Chapter 3

I took the contract, and my heart pounded against my chest. It was the custom design proposal I had rushed to finish overnight for a top luxury brand. Yet, the designer’s signature clearly read “Alexander” in bold. The creative assistant was listed as “Stella.”

My name had been removed.

“How dare you—”

“Alex said your design was too conservative, and that it only made the cut because he revised it.” Stella cut me off. “You should be grateful he didn’t just kick you off the team.”

I clenched my fists, and my nails dug deep into my palms. For ten years, I had stayed up late perfecting every design. Every stitch, every seam carried my effort and devotion. And he had erased my existence without hesitation.

“I’m going to find Alexander.” I turned to leave.

“Eve, wait!” Stella ran after me and grabbed my arm. “Alex is in an interview right now. If you barge in like this, you’ll ruin his image.”

I shook her off. “Let go of me!”

At that moment, Stella pretended to slip. The coffee cup in her hand tipped, and scalding liquid splashed all over her.

“Ah! It burns!” she screamed and collapsed to the floor. Then, she writhed as she clutched her chest.

Everyone in the office turned to look at us.

Alexander heard the commotion and rushed out of the conference room. The moment he saw Stella on the floor, his face turned ashen.

“Evelyn, have you lost your mind?!” He shoved me aside and scooped Stella into his arms with frantic care. “Were you trying to burn her? Don’t you know she has sensitive skin?”

I stood frozen. “I didn’t—”

“Alex…” Stella whimpered weakly in his arms. “I only tried to calm Eve down. But then, she accused me of stealing her life...”

Alexander’s gaze grew colder with contempt. He looked at me as if I were a stranger.

“Get out! Leave, now! My studio won’t tolerate despicable women like you!”

Not a single colleague spoke in my defense. They all kept their heads down.

These were the same people who had once been friendly with me when I stayed behind to revise their designs. At that moment, they chose silence.

“Alexander, just hear me out—”

“Hear what?” He let out a sharp, mocking laugh. “That you’re jealous of Stella’s talent? That you can’t stand her earning my recognition? So, you had to hurt her?”

I laughed mirthlessly. “Talent? Her so-called talent was copied straight from my design drafts.”

Stella’s face paled. “That’s a lie!”

“I have evidence. All the original files are on my computer,” I said coldly. “I’ll see you in court.”

Alexander laughed as if he had heard the world’s greatest joke. “Evidence? Evelyn, I bought all your computers. I know every password. What could you possibly use against me?”

I stared at him and suddenly understood. When he broke into my apartment last night, he had not come to reconcile. He had come to destroy evidence.

“Security!” Alexander shouted. “Get her out of here!”

Two large security guards immediately rushed forward and grabbed my arms. I struggled uselessly against their grip.

“Alexander, you’ll regret this!” I screamed.

He turned without looking back. “My only regret is wasting ten years on you.”

The guards dragged me out of the studio and tossed me into the pouring rain as if I were trash. I fell onto the ground with a hard thud and scraped my knee. Blood mixed with the rain as it streamed down my legs.

Just then, my phone rang through the downpour, and I answered with shaky hands.

My father’s steady voice came through. “Sweetheart, the ten-year bet is over. I’m coming to take you home.”