Na-ri and Soo-ah's eyes locked in a silent but intense standoff, each sibling's glare piercing through the charged air between them. The ballroom was a scene of opulence, its grand chandeliers casting shimmering light over the polished marble floors and exquisitely dressed guests. The tension, however, was palpable, a stark contrast to the celebration.
"I have prepared a surprise for you, Na-ri. I hope you like it," Soo-ah said, a sinister smile curling on her lips before she turned and walked away, her expensive heels clicking against the floor with each confident step.
"Likewise," Na-ri murmured, her eyes now fixed on her phone. She scrolled through her messages, her heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and dread. The banquet tonight was ostensibly a celebration of the new product that had skyrocketed in popularity due to its innovative design. A design Na-ri knew all too well, for it was her creation, stolen and paraded by her half-sister.
The moderator took the stage, microphone in hand, and the chatter of the crowd began to subside. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are here to celebrate a significant milestone in our company's journey. The extraordinary success of our latest product is in large part due to the visionary design brought to us by none other than Soo-ah."
Polite applause filled the room as Soo-ah ascended the stage. She began to speak, her voice confident and poised. "Thank you, everyone. Tonight, I want to share how I found inspiration for this design and why I believed it would harmonize perfectly with our product." As she spoke, the projector behind her flickered to life, displaying a series of slides. The final slide showed a detailed sketch of the design—Na-ri's design—with her name faintly visible in the corner.
Soo-ah's rehearsed composure shattered as she pretended to notice the name for the first time. Her eyes welled up with tears, and her voice quivered. "Na-ri, how could you do this to me?" she cried out, dropping to her knees and sobbing dramatically.
Gasps of shock echoed through the hall as guests whispered among themselves, interpreting the scene as Na-ri plagiarizing Soo-ah's work. Na-ri, still seated, glanced up from her phone, her expression a mask of calm curiosity.
Hyejin, their mother, sprang to her feet, her face twisted with rage. "You ungrateful good-for-nothing! How could you steal from your sister?" she screamed, her voice carrying over the stunned audience.
Their father, Joon-oh, hurried to Soo-ah's side, helping her to stand. His face was a mixture of concern and disapproval directed at Na-ri.
A man, a guest Na-ri didn't recognize, strode over to her, his expression one of righteous indignation. "How could you copy your sister's design?" he demanded.
Na-ri looked up at him, her voice steady and cold. "Could you repeat that? I didn't quite hear you."
The murmurs in the crowd grew louder, a cacophony of judgment and speculation.
"Look at her attitude," one woman whispered harshly.
"It's always the illegitimate children," another man muttered.
"I can't believe they housed such a devil," a voice hissed.
"Poor Soo-ah," someone else said sympathetically.
"Very evil girl," another added.
The man in front of Na-ri raised his voice. "Do you want me to repeat myself?"
Na-ri stood up, placing her right index finger gently on his lips. "Shhh, you're too loud," she whispered. "Now let's have our conversation like civilized people." She gestured for him to sit in her seat, then turned and walked towards the stage, her movements graceful and controlled.
Facing the projector screen, she addressed the audience. "What a reasonable design, don't you all think so?" she asked, her voice ringing with clear authority.
The room erupted in a mix of responses.
"Very shameless!" someone shouted.
"Useless bitch!" another spat out.
Na-ri continued, undeterred. "Now, how are we sure Soo-ah drew this design?" she questioned, pausing to let her words sink in.
The crowd began to murmur among themselves, the tide of opinion shifting as they considered her point.
"That's true, it says Na-ri on the screen," someone noted.
"Naturally, Na-ri used to be a designer for her former company," another agreed.
Soo-ah, her tears flowing freely now, looked even more pitiful. "Sister, how could you say that about me? It's not fair," she sobbed.
The crowd was divided, with some siding with the visibly distressed Soo-ah and others beginning to see Na-ri's point.
"Let's clear this up, shall we?" Na-ri's voice cut through the noise, commanding attention. "Soo-ah, please get up and prove it is yours."
Soo-ah, her face streaked with tears, stood and attempted to explain the design. Her explanation was superficial at best, lacking the depth of understanding that only the true designer could provide.
When she finished, Na-ri laughed loudly, the sound sharp and biting. "MC, please get the tech manager in charge of the slides," she ordered.
The tech manager, a middle-aged man with a nervous expression, came forward. Na-ri didn't even glance at him as she took his laptop. "I'm going to zoom in on the design, everyone. I'll give you a surprise of a lifetime. Would you like it?" she asked, her tone almost playful.
She began to zoom in on the image. "I never write my name on my designs," she explained. "You can ask my team manager from the company I worked for before. My manager got very furious with me and decided to give me a new way to identify my works. On any line, I shrink my name on top of it in such a way that it resembles a signature. Now, explain the name Na-ri written on the screen."
The crowd leaned in, straining to see the details. As Na-ri zoomed in further, the faint, intricate lines of her signature became visible. The four-letter name "Na-ri" was unmistakable, a clear indication that the design was indeed hers. The crowd's confusion turned to realization, and the whispers shifted in tone.
"That's true, it says Na-ri on the screen," someone reiterated.
"She used to be a designer; this makes sense," another person acknowledged.
Reporters present began to snap pictures furiously, their cameras flashing as they captured the unfolding drama. They bombarded Soo-ah with questions about the newfound evidence.
Soo-ah, overwhelmed by the scrutiny and the stifling atmosphere, fainted. There was a collective gasp as she collapsed, and people rushed to her aid.
Na-ri watched the scene with a detached amusement. "It's surprising; I am more entertained than I expected," she commented as they carried Soo-ah out of the room towards a waiting ambulance.