Chapter 3

The following day, our Family Day Charity Showcase officially opened.

A dense crowd immediately gathered around the centerpiece painting.

"My god, did a seven-year-old really paint this?"

"Incredible! Look at the perspective, the brushwork..."

"The kid's an absolute prodigy!"

Wayne stood beside the wall, grinning from ear to ear while feigning bashful humility:

"Oh, thank you, thank you. Honestly, he was just doodling in bed..."

A colleague wandered over to me, nudging my arm.

"Evelyn, did you curate this piece? You've got an amazing eye."

I smiled faintly. "I didn't select it. Director Marcus personally approved and hung it."

The colleague looked surprised, sensing the frost in my tone, and quietly stepped away.

At four in the afternoon, the awards ceremony commenced.

The host stepped up with the microphone, voice booming with practiced enthusiasm:

"And the winner of this year's Best Young Artist Award goes to—Leo Miller for "My Little Puppy"!"

Applause thundered through the auditorium.

Wayne walked onto the stage, wiping at his eyes.

The host handed him the trophy. "Wayne, a few words for us?"

Wayne gripped the mic, his voice cracking instantly.

"Thank you... thank you to the company, to Director Marcus, and to everyone who loved my son’s work."

He brushed away a tear. "My boy has leukemia. He couldn't be here today because of his treatments... So I'm accepting this on his behalf."

A breathless silence fell over the room, followed by an even louder, emotional standing ovation.

Our Vice President, Greg, personally walked onto the stage to present a giant three-thousand-dollar novelty check alongside a top-of-the-line Wacom Cintiq drawing tablet.

"Wayne, seeing your boy create such beauty while fighting this battle has deeply moved us all. The executive board has decided to match this prize with an additional corporate grant to support his medical treatments."

Greg gripped Wayne’s hand firmly. "Focus on your family. This company will always have your back."

Wayne sobbed openly. "Thank you... thank you so much..."

Company photographers snapped dozens of pictures.

Greg turned to address the crowd: "Our company stands for empathy, heart, and community support. That is the true social responsibility of a modern enterprise!"

Cheers and whistles echoed through the hall.

"What an incredible company to work for."

"Wayne has it so hard, raising a sick kid alone."

"Can you believe Evelyn tried to block that poor kid's drawing earlier? What a soulless monster."

I watched them in silence, my face completely expressionless.

"Keep laughing."

"The harder you celebrate now, the harder you'll weep when the real creator comes knocking."

The morning after the showcase, Marcus and I were summoned to the VP's office to debrief.

Greg leaned back in his leather chair, heaping praise on Marcus.

"Outstanding work on the showcase. That leukemia story gave our corporate branding a huge positive boost on local media."

Marcus waved his hand modestly. "Just doing my part, Greg. I couldn't bear to let the boy down."

He cut his eyes at me, his tone turning snide.

"Unlike certain people who lack basic human decency. She fought tooth and nail to keep that poor boy off the centerpiece wall. I had to overrule her to make the right call."

Greg’s gaze turned cold as he looked at me. "Evelyn, what happened there?"

"Per company regulations, all submissions require a signed copyright declaration," I answered calmly. "Wayne refused to sign, so I disqualified his piece from the centerpiece."

"Regulations are meant to guide us, but exceptions must be made for extenuating circumstances," Marcus sneered. "The boy is dying, and you wanted legal papers? Do you have any idea how catastrophic the bad press would have been if word got out?"

I met Greg’s gaze directly. "Do you remember Logan's case from last week, sir? The copyright infringement cost us fifty thousand dollars. I was strictly mitigating corporate risk."

Marcus let out a loud snort. "The event is over, Evelyn! Where's the risk? If it weren't for me, this company would be branded as heartless corporate monsters right now!"

Greg nodded in agreement, his tone distinctly cool. "Evelyn, you need to learn agility. Rigidity will destroy your career."

I didn't bother arguing.

Greg waved his hand dismissively. "Marcus handled this with flying colors. I’ll make sure HR adds a commendation to your file along with a spot bonus this quarter. Evelyn, learn from his leadership."

I gave a polite, emotionless nod.

Marcus beamed with victory. As we exited the office, he deliberately brushed his shoulder hard against mine.

"See that?" he whispered with a smirk. "That's how people with brains get ahead."