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Chapter 2

Author: ylita
The next morning, I had barely walked into the exhibition hall when my phone began buzzing nonstop.

Emails from Ethan Crawford.

"Mia, have you lost your mind? The expo opens tomorrow and you're sending a withdrawal notice now? Chloe's soundscape piece can only work alongside your diorama. Are you trying to tank the entire show?"

He was finally worried. Not because I had left, but because I had taken the exhibition's centerpiece with me.

For weeks, he had been telling everyone that Chloe's soundscape art and my silent landscape were an innovative fusion.

He was the curator who had brokered the collaboration. Chloe was the artist listed alongside me.

But from start to finish, no one had ever asked for my input.

I put my phone away and walked toward the main exhibit.

My diorama had already been placed on the display platform by the crew. The crack in the crystal tower was partially hidden by the adjusted lighting, but anyone who stepped close enough could see it clearly.

When Ethan spotted me, he came over immediately.

He took a contract from his assistant, Marcus Hale, and slapped it on the edge of the display stand, jabbing his finger at the penalty clause.

"The contract calls for triple damages. You don't even have your processor right now. You can't land a decent job. How are you going to pay?" He spoke slowly, as if making sure I could read every word.

Eight years of love, and in this moment, all that was left was a contract.

For this exhibition, I had pulled three consecutive months of all-nighters. Even when my hearing deteriorated further, I hadn't stopped.

And now, he would rather put a damaged piece on display than let me take it home.

My phone lit up again. "I'll put your name before Chloe's on the poster, okay? Enough. I'm begging you. You know how much this show means to me."

He thought a higher billing was adequate compensation.

Before I could respond, a group of men in suits approached, led by the expo's principal investor.

The investor circled the diorama, then stopped at the crystal tower. Once he saw the crack, his expression darkened.

He turned and confronted Ethan.

Sweat beaded on Ethan's forehead as he scrambled to explain.

I couldn't make out everything from his lips. I only caught a few words, something about "aesthetic of imperfection" and "special effect."

The investor scoffed. Chloe rushed forward and grabbed his arm. "It's her fault for picking the wrong material. The diorama cracked on its own. It had nothing to do with my drums."

Ethan stood to the side. He looked at Chloe, then at the investor, and said nothing.

He had tacitly agreed. He let them believe my work was damaged because I wasn't skilled enough.

I took out my phone, opened the video I had recorded the night before, and held it in front of the investor.

On the screen, Chloe struck the cymbal. In the very next frame, the crystal tower split down the middle.

The drum set in the studio, the water-damaged sketches. Everything was captured in sharp detail.

The investor's expression went ice-cold.

Chloe took a step back. Ethan stared at me as if he hadn't imagined I would keep evidence.

He reached for my phone. I pulled away, then took a withdrawal application, a damage report, and a liability waiver from my bag, all prepared in advance, and handed them to the organizer.

Every document was complete. Liability was clear.

The investor signed off.

I gathered my papers, picked up my tool kit, and turned to leave the exhibition hall.

At the security checkpoint, Ethan caught up to me. He grabbed my arm, and I wrenched it free.

He stood in front of me, his face a mix of fury and panic.

I raised both hands and signed a single sentence, then turned and walked through the checkpoint.

The glass doors slid shut behind me, and all of his noise stayed on the other side.
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