Chapter 466 Design Competition (2)
Did Mia get scammed?
Susan pressed her lips together, feeling like her earlier confidence was a joke. She glanced around at the designers in her studio, then at the stunning galaxy mermaid dress from Leo's studio. Their expressions had shifted, and some were even shaking their heads.
Susan's face burned with a mix of embarrassment and anger.
The head judge spoke up, "Ms. Lewis, your dress design is not the same as Leo's." Susan's face flushed with shame, and she forced a dry smile. She lowered her head, her brows furrowing, and quickly turned away to make a discreet call to Mia.
When Mia saw who was calling, a smile tugged at her lips. She thought Susan was calling to share the good news that Margaret had been disqualified from the design competition.
She answered cheerfully, "Ms. Lewis, how did it go? Did Margaret make a fool of herself?"
"What fool?" Susan's anger flared at Mia's words. She couldn't believe how Mia had handled things—had she just sent a random design sketch to placate her? Despite her frustration, Susan kept her voice low to avoid being overheard.
She glanced back to ensure the other designers were still focused on the display, then whispered urgently into the phone, "What happened? Did you send the wrong design? Leo's finished dress looks nothing like the sketch you gave me! It's not even a vintage style!"
"How could that be?" Mia was taken aback, instinctively defending herself. She was sure she had seen Camille place the design on the table.
"This is the one I got," Mia insisted, still not believing that Camille, who seemed so naive, would deceive her. "I'm certain."
"Ms. Lewis," Susan was about to argue further when a voice behind her made her jump. She quickly ended the call and turned around, her eyes wide with panic.
It was the head judge. He repeated calmly, "Ms. Lewis, please explain your design to us."
Susan exhaled in relief, hurriedly pocketing her phone. She walked to the display with a forced calm, offering a polite smile as she gestured to the dress. Susan said, "This dress was inspired by a show I watched one day..."
Susan elaborated on the design, detailing every aspect from inspiration to execution. If Margaret didn't know the truth, even she might have believed Susan's story.
But after Susan finished, the designers' reactions were mixed—most looked hesitant or puzzled.
Susan was confused, glancing at the dress again. Had she said something wrong?
In the crowd, Camille and Margaret exchanged knowing smiles. Camille stepped forward, raising her hand as if she were puzzled.
"Hold on a second!" She walked out from the crowd, feigning confusion as she looked at the dress. "Ms. Lewis, your idea is interesting, but this dress looks familiar. I think I've seen something similar in Gale's collection, right down to the cat's eye stone on the belt."
Susan's face turned pale at the mention of Gale. A sense of dread washed over her.
"I remember Gale saying it was one of his favorite pieces. How come your design is so similar? Could it be plagiarism?" Camille's seemingly innocent remark left Susan speechless and frozen.
The other designers began to murmur, casting disdainful or skeptical glances at Susan. Their voices reached her ears.
"I knew that dress looked familiar. I've seen it in Gale's book."
"I was wondering too. How did she win awards before? And now she's plagiarizing? How did she become a designer?"
"Leo is so much better than her, but it's a shame the master never shows up. I come to this competition every year hoping to see her."
Susan's face flushed and paled alternately, especially at the mention of Leo. It was like a dagger to her heart.
The judges' expressions turned serious. It was clear they saw the resemblance between Susan's "original" design and Gale's work.
The head judge looked at her sternly, "Ms. Lewis, please explain this."
Susan was at a loss, panic flickering in her eyes. How could she explain? Admit she used Leo's studio's design? That would be career suicide in their industry.
She stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence, "No, it's not... It's not like that..."
Camille pressed on, "Then what is it? Explain why your dress looks so much like Gale's."
Susan could only glare at Camille, unable to justify herself.
The head judge, seeing Susan's reaction, turned to the other judges for a brief discussion. After a minute, he faced Susan again, his expression grave.
"Ms. Lewis, after deliberation, we have decided that you are disqualified from this competition and any future ones. Plagiarism is a serious offense for a designer."
Susan felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over her. Her palms were sweaty, and even her blood felt cold.
This was a death sentence for her career in the design world.
The other designers looked at Susan with a mix of scorn and sympathy. Many had disliked her, having suffered her arrogance at design events.
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