1 My best friend, Scarlett, and I had somehow transmigrated into the bodies of the villainous sisters. She was a glamorous It-Girl, the darling of the entertainment industry, backed by the scion of the city’s elite, Lord Preston. I was the stunning A-list actress, infamous for my extravagant spending, the prized possession of the new money magnate, CEO Beckett. We bickered and squabbled, yet together, we crushed every wannabe starlet and social climber under our heels. That was until the innocent 'pure white flower' appeared. For her, Lord Preston, a.k.a. Preston Hayes, halted Scarlett’s projects. For her, CEO Beckett, a.k.a. Ethan Beckett, hadn’t touched me in days. Ah, the protagonist has arrived. … The Gold Star Awards ceremony was ablaze with flashbulbs. Scarlett and I, a freshly crowned Best Actress and a top-tier It-Girl, sat front and center in the first row, our designer gowns flowing together, an undeniable spectacle. Scarlett, her nails tipped with brilliant red polish, nudged me. “See that? Fifth row, dressed like she just rolled out of a thrift store. That’s Lily Evans.” She whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the crowd. I followed her gaze. A girl in faded jeans and a worn-out T-shirt stood out like a sore thumb among the sea of haute couture. “Is this chick clueless or is it some kind of performance art? Ugh, quite the statement,” I commented, a smirk playing on my lips. Scarlett snorted. “She’s going for the ‘pure, resilient little daisy’ vibe. Don’t get it? Soon enough, she’ll be ‘accidentally’ bumping into a powerful CEO. The main plot is definitely kicking off.” During the intermission, as the elegantly dressed crowd began to mingle, Lily, clutching a glass of red wine, took an "unfortunate" stumble. The entire contents of her glass, without fail, splashed all over a man. His pristine white custom-tailored suit instantly bloomed with large, crimson stains. Lily’s face blanched, her eyes welling with tears. “Oh, m-my apologies! Mr. Hayes, I truly didn’t mean to! I’ll replace it for you…” She trailed off, biting her lip, a picture of tearful, humble despair – how could a poor person like me ever afford to replace such a thing? Preston’s assistant was about to unleash a tirade, but Preston himself simply raised a hand. Far from angry, he offered Lily a handkerchief. “It’s fine. Wipe up, don’t be startled.” Watching the scene unfold from a distance, I playfully teased, “Looks like your sugar daddy’s getting hit on, Scarlett.” Scarlett’s smile stiffened for a second, then she forced a casual shrug. “Don’t worry, your big shot CEO won’t last three seconds either. This is where we start our villainess antics.” Preston had Lily sit beside him, effectively taking Scarlett’s usual spot. And my own CEO boyfriend, Ethan Beckett, Preston's closest friend, was watching the whole thing with a curious smirk. Scarlett immediately slid into character, sashaying over, glass in hand, a captivating smile gracing her lips. “Preston, aren’t you going to introduce us? Who’s this young lady?” Lily, startled, shrank back behind Preston. “Miss Scarlett, please don’t misunderstand, Mr. Hayes asked me to sit here.” “I told her to sit here,” Preston cut in, his gaze sweeping over Scarlett. “Got a problem with that?” Scarlett’s smile vanished, her expression turning icy. She pressed on, unrelenting. Bravo, sis! You’re a quick study. Scarlett then swung her glass of red wine, aiming to drench Lily, but Preston swiftly raised a hand and slapped her across the face. He then loudly chastised Scarlett, mindlessly defending his new favorite. I walked over to Ethan, tugging at his sleeve. “That’s enough, give your friend some space. No need to make his girlfriend’s life a living hell.” Ethan, however, grabbed my wrist, his grip alarmingly strong. “Stella, since when did you become so busybody?” He flung my hand away and strode directly to Lily, taking off his own suit jacket and draping it over her shoulders with an air of possessive authority. “Miss Evans, please don’t mind them. They’ve been spoiled by us and don’t know any better. I apologize on their behalf.” Every eye in the banquet hall was fixed on us. Humiliation. Raw, public humiliation. Lily timidly looked up. “Mr. Beckett, please don’t be like this, it’s not your fault. It’s my fault, I shouldn’t be here.” She then started to cry. Ethan, his face full of concern, turned to me, his gaze freezing over. “Stella, come here.” He commanded. “Apologize to her.” I stood my ground, unmoving. I rolled my eyes at the overly dramatic Lily. Apologize to her? An A-list actress like me? She wouldn’t even be fit to carry my shoes on set, a ladder-climber who got ahead by buttering up directors. What a joke. Ethan’s patience snapped. He strode over to me, grabbing my arm. “Stella, don’t forget who you are. You’re nothing but a toy I bought and paraded around. If you don’t want me to cut off your resources, you’ll apologize to Miss Evans right now.” “Or,” he leaned closer, his voice a low growl meant only for my ears, “do you want me to teach you, in front of everyone, how to be a good little dog?” I felt a rush of blood to my head, followed by an instant chill. I looked at him, a sudden, almost serene smile gracing my lips, and slowly raised my hand, my gaze falling on the eight-figure Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon on my wrist. With a crisp click, I unfastened the clasp. Ethan’s face instantly darkened. “Stella, what are you doing?” I placed the cold, heavy wristwatch into his palm. The chill of the metal made him flinch instinctively. “Mr. Beckett, the five-year lease is up,” my voice was terrifyingly calm. “This watch, returned to its rightful owner.” With that, I turned and walked away, not sparing him another glance. Scarlett was quick on the uptake, her ten-centimeter heels clicking as she caught up to me, linking her arm through mine. “Men over 25 are practically sixty. Do these hundred-and-twenty-year-old geezers really think we’re desperate? Stella, let’s go have some real fun.” Under the gaze of hundreds, we walked out of the Gold Star Awards banquet, heads held high. Once outside, the evening breeze hit me, and I realized my back was drenched in cold sweat. Scarlett and I, two women in couture gowns and sparkling jewelry, stood arm in arm on a deserted street in the early hours of the morning, waiting for a ride-share. “I got a text,” I said, shaking my phone. The screen showed a bank notification – account frozen. “Ethan moves fast. All my cards are stopped.” “Tricky old man,” Scarlett rolled her eyes. “Mine too.” It had started to drizzle, tiny needles of cold rain pricking our exposed shoulders. We stumbled along, supporting each other, towards a nearby bus shelter to escape the rain. Sitting on the cold metal bench, raindrops dripped from our hair, our expensive gowns plastered damply to our skin. My mind was a chaotic mess, dominated by Ethan’s words: “good little dog.” Five years ago, when I first transmigrated, I was a struggling actress, a mere extra on set. I’d refused a director’s inappropriate advances, been slapped, and was curled in a corner, crying. That’s when Ethan appeared, like a god descending. He kicked the director away, then charmingly removed his suit jacket and draped it over me, covering my torn costume. His hand gently touched my swollen cheek, his voice deep and powerful. “Does it hurt?” I nodded, tears still flowing. He pulled me into a protective embrace. “From today on, no one dares to lay a hand on you but me. Stella, you won’t have to answer to anyone else. You only need to look at me.” Back then, I thought he was my savior. The rain intensified, and I began to shiver with cold. Scarlett took off her warm little shawl and wrapped it around me. “What are you thinking about?” “I’m wondering if I made a mistake from the very beginning.” “What good is thinking about that now?” Scarlett said. “Let’s figure out what we do next. All our resources are going to Lily.” Just then, my phone screen lit up. A text from an unknown number. “Saw you at the awards. Are you okay? Your old friend, Shane Yu.” Shane Yu. The name made me pause. He was a friend from my real life, before I transmigrated. We had anticipated this day, secretly saving up and buying a small apartment together. Back in our apartment, after shedding our soaked gowns and taking a long, hot shower, we curled up on the sofa, each with a mug of hot cocoa. I opened my phone to check social media. Eight out of the top ten trending topics were about us. #StellaBeckettSplit #ScarlettFallsFromGrace #LilyNewPrincessOfPrestonDynasty #BeckettHayesBrotherhood The comments section was even more… colorful. “LOL, I always hated Stella, a gold digger who actually thought she was the main squeeze.” “Scarlett too, always scowling. Preston must have been sick of her!” “Am I the only one who thinks Lily is so brave and pitiful? She’s like a pure white lotus blooming in the mud!” “^Above, I just got inside info: Stella’s S-tier blockbuster, Phoenix’s Cry, the lead role has been given to Lily!” “Figures,” Scarlett scoffed. “Killing two birds with one stone. One gets resources, the other gets to invest. Her plans are so obvious, you can hear them from a mile away.” Just as she finished speaking, Scarlett’s phone rang. She answered it with a questioning look, putting it on speaker. “Hello?” A soft, tearful female voice came from the other end. “Is… is this Miss Scarlett?” “I am truly sorry,” she choked out. “I didn’t know things would turn out this way. Mr. Hayes just took pity on me, that’s why he helped me. Your and Miss Stella’s projects being canceled, it’s all my fault.” Scarlett scoffed. “Get to the point.” “I heard Mr. Beckett say that Miss Stella must be going through a lot right now. Mr. Beckett actually cares about her very much, he’s just mad she’s so proud, unlike me, who understands how to be considerate.” “And?” “So if you two need money, I can go beg Mr. Beckett and Mr. Hayes, they both have very kind hearts.” “Lily Evans!” Scarlett cut her off. “Are you seriously thick, or just pretending? Do I need to translate ‘get lost’ for you?” With that, Scarlett hung up. “Damn it,” she threw her phone aside. “Top-tier green tea, confirmed. She’s trying to provoke us.” I nodded, about to speak when my former agent, Ms. Jenkins, called, sobbing hysterically. “Stella, my dear girl! My precious daughter! Mr. Beckett pulled funding from Phoenix’s Cry! He said he won’t invest a dime unless you’re replaced! The production team has officially announced Lily as the new lead!” I comforted Ms. Jenkins for a few moments, then hung up, my heart cold. Ethan was clearly trying to cut off all my paths. Scarlett’s phone rang again. The name ‘Preston Hayes’ flashed on the screen. Scarlett stared at the name for a few seconds, then swiped to answer. From the other end, Preston’s voice was chillingly devoid of emotion, cutting straight to the chase. “Lily is allergic to cat fur.” Scarlett said nothing. “Get rid of that cat you keep in the hillside villa.” That ragdoll cat was a gift from Preston last year, flown in from overseas at a six-figure cost for Scarlett’s birthday. He’d even personally said, “It’s called ‘Unique,’ because you are my only one.” Scarlett gripped her phone, her knuckles white from the pressure. Preston, on the other end, grew impatient. “Did you hear me? Immediately. Now.”
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "391716", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel