Chapter 15
Well then, it’s my turn to strike back.
Brother.
I watched myself losing ground, helpless to defend myself.
Right at that moment, Julie won her very first Best Actress award, and her birthday was just around the corner.
To celebrate, Daniel threw her a lavish party.”
The venue was decked out in glittering elegance, packed with her fans and even live–streamed online.
Julie, dressed in a pristine white cocktail dress, spoke softly into the mic, thanking everyone for their support.
The next part of the evening was a highlight: a video montage of her fans sending birthday wishes.
Suddenly, the giant screen behind her flickered to life.
The footage was grainy and taken from a hidden angle, almost as if someone had been secretly filming.
It showed a dressing room on set. Another actress stood in front of the mirror, fixing her makeup, when Julie suddenly lunged at her.
Julie grabbed the woman’s hand and slapped herself across the face with it.
The other actress just stared, stunned, as Julie broke into a cold smile.
“Who gave you the right to compete with me for that role? You actually expect me to play your supporting character?“}
Do you have any idea who my boyfriend is? Daniel–the CEO of the Gardner Group.“}
“When he sees the bruise on my face, you’d better think about how you’re going to apologize.“}
“No, better yet–think about how you’ll survive after the video of you ‘bullying‘ me on set leaks and you’re blacklisted from the industry.” The clip ended with Julie staring at the woman’s chest, her smile dripping with malicious intent.
“No!!”
Julie shrieked and lunged toward the screen, trying in vain to block the footage.}
But the damage was done. The crowd erupted.
In the chaos, Julie and Daniel’s names shot up the trending charts.)
#Julie My Boyfriend is Daniel
#Julie Birthday Livestream
#Julie Bullied Again?
The comment count soared by the second.
Lynda, sitting next to me, was furiously tapping away at her phone:2
Julie, do you get bullied everywhere you go? Is the whole world out to get you?”
Her comment shot to the top of the feed.
“For crying out loud, she actually grabbed someone else’s hand and slapped herself. She really went for it–her cheek is swelling up!”
“Well, if it’s not swollen, how else is she going to prove she was bullied? She shouldn’t be called Julie anymore–just call her Bitch Harper.””
“If I remember right, Julie wasn’t even supposed to be the lead in the film she just won Best Actress for. It was originally cast for someone else–a fan favorite–until those leaked photos got her blacklisted.“/
“Can’t win an audition? Just frame your competition with rumors and lies, right?”
While the debate raged, another video began trending.
This one was shot at a university overseas, filled with students of every hair and eye color.
After an international student gave a short speech, the others burst into laughter, mimicking her imperfect accent.
The ringleader, a scrawny guy, sneered in flawless English, “Know what this is? That’s what a real accent sounds like, joker.”
That’s when I grabbed him by the collar and punched him square in the face.
I snapped back, my accent perfect, “Laugh all you want. Would you be laughing like this at your father’s funeral?”
He flew into a rage, shouting for a one–on–one fight.
So I hit him again
Then I hooked the toe of my shoe under his chin and smiled, “You really think you’re so tough? Pathetic.“@
The video was posted by a fellow international student:
“I was born in a tiny mountain village. When I was a baby, my grandmother nearly threw me into the fire. But unlike Ms. Julie, there was no grand piano in my village, no generous sponsor dropping a few thousand a month. Just me, taking nearly thirty years to muster the courage to see the world, only to be mocked for my accent
my very first day abroad. I just can’t stand watching the truth get twisted, or seeing someone slander those who helped me.”
on
The comments section exploded:
“Wait a second, isn’t that Corinna–the girl Julie accused of bullying her and mocking her accent?”
