Callie looked up, startled. “Mr. Oconnor.”
Nelson noticed she was sorting through a pile of trivial documents and was surprised. Wasn’t she a designer? He had seen her designs before and thought they were quite good. Why was she doing assistant work now?
“Could you bring me the latest packaging design proposal?”
Callie hesitated for a moment and then quickly responded, “Sure, I’ll get it for you.”
But then she remembered that the design had been hers, only to be plagiarized by Lorelai. She hadn’t yet proven her innocence.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Oconnor. I’m not in charge of that project. If you want to see the design, you should talk to Miss Ryan.”
A hint of suspicion crossed Nelson’s face.
“You’re not responsible for this project?”
Callie nodded and sat back down.
“Miss Ryan is handling it personally. If you have any questions, you should ask her.”
Lorelai, having heard that Nelson wanted to review the designs, hurried over with a spring in her step. “Mr. Oconnor, the design is in my office. You can take a look there.”
Nelson thought Callie was responsible for this project since he had seen her design drafts at home, but now Lorelai was in charge of it, which started suspicion.
To solve the confusion, he went to Lorelai’s office.
Lorelai quickly placed the design documents in front of Nelson. “Mr. Oconnor, this is the finalized design. The client is very satisfied with it.”
Nelson had not been particularly interested, but as he examined the design on the computer, his expression darkened, especially when he saw that the credit was solely given to Lorelai.
He seemed to understand why Callie was in a bad mood.
“Did you design it by yourself?” he asked.
Lorelai replied without missing a beat, “Yes, Mr. Oconnor.”
Nelson smirked. “If that’s the case, Miss Ryan, why don’t you explain your design concept to me?”
Lorelai hesitated but then began, “My design concept is based on the essence of the product. I combined its features with bold color choices to make it stand out…”
Lorelai, having been in the design department for years, had a certain level of skill. When she finished, she looked sincerely at Mr. Oconnor.
“Of course, these are just my ideas. I would appreciate any feedback you have.”
Nelson looked at her. “Interesting, Miss Ryan. Your concept is quite innovative, but it’s also superficial and flashy.”
Lorelai’s expression froze.
Nelson continued, “Miss Ryan, are you sure you created this design entirely on your own?”
Lorelai didn’t understand the implication but responded, “Yes, Mr. Oconnor.”
Nelson then said, “Really? Because it’s quite a coincidence that I’ve seen the same design from two different people.”
Lorelai was stunned.
She looked at Nelson, her mouth opening and closing as she struggled for words.
“Miss Ryan, do you care to explain this?”
“Mr. Oconnor, I… I… this is my design,” Lorelai stammered, clutching her clothes. She couldn’t admit the truth. If she did, she would be finished.
“I don’t know where you saw a similar design, but if that’s the case, someone must have plagiarized my work. I reserve the right to pursue this legally.”