Chapter 6: The Plagiarist’s Downfall

Recently, Mason’s company landed a new project. Several design proposals were submitted, and Lindsey’s was picked. I looked at her draft—it was way beyond her abilities. No clue who helped her, but she got way too cocky.

She strutted around the office like she owned the place, bragging to anyone who’d listen.

At the meeting, she kept taking shots at me, saying I wasn’t as good as her and that my job should be hers.

She made little digs, thinking she was clever. I let her run her mouth.

I said coldly, "The design’s good, but you and I both know you didn’t make it."

I met her eyes, refusing to back down.

She looked flustered, but bounced back quick. "You’re just jealous. Autumn, is it really that hard to admit someone else is better than you?"

She tossed her hair, trying to look all superior.

Mason said calmly, "You’re definitely not as good as Autumn. Lindsey, people who get too full of themselves always end up bursting their own bubble."

He said it with a smile, but everyone knew he meant business.

Lindsey wanted to fight back, but one look at his eyes and she backed off.

She shrank back, her confidence taking a big hit.

Afterward, I told Mason my concerns. "Lindsey’s design is impressive, but we both know her skills. If someone helped her, fine. But if she stole it, and it gets found out, our company could be in big trouble—she’s done it before."

I paced the living room, worry gnawing at me.

"I know she stole it. And I know exactly who she stole it from."

He sounded so sure. I stopped pacing, my heart racing.

I was stunned. "You do?"

He nodded, looking grim.

Mason explained he’d already done some digging. Back when Lindsey went abroad, her thesis was so bad she almost didn’t graduate. But her dad had a distant relative who was a grad school professor in the field. He paid a ton of money to buy one of the professor’s student’s work for Lindsey’s thesis. That’s how she squeaked by.

He’d dug up emails, receipts—everything. He doesn’t miss a thing.

I was surprised. "The student agreed?"

"Didn’t really have a choice. The professor was strict and could fail anyone at any time. He had connections at all the big design firms—one word from him, and his students would never get jobs. They hated him but were scared, so they just wanted to graduate and get out."

He explained how the whole system worked, how students were trapped.

I got it. "So this time, Lindsey’s proposal was bought from that professor too?"

"Exactly. And the student is actually the son of my parents’ friends."

He showed me the emails—proof in black and white.

My eyes lit up. "You’re planning to take down both the crooked professor and Lindsey?"

I felt a rush of pride. Mason’s always ten steps ahead.

"Yep. If she could steal a design once, she’d do it again. She didn’t let me down."

He sounded almost amused.

"So your plan to get revenge for me was this all along." I smiled. "Mason, you’re basically doing a public service."

He grinned, pulling me into his arms. "Anything for you."

He’d told me before that since Lindsey was so desperate to get close, he’d make sure she paid for what she did to me. I never needed the details—I knew he’d see it through.

I trusted him, completely.

Now, knowing his plan, I trusted him even more.

With our plan in place, I was calm in the face of Lindsey’s arrogance. Like the saying goes, sometimes you let someone dig their own grave.

I watched her, knowing her downfall was coming.

With Mason’s help, our company quickly signed a contract with the client who loved Lindsey’s proposal.

The whole office celebrated, clueless about what was coming next.

That night, Lindsey was so pleased with herself she treated everyone to dinner, then spent the night bragging and putting everyone else down. Most of them left halfway through, sick of her attitude.

I stayed just long enough to watch her dig her own grave.

The next day, Lindsey came to work on cloud nine. She was practically skipping down the hall.

She wore her best dress and a smug grin. It was almost funny.

She greeted her coworkers, who all gave her weird looks. Finally, Monica couldn’t hold it in. "Lindsey, you’re in trouble."

Her tone was dead serious, her eyes sharp.

Lindsey frowned. "Supervisor Grant, I know you’re jealous. You’re older and more experienced, but your designs just aren’t as good as mine. Maybe work on yourself instead of cursing someone as awesome as me."

She said it loud, hoping to embarrass Monica.

A coworker snickered. "Awesome? Copying someone else’s work doesn’t make you awesome."

The room went dead silent. Lindsey’s face went pale.

Lindsey’s face changed. "What do you mean?"

She looked around, desperate for backup.

Monica handed her a link. "See for yourself."

She slid her phone across the desk, face unreadable.

Lindsey clicked it, and as she read, her face got whiter and whiter. By the end, her hands were shaking so badly she dropped her phone.

Her whole body shook. She looked like she might faint right there.

Mason’s friend had posted an exposé online, detailing how the crooked professor exploited his grad students—making them clean his house, babysit his kids, tutor them, and, worst of all, selling their designs for big money. He’d sold his own work to someone else and was threatened into silence. Coincidentally, his uncle’s company was building a small museum, and the design they got was his—sold to Lindsey.

The evidence was airtight—screenshots, emails, everything.

No wonder she was devastated. No company would touch someone with a plagiarism record, and now that it was public, her career was toast.

Her dreams shattered in an instant.

On top of that, our company had to pay a massive penalty for breaking the contract, all because of her. Naturally, she had to pay it herself. Unless she won the lottery, she’d spend the rest of her life in debt.

The number was insane. She’d never pay it off in a million years.

I didn’t feel sorry for her. She almost stole my dreams and had stolen from plenty of other students. If this hadn’t come out, she and the professor would have hurt even more people. Actions have consequences.

Some lessons you only learn the hard way.

Just as I expected, once the scandal broke, Mason fired her and made her pay a hefty chunk of the penalty.

He didn’t even blink. She was out the same day.

At first, Lindsey tried to weasel out of it. She begged me to talk Mason out of it, but I refused. Soon enough, she dragged my mom into it.