Hiding Behind Her Superficiality novel Chapter 401
“It’s fine. Just give me his Instagram, and I will do the rest!” Yelena wasn’t afraid of being scammed. As she spoke, she took out her phone and got the Instagram handle from the driver. However, as soon as the man, whose profile was a fluffy cat, accepted her friend request, she began having second thoughts.
“What’s the matter? Are you scared now?” Elspeth sat in the backseat and watched with amusement when she saw the stiff expression on Yelena’s face.
“No, I’m not! I’ll accept it right away!” Then, she accepted the man’s request without hesitation.
The man seemed to be a reserved person and was careful with his words. ‘Hello.’ He sent a text to her.
At that moment, even someone as talkative as Yelena didn’t know how to respond. Then, she sent a smiley emoji and wrote, ‘Hi.’
The man seemed to have been quiet for a while before sending her a selfie. In the picture, the man was holding a cat while smiling. It showed one side of his face, revealing his high nose, red lips, and sparkling eyes.
‘My dad just told me you are my blind date, so you should send me a picture too.’
A blind date? That escalated quickly, thought Yelena. Although the man looked handsome, she felt that things were going too fast.
‘Don’t you think this is going too fast? After all, we just met,’ she wrote. Moreover, she accepted the man’s friend request just for fun. However, his texts made her feel like she was preparing for a date.
‘No, it isn’t. This is how a blind date works. Have you never been on one before?’
Looking at his text, Yelena fell silent.
After some time, Elspeth waved at the driver to stop the car. As they got off the cab, the man was persistent. When he saw that Yelena had not replied to him, he sent her a question mark.
‘It’s nothing. I am just flabbergasted.’
‘I’m waiting for your selfie,’ the man asked again, seemingly interested to know how she looked.
When Elspeth saw how persistent the man was, she despised him and said to Yelena, “I bet the photo he sent you is fake. He must be a pervert who likes collecting photos of others.”
If that is indeed the case, he’s simply disgusting. Yelena shuddered at the thought. Immediately, she opened her camera and took a photo of her looking at a 45-degree angle. When she sent the ugliest photo she had ever taken herself to the man, she imagined him being disgusted and blocking her number.
However, she was not prepared for his response. ‘You look adorable,’ he wrote in the message.
Adorable? Is he out of his mind? Yelena couldn’t believe what she was seeing. ‘Are you blind or something?’ she wrote.
The man seemed to be speechless by her words. After some time, he replied, ‘The place you are in right now looks familiar. Are you at Luna Bar?’
When Yelena saw his text, she didn’t know what he was talking about and looked at the sign behind her. ‘Yes. I’m at Luna Bar.’
Besides her, Elspeth saw her reply and rubbed her nose awkwardly. “I brought you here since you are in a bad mood, so I thought you could drink your problems away. Perhaps you’d feel better. I like drinking at this place whenever I’m in a bad mood,” she explained.
‘Why don’t you turn around?’ The man sent another message.
Elspeth was startled when she saw it.
At that moment, Yelena turned around and saw a tall figure standing under the lamppost. In that split second, she was embarrassed and thought, Is he the man in the picture?
Seeing that she was dumbfounded, the man approached her. Only when he stood before her did Yelena snap out of her trance. “Turns out you’re not a sleazy guy who uses a fake photo,” she said subconsciously.
A sleazy guy who uses a fake photo? Hank was baffled by her words. Then, he looked at her and asked threateningly, “What do you mean by that?”
At that moment, Yelena realized she had misspoken. “No, no. That’s not what I meant. It was a slip of a tongue,” she said hastily.
“Well, indeed it was,” he replied.
At that, she chuckled dryly.
On the other hand, Elspeth took the initiative and got Yelena out of the sticky situation when she realized the latter was in trouble. “What’s your name?” she asked Hank.
“I’m Hank Damazio,” Hank replied with a smile.
Hank Damazio? He sounds familiar, thought Elspeth. Then, she suddenly remembered that he was a famous lawyer with a silver tongue. Apparently, he never made a single mistake during cases, and those who asked for his help won their lawsuits without fail.
“Mr. Damazio, it seems that you live up to your name.” After all, Elspeth felt he had his ways with words and was fooling Yelena.
Since both Elspeth and Hank were intelligent people, they could tell what each other was thinking at first glance. Hence, Hank didn’t miss out on the contempt in her eyes. However, he wasn’t mad about it and continued to smile.
As Yelena was busy shooting movies, she knew nothing about Hank’s identity. Hence, it was only natural that she did not know who he was. “What are you guys talking about?” she asked in confusion.
Looking at her, Elspeth decided not to tell her about it. “It’s nothing. The Damazio Family is quite famous. You can look them up when you are free.”
It was rumored that the Damazios were all people who worked as politicians or lawyers.
When Yelena heard her words, she nodded thoughtfully. “If that is so, why is your father a cab driver?” she asked Hank.
As expected from her, Yelena’s thought process was different from others.
At that moment, Hank’s smile stiffened. “I don’t know either. It’s a hobby of Father’s…”
Yelena smiled upon hearing him and said, “Don’t worry. Since we know each other now, we are good friends. Say, do you want to join us for a drink? We are celebrating my breakup today.”
A glint flashed across Hank’s eyes. “Really? Did you break up with the young master of the Winthrop Family?”
At that moment, Yelena recalled that the engagement between her and Max had caused quite a stir. Thinking about it, she was flustered and said, “Yes. We have broken up.”
“Don’t worry. You deserve better.” Hank ruffled her hair. Since he was a tall man, he could easily touch the top of her head.
Yelena wasn’t used to the closeness between them and took a few steps back. “Alright, now. Let’s stop talking and start drinking.” Then, she pulled Elspeth, who was looking at Hank warily, into the bar.
As Hank looked at her walking away frantically, he smiled brightly. Initially, he received a text from his father, telling him that a woman who looked similar to Yelena, the celebrity, had asked him to introduce Hank to her. At that moment, Hank’s heart skipped a beat, and he asked his father to give her his number.
When the girl accepted his friend request, he bugged her into sending a selfie. Although the picture she sent was bizarre, Hank could still tell at first glance that she was Yelena, the woman he had longed for. Never did he expect that she had broken up with Max. At that moment, he swore to himself that he would not let her escape!
When Elspeth heard her words, she sighed and looked at Hank. Seeing that Hank seemed to be amused by what Yelena had said, she frowned.
“That is why I will never forgive him. He still hasn’t looked for me. That means he doesn’t love me anymore… I hate him! I f*cking hate him!” Yelena was extremely drunk, and she was smiling giddily at the people around them.
At this moment, a fat man beside her saw that she was drunk. Then, he approached her with a smile. “Do you have a boyfriend, girly? Why don’t we have some time alone?”
Seeing that he had put his dirty hand on her, Yelena screamed, “Don’t you dare touch me! It’s disgusting! Go away!”
Initially, the man was laughing. However, when he heard her words, he was furious. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. I’m giving you an option here, and you’d better take it. If you keep up with the innocent act, I won’t go easy on you!” As he spoke, he raised his hand and tried to slap her.
At that moment, Yelena raised her head and looked at the man’s hand with her sparkly eyes.
Suddenly, the man felt pain in his wrist. When he turned around to see who it was, he saw the tall man standing beside Yelena grabbing him. The look in his eyes was terrifying.
“Who are you trying not to go easy on?” Although Hank’s words were soft and casual, the man could hear the threatening tone in his voice.
“Why are you doing this to me? I don’t think I have offended you.” The man was in agony, but he didn’t dare say anything.
“I’m asking a question here. Whom are you trying to mess with?” Hank stared at him with a stoic expression. His eyes were cold and ruthless.
When Elspeth saw his face, she was surprised that the gentle Hank could be so ruthless when he was angry.
The man was horrified and pleaded for forgiveness. “I didn’t mean anything. I just wanted to treat this beautiful woman to a drink. If she is unwilling to, I will just back off. I wouldn’t dream of using force…”
However, Hank didn’t want to let him off the hook. Although he had released the man, he suddenly kicked him.
The man cried in pain as he fell to the ground. When he saw the crowd looking at him like a laughing stock, he felt humiliated and furious. “How dare you treat me like this? Do you know who I am?”
“I don’t need to know who you are, but you must know whom you are dealing with.”
Yelena was drunk and didn’t know what was happening between them. However, she vaguely felt like she was the cause of this. Hence, she pointed at herself and asked dumbly, “Are you talking about me?”
“Of course,” replied Hank with a smile. At that moment, his cold attitude had vanished.
As Elspeth stood beside and watched the scene, she didn’t feel the need to take matters into her hands. Moreover, it seemed like Hank cared for Yelena more than she expected.
“I am the almighty in Damoria. If you offend me, you won’t be forgiven.” At that moment, the man scrambled up from the ground and pointed at Hank’s nose with his finger as he spoke.
“How rude of you to point your fingers at others,” said Hank. This time, he quickly grabbed the man’s finger and bent it. In that split second, a bone-cracking sound was heard. Soon, the man’s finger was broken.
“Ah!” The man howled in pain.
“Leave, or I will make things worse for you.” Hank gave one last warning to him. Only at that moment did the man know Hank was not someone to be easily messed with. Then, he spat and quickly ran off. After that, Hank raised an eyebrow at Elspeth and said, “Please take care of the rest, Miss Lynwood.”
Elspeth was slightly surprised by his actions and nodded. “Of course.” Then, she sent a text to the bar manager. ‘Stop the man who just ran away and give him a hell of a beating,’ she texted.
When she raised her head, Hank had a satisfied smile on his face. “I’m so glad that Yelena has such a good friend like you to protect her.”
Hearing his words, Elspeth felt that something was off with it. Why does it feel like he is her family, and I am an outsider? she thought.
“Yelena is my friend. It’s only natural that I will protect her from all harm.” You, on the other hand, are kind of crossing the line.
Before Elspeth could finish her words, Yelena stumbled over and flopped herself into Hank’s embrace. She even snuggled up to him in satisfaction and said, “You are so warm. I’m getting kind of tired now.” As soon as she was done talking, she fell asleep.
Looking at her, Elspeth sighed and was ready to pull Yelena out of Hank’s embrace when he immediately hugged her closer to him.
“Don’t you think this is inappropriate?” asked Elspeth.
Since Hank was tall, he was relaxed as he carried the petite Yelena in his arms. “I don’t see the problem here. If you were to carry her, she might be uncomfortable.”
Elspeth rubbed her nose at his words since he had a point. After letting out a sigh, she allowed him to carry Yelena.
“It’s getting late. Let’s get you guys home. I’m sure you guys have had enough drinks for tonight,” said Hank.
Initially, Elspeth thought he would try to think of ways to take Yelena to his home or find an opportunity to be alone. After all, Hank’s intentions were pretty obvious to her. However, she didn’t know he was such a gentleman.
“That’ll be great. Thank you.”
As she spoke, she took Yelena’s jacket, which the woman had taken off while drunk, and followed behind Hank. However, she didn’t expect to see a familiar car as soon as she walked out the door. Isn’t that Callum’s car?
While she was caught in surprise, Hank suddenly disappeared. At that moment, Elspeth was nervous. After all, she wouldn’t be able to find Yelena since she didn’t have his number. As she stepped forward, she heard a familiar voice calling for her from the car.
“Elspeth.” The spokesperson’s voice made Elspeth stop in her tracks.
What happened at the Winthrop Residence was still a fresh memory for her, and she couldn’t overlook it. Hence, she felt like she had been wronged when she looked into Callum’s calm eyes.
“What do you want?” she asked him.
However, Callum didn’t get out of the car. Just as Elspeth thought he was calling her for fun, he suddenly said, “Get in.”
“I don’t have time to talk with you. I still have other things to do.” As she spoke, she turned around and left.
Callum seemed to have known what was on her mind and said, “Yelena is fine. You don’t have to worry about her.” He smirked when he saw that she turned around and looked at him.
Elspeth stopped, turned around, and asked him, “How do you know about this?”
Callum found it amusing when he heard her words. “Why do you think I’m here?” he asked.
Noticing that he was serious about it, Elspeth hesitantly got into his car. When she closed the door and was met with Callum’s cold eyes, she returned to her senses and asked, “How did you know about this? Did Hank send you a text telling you about it?” She didn’t quite believe her words, though. After all, Hank had only recently returned to Damoria, so he wouldn’t have any connections with Callum.
On the other hand, Callum was speechless by her words, but he nodded anyway since he didn’t want to discuss how he had known about this matter. “That’s right. He told me about it.”
Although he replied without hesitation, Elspeth didn’t believe him and felt that he was lying. After all, she didn’t think Callum would do such a thing. “Have you forgotten that Yelena is Max’s fiancée? How could you possibly allow someone else to take her away?”
“This has nothing to do with me.” Callum looked at her casually.
When Elspeth heard his words, she was startled. Suddenly, she couldn’t help but complain, “In that case, why are you here?” There is nothing between us anymore. Why is he looking for me, anyway? she thought. There was no way she would believe that he was here to spend time with her.
“I’m here to tell you about something, of course.” Callum gripped the steering wheel and looked in front. After some time, his eyes dimmed, and he said, “I’m sorry.”
Elspeth couldn’t believe what she was hearing and felt that it was ridiculous. “What are you apologizing for all of a sudden? What did you do wrong?” Is he out of his mind?
Callum’s eyes turned cold at her words, and annoyance filled his eyes. “I’m apologizing for what I said to you tonight.”
Hearing his words, Elspeth recalled Callum’s hurtful words and the way he overstepped the line. Looks like he’s apologizing to maintain his image.
After Elspeth thought about it, she felt sad. Then, she waved him off and acted like she didn’t care. “It’s fine. You don’t have to apologize to me. After all, I am only an outsider, and it is inappropriate for me to intervene with your family business. I should be the one who is sorry.”
As soon as she spoke, Callum squinted his eyes and looked at her threateningly. “Just accept my apology and stop talking.”
Elspeth was taken aback by his words and felt even more upset. At that moment, she couldn’t help but raise her voice, saying, “If you are just here to apologize, you don’t need to come all the way. After all, I will not accept your apology, nor am I worthy enough to forgive you.”
Then, she opened the car door and got out. “Also, I have something to say, Mr. Winthrop.” She turned around and smiled at him. “Please stop seeing me. Miss McGrath won’t be happy when she knows about this, after all.”
Her words had drawn a line between them.
Callum didn’t know what to say and could only look at her cold eyes. At that moment, he felt distressed.
“I got it,” responded Callum as he lowered his head, hiding his emotions away.
Elspeth took a deep breath and smiled. “If there isn’t anything else, I’ll be taking my leave.”
“Alright.” Callum gave her a final look before driving off without hesitation.
After he left, Elspeth felt her knees weaken, and she almost fell to the ground. However, she quickly sorted out her emotions since she was still unsure about Hank’s personality. At this moment, she had to find Yelena.
On the other hand, Hank wasn’t having a great time. After he had placed Yelena in the passenger seat and was about to call Elspeth, he saw Callum calling out to her. Seeing that it was one of her acquaintances, he didn’t worry much. Thus, he immediately got into the car and drove Yelena home.
Truthfully, he intended to find an opportunity to be alone with Yelena. However, Yelena wasn’t as quiet as he thought she would be. After fidgeting in her seat, she suddenly opened her eyes and looked at him. When Hank was met with her clear eyes, his heart skipped a beat, and he felt guilty. He was worried that Yelena would have a bad impression on him and thought he was some hooligan with bad intentions.
“I’m just…” Before he could tell her that he was just trying to get her home, Yelena giggled.
Hank was surprised by that. “Why are you so happy?” he asked.
Although Yelena was laughing, she had tears in her eyes. “I’ve finally broken up with him. In the past, I kept all of it to myself when he cheated on me and slept with other women. He kept these things away from me and never told me about it,” she said softly. Then, she lowered her head and wiped away her tears. “I will never forgive him for what he has done. Never.”
As Hank heard her words, he was heartbroken. “Yes. He is a bad guy. Let’s not be friends with him anymore.” He reached out and ruffled her hair. Feeling the soft sensation, he sighed. “I’m sorry. You wouldn’t have experienced these nasty things had I come to you sooner.”
“What does this have to do with you?” asked Yelena as she shook her head. “It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have acted dumb and ignored it.” It was painful for her to ignore the fact that Max had cheated on her. She kept it to herself for so long that she couldn’t withstand it anymore.
“Say, am I not good enough? Is that why he cheated on me?” Tears were glistening in her eyes.
Hank gently wiped away her tears and replied, “Are you hearing yourself? You are good enough. Everyone loves you for who you are.”
“Why doesn’t he like me, then?” After she spoke, she closed her eyes and fell asleep again.
At that moment, Hank felt a sudden rage overwhelming him. He gripped the steering wheel tightly and tried to calm himself down.
Max, eh? I won’t forgive you for what you have done to Yelena.
…
In the meantime, Elspeth received a notification from her phone just as she steadied herself. It was a stranger’s phone number. When she opened the message, she saw a picture of Yelena’s house.
‘I have sent Yelena back home safely. I’m sorry, Miss Lynwood. You might have to go back on your own,’ the person texted her.
Knowing that Yelena had arrived home safely, Elspeth felt at ease.
‘It’s fine. Thank you for driving her home,’ she replied.
“What is the meaning of this, Elspeth? You have never contacted me ever since you left my house.” Jethro was furious. Ever since Elspeth left, she had been avoiding his calls and messages. It had been two days since she last replied to him on Facebook.
On the other hand, Elspeth was calm. Seeing that he was furious, she smiled and said, “I just think that we have nothing much to talk about. That’s why I didn’t reply to you.”
Her words made him feel like he had punched the air, and he released her in annoyance. Then, he looked at her with a hint of guilt and expectation. “It’s Jennifer’s fault for what happened last time. My family has found out about it and wants to apologize to you. Thus, I am hoping that you will come by again.”
When Elspeth heard she had to go to the Wilstone Residence again, she refused without hesitation. “It’s fine. I don’t think it’s much of a deal. After all, it’s normal for girls to be hot-tempered.” Her voice was filled with refusal.
Jethro knew she was still afraid of what had happened, so he didn’t push her and said to meet another time. Initially, he was angry and wanted to question her. However, after talking to her for some time, he could only leave while feeling defeated.
After dealing with this matter, Elspeth went to look for Agnes. It’s been days since I got Agnes to familiarize herself with everything here. Plus, I told Harper to look after her. She should have figured things around here by now, thought Elspeth.
When she found Agnes, the latter was learning how to film videos. After Agnes had been in the company for some time, Elspeth could feel that she had matured.
“How is it going, Agnes?” she asked.
When Agnes saw her, she smiled and replied, “I have learned a lot of things, Miss Lynwood.”
“Good.” Elspeth nodded. Just then, Skylar approached her and said, “Have you seen today’s news yet, Miss Lynwood?”
“No. What’s the matter?”
Seeing that Elspeth was clueless, Skylar looked at her in disdain and said, “You should keep an eye on the news, Miss Lynwood. Today, a new talent management company called Elsean Entertainment was established. I heard that the president of Bluestone Corp is behind this. Moreover, they’ve hired a famous streamer named Aldea Smith, who recently returned from abroad.”
Although Elspeth was overwhelmed by the information, she still picked out several keywords—Elsean Entertainment, Bluestone Corp, and Aldea.
When she heard the name of the company, she thought about Arthur and felt that this name had something to do with her. In a split second, she shuddered at the thought of it. She was not surprised that Arthur would start a business in the industry.
Although Callum looked down on this industry and refused to start a business, Arthur was different. He was a man who would do anything as long as there were profits to it. On the other hand, Elspeth felt like Aldea was the girl who had been sent to the hospital last time.
“Okay. I understand.”
When Skylar saw how calm Elspeth was about this, she felt unhappy. “They are stepping on us, Miss Lynwood. Don’t you think our company should do something since we have such a strong company as our enemy?”
Frankly speaking, Skylar didn’t care about Elsean Entertainment. What mattered to her was Aldea, the streamer who had Bluestone Corp’s full support—be it money or resources. However, Elspeth had not done any of those and even hired a backup for her to share her profit. Thus, she found it unfair. After all, she didn’t think that Aldea was any better than her in terms of looks or skills.
Although Elspeth could tell what Skylar was plotting, she didn’t want to expose her. “What do you have in mind, then?” she asked Skylar.
“I heard that their company is holding an event. Maybe we should do that too.” Skylar needed to find an opportunity since her resources were dwindling.
Seeing that she had been planning this, Elspeth nodded and said, “Sure. We will do that too. I know that Azure Corporation has revealed a new friendship ring. I was thinking of getting someone to endorse the product and market it to the masses. Why don’t I give this opportunity to you and Agnes?”
When Skylar heard the first part of Elspeth’s suggestion, she was thrilled since she had never endorsed such a classy product. After all, the jewelry pieces made by Azure were widely known in Damoria. If she were to be its endorser, she would be famous. However, she was dissatisfied with what Elspeth mentioned toward the end.
Why should Agnes, who is only a beginner with few followers, take on the endorsement with me? We are on different levels, after all.
Thinking about it, she glared at Agnes and said, “She’s still new to this, so she isn’t accustomed to these things. I’m afraid that she will only ruin the endorsement.”
She had thought it through with her words, and even Agnes felt that Skylar was right. After all, she was a newbie. Hence, Agnes felt like she would ruin such expensive jewelry if she were to take up the job.
Just as she was about to refuse the proposal, Elspeth spoke up. “You must have mistaken me, Skylar. Personally, I think Agnes’ presence is suitable for this piece of jewelry. It’s a friendship ring, which is why you’re getting a chance as well. If you are unwilling to shoot the advertisement with Agnes, I might as well find her a new partner.”
Agnes and Skylar were dumbfounded by Elspeth’s words. At this moment, the two girls realized that Elspeth only considered Skylar a second option.
At that moment, Skylar was red in the face, but she didn’t dare say anything. “I’m sorry, Miss Lynwood. I shouldn’t have been so aggressive. After all, Agnes is a newcomer. It’s also best if she were to be given opportunities like this. Since it’s settled, when do we start the photoshoot?” she said softly.
At this moment, she didn’t dare go against Elspeth. After all, she would have lost such a great opportunity if Elspeth had been provoked by her words and refused to let her take part in this.
When Elspeth heard her words, she crossed her arms and smiled brightly, “Oh? I thought you refused to collaborate with Agnes. You don’t have to force yourself to accept this if you are unwilling to. I won’t force you.”
Hearing her words, Skylar was startled. She didn’t know Elspeth would be so ruthless.
“I didn’t mean it that way, Miss Lynwood. I was just considering the benefits of the company. After all, Agnes still isn’t well-known yet, so I was afraid she wouldn’t do justice to the jewelry.”
“It is the people who create the algorithm. After this endorsement, she will be well-known. You don’t have to worry about her. Just look out for yourself.” What a nosy woman she is, thought Elspeth.
“Okay. It’s settled, then. For this advertisement, I’m thinking of shooting it in another two days. Be prepared, guys.” Elspeth looked at Agnes. “Also, you should create an account to gain popularity soon.”
Agnes nodded. For the past few days, she had been busy learning all kinds of photography techniques and had no time to create an account. Now that she had nothing much to do, she could start working on this.
After that, Agnes went back to her place. She hesitated for a second before opening a new account. She had an account before this, but she was an actress back then and had fewer followers. However, since she had good acting skills and was hardworking, she gained a group of loyal fans.
Looking at the account she cherished so much, Agnes braced herself and deleted it. Then, she chose a few photos and made them into a video before posting them on her newly-created account.
Two hours later, her phone began to ring. At first, Agnes assumed someone was spamming her with messages. Plus, she was busy, so she put it on silent mode. However, when she unlocked her phone, she was shocked by what she saw.
Her video had gained over a hundred million likes within two hours. Moreover, all of the comments were appraised.
‘Damn, this is a new account.’
‘I love pretty women. She’s gorgeous, and her body is so pretty. I love her so much. Will you marry me, pretty woman?”
‘I am shy in society but brave on the internet. This is my woman! Don’t you guys dare snatch her away from me!’
‘This is the 1,800th time I have met the woman whom I want to protect at my most vulnerable age.’
‘After being chronically online for the longest time, I’ve become hopelessly delusional. Hello, my dear wife.’
‘You guys only see her for her looks. Have any of you noticed that she used to be an actress?’
‘Agnes! I know her! I loved watching all the films she’s been in. Although she didn’t have many scenes, she put a lot of hard work into it!’
…
As Agnes scrolled through the comments, she couldn’t help but giggle. They are so fun to read, she thought.
However, a new comment soon appeared at the top.
‘Can’t you guys see that she looks just like Skylar?’
Immediately, the netizens began debating over this.
Agnes knew that such a thing would happen. As she waited for the comments to go on, she saw someone compare her looks with Skylar’s. In the end, they felt that the duo indeed looked similar. However, they only looked alike, and their demeanor was vastly different.
‘It’s clear that she is imitating Skylar. Since Skylar has many followers, she’s using her looks to gain followers. Such a scheming woman.’ The comment criticized Agnes harshly, raking her into the mud.
‘I think that’s overboard. Skylar’s videos are cute and innocent. She acts cute in front of the camera, while Agnes acts cool and sexy. I mean, look at her waist. Damn, even I wouldn’t dare to photoshop my waist like that.’ This comment wasn’t defending her and was more of an analysis. However, people quickly refuted it.
‘Explain this yourself, Agnes!’
Seeing that the person was persistent, Agnes was furious. Just as she was about to reply to the comment, she felt someone closing in on her.
“What’s wrong, Agnes? You seem upset.” Skylar had a cup of coffee in her hand while she smiled gently, looking innocent.
“It’s nothing.” Agnes quickly kept her phone away. However, Skylar didn’t miss out on what she was doing.
“I saw the video you just posted on your new account. It’s going viral. It reminds me of the time I posted my first video. I only had a few thousand likes.” Although Skylar had a smile on her face, she was jealous of Agnes.
She is pretty dang lucky; even the algorithm is helping her. It’s a good thing I bribed someone to belittle her in the comments section. It should be working now. After this, even if Agnes rises to fame, the netizens will still hate her.
Although Skylar was complimenting her, Agnes could still hear the sarcasm in her tone. “Thank you, Skylar.”
“However, the comment section doesn’t look friendly. It’s normal for them to misunderstand since I am more famous than you. Don’t worry about it, though. I’ll make a statement about this once the hype surrounding your video dies down,” said Skylar as she patted Agnes on the shoulder, her eyes cold.
When Agnes saw the stiff smile on her face, she glared at her and said, “Don’t worry. I don’t mind this. As you said, this is a misunderstanding. As such, the truth will soon be revealed. I won’t be devastated because of this.”
“Well, since you are so confident in yourself, I will support you,” replied Skylar as she thought, What a reckless person. She shouldn’t be underestimating the power that netizens hold.
After Skylar responded to Agnes, she looked at her arrogantly and left.
Truthfully, Agnes was not confident about this. This was the first time she had been cyberbullied. After all, she wasn’t a well-known actress in the past, so no one would deliberately frame her.
However, things were different now. Elspeth had helped her get into the company, and it was only natural that Skylar loathed her. When this incident occurred, she immediately realized it was Skylar’s doing, even though she didn’t think anyone would have ill intentions toward her.
While she was worrying about this, she got a phone call from Elspeth’s office.
Seeing that Elspeth had called her, Agnes felt at ease.
“Hello, Miss Lynwood. What’s the matter?”
“I have seen the comments. Is everybody shaming you?”
Agnes nodded and replied, “Yes. However…”
Before she could finish her words, Elspeth cut her off and said firmly, “It’s fine. Let them do it.”
When Agnes heard her words, she was baffled. “Wouldn’t my reputation be ruined if they keep up with this?”
On the other end of the phone, Elspeth’s voice was ruthless. “Don’t worry, I will fix this. You must know that the internet always forgets.”
Is she not quite right in her head?
Agnes ignored the judgmental looks around her. Since she got Elspeth’s word that she would be protected, she decided to give Elspeth full trust and wait for the good news.
As expected, an announcement was released in the afternoon. It was the candidacy list for the models of Azure Corporation’s new product. Apart from Yelena and another good-looking actress, the other two names were Skylar Byron and Agnes. This was Azure Corporation’s first attempt at getting influencers to be models, hence the waves of shock throughout the Internet as netizens flocked to check out the news. They were astonished to find Agnes as one of the candidates.
‘How is that possible? How can she be Azure’s model?’
‘Why not? She’s quite pretty. Her vibe fits the jewelry design this time around.’
‘She’s from a company under Azure. Do you think the CEO is trying to hype her up?’
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