Chapter 2

"Chloe, what is the meaning of this?"

Her voice trembled. "My daughter Lily is only seven. She stayed up all night painting this. How could she possibly plagiarize?"

I didn't say a word. I just pushed the paper closer to her.

"You are insulting my child!"

Her voice went up an octave. "She’s just a little girl! Whose work could she even copy?"

Looking at her hysterical face, I felt absolutely nothing.

"This is standard company procedure."

Sarah bit her lip, and tears began to pool in her eyes.

"I just wanted to make my dying child happy. Her chemotherapy is so painful..."

She gasped for air, sobbing dramatically. "Do you really have to push me this far?"

In my past life, I was completely fooled by this act.

I thought I was doing a good deed, but it ended up costing me my life.

I pulled the paper back. "If you don't want to sign, that's fine. We'll just display her painting according to the original submission queue."

She froze.

"What did you say?"

"Company policy states that all exhibited works must have a signed originality waiver," I said coldly. "If you don't sign, your painting goes to the back of the line."

Sarah's face completely darkened.

She wiped her tears, her voice rising even louder.

"Chloe, do you have a single drop of empathy in you?"

I didn't answer.

"My child has leukemia! As an adult, how can you be so heartless?" She pointed a finger right at my nose. "Are you even human?"

"It's the policy."

"Policy?"

She let out a harsh laugh. "Even the law has room for humanity! Is our company policy stricter than the actual law?"

Just as I was about to speak, I heard footsteps behind me.

"What's going on here?"

Victoria, the Director of the Art Gala, walked over holding a cup of Starbucks.

"I could hear you guys screaming from down the hall."

Sarah’s eyes turned red instantly. She threw herself toward Victoria and grabbed her hand.

"Victoria, you have to help me!"

Her voice cracked with fresh tears. "My little girl has leukemia. She just wanted a good spot for her painting to have one last moment of joy.

But Chloe is forcing me to sign some legal waiver, claiming she's worried about plagiarism...

My baby is only seven! Who could she possibly copy?"

Victoria frowned and looked at me. "Chloe, this is really poor form on your part."

"Victoria, that's not what—"

"The child is sick. Just give her a break," Victoria interrupted me, waving her hand dismissively. "We host this gala as an employee benefit anyway. Why are you being such a stickler?"

Sarah nodded vigorously on the side, her eyes watery and pitiful.

I took a deep breath. "Victoria, did you already forget what happened to Mark from Sales last week?

He helped someone bypass the check and display a painting. It turned out to be plagiarized. The company had to pay a $15,000 fine, and Mark was fired on the spot."

Victoria's hand froze over her coffee cup.

"I was there," I continued, looking coldly at Sarah. "The employee blamed Mark entirely to save her own skin. So now, no unsigned artwork goes in the center spot. Period. Unless they sign the liability waiver."

Sarah’s face went pale for a second, then flushed red with anger.

"My Lily absolutely did not copy!" she shrieked. "She painted our family cat! It is 100% original!"

"Then why is it so hard to sign the paper?"

"Why should I?" she glared at me. "You just don't trust me! You don't trust a mother of a dying child!"

Victoria looked at me, clearly thinking I was being cold-hearted.

Sarah’s tears spilled over again as she choked out, "I just want people to see her art. What if... what if she isn't here tomorrow..."

She covered her face, her shoulders shaking violently.

Victoria sighed. "Chloe, it's a minor thing. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?"

"Victoria, I'm just following the rules," I said, cutting her off. "No signature, no center spot. That rule came directly from the CEO."

Sarah snapped her head up. Her face was covered in tears, but her eyes were filled with pure venom.

"Chloe, you're just jealous of me, aren't you?"