Chapter 165 Design Competition
Although Anna was still slightly inferior, in this competition, Anna's work could already rival Isabella's. For such top-tier designs, where could Anna find a ghostwriter?
If someone could create such high-end designs, why would they be content to work behind the scenes? So Isabella's accusation was baseless!
"I believe in Anna; she could never plagiarize!" Sophia stood up and said, "Every designer has their own sources of inspiration. The process is constantly borrowing and innovating."
Her words caused a stir in the audience, who turned to look at her.
"I hope everyone can be rational," Sophia continued, "Design is a complex process. We cannot deny someone's effort and talent because of controversy."
"So you're saying Isabella is slandering Anna? What motive would she have? What's in it for her?" Someone retorted.
"Motive?" Sophia laughed sarcastically, then said, "Of course, she has a motive. Her motive is to slander Anna, and destroy Anna and George's relationship. Does that make sense?"
"It doesn't add up." Michael, who had been sitting quietly in the front row, stood up. He gave Emma's hand a reassuring pat and then announced, "Isabella just looks a lot like the late Emma, which caused some confusion. But Isabella has cleared things up with George, and George has agreed to leave her alone. If you keep linking Isabella to George just because of her looks, I'm gonna be upset. Isabella is my fiancée, and we're heading back to The Russell Mansion soon to announce our engagement. Oh, and I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Michael, George's uncle. So, Isabella is George's aunt. Let's stop the misunderstandings, okay?"
The news left everyone in the room stunned, and the judges exchanged confused glances, clearly caught off guard by the sudden turn of events.
The host was also surprised and tried to calm things down. "Everyone, please settle down. Let's hear what Ms. Taylor has to say."
"I don't want to stir up trouble, but this needs to be addressed," Emma said firmly. "We need to take originality and plagiarism seriously. Design isn't just about technique; it's about expressing emotion and soul. We should respect every designer's hard work."
"Ms. Taylor, cut the chatter and show us the proof," Sophia interrupted harshly.
"Alright, I'll show the evidence now." Emma pulled out her phone and uploaded a document to the big screen on the podium.
The document was titled "The Wheel of Time," and it was identical to Anna's work.
"Is that it?" Sophia sneered. "You went backstage, copied Anna's design, and now you're claiming it as yours. How shameless."
"Mrs. Stuart, don't jump to conclusions. Keep watching," Emma said as she opened the document properties, which clearly showed the creation date was a month ago.
Emma also showed screenshots of conversations between the designer and Anna on social media, with timestamps proving the designer had sent the file to Anna a month ago, and Anna had paid the designer a hefty fee.
Plus, Emma had a third-party witness, a well-known expert in the jewelry industry from Country F, who had seen the design draft a month ago and had praised it.
The judges could contact him to verify this.
Finally, Emma displayed the books and articles the designer had used for inspiration, especially those discussing the philosophy of time and life.
"Ms. Anna Stuart, have you read these books?" Emma asked.
As the evidence piled up, the audience started whispering, and the tension in the room grew. The judges began to seriously consider Emma's accusations.
"Ms. Taylor, if all your claims are true, then why hasn't the designer come forward and asked you to handle this?" Sophia asked, still reluctant to give in.
"That's because," Emma paused for effect, "The designer is me."
Anna's face went pale, clearly shocked by the sudden accusations and evidence. Panic set in as she realized this could ruin her career.
But Emma wasn't just targeting Anna today.
"A month ago, I got an online order," Emma continued. "The client wanted a piece called 'The Passage of Time,' so I designed 'The Wheel of Time.' It's clear Ms. Stuart used someone else's work as her own. But here's another question: why was the topic leaked a month ago, and why specifically to Ms. Anna Stuart? Is Mrs. Sophia Stuart using this jewelry exhibition to boost her career? What about the designers who got the topic on the spot? Are we just stepping stones?"
"I also question the final competition results," Emma said, signaling the staff to play a surveillance video from backstage.
The video showed Sophia using her influence to pressure the judges into awarding Anna the championship, which enraged all the designers present.
"I joined this competition to showcase my design philosophy, not to be part of a rigged contest," one designer interjected, his voice filled with disappointment and anger.
He didn't care about the results; he just wanted his efforts to be fairly judged. But he couldn't accept an unfair judgment, especially when he had only an hour to design, while Anna had a month.
What was the point of the competition? Where was the fairness?
"Yes, it's so disappointing," a young female designer said. "We've all worked so hard, only to have a plagiarist steal the spotlight. I can't accept this!"
Other designers nodded in agreement, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. Many began to murmur, expressing their concerns about the competition's fairness.
As more designers voiced their dissatisfaction, the tension in the room escalated.
The judges exchanged worried glances, realizing the gravity of the situation. One of them stood up and said, "We need to reassess the fairness of this competition. If we don't take action, designers will lose confidence and may not want to participate in future competitions."
The audience began to applaud the courage of these designers, showing their support.
Vincent, sitting in the audience, was deep in thought. "I suggest a thorough investigation of Anna's previous design drafts!"
"Yes! Investigate! Who knows if her previous designs were also plagiarized!"
"She should either show real talent or get out of the jewelry design industry!"
"Get out!"
The shouts of the designers filled the entire venue, echoing their demand for justice.
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