Chapter 2 Plagiarism

"The company invested a fortune in this single, and you want to cancel it just like that? I can't explain this to the higher-ups!

"Look, I'll investigate the song theft for now. In the meantime, you need to write a new song as soon as possible to make up for it."

After Anthony left, I sat alone on the couch, lost in thought for a long time.

Lucas had always been close to my girlfriend, Winnie Summer. They grew up together and had been practically inseparable ever since they were children.

After graduating from an international music academy, Lucas entered the entertainment industry with Winnie's help. With her, a renowned actress, as his backer, he signed a contract with Haven Entertainment, the country's biggest entertainment company.

As soon as he debuted, he sang the theme song for an internationally acclaimed director's film.

That was a privilege that I, her actual boyfriend, had never enjoyed. Winnie was always so good to him that I was always jealous and sulking.

However, she justified it every time by saying that her family and his family go way back. She also said that if she didn't help him, people would talk. To avoid putting her in a difficult position, I forced myself to turn a blind eye.

What I hadn't realized was that Lucas was the one she had longed for in her youth but could never have.

Still deep in thought, I scrolled through Lucas' Twitter account, searching for clues. After some searching, I finally found something odd. It was a post from a month ago.

On August 26th, he uploaded a photo with the caption, "Inspirations are flowing like a river."

I zoomed in, examining the image carefully. Suddenly, my mind buzzed with disbelief!

On the sheet of paper in front of him, the lyrics and structure of a song mirrored mine exactly. Even the lyrics I had deleted were there, word for word.

The lyrics were written based on my own personal experiences, so there was no way I could have copied it from him. Had he experienced the same earthquake I did?

'No, that's impossible! Both Lucas and Winnie are from the north. As such, they couldn't possibly have lived on that small southern island. But then, how can our drafts be identical?' I mused.

As I racked my brain, trying to piece together the mystery, Anthony called again. Unsurprisingly, he had no leads on the song theft.

I found myself at a crossroads.

Anthony was right. The company had poured substantial resources into promoting this new song. It wasn't just trending on Twitter but also being promoted on LED screens across major business districts. The initial investment alone was at least several million.

To minimize the company's losses, I had no choice but to rush and compose a brand-new song.

I stormed into my studio and picked up my long-neglected guitar. My hands trembled as I strummed the strings.

This time, I would become my own Nemesis, and I would write a song that captured the injustices of my past life. I refused to believe Lucas could have the same rebirth experience as I did!

After two days of sleepless work, I finally finished the lyrics and composition for the new song. I recorded a rough demo on an old phone and sent it to Anthony immediately.

After listening to it, he responded with excitement and sent five celebratory emojis in a row. "Rock music? Matthew, you're a musical genius! How many more surprises are you hiding?"

Before I could reply, he sent a voice message. "I've already booked the recording studio. I'll pick you up in an hour."

When we emerged from the studio, dawn was breaking.

Anthony rotated his shoulders. "A major holiday is coming up, and the company thinks this is a sensitive time. They want to release your song on October 3rd. What do you think?"

I didn't respond right away. Instead, I asked about Lucas' whereabouts.

"I have a friend at Haven Entertainment. He said Lucas hasn't been going to the company lately. No one knows what he's been up to," he said.

After his song was released, he should have been busy with promotions nationwide. Yet, there was no sign of him doing anything to promote his music. It was strangely quiet.

To avoid any further unexpected incidents, it was wise to observe the situation in advance.

Taking a deep breath, I agreed to delay the release as the company suggested.

Back home, I finally had the best sleep I ever had since my rebirth.

I was awakened by Anthony's pounding on my door.

"Matthew, it's bad! Lucas just released a new song. And it's exactly the same as the one you recorded at dawn!"