He stared at me in shock before suddenly bursting into laughter.

"Are you related to Runa Larson?" he asked.

I glanced around, noticing we were alone. I kept my guard up as I met his gaze.

"I heard Runa had a sister named Ruby, but I thought she was dead. Ever since Ruby’s death, Runa hasn't submitted anything that meets my standards." He sipped his Earl Grey and sank into an armchair. "She came to see me today. Any idea what she wanted?"

I shook my head. Having been in the hospital, I was out of the loop. From David's tone, it seemed something serious had happened.

"Please, have a seat. Care for some tea?" he offered, pouring me a cup.

"She wanted to help the Leedon Group buy all of my designs. Can you believe it? Every single one!" He chuckled, clearly amused.

"Did you sell?" I asked. If he had, my visit would’ve been pointless.

"Sell? Not a chance! A student buying out her mentor? Absolutely not!"

In a flash of anger, he knocked the teapot off the coffee table, sending it crashing to the floor.

"Ruby, I knew it was you when I saw those designs. Runa could never create anything like this. All she knows is how to copy and throw money around."

I extended my hand to him. The man, nearly sixty, looked like he was on the verge of tears.

"Mr. Harrison, it's an honor to work with you."

David grasped my hand firmly. "Ruby, the pleasure is all mine!"

"Mr. Harrison, please feel free to use all the designs in the portfolio. Runa has no idea about these."

I knelt before him, sincerely grateful. "Thank you for recognizing my talent, sir."

When I looked up, I saw that David’s face was already streaked with tears.

—

Dr. Bates introduced himself as Matthew Bates.

I made a mental note of the name of my benefactor who had given me a second chance at life.

As my wounds healed, Dr. Bates prescribed herbal supplements to detox my body. Runa and her mother had been spiking my food with hormones for years. On the outside, I just looked overweight, but inside, I was a mess.

Two months later, I felt like a new person.

"For the next ten months, you'll need to undergo intensive fitness training and weight loss. I'll closely monitor your health, diet, and daily routine," he explained.

I watched him fill a notebook with plans. I wanted to make a snarky comment but bit my tongue.

I didn't know how I could ever repay him.

Looking at the training plan, though, I felt overwhelmed.

The diet consisted of nothing but steamed vegetables, zero-calorie options, intermittent fasting, and weight loss methods I'd never heard of.

"Dr. Bates, is all this really necessary?"

He looked at me like I was clueless.

He set down the notebook and left. I thought he might be preparing an easier plan out of pity, but the next day, he returned with a dress.

"This is the engagement dress for your sister and your ex-fiancé. It's your choice whether to follow the plan or not."

My heart sank. It was a cruel reminder and a slap in the face. "I'll do it. I must bring these people to justice."

Those days were grueling and miserable.

My life revolved around taking supplements and eating bland food. When I wasn't at the gym, I was jogging in the park.

Life was monotonous, but my determination grew stronger each day.

Today, I had just finished training and was about to shower when there was a knock at the door.

"Ruby, something's happened," Matthew said, his eyes full of concern.

"What is it?" I asked, not grasping the severity of the situation. Surely Runa hadn't had a change of heart and confessed her crimes?

"Your father has passed away."

It felt like my world had shattered.

I had been planning to sort everything out once I was strong enough to confront Runa and her mother, then tell Dad the whole truth. But now, suddenly...

Mathew looked at me, speechless. I promised him that from now on, there would be no more love or hatred—only revenge. He patted my head and simply said, "Alright."

In that moment, Mathew and I became the most unbreakable allies in the world.

The day of my father's funeral was a rainy one. Mathew took me to the cemetery, taking advantage of the bad weather to avoid drawing attention. We both wore black, with small white flowers pinned to our chests.

"Mathew, if my dad had just waited a little longer, do you think he might have survived?"

He didn’t answer. As we disappeared into the rain, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and said, "Ruby, grow strong."

I looked down at my stomach, where most of the excess weight had already melted away, then turned my gaze toward where my father lay in eternal rest.

"Mathew, I’d like to go see Mr. Harrison. I have something new to show him."

After dropping me off, Mathew left. When I saw David, he looked more energetic than before, although his health seemed to have declined for some reason.

"Mr. Harrison, is everything okay?" I asked.

He looked at me, just smiling. After a long moment, he waved me over to sit beside him. He took out his phone and snapped a selfie of us.

"Ruby, you’re our only hope now. If I'm not around someday, go to this place." He handed me a key with the address to Starlight Estates on it.

I was about to ask him what he meant, but he interrupted me.

"So, what brings you here today?" David asked.

I pulled a new notebook out of my bag. "This is my latest inspiration. It’s not just random sketches—I put a lot of thought into each piece."

Looking at the notebook, he suddenly began to cry like a child. I wanted to comfort him, but nothing I said seemed to help. When he finally calmed down a bit, he asked me to leave.

As I walked out, I ran into Runa. A sixth sense told me that something was about to go down, so I quietly slipped off my high heels and followed her at a distance.

Luckily, Runa wasn’t very good at noticing when she was being tailed. Once she stepped into the office, the atmosphere grew intense.

"Mr. Harrison, I respect you. That’s why I still regard you as my mentor. But if you’re dead set on opposing us, think carefully. What good would it do you to stand in the way of a complete overhaul in fashion design? Wouldn’t it be better if your designs dominated the industry?"

I could just imagine Runa standing there, looking as arrogant as ever.

David responded, "Dominating the industry? Hah! Dominating! I had no idea that fashion design was about having one style rule them all!"

He continued, "Runa, besides copying others, what else can you do? I was blind to ever accept you as my student. Go on, leave. I don’t want to see you anymore."

Furious, Runa stormed out and called her husband—my former fiancé, Anton Leedon—before leaving.

"Anton, things aren’t looking good with David Harrison," she said.

I couldn't hear what he said on the other end, but I caught Runa’s shocked response. "What? Get rid of him?"

She must have realized her voice was too loud, so she glanced around nervously before continuing in a softer tone.

I didn’t catch the rest of their conversation, but I sent David a message, warning him to be careful. He didn’t reply. I returned to my hellish regimen, watching my weight drop: 150 pounds, then 120, then 110, 100, and finally down to 95 pounds.

The day my training ended was about two weeks before the New Year, and every major company was holding its annual celebration.

Mathew looked at me and said, "You’ve worked hard."

I shook my head. It didn’t feel hard at all. After all the groundwork I’d laid, my time to step into the spotlight had finally arrived.

Matthew took me to the Leedon Group's annual party.

Anthony approached us, greeting Matthew, "Well, well, brother, you've changed your date again?"

He eyed me lustfully: "Nice figure. How about passing her my way?"

I stared into his disgusting eyes, wishing I could stab them with a fork.

Not marrying this creep was truly a blessing in disguise.

I looked at Anthony with tears in my eyes, saying pitifully: "Can't you be decent? Looking at me like that, people might think you're an animal."

Matthew stifled a laugh and led me away, affectionately stroking the back of my head.

He leaned in to fix my hair, making it look like we were kissing to onlookers.

"The show's just beginning," I whispered, my arms around his neck.

The Leedon Group's party was being livestreamed, befitting their status as an industry leader.

He guided me to our assigned table.

The event had everything - singing, dancing, comedy, talent shows.

The company presentation came last, with fashion design as the highlight.

"Next, please welcome our renowned designer, Runa Larson, to introduce this year's award-winning clothing line, 'Golden Age'."

Design sketches scrolled across the big screen, featuring Asian-inspired styles with ink painting and embroidery - neither of which Runa understood.

I stood up abruptly, eyes brimming with tears.

"How could you plagiarize?!"

I interrupted her speech.

When she saw me, she blurted out: "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

The microphone was still at her lips.

If I hadn't used so many eye drops, I might have burst out laughing.

Anthony immediately stepped in to salvage the situation. I had to admit, as the CEO of Leedon Group, he had some skills.

The gala continued, but online discussions and livestream comments were in chaos.

[Genius designer Runa accused of plagiarism]

[Leedon Group fashion designs stolen]

[Emerging designer Alice takes center stage]

[Runa Larson scandal]

[Alice: The real genius designer]

I didn't care about the commotion at the venue. This was just the opening act.

As the party ended, Runa blocked me at the door and slapped me across the face.

I fell to the ground dramatically.

Crying and shouting: "Miss Runa Larson, why did you steal my sister's work!"

She was about to retort when she noticed the reporters gathering.

Matthew played the hero, scooping me up in his arms.

We made quite a scene in front of the cameras.

Back at the hotel, Matthew looked at me sternly.

"Who told you to do this?"

As I held an ice pack to my face while checking Twitter trends, I coldly replied: "Vengeance."

He looked exasperated: "Can't you take better care of yourself?"

I got up and hugged him: "I can. I still need to repay you, Matthew. Why don't you let me show my gratitude by offering myself to you?"

He pushed me away, his eyes unreadable. As I expected, he left.

The trending topics changed to [Runa Larson loses her cool]

[Matthew Bates: Knight in shining armor]

[Leedon Group gala drama unfolds]

Far down the list was a topic: [Leedon Group accused of tax fraud]

Few people noticed, but some did.

Matthew, I hope you enjoy the gift I've sent you.