I couldn't understand why Skyler would do something like this to me. We had grown up together and naturally got together after graduation.

Skyler had always been supportive of my pursuit of art. During my years of art studies, he would accompany me as I honed my skills and encouraged me.

I genuinely thought my life would continue to be blissful—until Skyler brought Leah to the art studio one day.

Back then, I had appraised one of her paintings, which was of a peony. Leah's technique was nearly identical to mine, and she had even copied the number of leaves. However, I didn't call her out and instead allowed her to work in the studio.

The week before, I had accidentally glimpsed something on Skyler's phone. It turned out he and Leah had feelings for each other. He was even planning an art show for her.

Skyler was the person I loved and trusted most. Yet, in the end, he had changed.

I stared blankly as I sat on the hospital bed, still unwilling to accept my new reality. I still had a sliver of vision in my left eye, but this remaining sliver merely added to my misery.

Picking up a pencil, I attempted to sketch something. However, every stroke was just painfully difficult with my blurred vision. Just then, a familiar voice sounded from outside the door.

"Julia, are you okay? I heard you were hospitalized due to an injury."

I froze in shock, and the shaky hand I had been sketching with halted, too. The voice was unmistakably Leah's.

I jerked my head in the direction of the door. Despite my blurry vision, I could still make out that the person standing before me was Leah—but wasn't she supposed to be dead?

Skyler followed her into the room shortly after. My lips trembled as I stared at them both, but I couldn't utter a single word.

Leah burst into laughter at my shocked expression.

"Hahaha! Oh, Julia. Actually, my suicide note was just a little prank. Don't you know yesterday was April Fools' Day? Although, I didn't expect Skyler to get so worked up over it and even quarrel with you for my sake. I'm really sorry about that," she said.

A prank? Then, why on earth did she pin her death on me? Skyler spoke up from beside Leah, too.

"I'm sorry, Jules. What happened yesterday was just a misunderstanding. I didn't realize Leah was just messing around.

"I mean, who wouldn't have panicked when someone's life was involved? So, try not to take it too seriously, okay? And Leah, why do you have to be so mischievous!" he said.

The two of them laughed and joked about what had happened, but neither of them brought up my destroyed paintings nor my damaged eye… Unable to hold back my fury, I shot out of bed and charged at Leah.

"Do you think this is the kind of joke you can make lightly? Do you have any idea what you've done? My art show was ruined, and my life's work was destroyed because of you! I've even lost my eye!" I yelled.

Unexpectedly, Skyler swiftly shielded Leah from me. Frowning from displeasure, he then accused me of overreacting.

"We already said yesterday was April Fools'. It's a tradition to play pranks on that day, so why are you getting so worked up? Besides, your paintings were ugly anyway—so what if they've burned?

"You're a painter, aren't you? So just repaint them—what's the big deal?"

Skyler's words were like a knife to my heart. He was once the top admirer of my work. Yet now, not only had he personally destroyed them, but he also called them ugly.

Summoning the last of my strength, I pointed at the bandage over my right eye. I scathingly asked, "Repaint them? How am I supposed to do that?"

Skyler was stunned for a second.

Then, he scoffed and said, "Don't you have just another stye? I've told you so many times not to stare at your phone late into the night, but you never listen!

"So stop acting like it's something serious! Leah and I purposely came to check on you, and yet you throw your temper at us? How about you calm down and reflect on yourself?"

With that, he dragged Leah along with him and left without a second glance.

At that moment, my heart clenched so tightly that the resulting pain was intense. Since Skyler loved Leah so much, I might as well step aside. Taking out my phone, I sent this message to Skyler's parents with great difficulty.

"I'm calling off the wedding."

Skyler didn't visit me for several days after that. Leah, on the other hand, deliberately taunted me every day by sending photos of the two of them together.

She even sent a few voice messages. "The art show Skyler organized for me was a success. It's such a shame you didn't get to see it in person, Julia. He even said he would set up an art studio for me—you don't mind, right?"

Skyler had done all those things for me, but it turned out he could easily do them for another woman, too. The pain in my chest was suffocating—I couldn't believe any of this was real.

I drifted off to sleep in a daze. In my semiconscious state, the sound of conversing voices came through the door. Two nurses were gossiping quietly in the patient room next door.

"Did you see today's trending news? The patient in Room 101 is a plagiarist. How shameless."

"Isn't she a well-known artist? I never thought she'd do something like that."

A sudden wave of dread washed over me upon hearing this.

When I unlocked my phone, I saw my social media posts were flooded with hate comments with blurred vision. People were calling me a plagiarist and were attacking me on every social media platform I had.

Additionally, the number one trending topic was #GenuisPaintressLeahRivers.

It turned out Skyler had spent a fortune to make Leah's art show a trending topic. People were singing her praises in the comments and calling her an art prodigy.

I tapped on the hashtag and looked at photos of Leah's art show. Due to my blurred vision, I stared at them for a long time until my left eye became sore. That was when I saw that most of her work, including the details and inspiration, were blatant copies of my work. Yet, everyone thought she was the victim.

However, I couldn't call her out and clear my name. All of my work was gone, so what could I even use as evidence?

Plus, I knew Skyler could tell Leah had copied my work. It was just because I no longer mattered as much to him anymore.

…

A few days later, my doctor told me I could be discharged. Unfortunately, my vision was still blurry, and I kept my right eye bandaged because of the horrifying scar.

My phone was also filled with many missed calls from Skyler. I immediately blocked his number upon seeing this.

I held onto the guide rails along the hospital's walls as I slowly made my way out of the building. Once I was out, I would need to rely on the little vision I had left to find my way home.

However, I didn't expect to see Skyler waiting for me at the hospital's entrance. I avoided him when he tried to come over and help me.

Seeing this, he chuckled and said, "Oh? Still mad at me, I see. I've been really busy with work these days, so I didn't have time to visit you."

I knew he was trying to make amends for what he had done before. That being said, I didn't acknowledge him. Seeing this, Skyler stepped forward again and tried to hold onto me.

"I know I'm at fault for what happened to your art show, but I can always arrange another one for you right away if you want," he coaxed.

I looked at him incredulously. What would I even be displaying when all of my work had been burned to ashes?

And besides, he had publicly accused me of plagiarizing Leah. Right now, the art community was full of rumors of me being a plagiarist, so how could I possibly show my face again? The more I thought about it, the more aggrieved I felt.

Fiercely shoving Skyler away, I yelled, "Arrange another? What will I possibly show when I don't have a single painting left? And do you honestly think I can still be a painter in my current state?"

However, Skyler still didn't understand why I was so upset. Thus, he sounded irritated when he replied, "With your level of skill, why can't you just paint new ones?"

I abruptly felt it was pointless to continue arguing with him. Thus, I released a long sigh and turned to leave. But surprisingly, Skyler blocked my path.

His temper exploded, and he shouted, "What are you throwing a fit about, Julia Grayson! And why are you still wearing that when April Fools' was days ago? Isn't it a bit much?"

Then, he yanked down the bandage that was over my right eye. The horrifying scar was now in plain sight. Skyler's hand froze midair upon seeing it.