The voice dripped with venomous sarcasm, causing Linsey to frown at its piercing edge.
She turned to see a woman seated not far off, eyeing her with a look of contempt.
Noticing Linsey’s gaze, Cynthia Keller scoffed and lifted her chin with a smug tilt.
“What? You got a problem?”
The group around Cynthia quickly jumped in, their mocking voices overlapping.
“Who even is she? Never seen her before. Does she even have any work to her name? Or did she just wander in off the street?”
“How does someone like her have the guts to show up here? She’s probably fresh out of school. The audacity to apply at CR-what a joke.”
“Right? CR only interviews real designers-people with credentials, portfolios. How did she even get past the resume screening?”
Linsey instantly caught on. They were deliberately trying to humiliate her. But she kept her expression cool and shot back,
“So, I take it you’re all famous, then?”
Cynthia let out a condescending laugh, her gaze dripping with arrogance.
“New to the design world and already this clueless? Do you even follow the industry?”
She flicked her fingers toward the room.
“Look around. You’re already at a disadvantage, and now you’re proving you don’t even know who you’re up against.”
A wave of laughter rippled through the group.
“Wow. That’s just sad. No reputation, no clue who the top names are-why are you even here?”
“Let’s educate her,” a woman chimed in, regarding Cynthia with admiration.
“This is Cynthia Keller. You’re from Grester, right? Then how do you not know her?”
With a dramatic flourish, she added,
“She’s from the esteemed Keller family-talented, and adored by hundreds of thousands of followers online.”
Linsey’s eyes narrowed slightly before she spoke.
“So, you’re Cynthia Keller?”
Cynthia practically glowed under the attention, her expression brimming with pride. She lifted her chin higher and drawled,
“That’s right. You’ve heard of me? Guess you’re not entirely clueless after all.”
Linsey smiled, her voice deliberate.
“Oh, I’ve heard your name. Like how your design academy thesis was actually written by a ghostwriter. And how it got exposed online when you refused to pay them. Is that true? I have to admit, I’m curious.”
That scandal had been a major embarrassment for Cynthia. The ghostwriter had presented undeniable proof of her academic dishonesty, but the Keller family had spent a fortune burying the story. Most had forgotten-until now.
Linsey hadn’t given it much thought until someone emphasized Cynthia’s reputation, triggering her memory.
Since they had gone out of their way to mock her, she saw no reason to be polite.
Cynthia’s face burned with anger. She snapped,
“What the hell are you saying?! Everyone knows I was framed! Some jealous nobody tried to ruin me!”
Her outburst drew quiet chuckles from the onlookers.
Most might have let the story fade, but the veterans in the design world remembered it well.
Cynthia couldn’t find the words to defend herself, but her entourage jumped in, seizing the moment. One of them pointed an accusatory finger at Linsey.
“What’s your deal? You can’t stand that you’ll never measure up, so now you’re throwing out baseless accusations? You better take that back and apologize to Ms. Keller right now-or get ready for a lawsuit!”
Linsey’s lips twisted into a sneer.
“Did I say something incorrect? Everyone is aware of it. I haven’t slandered Cynthia in the slightest.”
Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the woman who had defended Cynthia, her voice dripping with scorn.
“Moreover, instead of scrutinizing me, maybe you ought to examine your own situation. I believe your surname is Rodriguez, isn’t it? Ms. Rodriguez, wasn’t your latest project embroiled in a plagiarism scandal just three months ago? The judgment has been passed-you’re a plagiarist. Yet somehow, you managed to secure an interview with CR Corporation. Now, that’s a real mystery.”
The accusation caused the woman’s face to stiffen.
“How did you come to know about that?”
Linsey didn’t pause to let her respond; instead, she turned towards another designer.
“And you-Ms. Jimenez, correct? I remember you boasting about winning a design award. Turns out, that recognition could be bought for a price. So, how much did you shell out for that recognition?”
Following that, Linsey proceeded to air the dirty laundry of several individuals. With her voice rising, she exclaimed,
“Each of you has such a notorious reputation online. Next to you all, I’m practically invisible.”
The room filled with faces turned scarlet, including Cynthia’s, as they were overwhelmed with shame.
They struggled to match Linsey’s brisk pace, and more crucially, they lacked concrete proof to counter her claims-which were undeniably true.
Ceasing their taunts, they swiftly changed course and made their exit. In the midst of the ensuing chaos, a voice grumbled,
“Damn it! How does she know all this? She’s just a newbie, isn’t she?”
Overhearing the comment, a sly smile played on Linsey’s lips.
She had prepared exhaustively for the upcoming interview at CR Corporation, making sure she was well-versed in every significant and trivial event within the design community over the past few years. These designers had mistaken her for a soft target and had initiated this confrontation.
Unbeknownst to them, they had messed with the wrong person this time.
As Linsey wrapped up her encounter with these troublesome designers, a group of interviewers stepped forward.
“Everyone, please proceed inside and get ready for your interview,” they instructed.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.