Exposing the Plagiarist Queen

After being condemned across the internet for plagiarism, I stood before everyone and announced my retirement from writing.

My boyfriend, Carter Xavier, who had been furiously accusing me just moments ago, froze in shock.

“What are you doing? Don’t you still have debts to pay?”

Ruby Quinn—his precious and the so-called victim of this scandal—immediately panicked.

“Vera, you don’t have to punish yourself like this. I’m willing to give you a chance to start over.”

I remained firm, my expression cold and unmoving as camera flashes exploded around me.

In my past life, these two had humiliated me, plotting together behind my back to steal my work.

My painstaking efforts had built Ruby’s reputation as a so-called genius author.

But not this time.

Without hesitation, I deleted the pen name I had used for the past six years.

I had spent enough time struggling in a cramped rental apartment. It was time to return home and claim my family inheritance.

As for Ruby Quinn—

Let’s see how you finish the rest of that stolen manuscript without me.

“Miss Mason, you keep claiming you have evidence to prove you didn’t plagiarize. So, where is it?”

“As someone who used to admire your work, I truly don’t want to believe you’d do something like this. But… were your past novels really your own creation?”

Countless microphones were pointed at me. For a moment, I was stunned, my heart pounding violently in my chest.

I was reborn—back to this very day, the day I held a press conference to clear my name.

In my past life, my boyfriend’s “first love” stole my novel—a story inspired by my own secret crush.

On the day it was released, her book shot to the top of the site’s bestseller charts, becoming a breakout hit in the teen romance genre.

After major influencers and marketing accounts shared it, countless readers flooded the internet, calling it a heart-wrenching masterpiece that brought them to tears.

I had planned to prove my innocence with my original manuscript drafts.

But on the day of the press conference, someone wiped my entire computer clean. Every trace of my work was gone without a clue.

What followed was a storm of online harassment unlike anything I had ever experienced.

Every day, I received chilling threats—mock memorial cards, printed obituaries with my face, and horrifying packages from strangers.

But I gritted my teeth and kept writing until a crazed stalker broke into my home and stabbed me to death.

And now, here I was again.

I had barely hesitated for a second before my beloved boyfriend of three years, Carter Xavier, jumped at the chance to throw me under the bus.

“Vera Mason, if you’re accusing Ruby of slander, then show your proof! Don’t smear her name with baseless accusations!”

His eyes blazed with anger, but beneath it, I caught a flicker of smug satisfaction.

Of course he was confident. He knew exactly what was, or more importantly, what wasn’t in my files.

Because he was the one who made sure I had nothing left to show.

He didn’t just want to ruin me, he wanted Ruby Quinn to take my place as the next literary star.

Lowering my gaze, I picked up my laptop and walked over to the projector.

I powered it on, linked it with my laptop, and the screen flickered to life.

Gasps filled the room as every eye locked on me in stunned silence.

Without hesitation, I logged out of the author account I had used for the past six years.

Carter and Ruby shot to their feet, their faces pale with alarm.

My voice was cold and steady.

“Everyone, my innocence has been stolen from me. The evidence that could clear my name has been erased by someone with malicious intent.

“So, from this moment on, I’m retiring my pen name. I will never publish under it again. I’m leaving the web novel industry—forever.”

*

I shut my laptop and turned to leave.

But Carter rushed forward, blocking my path.

“What the heck are you doing?! Don’t you still have debts to pay?

“You’re just going to quit—just like that? Wasn’t writing your greatest passion? Didn’t you say you’d never give it up?”

From behind him, Ruby grew frantic. She hurried over, her eyes brimming with tears.

“Vera, you don’t have to punish yourself like this. I... I’m willing to give you another chance. You can start over.”

I laughed coldly, watching their little performance.

Suddenly, Ruby bit her lip hard and dropped to her knees.

Tears streamed down her face as she begged, her voice trembling.

“Vera, please! Don’t leave the industry because of something so trivial.

“Your readers—they’ll tear me apart for this!

“I can delete everything—wipe it all clean! Let’s pretend none of this ever happened!

“But if you leave, everyone will blame me! I... I’ll quit writing too!”