The Death Notice He Gave His Childhood Sweetheart

"Isn't that what you're wearing tomorrow?"

Joel's voice came from the doorway. "Why is it in the trash?"

He didn't wait for an answer. He reached into the bin, pulled out the silk gown, and inspected it.

"Luckily, it's not dirty."

He set up the ironing board and began pressing the fabric himself, meticulous and calm. "There. Wear this tomorrow. And remember—don't be late."

The launch event was a shark tank.

Hundreds of media outlets packed the venue. As the flashes erupted like lightning, my body went rigid. A stress reaction kicked in, my breath hitching in my throat.

Naomi Henson stood center stage, linking arms with Joel. Her poise was flawless; she looked like the mistress of the house.

When she spotted me, Naomi gasped, her hand flying to her mouth in exaggerated shock.

"Sister... how could you openly wear a plagiarized gown to such an important event?"

Instantly, every camera swung toward me.

On the massive screen behind the stage, a video began to play. A former employee from my studio, tearfully accusing me of stealing her designs for years.

The room turned hostile in a heartbeat. The whispers were loud and venomous.

"Wow, big news! The so-called 'original designer' is a fraud."

"She really will do anything to cling to the Mason family wealth."

"Thank god for Reporter Henson. If she didn't have such a strong sense of justice, this woman would have fooled us all!"

I looked at Joel, desperate for a lifeline.

Instead, I met a gaze of icy disappointment.

"You don't believe me?" I whispered, my heart stinging. "You won't even listen to an explanation?"

"The evidence is conclusive." His voice was sharp enough to draw blood. "Do you expect me to listen to your lies?"

He looked away, disgust etched on his features.

Naomi stepped forward, her voice trembling with righteous sorrow.

"I know you've always envied my career, Sister. But you can't hurt innocent people just because you're jealous."

She lowered her head, looking like a wilted flower. "It's my fault. If I hadn't been so ambitious, I wouldn't have provoked you. Maybe I should resign."

Joel turned on me, his voice booming through the microphone.

"I always admired your talent, Anna. Or what I thought was your talent."

"To marry into the Mason family, you really have no bottom line. If I had known you were this kind of person, I never would have let you step foot in my house."

My stomach dropped.

When he proposed, Joel swore that no matter what the world said, he would stand by me.

When the cyberbullying was at its worst, he claimed he would resign from the company and take me into seclusion rather than let me suffer.

Those promises were just dust in the wind.

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from crying. "My design drafts... you picked them up from my desk last night! You saw the dates!"

"Shut up!"

Joel cut me off, his voice sharp as a whip. "I don't know how you stole them, but I didn't expect you to use the title of 'Mrs. Mason' to bully subordinates and steal their hard work."

The defense died in my throat.

I looked at Joel standing beside Naomi—the white knight protecting his damsel.

Finally, the illusion shattered.

Joel didn't care about the truth. He didn't care about me.

He only cared that Naomi's report was successful.

The event was spiraling. The employees who had worked tirelessly on the launch began to grumble.

Naomi looked at the crowd, tears shimmering in her eyes. "I'm so sorry. This is my fault. My reporting ruined the launch. I just... I couldn't let the truth be buried. I apologize to everyone."

Joel stepped in front of her, shielding her from the crowd.

"You exposed a fraud, Naomi. There is nothing to apologize for. The person who should be sorry is Anna Harding."

He pointed a finger at me. "The media is here. Perfect. Apologize to the victim you plagiarized. Now."

My eyes were dead as I looked at him.

I asked softly,