Drama Reversal: After Rebirth, The Ex Begs for Mercy

There were still so many things I couldn’t wrap my head around. Caleb had always been so affectionate toward Lisa, often telling me not to worry about it because she was like a sister to him. He would insist that I shouldn’t think too much about their relationship, insisting it was all innocent.

Of course, I had my doubts. The way they interacted and the fact that Lisa was the one who reported me—it all felt off. I went through Caleb’s phone and computer, hoping to find something that would make sense of it all. But apart from their occasional chats, there was nothing suspicious. The only odd thing was how often Caleb mentioned that I should learn from Lisa.

He would say things like, “If Jovanna could be half as feminine as Lisa, it would be amazing. The longer we’re together, the more I feel like she’s like a guy.”

It stung every time he compared me to her, critiquing my lack of femininity and urging me to be more like Lisa. We’d had some heated arguments about it, but Caleb always brushed them off, claiming he was only trying to help and giving me advice for my own good.

In my previous life, the cyberbullying had escalated before I even had a chance to break up with him. I never got the chance to stand up for myself or end things on my terms. But now, seeing everything clearly, I knew what really mattered in this new chance I had been given.

I looked at the photos of me and my parents on my phone and my eyes stung with tears. I had put so much effort into preparing for this competition over the past few months. I couldn’t just throw in the towel now. I had to give it my all—at least this time, I had to try again.

I took a deep breath, staring at the computer screen, then turned to find my roommate. “Nicola, could I borrow your computer for a bit?”

I had a habit of sketching out my ideas by hand. There was something uniquely inspiring about putting pencil to paper that just couldn’t be replicated on a screen. After giving my line drawings another look, I made a snap decision. I tore up the work I had painstakingly prepared for the past month.

There was no way I was going to let anyone steal my hard work again.

“Jovanna, why are you tearing these up?” Nicola’s eyes widened as she stared at the shreds of my drawings in the trash can. “You’re almost halfway done! Aren’t you worried you won’t have time to finish before the competition? Starting over now seems crazy!”

I smiled slightly at her concern and straightened up. What I wanted was to be a little late. With just a week left before the competition, I knew that the less time I had, the lower the chance of someone copying my work. It was a calculated risk, but it felt like the right move.

I needed to check what Lisa had been saying to see if there was anything suspicious. If not, I’d start fresh and make sure everything was original. Painting had been my passion for years—hand-drawing, board painting and now diving into competitions. I had been dedicated to art since elementary school and this national competition was my chance to make a mark.

With my art collection set to be published next month, this was a crucial time. If I did well, it could be a stepping stone to future success. My dream of having my work appreciated by more people and published as an album was within reach.

Now that my dream was on the verge of coming true, I couldn’t let it be derailed again. To make sure there were no similarities between my work and Lisa’s, I took three days to wait it out. When I finally saw her latest mosaic work on social media, I couldn’t help but take a closer look.

One photo in particular caught my eye. It showed Lisa with her celebrated artist mother, both surrounded by a bouquet of flowers. Lisa was all smiles, wearing a low-cut dress that showcased her figure. The caption was intriguing, [My mom has seen my work this time. I’m confident I’ll score well. Thanks to Caleb for the flowers and support. With your support, I’m sure I’ll secure first place!]

I read the caption without comment and gave it a thumbs-up, choosing to stay silent. The comments section was a flurry of admiration, with some light-hearted banter and laughter.

[Lisa is absolutely gorgeous—she’s got both talent and looks!]

[Our amazing Lisa is definitely going to win this competition!]

[So excited to see how she performs. Lisa’s been immersed in art since childhood; she’s a shoo-in for first place.]

[There are some major competitors from our school. Jovanna’s won a lot of awards, but this time…]

[But Lisa seems to have the edge over Jovanna. Even the top artists are backing her for first place.]

[Yeah, it’s going to be exciting to watch!]

Seeing the comments, it was clear Lisa was the crowd favorite. But I was determined to make my own mark. I wasn’t about to let her overshadow me without putting up a fight.

As soon as I set my phone down, I took a deep breath, picked up my pen and got back to drafting on the blank paper. I was determined to start fresh and make sure my work was entirely my own.

But just as I finished my new line drawing on the computer that night, I saw a post from Lisa go up online. She announced that she’d been plagiarized and would have to redo her work. Her post read, [I’m so sorry, everyone, but due to unforeseen circumstances, I have to start over. Don’t worry though, I’m going to work even harder on my new creations. The plagiarist is a classmate from our school, so I can’t say too much.]

Even though she didn’t drop names, it was clear who she was talking about. When I saw her post, I was completely stunned.