Darell replied, his voice filled with affection. “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll take care of everything for you.”
Their voices faded as the pain in my head suddenly spiked. I curled up on the floor, clutching my skull, struggling just to breathe.
He knew what that painting meant to me.
I had spent three long months pouring my soul into it, digging through ten years of memories with him, capturing every little detail that once connected us. I named it "In the Corner of My Eye."
In the shadows of the painting, I had hidden our silhouettes—his and mine—facing away from the world.
He had painted for over a decade. He should have seen it.
My phone buzzed endlessly with news alerts.
At the top of every feed, one headline stood out in bold.
Regina's POV
[Breaking News: Rising art star Regina Macy confirmed guilty of plagiarism.]
The comments section exploded with insults and ridicule. People said I was a bully who had coasted on fame for years, only to steal a rookie artist’s work for my biggest, most talked-about piece.
My social media accounts were overrun. Only a few loyal fans still tried to defend me, clinging to hope, waiting for me to speak up and tell the truth.
But I couldn’t say a single word.