Elaina opened her email and saw a pile of drawings inside. Her eyes grew brighter and brighter.
"Holy cow! Darling, you really are a genius!"
She said excitedly, her eyes sparkling intensely. "These designs could compete in a world-class competition! You're still as sharp as ever!"
Hazel smiled faintly. "Glad I could be of help."
Elaina showered her with more flattery, rubbing her hands together excitedly. "I heard that bitch Oliver is entering next week's Jewelry Design Competition. How about we pick one to enter too?"
Hazel nodded without hesitation.
If you're going to humiliate someone, you might as well do it thoroughly...otherwise, how will Oliver ever learn her lesson?
"When you send these sketches over, tell the partners outright that I'm the designer. You can also state on the company website that I've returned to your design studio."
Elaina's eyes widened in disbelief. "Really?"
When Hazel left the studio, she had announced her retirement from design. Yet her work still commanded admiration in the jewelry circle to this day. She had thought Hazel's willingness to help was already generous enough...never expecting Hazel would actually be making a comeback!
Elaina blurted out excitedly, "Then...then I'll return all the shares to you--"
"No rush. We have a more pressing matter now."
Hazel pulled her laptop from her bag. "First, do exactly as I say."
Hazel's slender fingers danced swiftly across the keyboard. Opening a web page, she was immediately confronted with a flood of negative news about Kathy.
(Tsk, tsk, all that hype about a 'genius beauty designer'? Turns out she just used her body to climb the ladder.)
(Poor Oliver...earned the final design rights through skill, yet still got beaten up.)
(Ban her already! Boycott her entire Dream High Studio too!)
(Don't even think about it. Dream High was founded by our God 'Ray of Light' herself. Even though she's retired, it's still our cherished memory.)
@Miss Ray of Light -- since she left, Dream High designs have lost their sparkle. Using designers like this now? Utterly rotten!
Hazel's eyes turned cold as she opened a long-dormant messaging app and tapped on a black profile picture.
"Kathy's case -- I want every detail. Once you find it, I'm releasing it online."
The reply came back instantly: "Holy shit! Ray of Light is back from the dead?!"
Hazel didn't waste words. "Hurry up. I need this resolved today."
The response came back: "Got it."
Only then did Hazel log back into her Twitter account and post a message:
Ray of Light: Justice may be delayed, but it never fails to arrive. Also, I'm back.
Within half a minute, Twitter crashed.
Netizens who had been fiercely attacking Kathy's page vanished in unison, swarming to Hazel's account instead.
Holy crap! Ray of Light is alive? Does this mean she's making a comeback?!
No way! The official Ray of Light account confirmed it -- our God is back!!!
From the sound of it, there's more to Kathy and Oliver's situation...I'm choosing to believe my God Ray of Light.
Some of Oliver's fans weren't having it.
"Who the hell is this random chick? Never even heard of her before!"
"She's definitely trying to ride on Oliver's popularity! Maybe that bitch Kathy hired her to whitewash herself!"
But the backlash was swift.
Does our God Ray of Light need to ride anyone's coattails? Get real! She's a legend in jewelry design -- the only one under 25 to win a world-class award!
Your idol's designs are trinkets. God Ray of Light's creations are national treasures -- one's even in the British Museum, okay?
In an instant, online sentiment shifted. Many who had previously attacked Kathy now remained neutral, demanding the project team produce evidence.
*****
At the top floor of the Howard family villa, Oliver watched the trending posts, grinding her teeth in fury.
"Where did this Ray of Light come from? How dare she ruin my plans?!"
She smashed the cup on the table into shards, splattering the maid nearby -- who didn't dare utter a word.
After venting her rage, Oliver finally calmed down and dialed a number.
"Have that project manager post on Twitter too -- claim that Kathy seduced him! Release the photos taken that day!"
But to her surprise, the voice on the other end sounded grim.
"Miss Howard, it's hopeless...someone's already leaked the full video of us taking those photos. Netizens are now accusing the partner of sexual harassment!"
Oliver paled. She reopened Twitter, and sure enough, the trending topic #KathyTwist was plastered across every feed.
All the big names in the jewelry industry were reposting it, and several paparazzi accounts with tens of millions of followers were circulating the video across platforms!
How could this be?
To ruin Kathy's reputation for her ungrateful behavior, she had specifically arranged for that partner to get Kathy drunk at a so-called "drinking party," then attempt to drug her and take suggestive photos as "evidence."
But Kathy had escaped -- and Oliver had ensured all footage was deleted.
So how did it resurface now?
She stared at the screen in utter panic when her phone rang again. It was the same partner who had helped frame Kathy.
"Miss Howard, you have to help me! If this blows up, our company is finished! I risked my neck for you -- out of respect for CEO Knight!"
"If you don't help me, I'll have no choice but to spill everything!"
Oliver's expression darkened further.
*****
The next day.
When Hazel arrived at the studio, her eyes fell on the office where Kathy worked. It was still dark. She wasn't there.
"Is Kathy still hiding at home?" she asked Elaina.
"Cyberbullying is terrifying! When I went to see her, reporters blocked my way. Looks like she won't return to work until this scandal dies down."
"Hazel, she's so talented! To be framed like that by Oliver...it's utterly unfair!"
Elaina, ever the loyal boss, was furious about the situation yet powerless to act. After all, in this city, no one dared to cross Rayan Knight.
"Contact her," Hazel said calmly. "Regarding the plagiarism incident, tell her the studio will handle it thoroughly. She should stay home and wait for updates."
Elaina's eyes flickered with hope. "Hazel, you have a solution?"
"Yes. Leave it to me."
"That's wonderful! Hazel, you're truly my savior!"
Overwhelmed with excitement, Elaina threw her arms around Hazel, almost ready to plant a kiss on her.
"Alright, I need to get back to work. There are still orders to fulfill at the studio, right?"
"Then what do you want to eat? I'll buy it for you! Hazel, I'm your loyal little sidekick -- just give me orders!"
Her best friend clung to her arm, acting all cute and clingy, leaving Hazel both amused and exasperated.
"Alright, alright. Don't be so formal with me. If you hadn't taken me in, I wouldn't have had anywhere to go after my divorce."
Elaina's eyes welled up at Hazel's words, about to launch into another heartfelt speech -- but Hazel gently dismissed her.
"I want cold coffee. Seven parts sugar, with milk."
"No problem! Coming right up!"
