Burning My Masterpiece: When My Rival Panicked at the Competition

In front of the entire school, I set fire to my own painting that was about to enter the competition.

The audience erupted in thunderous applause, assuming this was some kind of performance art. But my graduate senior, Olivia, panicked.

She rushed over and grabbed my hand, her voice shrill: “Aria, have you lost your mind? This was your only chance at the gold medal!”

I coldly shook her off.

Chance? More like her chance, right?

In my previous life, it was this very painting, which I had poured my heart and soul into, that she stole and submitted to the competition.

The composition, colors stole and submitted to the competition., and even my original “point dyeing technique” were identical, down to the last detail.

She won the National Young Artist Gold Medal, signed with a top gallery, and basked in endless glory.

While I became universally despised as a shameless plagiarist.

I was drowned in abuse and curses.

“Get out of the art world!”

“Plagiarists like you should just die!”

Her fans stormed into my studio, smashed my art supplies, and broke my right hand.

In utter despair, I jumped from the roof of the studio building.

When building.

When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day Olivia accused me of plagiarism.