The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

"What was it | told you back in the day?" Martin coolly pointed at her, "Marian, if you wanted a nto flaunt, | could've shelled

out the cash for that, but | didn't want the Frost family or the project to get tagged with a rap for copying and nicking someone

else's work. And | definitely didn't want Yolanda to get smeared with that kind of dirt."

He recited their original conversation to her, word for word.

"And how did | grill you over and over again?" Martin's voice grew even icier, "I kept asking you where that design cfrom, and

you swore up and down that it was all your own work, even dug out the original sketches to show me. And what now? You've got

the nerve to cry and say it wasn't on purpose? If it wasn't on purpose, would you have gone and copied the electronic version too?

Looks like you've been planning this for a long time."

Marian was a bit dazed by the slap, her face stinging, and hearing Martin's accusations, she couldn't help but instinctively shake

her head and stammer out a defense. "No, | just wanted to try and replicate it to understand its use of lines, | just thought the

whole design was so clever and | wanted to take it apart to see how it works. | never thought about passing it off as my own work."

"You're still making excuses? Which designer picks up someone else's work and decides to knock off a copy?" Martin glared at her,

his anger far from cooled, "As a designer, you did something as low as plagiarism, and you have the gall to go do interviews with

journalists? Who gave you such guts? You think everyone's a fool?"

Martin's anger surged even higher at the thought.

Today's tender was supposed to be just that - a tender, with no journalists invited, no arrangements for their presence, all news

releases were to be sent to the media by the brand department after the tender. But Louis, paving the way for Marian, had invited

a whole bunch of reporters over.

He couldn't believe Marian would dare to face the press, knowing full well she'd plagiarized.

This was far beyond ignorance.

Marian shook her head even more vigorously. "It wasn'twho wanted the interview; the reporters were invited by Grandpa

today, he said | just had to cooperate with a photo op. | didn't know why there were extra slides in your slides."

She was about to say she didn't know why there were design diagrams in Martin's slides when she realized what she was admitting

and quickly shut up, but it was too late - Martin had caught the implication.

He scoffed, "Oh, wondering why there was an extra diagram, huh?"

"Lettell you, | added those images at the last minute. Since the reporters were invited, we shouldn't waste the chance for

sPR. | wanted to hype you up like Brandon did for Sophia, but look what happened." Martin's mouth curled into a cold smile,

his eyes coldly fixed on Marian, "The bigger the stage | give you, the more you embarrass yourself. | never dreamed that you, a

designer, would stoop to something so despicable as plagiarism."

"lI didn't, I really didn't." Marian couldn't help crying again, deeply resenting the accusation, "I'm not plagiarizing, you all assumed it

was my work without lettingspeak, you didn't givea chance to explain, and you submitted the work for approval without

my consent, it's all your doing."

"Right, it's always someone else's fault, never yours, you're being forced by others. Are you even listening to yourself?"

Martin coldly cut her off, "Marian, you're still not owning up to it. You're crying not because you realize you were wrong, but

because you regret not double-checking the PPT, for letting yourself get caught. From start to finish, you've never really reflected,

only trying to wiggle out of blame."

Marian fell silent, no longer arguing, just sobbing out an apology, "I'm sorry."

Martin didn't soften at her show of weakness.

"Brandon has already proposed three choices for you. One, clarify that you're not Yolanda; two, publicly apologize to Sophia in

Marian's name; three, we'll decide whether to proceed with the project. If we do, we must publicly clarify that Sophia is the real

head designer."

He relayed Brandon's demands to her verbatim.

Marian's face went pale. "| can't apologize publicly, this can't get out. I'll apologize to her in private, pay her off, whatever it takes,

but | can't let this go public. Please, helptalk to him, whatever they want is fine, just not public."

"I can't help you," Martin said, unswayed, "Brandon has given you a day to prepare your apology."

"lI won't do it," Marian's emotions started to crumble again, "Martin, it was you who broughtinto your home, you promised to

protect me, and now you're abandoning me. Grandpa will die if he finds out I'm not Yoli. Please help me, I'll keep playing Yolanda

well and accompany Grandpa to the end."

"By posing as Yolanda and doing this, you're tarnishing her name. How can | help you?" Martin looked at her coldly, "Marian, I've

always thought you were bright and lively, kind-hearted. Having you stand in for Yolanda to give my grandparents a peaceful end

was supposed to be without regrets, but you've really letdown."

"I really didn't think this through at the time." Marian cried again, "And this could have been easily settled. Your family and the

Crawley family are both old names, old friends. It could have been sorted out in private. The tender hadn't even officially started

today. We could have just explained to the guests and the reporters, retracted the news release, why did it have to be blown up

like this?"

Martin replied flatly, "Crying towon't help, Brandon wants to handle it this way. We're the ones who messed up, so the victim

gets to decide how it's dealt with."

"So you're just gonna leave Grandpa hanging?" Marian sobbed as she asked him, "He likesso much, he basically treatslike

I'm Yolanda, dumping all his guilt about her onto me. If he finds out I'm a fake, he won't be able to handle it."

That hit Martin right where it hurt.

It was indeed what he was worried about.

Marian softened her voice, "Bro, helpout. | swear | won't screw up again, | realize my mistake. Please, talk to Brandon and the

others for me, let's sort this out behind closed doors. Whatever they want, I'm game."

"lI don't have the power to persuade Brandon."

Martin looked at her, cool as a cucumber, "I cto you just to pass on the other party's demands. You either clean up your own

mess or get ready to make a public apology. You've got two options, but | suggest you fess up and apologize, straight up. As for

Grandpa, I'll handle it."

With that, Martin opened the study door and walked out without looking back.

Listening to the door slam shut behind her, Marian slumped to the floor, as if all her strength had left her.

She didn't understand how things got to this point. She had a plan, and she just needed to ride out the storm.

The thought of making a public apology and facing judgment from everyone she knew and didn't know, all those judging eyes on

her, sent Marian into a panic.

In the midst of this turmoil, she suddenly thought of Sophia.

She remembered Sophia was easy-going and a genuinely nice person. She could plead with Sophia to let it slide.

Arter all, they were classmates and worked for the scompany. Sophia had no reason to go for the jugular.

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