She Plagiarized My Work and Lost Everything Because of It

Zephanie's POV

Clinging to a sliver of hope, I logged into a side account and started digging through Lesley’s other social media profiles, hoping to find something that might explain things.

But, as expected, she wasn’t the type to share behind-the-scenes details about her work.

I was about to give up when something in one of her live photos caught my eye—a familiar figure in the background.

I zoomed in and tapped on the image. It captured someone’s left hand, and on that hand was a ring I knew all too well.

It was my boyfriend Gavin Norman’s hand. I’d given that ring to him for our one-year anniversary. I had it custom-made, so there’s no way anyone else could have the same one.

That was when it hit me.

At some point behind my back, Gavin had gotten involved with Lesley. No wonder when my world crumbled, he so quickly and cleanly cut ties with me and threw his support behind her instead.

I didn’t have time to wallow in heartbreak over a cheating scumbag. I needed to think clearly.

Looking back, I used to vent to Gavin all the time about work, about how hard it was, about the creative sparks I’d get in the middle of the night. Was it possible he leaked my ideas?

Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me.

But he’d been on a “business trip” lately and hadn’t been around. And even if I could get to his phone, he’d never just hand it over. I had no proof he told Lesley anything.

Still, this felt like a lead, so I wasn’t about to let it go.

I pulled out my phone, sent him the photo, calmly explained what I’d seen, and told him we were done. Then I blocked him without hesitation.

After that, I changed every lock code and password in my apartment. The last thing I needed was him letting himself in when I wasn’t around.

With that chapter closed, I turned my attention back to what mattered—coming up with a new video idea.

This time, there would be no mistakes.

Just to be safe, I decided to switch up my style again. That last video had been my first time stepping out of my comfort zone, ditching the sweet and delicate “fair-skinned, skinny” aesthetic for something bold, glamorous, and confident.

Since that look had been so well received, I figured going even further would only make things better.

I spent hours brainstorming, refining, and finally writing out my new script. When I looked at the finished result on my laptop, I couldn’t help but smile.

No way anyone was beating me to the punch this time.

To avoid leaks, I filmed and edited everything at home. No outdoor shoots. No helping hands. Just me and my gear.

When I watched the final cut, I couldn’t help but think—damn, maybe I was born for this self-media life.

Still feeling cautious, I even went to Lesley’s latest video and left a comment.

[Can’t wait for your next one, queen! Please drop it soon!]

Not long after, she replied to my comment.

[That last video drained all my creative energy, so I probably won’t be posting anything new anytime soon.]

I sent her back a crying-cat emoji and finally let out a breath of relief. Looked like she wasn’t planning on posting anything new for a while.

So I was right. Last time, she must’ve heard about my concept from Gavin and rushed to beat me to it.

Still, was it really possible for two people to come up with the exact same idea?

It felt hard to believe, but I had no choice except to chalk it up to coincidence for now. Sometimes people just think alike, right?

With that, I uploaded my new video and drafted the caption. I was just about to hit publish when a notification from my alt account popped up.

I tapped it open, and immediately went pale.