Reality Is Full of Errors

"Wait. Eight hundred thousand dollars?"

Clara leaned toward the screen.

"He's trying to get that much money for one of your designs?"

"No. That's what makes it even stranger."

Mia arranged the four contracts her client had forwarded to her side by side. Each named a different company, but every one promised exclusive use of the same district in ARCA. The proposed advance was $200,000 per company. If all four signed on those terms, the total would come to $800,000.

"My client was only exploring whether to launch a new product in ARCA. They hadn't decided where to open a store, or even set a budget."

"But he's listed them as if they've already agreed to move in?"

"Yeah. Look at the other brands, too."

Mia opened the business proposal. The brand profiles included specific product names, launch windows, and requested store sizes.

At first, she had thought he had simply stolen her creative proposal. But the more she compared the documents, the more inconsistencies she found.

When a company inquired about a new venture, it had to explain what it was planning. The prospective partner needed to know what the company hoped to launch, whom it wanted to reach, and what kind of space and budget it had in mind before it could put together an offer.

That information was meant for evaluating a possible deal. It was not permission to publish the plans or present them as proof of deals that had already been made.

"Did he collect things companies told him during preliminary meetings?" Mia murmured.

"What?"

"He took plans they hadn't even approved yet and presented those companies as signed clients. At least, that's what he did with mine."

Clara stared at the screen. Then she shot to her feet.

"Holy shit. This asshole is a fucking con artist!"

"Clara, your voice—"

"No, seriously, how does someone do this? First he uses my fan's video in an ad without permission, and now he's got your client's information, too?"

Clara paced out of frame and back. She was too furious to sit still.

"Remember him talking to you at my party? He kept looking over at you."

Mia remembered.

Clara's going-away party, a year earlier. Mia had brought her laptop because she still had work to finish, and the man had approached her while it was open.

I've been watching you for a while.

She had thought nothing of it at the time. But in a meeting not long ago, the man had known the exact amount she had been paid for an extra round of revisions.

"We still don't know where he got that information," Mia said.

"That makes it even creepier! You never told him."

Clara was in the middle of another furious sentence when she abruptly fell silent.

"...Sis."

"Yeah?"

"It was my party."

Mia looked up.

"What?"

"I kept bugging you to come early. You weren't even done working, and you brought your laptop because of me. That's where you met him."

"Clara."

"If I'd just paid a little more attention—"

"How could you have known?"

Clara pressed her lips together.

"I'm still sorry."

"Inviting him to the same party doesn't give him the right to take somebody else's information."

"Of course it doesn't."

"Then it isn't your fault."

Mia pointed at the screen.

"Right now, let's find out what he actually did."

Clara nodded slowly, then picked up her phone.

"I'm calling my lawyer. I'll ask if you can speak to them, too."

"Okay. Thanks."

"Don't thank me. We're dealing with this together."

Just before she tapped the call button, Clara looked at Mia again.

"But I really am sorry."

Mia managed a tired smile.

"Then buy me something good to eat later."

"Anything. Whatever you want."

"I'm picking somewhere expensive."

"Obviously."

Clara clenched her jaw.

"First, we deal with that bastard."

When the lawyer appeared on-screen, Clara tried to explain everything from the beginning. She poured out the story of the man approaching Mia at the party, the fan's video appearing in an advertisement, and the client's creative proposal, all in one breath.

The lawyer listened until she was finished, then asked them to send over the documents.

A law firm in 2040 had access to an enormous range of information. It could cross-check electronic signature records attached to contracts, trace a document's distribution history, and compare corporate connections against publicly recorded disputes across multiple information networks.

But getting search results quickly did not mean every question had an answer.

"These four documents appear to be proposed agreements," the lawyer said.

The lawyer highlighted the same provision in each contract.

"Each brand is being promised sole use of the same district. Those terms cannot all be honored at once."

"So it's fraud!" Clara burst out.

"There are grounds for serious concern. But we still need to establish whether any of these companies actually signed, or paid the advances. Above all, we need to confirm whether this investor had the authority to sell exclusive rights to that district in the first place."

Mia spoke up.

"Can you also find out why my client is listed in his proposal?"

"That will be part of the investigation. We'll look into how information the companies shared during preliminary discussions reached this business."

The lawyer paused and turned to Mia.

"There is one thing I need to tell you up front, Ms. Collins."

"Yes?"

"Even if we establish that your work was used without authorization, there's no guarantee your client will immediately resume the project."

Mia's hand went still on her laptop.

"Even if I can prove I wasn't the one who shared it?"

"Those are separate issues. If information about an unreleased product has been exposed, the company will have to determine how far it spread. It may even change its marketing plans altogether."

Clara could not hold back.

"Wait. So some guy steals the information, and Mia's the one who ends up unable to work?"

"That is a possibility at this stage. We'll move as quickly as we can to preserve and obtain the relevant records."

"But in a world where you can track all this stuff, why is Mia the one who has to pay for it?"

The lawyer had no easy answer.

Mia understood, too. A file could be taken down from a screen, but there was no way to erase a launch plan from the mind of someone who had already read it.

"Okay. I understand."

Mia forwarded the original files and messages she had received from her client. Clara checked the accounts where the unauthorized ad was still running and sent additional evidence.

Even after the legal team began its investigation, Mia's work calendar did not change.

ON HOLD.

The two words seemed impossibly large.

Her call with the client in Seoul was shorter than she had expected.

"We're not saying we suspect you, Mia. But headquarters has decided to pause the campaign until we can establish the extent of the exposure."

"Yes. I understand."

"We'll be in touch as soon as we know more."

Mia ended the call and opened her schedule. The revisions she was supposed to finish that week and the follow-up campaign set to begin the next were both frozen.

The Seoul cosmetics company had paid Mia $14,000 for the campaign. With the rush revision fee, her total compensation came to $16,000.

It was a substantial amount of money.

But she had barely rested during the two weeks it took to earn it. She had learned new technology, worked across multiple tools, and kept revising the concept and designs as the client's requests changed. Advances in technology meant she could now do work on her own that had once required several people. They had not made her any less accountable for the result.

She knew she was fortunate to be able to work that way.

Her family had not been so lucky.

As the jobs they had held for years were automated one by one, several of her relatives lost their livelihoods. When they found work again, the contracts were short or the income unpredictable. Mia had learned the new tools early, and the work had only increased for her. Somewhere along the way, she had become the person who covered most of the family's living expenses and her mother's medical bills.

No one had forced her to do it.

She just didn't want her mom postponing an appointment because of the cost of a test. She didn't want her family lying awake worrying about next month's bills. She had figured that as long as she could earn more, she would.

But what happened if the work stopped?

Mia opened her transfers for the month. Her mother's testing fees and the living expenses she sent home regularly were listed by date.

She wasn't out of money. She had savings. What frightened her was not knowing when, or whether, the work on hold would start again.

And what if word of this reached her other clients?

Mia closed the transfer history.

A message from her mother arrived just then.

They confirmed my test date. I know you're busy, so don't worry about me.

Mia started typing a reply, then stopped.

I'll make time and come see you.

She stared at the words for a long time.

Could she really go?

She deleted the sentence and asked for the date again instead.

By afternoon, the legal team had sent over its first findings.

The records came from an event service used at Clara's going-away party a year earlier. They indicated that someone had accessed a portion of Mia's work notifications through the account she had used that night, even though those notifications had nothing to do with the event. The service was operated by a company connected to the investor.

Those records alone could not establish how the Seoul client's entire creative proposal had leaked. But they offered a possible explanation for how the man had known the exact amount of Mia's additional revision fee.

Mia read the report, rubbing her fingertips together.

She remembered opening her laptop at the party. She remembered the man standing behind her.

She had never imagined someone might have been able to look through her work notifications.

She sent the report to Clara, who called immediately.

"Sis, I saw it. The event service was run by his company?"

"A company connected to him. We still don't know exactly what anyone saw."

"This is fucking insane."

Clara took a deep breath.

"If I say I'm sorry again, are you going to get mad at me?"

"Yep."

"Fine. But I haven't forgotten I owe you dinner."

Mia smiled a little.

"Don't you dare forget that."

Clara hesitated, then sent another document.

"And this. The lawyer gave me a list of vendors involved in making the ad. Recognize any of these names?"

Mia scrolled through the list until one name caught her eye.

AFTER THE RAIN.

"Oh, I know this one. I met the guy who runs it at an ARCA market."

Mia found Jay in her contacts and reached out. A little later, he joined a call with Clara.

"All we supplied was the scent effect used at the event venue," he explained.

Jay pointed to the garden in the advertisement.

"The fan's voice and the video footage weren't part of our work. I can send you the invoice and delivery records."

"Really? Thank you so much."

Clara received the files and let out a relieved breath.

"I feel like all I've done today is check things like this."

"Then send those over and take a break," Jay said.

"I wish I could."

"The documents aren't going to run away if you rest for a few minutes."

Clara looked at him, surprised, and then smiled.

"I guess they won't."

After the call, Mia asked casually.

"So, what do you think of Jay?"

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Just asking."

Clara forwarded his records to the lawyer as she answered.

"He's easy to talk to."

Mia smiled. Clara narrowed her eyes.

"What are you smiling at?"

"I didn't say anything."

"You said plenty with your face."

They both laughed. For those few seconds, Mia forgot about the contracts she had been staring at all morning.

A new message from the investor arrived right after that.

It seems things have become complicated for you. I've revised the terms.

The attached document offered more money than before. Mia saved it to forward to the lawyer, then stopped when she saw a clause in the preview.

Joint use of existing creative materials.

The wording would allow them to use not only work she might create in the future, but also the concepts and designs she had already made.

Mia did not read any further.

First, explain how you obtained my client's materials.

The man called as soon as she sent the message.

"Have you had a chance to review the agreement?"

"I have. Why are you proposing joint use of my work?"

"Isn't that a natural part of working together?"

"I never agreed to work with you."

He gave a short laugh.

"Mia, I understand you've run into some trouble with your client. I could help smooth things over."

"Why is my client's name in a proposal for a commercial district they never agreed to lease?"

"When you're developing a business, you discuss a range of possibilities."

"Your proposal doesn't say 'possibility.' It says their tenancy is confirmed."

A brief silence followed.

"You can't know every decision your client makes, can you?"

Mia closed the agreement.

"Then confirm it with my client. And with ARCA."

"There's no need to make this more complicated than it has to be."

"You're the one who made it complicated."

His voice dropped.

"With the amount I'm offering, you wouldn't be losing anything."

"Don't try to make a deal with me using something I created."

"I think there's been a misunderstanding."

"Then tell me where you got the files."

He did not answer.

Mia took a steadying breath.

"I'm not signing. From now on, contact me through my lawyer."

"That could make it difficult to resolve the situation with your client."

"Why would that be up to you?"

Mia ended the call.

She did not regret refusing the offer. What frightened her was that she had no idea what else he might have taken from her.

She organized the new agreement, the messages, and the details of the call, then sent everything to the lawyer. The legal team requested that the relevant companies preserve their records and asked ARCA to confirm the commercial rights the investor claimed to hold.

Meanwhile, Mia heard nothing from her client in Seoul.

She opened her work calendar and closed it, over and over. The hold was still there.

As evening approached, her mother called.

"Mom."

"I sent you the date of my test, right?"

"Yeah. I saw it."

"When are you coming to visit?"

Mia looked out the window.

"I'll try to make it work."

"You said that last year."

"This time I mean it."

Her mother was quiet for a moment.

"Have you eaten?"

Mia thought of the salad still sitting in the fridge.

"I'm about to."

"You're always about to eat."

"I really am this time."

Her mother laughed. Mia tried to laugh along, but her voice would not quite come out.

"Is something wrong?"

"Work got a little complicated."

"How complicated?"

"...A little."

"Then go to bed early tonight. If you make yourself sick, all that money you send us won't mean a thing."

When the call ended, the room went quiet.

Mia looked again at the transfer history beside her laptop.

This month would be fine. She could manage next month somehow, too. The problem was what came after that.

Clara called, but Mia could not answer right away. Her vision had blurred, and she could barely make out the screen.

A moment later, her phone rang again.

"Sis, do you want me to come over?"

Mia wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"No. I'm okay."

"You're not okay."

"...No."

The moment she admitted it, the tears she had been holding back spilled over.

"I just want to work."

Clara said nothing.

"I want to keep doing what I've always done."

Mia looked down at her laptop. Her hands knew exactly what to do once she started a project. Today, there was nothing she was allowed to do.

Then a notification chimed.

It was a message from her client in Seoul.

Mia, would you be available for a quick call?

Her stomach dropped.

"Clara, I need to call my client. I'll call you back."

"Okay. Call them right now."

Mia pressed the call button with a trembling hand.

"Mia, headquarters just received confirmation."

The account manager's voice sounded different from earlier.

"Confirmation of what?"

"ARCA sent us an official response about that company's authority. They were an outside partner permitted to participate in preliminary leasing discussions, but they had no authority to sell or promise exclusive rights to the commercial district."

"...What?"

"They also confirmed the documents offering the same district to four different brands. The commercial offers that company was handling have now been suspended."

Mia gripped the edge of the desk.

"They confirmed all that already?"

"We weren't expecting a response this quickly, either."

The account manager sent her another document.

"We've also confirmed that your creative proposal was included in their pitch without authorization. Nothing in the records obtained so far indicates that you provided the material to them. The investigation into how it leaked will continue."

Mia opened the attachment. The document's verification mark and issue time were clearly displayed.

"Then..."

"Please resume the campaign we put on hold. We'll adjust the schedule on our end."

For a moment, Mia could not speak.

"Mia?"

"Yes. I'm here."

"I'm sorry you've had to deal with this."

"No, thank you. Thank you for calling."

As soon as the call ended, a message from the lawyer arrived.

The legal team had received ARCA's official response, and the identified contract offers had been halted. They would continue investigating whether the investor had circulated other materials elsewhere.

Still dazed, Mia called Clara back.

Clara practically shouted before Mia could say a word.

"Sis! All the ads are down!"

"...What?"

"Even the outside ad accounts we found have stopped running them! My lawyer just confirmed it."

"Wait. My client just called me, too."

"What did they say?"

"They want me to start working again."

Clara's mouth fell open.

"What? Seriously?"

"Yeah."

"Whoa, hold on. What the hell just happened?"

Mia looked back and forth between her laptop and her phone.

Only hours earlier, the lawyer had warned that the investigation would take time. Once a company's launch plans were exposed, the damage would not be easy to undo.

And yet the necessary confirmations had suddenly come through from ARCA. Her client wanted her back on the project. The ads Clara's fan had never consented to had stopped running on every account they had identified.

The legal team had been acting on the evidence Mia and Clara provided, but ARCA's response had arrived far sooner than anyone expected.

"Did you ask the lawyer?" Mia said.

"Yeah. Even they didn't expect things to move this fast."

"Why all of a sudden?"

"I have no idea. But right now..."

Clara smiled.

"Sis, you really get to go back to work?"

Mia found herself smiling, too. Her cheeks were still wet.

"Yeah. They want me back."

"Then that's enough. For now, that's enough."

Mia nodded.

She still did not know what consequences the investor would face or how far the leaked materials had spread. But the work that had come to a standstill was hers again.

Clara told the fan that the ads they had identified were no longer running. She kept her promise not to publish a public apology video.

A little later, the fan replied.

Thank you.

Clara showed Mia the message.

"I can finally breathe a little."

"You did a lot today."

"So did you. But let me and the lawyer handle the rest. You focus on your work."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I know how to do things, too, you know."

Mia smiled.

"I know."

"And eat something. You haven't had a thing all day, have you?"

Mia glanced toward the refrigerator.

"...How did you know?"

"Sis. How many years have I known you?"

Mia took the salad she had put in the fridge the day before and sat down at the table.

It had been a strange day.

That morning, she had discovered her creative proposal inside someone else's business documents. In the afternoon, her client had frozen the project. By evening, she had been told to get back to work.

Her phone buzzed.

Logan.

Busy again today?

Mia typed a reply, then deleted it.

There was so much she wanted to tell him. But explaining it from the beginning felt like living through the entire day all over again.

I don't think I can get on ARCA tonight.

His answer came quickly.

Okay. Make sure you eat something.

Mia let out a small laugh.

Everyone keeps telling me to eat today.

They probably have a reason.

Only then did Mia take a bite of her salad.

A little later, another message arrived.

You can tell me what happened another time, if you want.

Mia stared at the words for a while.

There was something strangely comforting about not having to explain herself right now.

Thank you. I miss you.

She felt a little shy as soon as she sent it.

Logan did not keep her waiting long.

I miss you, too.

After dinner, Mia opened her laptop again. She organized the files for her client and made a note of the questions she still needed to ask the lawyer. She would also have to look into flights around her mother's test date.

She did not log in to ARCA that night.

Much later, when she finally closed her laptop, she noticed the empty chair across the dining table.

What would it have been like if someone had been sitting there with her today?

She thought of Logan. In ARCA, she could sit beside him. She could even hold his hand.

But here, in her own room, she did not even know which city he was in.

Mia picked up her phone.

I'll definitely see you tomorrow.

His reply came a moment later.

I'll be waiting.

Mia looked at the screen for a long time.

Tonight, she thought, those words were enough.