"This is stirring up quite a fuss online. If you ask me, she’s somewhat pitiful."
"Well, yes, she does seem a bit pitiful."
Evelyn Curtis felt the sympathetic gazes from the two young women who spoke these words fall on her.
A sudden tightness gripped her heart and her brows knotted inadvertently.
She slowly clenched her fists, feigning casualness, glanced at the young ladies, pursed her lips into a gentle smile, and asked, "What’s the matter?"
The young ladies who were caught talking about her blushed and shared a knowing glance.
One of them stammered, "Miss Curtis, we feel for you."
This remark left Evelyn even more perplexed.
She signalled the makeup artist to stop and approached them with a gracious smile. Tenderly, she linked her arm with the girl and asked, "What happened? Can you tell me?"
Evelyn wanted to know what had prompted these two insignificant young girls to sympathize with her.
The girls were flustered by Evelyn’s endearing act and their movements became stiff in their shared awkwardness.
One of them turned her cellphone screen towards Evelyn, blush creeping onto her face.
Displayed on the screen was a comment section filled with abrasive words from the news.
Looking at Evelyn with a resolute gaze, she began earnestly, "Miss Curtis, they’ve crossed the line. Don’t worry, we’re on your side." ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ Novᴇl_Fire(.)net
Evelyn read the comments and found her smiles frozen in place.
"Evelyn Curtis is a vase", "Evelyn Curtis funding the group", "Evelyn Curtis produced a flop".
"Charlotte Thompson and Justin Battleson perfect couple", "Charlotte Thompson and Justin Battleson – questionable relations".
The words pierced her eyes like a sudden downpour, giving her no reprieve.
They jabbed straight to her heart!
Evelyn’s heart throbbed as the fury swelled within her, almost gushing out from her throat.
However, considering her professional reputation which was on a downward spiral and the pack of paparazzi waiting outside, she chose to bite her tongue.
Evelyn clenched her fists tightly and bit her lower lip, swallowing her rage deep within her.
She took a deep breath and managed to squeeze out a gracious smile, "We have pictures to take. Let’s not talk about this for now."
With that, she stood up. As she turned around, her eyes flickered.
Evelyn was in a daze while completing the remaining shoot.
Her performance was subpar.
Aware of the paparazzi lurking outside after the advertisement shoot, Evelyn knew she would be questioned about the online controversy if caught.
So, she informed Lucy beforehand.
As the two had similar builds, Lucy wore Evelyn’s clothes to distract the journalists while Evelyn managed to slip into her car unnoticed.
A perfect deception plan.
Back home, Evelyn impatiently pulled her phone from her bag.
Tossing her handbag aside, she sank into the sofa, exhausted from the day.
She had just switched on her phone, but had not unlocked it, when messages flooded in, causing the phone to continuously vibrate and beep.
Evelyn frantically tapped on her phone screen, trying to open the red app, but to no avail.
After a while, her phone screen turned black and froze completely.
Evelyn: "Even my phone is against me now!"