drawing, Beth? Dresses?" "Yes." Bethany nodded. "This is the first task I received at the company, and I want to do it justice." "Great, let me help you. Tell me your design ideas, and I'll give you feedback," Megan said, pulling Bethany aside. Bethany didn't hesitate, knowing Megan was the director of Baruy Studio and that her opinion mattered. So, she explained her design concepts to Megan in detail. "Beth, this idea is excellent. Keep up the good work. The client will surely be satisfied," Megan encouraged, which boosted Bethany's confidence. Ultimately, they chose three wedding gowns and left the store together. Megan wanted to treat Bethany to dinner, but Bethany declined. "Meg, how about next time? We have work tomorrow, and I want to deliver the drafts to Ms. Katz early in the morning," Bethany explained. "No worries, Beth. Keep up the good work!" Bethany worked through the night at home. She went to Regina's office the next day, but Regina was absent. Meanwhile, Regina arrived at Megan's office after she had been summoned by the receptionist. Megan wasn't there, but several drafts were on the desk. Regina picked them up and examined them, amazed by their quality. Megan arrived shortly afterward. Regina complimented her, saying, "Ms. Reyes, did you prepare these drafts ahead of schedule?" The deadline was two days away. "I don't feel they're quite up to par yet. I need to give them more thought.," Megan said nonchalantly. She continued, "Ms. Katz, I called you here to ask about Bethany's recent performance." Regina hesitated before replying, "She's okay. I assigned her a task to see her performance." "You're assigning tasks to her now, Ms. Katz?" Megan forced a smile. "Bethany is inexperienced and hasn't designed much clothing before. You could wait a little longer." Regina chuckled. "She is now working at Baruy Studio. She can't just sit around and do nothing." Megan sighed. "Ms. Katz, please don't misunderstand. I'm not trying to defend her. I'm just concerned she'll rush and make mistakes." "Bethany is lucky to have someone like you who always thinks about her, Ms. Reyes," Regina commented warmly. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Regina left. As soon as she returned to her office, Bethany arrived. "Ms. Katz." Bethany's excitement was palpable as she handed over several drafts. "I've finished the designs you assigned me." "So soon?" Regina was mildly surprised. As she took the drafts, her anger flared. She looked at Bethany coldly and questioned, "Did you draw these?" Bethany didn't understand Regina's harsh response. "Yes. Do you think the client won't like them? I can explain my design direction." Bethany defended herself. "There's no need. Get out." Regina gritted her teeth. "Ms. Katz—" Bethany panicked. She didn't want to miss out on this hard-earned opportunity. "I said, get out!" Regina was outraged at this point. "Okay. If you're feeling better and want to discuss the drafts, you can find me any time." Bethany tried to reason. Regina tore up the drafts and threw them away as soon as Bethany left. She was furious. How could she have assumed a plagiarist would change? … There were no updates on the design drafts in the following days, and Bethany became invisible once again. Feeling sick to her stomach, she sought out Sharon to ask about it. "The wedding gowns, right?" Sharon handed over some printed design sketches. "They've all been finalized, and the clients love them." Bethany examined them. The designs were almost identical to her drafts. Was she receiving any recognition from the clients? Why had Regina been so angry that day? Why hadn't she told Bethany about it? The more Bethany thought about it, the more upset she became. Even though she had been left with no choice but to join the company with a bad name, she had already demonstrated her worth through her abilities. Why was Regina still looking down on her? "Sharon, can I borrow these design sketches? I'll return it to you later," Bethany said. She hurried to Regina's office while clutching the design sketches. Bethany had to demand an explanation for herself.