Exposing the Plagiarist Queen

Carter’s expression didn’t waver. He spoke with smug confidence.

“You’re just a broke nobody with no family to back you up. But Ruby? She’s been a star since high school. Everyone adores her, and I’ll make sure she gets everything she wants.

“Didn’t you know? Her parents are both teachers. They’re good, respectable people. She’s better than you in every way, by a mile.”

The man I had dated since college—the one I once loved—was now using the cruelest words to tear me down.

He only knew that I came from a single-parent household and had moved out after a falling-out with my mom.

But what he didn’t know was that my mother was the head of the Merika region for a multinational corporation.

And when my father passed away, he left us an inheritance worth nine figures.

The truth was, if I hadn’t chosen to stay here to escape inheriting the family business, I would have been someone Carter could never reach in his entire lifetime.

Seeing my silence, Carter thought his words had hit their mark. A cold smirk twisted his lips as he pressed on.

“Some people are born princesses, while others—no matter how hard they try—are destined to be nothing more than servants kept in the shadows.

“If I were you, I’d pack up, leave quietly, and hand everything here over to Ruby.

“What are you waiting for? Get on social media and publicly apologize to her. Right now. Or don’t blame me for what happens next—”

Before he could finish, I raised my hand and slapped him hard.

The crack of my palm echoed through the room. Carter’s head snapped to the side, his face burning red from the blow.

His eyes went wide, bloodshot with shock and rage.

“Vera Mason,” he growled, his voice tight with fury, “Did you just hit me?”

Ruby screamed and jumped back, fumbling for her phone to record the scene.

But I was faster. I slapped the phone out of her hand, sending it clattering to the floor. Then, with all my strength, I swung my suitcase and slammed it into both of them, knocking them aside.

I snapped. I let every ounce of my anger explode. I grabbed anything and everything within reach and hurled it. Plates shattered, books hit the walls, glass broke into splinters. I didn’t care.

“You want my things so badly?” I shouted, my voice shaking with rage. “Fine—take them all!”

The room was a complete wreck, shattered pieces of my belongings scattered everywhere.

Without a second glance, I pulled the door open and strode out of the tiny apartment I had called home for the past three years.

*

The first thing I did was call my mom.

It had been years since we last spoke, but the second my call connected, she answered.

And at that moment, I broke. Tears streamed down my face, uncontrollable and raw.

In my past life, from the day I stormed out after college to the day I died, I never spoke to her again. I couldn’t imagine how it must have shattered her when she heard about my death.

But this time, I wasn’t going to waste another second.

I would be the spoiled little daughter she always wanted me to be.

“Come home, sweetheart. Just come home.”

Her voice trembled with emotion. She kept repeating over and over, as if holding me through the phone.

Soon, I was on a flight back to Haven State.

Before boarding, I glanced at social media and saw that Ruby had already posted another fake, attention-seeking update.

“Hey everyone, I’m taking a break from writing for a bit. Everything that’s happened recently has been a lot to handle. Vera Mason is a senior I’ve always looked up to, and I just need some time to clear my head.”

Right on cue, my former editor, Lily Fay, the same one who used to act like she had my back, jumped in to share Ruby’s post.

“Let’s all give Ruby some space to rest so she can return with even better stories! Also, exciting news—we’ll be hosting a fan meet-and-greet with Ruby next month in Haven State. Can’t wait to see you there!”

It was crystal clear that they were grooming Ruby to be their next viral, money-making star.

I sighed, powered off my phone, and closed my eyes, drifting into sleep.

When I got off the plane, my mom was already there, waiting for me in a Rolls-Royce with a driver and bodyguards.

She told me she had heard everything and was already pulling strings—bringing in a PR team and contacting lawyers to press charges.

“We’ll see this through to the end,” she said firmly. “No one lays a hand on my baby girl and gets away with it.”