Chapter 7

Dragging her wounded, bloodied body, Savannah finally returned home, only to hear Chantelle's meek voice from the second floor. "Ricky, it's storming tonight… Will you tuck me in?" Meanwhile, Savannah struggled up the stairs, gripping the railing. Hendrick was ready to turn Chantelle down, but when he glimpsed the sight of Savannah from his peripheral vision, he changed his mind. "Of course," he said, wrapping his arm around Chantelle's waist before leading her into the master bedroom. He barely looked in Savannah's direction. A wry smile tugged at the corner of her lips, and she continued dragging her battered body to the guest room. Over the next few days, Savannah stayed cooped up in her room to focus on finishing her submission for the design competition. The design industry was the place she planned to dive back into after the divorce. Once, she was the most talented student in the design department at her university. Her mentor, Magnolia Vogel, had even said she was destined to become a star in the design industry. However, all that changed when Hendrick caught her being walked home by a male colleague one day. "Quit your job, or it's divorce," he had threatened before walking away. Of course, Savannah had chosen to resign without hesitation. But now, she was finally ready to pick up her pencil again. Just as she was fully focused on perfecting her design, the door suddenly swung open. Hendrick entered with Chantelle, his gaze landing on her sketch. With a darkened expression, he snapped, "I told you I don't like you doing this. If you want me to cancel the divorce, stop touching these." As he spoke, he snatched the pencil from her hand. Savannah looked up at Hendrick, finding it all laughable. Did he really think he could still threaten her? She said nothing, quietly packing away her design sketches. He assumed she had given in, so he took Chantelle with him. Before exiting the room, though, Chantelle's eyes lingered on the sketches for a few seconds. Frankly, she was intrigued. About three days after the submission, Savannah received a call from the organizers. "Ms. Johnson, I'm afraid to inform you that your entry is suspected of plagiarism. Unless you can prove otherwise, your participation will be revoked." "What?" Savannah couldn't believe her ears. "Whom did I plagiarize?" "Your submission is identical to the piece submitted by the rising designer, Chantelle Stone. She's popular right now, and there's no way she'd plagiarize you. "So, unfortunately, we have to disqualify your entry," the caller said. Instantly, Savannah recalled the look in Chantelle's eyes when she saw her sketches that day. Panicking, she said, "I have the original sketches to prove it!" After hanging up, she tore through the room, searching desperately, but the sketches were nowhere to be found. "Looking for this?" Chantelle's voice rang from behind. Savannah spun around, only to see the missing sketches in her hand. "Why do you have them?" "Because…" Chantelle playfully shook the papers and continued, "I said I liked them. So, Ricky got them for me without even thinking twice!" She inched closer to Savannah's ear, then whispered, "Don't you see it? Ricky is in love with me, not you. Just accept reality and stop thinking about salvaging your marriage. "The only way you'll benefit both yourself and us is by leaving… for real this time." Truthfully, Savannah's mind went completely blank at that moment. She rushed to confront Hendrick, but he simply said, "I told you I don't want you messing with this stuff. If you'd just listened and given it up, none of this would've happened." She looked at the man she had foolishly loved for seven years, feeling like her heart was being ripped apart. Why was he always like this, dismissing her passion and feelings? If it weren't for those old love letters, she would've never believed that he had ever cared about her at all! Knowing her case was hopeless without the original sketches, Savannah knew there was no point in arguing. She stumbled back to her room, shutting herself in the dark. Her ringtone suddenly dragged her back to reality. "Savannah, I heard you're making a comeback!" Magnolia's voice was unmistakably excited. "I saw your work at the design competition!" Savannah choked on her tears. "I swear I didn't plagiarize, Ms. Vogel…" "Of course, you didn't!" Magnolia was confident and encouraging, "Your talent is unmatched. There's no way you could've plagiarized!" A sigh escaped from her lips before she continued, "Too bad, you gave up your career for—" "That was my worst mistake." Savannah wiped off her tears and said, "We're divorcing, and I plan to have a fresh start." "That's great!" Magnolia exclaimed. "Would you like to join me at my studio in Alvaria? Your upperclassmen are here as well. "Now that our studio has made a name for itself, if you join us, we'll make sure you shine as the brightest star in the world of design!" "Is that… possible?" Magnolia hardened her tone, pretending to be angry. "Of course, it is! I know your capabilities. Had you not left back then…" Savannah took a deep breath. "Alright. I'll do it. I'll join you guys once the divorce is finalized." As soon as she finished speaking, Hendrick pushed open the door and fixed his eyes on her. "What was that?"