Golden Cage Mommy Mutiny (Elyse) novel Chapter 36

Chapter 3

I pulled out a clean sheet of white paper and started designing a new piece from scratch.

Once I’d worked out the structure and the materials in my head, I finally put pen to paper.

I had no idea how much time passed. All I knew was that when I lifted my eyes again, a finished design sat on the page like it had always been there.

It was a ring. The band was braided from thin strands of violet gold, delicate and intricate, and the centerpiece was a violet crafted in platinum, set with a rare purple gemstone. Sensing this mysterious, regal kind of elegance, I named it “Violet Kiss.”

Then someone gasped. “Oh my! Selina just posted a new design, and it’s gorgeous…”

I frowned slightly, new design?

“Goddess, how beautiful is it!”

“Michele, your sister is unbelievably talented! I’m honestly jealous.”

The office filled with one exclamation after another. Everyone had their phones out, so I pulled mine out too and opened Instagram.

Selina had just posted a story.

Caption: [I’ll keep working hard to design even more beautiful pieces for everyone. This one, “Violet Kiss,” is for you all.]

I stared at the image, my eyes widening in shock. It was the design I had just conceived, yet Selina had posted the sketch one step ahead of me!

Someone walked past my workstation, reached down, and suddenly picked up my sketch. “Hey, look at this! This is exactly the same as Selina’s post!”

People swarmed over immediately. One of them blurted out, “It’s really identical!”

My stomach dropped. I sprang up to snatch my sketch back, but someone shoved me hard in the shoulder. “Michele Hunt, are you seriously trying to steal your sister’s design?”

The office erupted like they’d been handed the juiciest gossip of the year.

“No way. She acts classy all the time, and she’s actually doing plagiarism?”

Then someone shouted from the crowd, “Have you noticed? Michele’s designs have always looked like Selina’s.”

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People started digging through my old drafts, holding them up beside Selina’s work like they were building a case.

I used the chaos to grab my sketch back, trying to tell the truth. “This was mine first. Selina copied me. She’s been copying me this whole time.”

Right then, Selina walked in through the door.

She stood in the middle of the crowd in a short white dress. Her eyes were red–rimmed, tears spilling as if she couldn’t stop them, and when she spoke, her voice shook with a sob.

“Michele, why did you steal my work? I know you don’t like me, but that’s my blood and sweat. I worked so hard on it.”

“Ever since you came back home, you’ve hated me. Are you blaming Mom and Dad?”

She played fragile so well it made everyone instinctively want to protect her. Her words lit the room

on fire. Someone shoved me hard from behind.

I stumbled forward and slammed my head into the edge of a desk. Warm blood slid down my cheek and dripped onto the floor.

Selina crouched beside me, pretending she was about to help. But the second her fingers brushed me, she threw herself backward like I’d attacked her.

In my head, one thought cut through everything, sharp and furious.

Seriously? With this many people watching?

She widened her eyes and looked at me with a wounded gaze, acting pitiful. “Michele, why did you push me? I was just trying to help you up…”

Everyone rushed to check if Selina was hurt, and then turned to yell at me. “Michele, don’t be ridiculous! You copied her and now you can’t own up to it? Are you throwing a fit out of shame?]

“That’s right, Selina, don’t bother with her. People like her deserve it. If she cracked her skull, it

would be karma.”

sis

Selina slowly stood, looking wronged and trembling. “She’s still my sister. It’s okay… I’m fine…”

I let out a small laugh.

Then I looked straight at Selina, meeting her innocent look, and said sweetly, “My mistake, Selina. Come closer. I want to tell you something.”

She walked toward me, still playing the victim. I smiled as I watched her step toward me, and when she got close enough, I slapped her hard across the face.

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The force of the blow made her lose her footing, and she fell to the floor.

I tilted my head, voice light and airy. “Oops. Selina, how clumsy. I barely touched you, I just gave you a little push.

Selma sat on the floor holding her cheek. Her hair fell around her face, and through the strands, eyes glared at me with pure hate.

Then she looked up again and turned innocent in an instant.

I was done wasting time on her. While everyone’s attention was on Selina, I ignored the surrounding chaos, stood up, and hurried out of that toxic place.

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