All Chapters of Setting Fire to Her Lies: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

"Cass! Why are you spacing out again?"The studio door burst open. My best friend, Gwen Thomson, rushed in while holding up her phone with an anxious expression.I snapped my eyes open. In front of me was the familiar easel with my unfinished graduation painting sitting on it. I got a second shot at life.I had gone back in time to the day Willow accused me of plagiarism for the first time."Look at the forum! Willow is stirring up trouble again!" Gwen urged.My eyes fell on Gwen's phone screen.At the top of the forum, a pinned post showed a shocking title, "To all fellow art lovers: a junior who's close to me stole my inspiration; what should I do?"In the post, Willow didn't mention any names. All she did was write a story about a hardworking art student whose work was shamelessly plagiarized by her junior, who was known to be a genius.She didn't have to spell out who she was referring to. Everyone knew that it was me because I was the legendary art prodigy of our year. Fro

Chapter 2

Gwen and I walked toward the academy's art gallery. From a distance, we saw Willow standing in front of a painting, surrounded by Jess and several lecturers from other departments.Willow was passionately explaining her creative concept. "Here, I used the dot-stippling technique to portray the moment when fragmented light and shadow reassemble, symbolizing hope in the midst of despair..."That was exactly what I had written in my own artist's statement.The lecturers surrounding her all nodded in agreement, looking at her with admiration."Willow is not only talented but also hardworking.""Indeed. The depth of thought in this painting surpasses many of her peers."My arrival disrupted this harmonious scene. Everyone's eyes fell on me, and murmurs started to rise."How does she have the nerve to show up?""Look at her eyes. There isn't a hint of remorse."When Willow saw me, she immediately stopped her explanation. An expression of surprise tinged with sadness formed on her fa

Chapter 3

I bought a signal detector online and carefully checked every corner of the studio. I even checked every single electrical outlet.To my dismay, I found nothing.But just to be safe, I packed up my art supplies and took a cab to a paid study space far away from campus. I chose a fully enclosed, private room, ensuring there was no chance of any surveillance device being pre-installed at the venue.This time, I painted a still life titled "Shattered Sculpture."I deliberately used some unconventional coloring and lighting techniques. These were new ideas I'd only recently come up with and had never shared with anyone.After I was done, I didn't take the painting with me. I locked it inside the storage locker.However, that very evening, in a private group chat full of art industry veterans, Willow posted a highly refined version of the exact same painting under the guise of seeking feedback.What she had painted was unmistakably "Shattered Sculpture."She even posted it half an h

Chapter 4

I immediately called Jess. When the call connected, her voice, tinged with impatience, came through. She said, "Cassidy, have you finally come to your senses? Are you calling to apologize, or are you still refusing to own up?""Ms. Corven," I said calmly. "My graduation project is ready."Jess paused for a moment before responding, "You painted another one?""Yes. The National Young Artists Award competition will begin the day after tomorrow. Before that, I'd like to hold a small solo showcase at the academy's art gallery tomorrow."Jess was silent. She probably thought I'd lost my mind. In the middle of a full-blown plagiarism scandal, I had chosen to step into the spotlight instead of lying low."Are you sure?" she asked.My tone was firm as I replied, "I'm sure. And I hope you and Willow will both attend."The next day, at the academy art gallery, my solo exhibition was held as scheduled. The small exhibition hall was packed to the brim with curious students and lecturers.

Chapter 5

Willow's act of playing the victim successfully redirected all the attention and criticisms back at me."Exactly! Now that she doesn't have a painting, she wants to peek at someone else's!""Cassidy is shameless! She's up to her old tricks again." With people speaking up and showing support for her, Willow regained her confidence.She straightened her back and said loudly, "I will present a piece that amazes everyone on time! Unlike some people, who rely on tricks just to get attention."Everyone looked at her with eyes full of trust and expectation. They glanced at me mockingly and told me to stop messing around. Some suggested that I go prepare another painting, as it might not be too late yet.I simply smiled and said nothing. Then, I turned and walked out of the art gallery.After leaving the academy, I found a quiet cafe. I ordered a glass of beverage and sat there the entire afternoon. I closed my eyes and began carefully constructing my masterpiece in my mind.The paintin

Chapter 6

The day of the finals arrived quickly, and the atmosphere at the competition venue reached a fever pitch.Willow's "Duality" was placed at the very center of the stage under the spotlight, ready for its final evaluation by the last group of judges.Seated at the judges' table were celebrated experts in the art industry. My mentor, Jess, sat prominently in the center seat. The judges had nothing but praise for Willow's piece."What bold composition and rich colors. It's full of imagination and life.""To master such a grand and complex theme at such a young age is very impressive.""Personally, I love it. High marks from me." The host smiled and handed the microphone to Willow."Willow, congratulations on receiving unanimous praise from the judges. Could you now share with us your creative journey and explain some of your key techniques?"Willow took the microphone and began reciting. "The inspiration for this painting comes from my reflections on the duality of life…"Her del

Chapter 7

As soon as I finished speaking, it was as if the strength had been drained from Willow's body. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the floor.Clutching her head, she let out a shrill, broken scream. "It wasn't me! I didn't do it! It was the system! The system made me do it!"Everyone gasped in disbelief and started talking among themselves. "System? What system is she talking about?"Camera flashes went off rapidly. They were all aimed at Willow's crumpled figure on the ground. I stood at the center of the chaos and calmly revealed the truth to everyone.I had long suspected that Willow was stealing my thoughts and creative ideas, so I hired a private investigator to look into her. What the investigator found was that Willow possessed an "Inspiration Theft System.""The 'system' Willow referred to is a tool capable of bypassing physical boundaries to directly steal fully-formed artistic concepts from my mind and convert them into her works," I said.The idea of such a system

Chapter 8

After the scandal died down, Jess came to me in private. She asked if I would consider rejoining the competition and presenting my true work. "The academy owes you a Gold Award. And I owe you an apology."I shook my head. "Ms. Corven, that Gold Award no longer means anything to me."I took in Jess' expression of disappointment and smiled faintly. I reached into my bag for something. The next moment, I took out an old sketchbook with its corners slightly worn.I handed the sketchbook to Jess. Before the finals, I had bought a ticket to Trinoh and spent half a month there alone.I didn't produce a single finished piece of art. I just walked, observed, and felt my surroundings. Then, I drew everything I saw using the simplest lines in this sketchbook.Jess opened the first page. There was a drawing of a Trinoh pilgrim prostrating himself on the ground. In just a few simple strokes, I captured the devotion and weathered expression on his face with striking depth.Jess kept flipping

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