Chapter 4

Julian didn't just want Isabella; he wanted to eliminate me. His campaign was systematic. Little comments in class about my "limited" vision, suggestions to professors that my work was "derivative."

Isabella, caught between Julian's ambition and her father's approval of him, started to echo his criticisms.

"Maybe Julian has a point, Ethan," she'd say, avoiding my gaze. "Your ending for 'Desert Bloom' is a bit... bleak."

The pressure mounted. Her father, Mr. Hayes, made it clear he saw Julian as the better prospect, both personally and professionally for Isabella. A merger of dynasties, almost.

The final act of Julian's play was the plagiarism accusation. He claimed 'Desert Bloom', my thesis, the script I'd bled over for months, was a concept he'd developed with Isabella, and that I'd stolen it.

I remember the shock, the disbelief. How could Isabella let this happen?

The student film showcase was supposed to be my moment. 'Desert Bloom' was the centerpiece of my portfolio. Instead, it became my execution.

Isabella took the stage before my segment. Her father's studio was a major sponsor of the event, their logo everywhere. She had the microphone, the spotlight, the power.

"It's with a heavy heart," she began, her voice trembling just enough to sound sincere, "that I have to address a difficult situation."

She looked directly at me, a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes. Then it was gone.

"The script known as 'Desert Bloom', which Mr. Miller is presenting, was, in fact, a collaborative idea between myself and Julian Vance."

A gasp went through the auditorium.

"Ethan was privy to our early discussions," she continued, her voice gaining strength, "and we believe he took those ideas and presented them as solely his own."

Julian, standing beside her, nodded sadly, the picture of a wronged man.

My professor, who had championed my script, looked stunned. My classmates stared.

"My father's studio," Isabella declared, her voice ringing with false righteousness, "cannot condone plagiarism. We are withdrawing our interest in Mr. Miller's project and, frankly, in Mr. Miller himself."

It was a public denouncement, a death sentence for a young filmmaker. My career in Hollywood was over before it even began. The shame was a physical weight, crushing me.

I walked out of that showcase, leaving 'Desert Bloom' and my dreams behind.