Chapter 86 Plagiarism Is Shameful
"When are you coming back?" Aurelia changed the subject.
"Do you want me to come back?"
Aurelia agreed with a sigh. She wanted to clarify things sooner. Keeping such a big secret to herself was unbearable, and she worried all day.
"Call me 'honey,' and I'll come back early." Aurelia felt dizzy. The topic circled back to him. Why was he so concerned about a title?
"Aurelia, I want to pin you down, make you cry, and then..."
"Honey! Please stop..." Aurelia hesitated for a moment. He started saying some explicit words again, and she quickly called out 'honey' to calm him down.
Nathaniel was successfully pleased, chuckling lightly on the phone, his voice making Aurelia's ears pleasant to Aurelia’s ear.
"Are you scared?" he asked.
Aurelia was panic-struck. "I'm not scared. I'm talking to you about serious matters. Be serious."
"What serious things can a husband and wife do? Chatting under the quilt? I'm not interested; I just want to see you cry beneath me and beg me to slow down insincerely."
Aurelia rubbed her temples, feeling a headache. She couldn't understand how someone like him managed to act so composed outside, with a dignified appearance and a calm demeanor, as if he had no desires written on his face.
Behind closed doors, he was a wolf in sheep's clothing, spewing nothing but lewd words.
Aurelia knew no one would believe her if she spoke out.
"I need to wash up. Are you okay if I hang up?" She couldn't bear to listen any longer. Nathaniel didn't say a single serious word, so she hung up directly.
Aurelia patted her blushed cheeks, silently calming herself down.
Chelsea didn't come to work the day after she fainted. On the third day, she showed up.
Upon entering, she noticed that people were not very friendly towards her today. Everyone kept their heads down, reluctant to speak to her. Puzzled, Amy came in from outside and pulled her to chat at her desk.
"Chelsea, why are you just arriving now?" Amy asked.
"Did something happen in the design department today?" Chelsea questioned.
Amy coughed. "Someone is accusing you of plagiarism on the company's intranet."
Chelsea immediately became anxious. "Who dares to accuse me?"
Plagiarism was not a glorious act, and it could have a huge impact on her career. Designers hoped for respect for originality since inspiration was not easy to come by. No one wanted their work to be attributed to someone else.
Amy pointed to Chelsea's computer. "Take a look for yourself. The post is still pinned at the top."
Chelsea quickly turned on her computer and accessed the company's intranet.
The post accusing her of plagiarism was at the top, with over a thousand likes and significant engagement. She felt inexplicably guilty.
However, after a few seconds, she reassured herself. She had only drawn inspiration from a piece ten years ago and added her own innovations. While the similarity was high, it couldn't be considered plagiarism.
Moreover, the piece had been around for a long time, and few people in the design department had likely seen it.
She opened the post and found it was posted anonymously.
The title was sharp. [The Heilbronn Group's Chief Designer Suspected of Plagiarism, Evidence Provided.]
Although Chelsea's name was not mentioned directly, everyone in the company knew she was the designer hired by Nathaniel from abroad, leading the entire design department at the Heilbronn Group. Naturally, she was the chief designer.
The post included a video of an award ceremony from years ago. In it, a ring was prominently displayed on the big screen behind the award recipient, drawing attention.
At a glance, it was almost identical to her current work.
Below the video were all anonymous comments, some even daring to tag Nathaniel.
[@Mr. Heilbronn, this chief designer, is hypocritical. I suggest a thorough investigation.]
[This so-called chief designer is tarnishing the Heilbronn Group's reputation, bringing in someone else's award-winning work as her own. Does she think everyone is blind?]
[Help! I've heard that this chief designer has an unusual relationship with the boss and took shortcuts to get in. But @Mr. Heilbronn, can you consider this carefully? I've been with the Heilbronn Group for over a decade, and I can't bear to see someone like her tarnish the company's reputation. Fortunately, her work hasn't been posted on the official website yet, or we wouldn't be able to explain it to the outside world.]
[Can experts check all the works she has produced since joining the company? Who knows if the others are also plagiarized.]
Chelsea was shaking with anger after reading just a few comments.
Amy handed her a bottle of yogurt for comfort. "Ms. Thompson, don't worry. I believe in you. Take a moment to calm down and think. Have you recently offended someone in the company?"
Those words woke Chelsea up. She looked up at Aurelia, her eyes filled with resentment.
She thought, ‘It must be her doing!’
But she didn't have time to think about how to retaliate against Aurelia now. An email from the executive office had arrived, asking her to explain to everyone.
She never expected Nathaniel not to stand by her side and speak for her but to send an email professionally. What was worse, he forwarded it to all colleagues in the design department and senior management, asking her to explain the situation.
Looking around at the dozens of people in the design department, who usually affectionately called her Ms. Thompson, she realized it was all superficial. They feared her relationship with the boss.
Now that Nathaniel had taken a stand, everyone was distancing themselves from her. At this moment, only Amy stood by her side, leaving her feeling cold inside.
Chelsea picked up her phone and dialed Nathaniel's number. She believed that since he had hired her, he wouldn't just let things slide. No matter what mistakes she made before, he always handled them for her, and this time should be no different. Besides, she had already planned her way out when she published that design.
She wanted reassurance from him.
Recently, Aurelia had become pregnant, and Nathaniel's attitude towards Chelsea had become increasingly cold. Chelsea couldn't remember the last time he had set foot in the Jade Community.
At this rate, she would only become more anxious, which was not the life she wanted.
After ringing for almost a minute, Chelsea heard a string of cold, robotic female voices.
Undeterred, she dialed again, and finally, on the third attempt, Nathaniel answered.
"Nathaniel." She held the phone to her ear and hurried outside.
Aurelia happened to hear her cry of 'Nathaniel,' which was full of grievances. Her heart sank.
She was curious to see how Nathaniel would handle the situation. He was always serious and strict about work, and plagiarism was definitely crossing the line for him. Aurelia was certain that Nathaniel wouldn't risk the company's reputation to indulge Chelsea's actions.
The email Nathaniel had just sent confirmed her suspicions.
Aurelia believed he would keep his personal and professional boundaries clear.
The atmosphere in the Heilbronn Group's design department that day was not as lively as usual. No one discussed work or gossip; the air was heavy, almost at a breaking point. Even during lunchtime, it was quiet and dull, as if a storm was brewing.
Everyone was waiting for a resolution, waiting for fairness.
If getting ahead through plagiarism could land someone the position of chief designer at the Heilbronn Group with a high salary, it was an insult to the efforts of others.
Many people struggled their whole lives to reach positions that a young woman in her twenties obtained through plagiarism. For those who had been in the workplace for years, this was unacceptable.
Chelsea's act of plagiarism this time could be seen as trampling on the dignity of designers, stirring up public anger.
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