: A Swan's Ambition

3

After getting the money, I wasn't in a rush to invest. Instead, I took a portion of it to find a feminist screenwriter whom I deeply respected. I wanted to learn from her, hoping she could guide me in writing a good script that would help more women realize their own power.

I also spent a small fortune on courses in directing theory and sought out genuinely talented actors for my film—the ones who weren't famous because they had been suppressed by the industry's money-driven machine.

But the money I poured into it vanished like a stone in the ocean, without so much as a ripple.

Julian Sterling, on the other hand, took his money and immediately invested in the red-hot real estate market. As expected, he made a tidy sum when it came time to collect dividends.

Before long, he was driving a luxury car.

Julian Sterling flaunted his wealth everywhere. He even followed my lead into the film industry, investing heavily to promote the Starlet he was seeing and making a good deal of money in the process.

Unlike me, who had nothing to show for my efforts, Julian Sterling was now a boss with a net worth of Twenty Million Dollars.

While it was nothing compared to a truly wealthy family, he had still doubled the money our Parents gave him.

Seeing my continued lack of results, he mocked me directly.

"I thought you were supposed to be so amazing. Look how long it's been, and you haven't earned a single cent. You've probably burned through all the money, haven't you? Let me tell you, no one's going to watch the crap you're making. They all say you're smart, but I don't see it."

I just chuckled, refusing to argue with him.

After all, how could a sparrow understand the ambitions of a swan?

'What Julian Sterling didn't realize, however, was that I knew from the start this film wouldn't make money initially.'

'I was fully prepared to lose every penny.'

'But this was something I'd wanted to do for a very long time. If I didn't go through with it, I'd regret it for the rest of my life.'

I put very little money into the film's promotion; most of the budget went into production.

'For a movie to become a blockbuster, it needs a controversial hook.'

'Julian Sterling's attempts to tear me down were the perfect promotion for my film.'

'Besides, investing in the film was just a smokescreen to fool my simple-minded Brother.'

'The real money came from my other businesses.'

'What a joke. I'm an Ivy League PhD in Business, after all.'

'As the daughter of a top tycoon, I grew up surrounded by it. Making money is as easy as breathing for me. I was already worth over a hundred million by the time I started college.'