At the planning meeting for the new movie.

I, a small-time actress, was lost in thought when the atmosphere suddenly turned tense!

"Krista! I'm not one of your brainless fans who flatters you every day! It's just about hyping a couple, right? There are many more options in the company!"

Marvin Baldwin was furious.

The meeting room fell silent.

I instantly shifted from a casual observer to an eager spectator.

After all, I always enjoyed a good spectacle, and it would have been perfect with some snacks.

The top actress in the company and the female lead of this production was Krista Gomez.

With tearful eyes, she looked pitiful, "Marvin, how can you treat me this way? You should understand my heart…"

Seeing her in distress, I felt a sense of satisfaction. After all, Krista had been treating me arrogantly with a proud attitude.

Just as I was silently enjoying the drama, I found myself caught in the middle of it.

"I can't stand your pretense! Goosebumps all over me. Arielle Krause!"

I looked up, confused. "What?"

"We will be hyping a couple!"

All the others in the meeting room were shocked.

"Marvin, don't you even care about my feelings?"

Krista, with tears on her face, stormed out of the meeting room.

Half of the company's higher-ups went after her, while the other half stayed behind to persuade Marvin.

It was the company's biggest project of the year, a fantasy film titled One Thought to Demon.

Marvin and the popular actress Krista were cast as the male and female leads respectively.

The film, adapted from a popular novel, was highly anticipated and frequently trending on social media.

Especially after the release of photos of Marvin and Krista together, the idle netizens who liked to ship couples without getting married or dating couldn't contain their excitement.

They flooded the internet with comments like "be together", "perfect match", and other trivial remarks.

The company's publicity department was eager to capitalize on this buzz to promote the film.

They planned to create a national couple out of the two.

They even staged fake paparazzi shots, on-set "sweets", and "caught on dates" scenarios to win over fans.

Unfortunately, ideals were one thing, but reality was another.

Marvin, known for his unwillingness to be controlled by the company, and Krista, with her arrogance, were an ill fit.

One liked to act spoiled and wanted to be pampered.

While the other was a clueless straight man.

So while fans were still eagerly searching for sweetness between them, they had been in a tense argument.

Marvin refused to promote with Krista, and then used me as a scapegoat!

He didn't even ask for my opinion!

What had I done to deserve this?

Krista's manager was nearly worn out from pleading. "Marvin, Krista might be a bit childish, but she's so pure and beautiful. How could she have any ill intentions? A girl needs to be pampered more!"

Marvin impatiently looked at his watch. "She's 25. Why is she acting like a child? Does she use diapers instead of tampons when she's on her period?"

With that, he grabbed my hand and dragged me stumbling into the elevator.

…

"Let go! Let go!

"It's sexual harassment!"

Inside the elevator, I struggled to free myself from Marvin's grip.

Marvin had no choice but to let go. "Arielle, listen to me..."

"Marvin! What do you take me for? A woman who climbs up by hooking up with men?"

Before he could finish, I interrupted with a sharp question.

Marvin looked flustered. "No! That's not what I meant!"

"Then what do you mean? You dragged me out by the hand. You've shown off and acted cool, but did I agree to this?

"I'm not someone you can use at will! What if I had a boyfriend? You play the role of a romantic lead and let me be criticized for being a loose woman and cheating?"

Marvin looked somewhat dumbfounded by my outburst. "I was just annoyed by Krista's behavior…"

"You were annoyed, so you use me as a tool to provoke Krista? I'm just a stand-in for your show of affection, right?

"You'll eventually get together and discard me like used tissue, right?"

I pointed my finger at Marvin, full of righteous indignation. "I am a woman! I have self-respect! I have dignity! So..."

Marvin, known for his aloofness in front of the media, was nearly brought to tears by my outburst.

He looked at a loss, clearly intending to apologize.

I finally voiced my true thoughts, "So you haven't mentioned the price yet! I'm a very straightforward person. I only care about money! As long as there's enough money, nothing else matters!

"You're a famous movie star. If you could help me with some fame, resources, and opportunities, I wouldn't refuse.

"Let's put it this way. As long as your offer is satisfactory, my dignity can be sold anytime! Even my pride can be stamped on!"

Marvin looked bewildered.

He wasn't used to my sudden change from a virtuous woman to someone so unscrupulous.

"Do you want money?"

He asked, struggling to speak.

"Of course! What, do you expect to get for free?

"And let me tell you a secret. Krista is actually my half-sister. Our relationship is as dramatic as a soap opera.

"Now I've taken her man. It's not only a moral downfall but also a distortion of humanity. Do you know the pressure I'm under to be your couple? It's stressful!"

Marvin seemed to empathize with my situation. "I didn't expect it to be so difficult for you. Maybe we should just forget it..."

"No!"

I stopped Marvin. "I mean, I need more money!"

Though I wasn't good at math, I had been bargaining since I was young.

Before the elevator even reached the ground floor, Marvin and I had already agreed on the compensation for pretending to be a couple.

During the contract period, I was to cooperate with Marvin's requests unconditionally to promote the fake couple.

Marvin charged by the week, paying me 300 thousand dollars each week for my services.

Additionally, he promised to use his popularity to boost my reputation in the entertainment industry and help me secure resources.

When the elevator reached the first floor, Marvin hopped into a chauffeur-driven car and sped away.

Clearly, he was afraid I might demand something unreasonable.

I walked back leisurely, calculating the deal in my mind, and soon encountered Krista, who was glaring at me with a fierce expression.

Krista had abandoned her previous softness towards Marvin. Her face was twisted, her teeth clenched, and she looked as if she had been injected with expired Botox, her expression distorted with rage. "Bitch! How dare you steal my man?"

"Steal? It looks like Marvin was chasing after me! After all, I'm fair-skinned, beautiful, and long-legged. Krista, men are all so vulgar. It's still all about looks!"

Krista was seething with rage, but couldn't refute it.

Although we were half-sisters, differing only by our father.

I could easily overshadow Krista in terms of figure and appearance.

Her manager also showed up. "Arielle! You should know your place! How can you match Marvin in any scandal? A small-time actress like you is overestimating yourself! Let me tell you, the entertainment industry isn't just about looks! It's more about your status!"

I smiled, looking at the manager as if she was a fool. "With your intelligence, I suspect your mother left her real child down the drain and raised a placenta instead!

"Just because I'm not worthy, being a small-time actress, I need to hype up with Marvin! If I became a top star, I'd be in a scandal with Tom Cruise! How could someone like Marvin take advantage of me?"

The manager was left speechless by my retort.

Krista sneered, "Arielle! You're just jealous of the thousands of adoring fans I have! You're jealous that although we share the same mother, one of us is so popular while the other is just a nobody! So you're looking for a chance to get revenge!

"Unfortunately! Marvin loves me! You're just a tool! I advise you not to misrepresent your feelings to Marvin! Otherwise, the only ending for you will be to be discarded and abandoned!"

I understood Krista's game. She was trying to provoke me, make me insecure, and lose my composure.

But it was useless!

What she could use to provoke me were things I didn't care about.

So I smiled, "Krista, it's better to stay calm. Otherwise, I worry that your fake nose might start leaking in the rain.

"As for being a tool? Who cares? Only those with value can be used as tools. It's better than some people who can't even be tools and get returned. By the way, have you expected it?"

I walked away casually. Even when I got in the car, I could still hear Krista's roaring from the distance.

"Arielle! Just wait and see! I won't let you off!"

I started the engine and smirked.

I thought, Bitch!

I wouldn't let you off too!

…

To save money, I rented a place in a low-income area.

Halfway through the drive, I received a call.

"Hello? Who is it?"

"Your boyfriend."

I promptly hung up the phone.

These scammers were getting more careless.

But the scammer was persistent and called again, "I said I'm your boyfriend!"

"Well! My boyfriend? Why don't you say you're my father..."

I was casually talking nonsense when I suddenly realized that the scammer's voice sounded familiar.

Marvin!

It was not my fault I didn't recognize him since my clunky van had such loud noise that it distorted Marvin's voice.

Marvin grumbled, "Where are you going?"

"Home!"

"Come pick me up."

"Do you need something?"

"A boyfriend should visit his girlfriend's home, shouldn't he?"

I couldn't refuse this reason and had to turn around, heading to the most upscale villa area in the city to pick up Marvin.

Back at my place, I saw that the parking spot had been taken up by a bald man again.

The bald man had his parking spot, but it was far away, so he always stole mine.

I had always been accommodating, not that I couldn't yield, but you should at least pay.

I could negotiate as long as there was enough money!

No one could ask me to do anything for free, not even Leonardo DiCaprio!

"Is this your parking spot?" Marvin asked.

"Yes! It's constantly being occupied by a scoundrel! Reporting it to the police is useless, and the community doesn't care. This jerk even installed a 24-hour surveillance camera on his car. I can't even scratch his car!"

I was extremely frustrated.

"Alright, let's go upstairs."

Marvin went on the stairs, while I followed behind like a subservient wife.

My rental unit was on the top floor attic, cold in winter, and hot in summer, with drafts and leaks.

Inside, it was a mess.

Other people's homes were decorated in Nordic luxury or Parisian style.

Mine looked like a war-damaged site.

"Arielle! Even if you're not a superstar, you're still a woman! Do you have to live so crudely?

"And even if you're a small-time actress, you must have earned tens of thousands per movie, right? Is it necessary to live here?"

Marvin looked at me with a look of exasperation, as if ready to slap a label on my forehead, saying Shame of the Entertainment Industry!

"I'd also like to live in a big house, but my financial situation doesn't allow it!"

"Where did your money go?"

Marvin's tone was skeptical. He seemed to be guessing if I had any bad habits.

"Money should be spent wisely!"

I was nonchalant, "To me, these necessities are just something not that important! Anyway, you already know the address. Shouldn't you head back? I don't provide meals. After all, I'm too poor!

"Besides, our contract specifies 'not selling body', so don't get any funny ideas, though I know an ordinary man can't resist my charm."

I asked him to leave.

"I've never met someone so stingy! No food, not even a sip of water?"

Marvin was dissatisfied.

"Hold on a moment."

I crouched down pulled a bottle of mineral water from a shabby box under the bed and tossed it over.

Marvin picked it up. "Isn't this water from the set? You brought it home?"

"Well, I told you I'm poor. I have to fend for myself in some ways. Will you drink it or not? If you do, leave the bottle. It's 3 cents each."

Marvin's expression changed but he eventually drank the bottle of water I had taken without permission.

Looking at his Patek Philippe watch, Marvin said, "Alright, it's here. Then I'm leaving."

I didn't understand what he meant until I saw, as I was sending him downstairs, a flamboyant orange Lamborghini parked right in front of my spot!

It perfectly blocked the bald man's car.

If he tried to drive out, he'd have to crash into a multi-million-dollar sports car.

It would definitely be a recipe for a disaster.

The bald man, having learned about the situation, came down with a troubled expression, circling around his car like a headless chicken.

His earlier arrogance towards me had vanished.

It was replaced by a cringing demeanor in the face of true wealth.

Seeing me approach, the bald man greeted me with a sycophantic smile, rubbing his hands together, "Ms. Krause, is this your friend's car? Could you move it? I have somewhere to go soon."

I laughed, "Sir, I preferred you when you were more arrogant."

The bald man blushed, clearly wanting to argue further.

"I don't believe you won't move your car. Are you just going to wait it out? If I can't drive, neither can you!"

Marvin spoke with restrained dignity, "Do you believe this is my family's cheaper car? I could have Bentley, Rolls-Royce Phantom, Cullinan, Bugatti Veyron, and Aston Martin take turns blocking your car. Do you believe that?"

The bald man, indignant, began to retort, "You're just boasting..."

Before he could finish, Marvin had removed his sunglasses.

With his national fame, everyone could recognize him in the country!

The bald man was left in tears.

Watching him grovel, I felt a sense of triumph.

Being the partner of a top actor was so cool!

…

Filming for One Thought to Demon was in full swing.

Besides the shooting, the hype around the fake couple was also progressing smoothly.

Marvin was always surrounded by paparazzi.

Thus, when photos of us dining and shopping together were leaked, it naturally stirred up a storm among netizens.

Initially, people were skeptical.

[Arielle? Who is she? What does she do? She's just a nobody with no fame!]

[A small-time actress! The most prominent role she's had is the third female lead, which was unknown to all.]

[Dating Marvin? How dare she!]

[She should have self-awareness! Marvin belongs to Krista. Stop hitching a ride shamelessly. It's disgusting!]

[Are you crazy for wanting to be famous?]

[If I were Marvin, I would definitely give her a good scolding!]

[But don't you see? Arielle may not be famous, but she has a big chest! Although her status isn't high, her figure is pretty good!]

The last comment was posted by me using a secondary account.

Knowing that paparazzi would be snapping pictures, I made up my face, wore contact lenses, and stuffed three layers of padding in my bra.

After all, this was my first chance to make headlines since entering the industry.

I had to look my best.

Unfortunately, the current netizens had terrible taste and were harsh, calling me "seductive" and "bitch".

Given the "seductive" part, I endured it.

Soon, the paparazzi kept their eyes on me.

They started to release more sensational news.

One of them captured a tearful confession from the bald man.

"Parking issues are quite distressing. Marvin bullied me with his luxury car."

This confirmed my relationship with Marvin indirectly.

Another photo showed me spending the whole night in Marvin's chauffeur-driven car at his home.

We were actually only playing the cheese.

However, netizens' imaginations ran wild, envisioning various scandalous scenarios.

Thus, the rumors about me and Marvin were everywhere!

Netizens were shocked.

Marvin's fans were heartbroken.

Fans of Krista were in tears.

Overnight, my social media traffic increased by 500 times, and my followers grew by 200 thousand people.

I gained followers faster than ever.

Most comments were insults about me.

[Mistress!]

[You interfered in Marvin's relationship with Krista!]

[I can't accept it!]

I was unperturbed and replied: [Marvin and I are a perfect match, born to be together. How dare you oppose?]

My Instagram comments were filled with curses.

Although I was alone in the fight, my combat spirit was strong!

I grew up in the streets, so I was particularly combative, feeling more energized the more I fought.

I continued to argue with various netizens until 3 a.m.

Just as I was starting to feel a bit sleepy...

With a buzz from my phone, the message said that 300 thousand dollars had been transferred to my bank account!

It was Marvin's "support money" for me!

I was fully revived!

Arguing with netizens was merely a pastime. Utilizing this scandal to promote the film was what the company cared about most.

The publicity department frequently released film-related information and arranged for reporters to visit the set.

I went from being unknown to the center of attention.

I even got my first interview opportunity.

I insisted on scheduling the interview at my home, not for any other reason, but to use the company's manpower to clean up the place for free.

I also had the publicity director help me sell some empty bottles. Forty bottles sold for 2.7 dollars.

Seeing me meticulously calculating whether I was cheated, the publicity director finally lost patience. "Stop calculating! The live broadcast is starting soon! Do you think I'm embezzling a few dollars from you?"

I chuckled awkwardly.

The interview began, streamed live online.

In addition to answering the reporter's questions, I also had to address viewers' online queries.

The reporter's questions were pre-approved and easy to handle.

However, viewers' questions were much trickier.

Although the livestream filtered out many vulgar comments, there were still plenty of insults.

They advised me to "take a look at your worth"!

Someone even asked if I cast a spell on Marvin.

The reporter also asked, "Ms. Krause, how did you become involved with Marvin? Who pursued whom? What is the current status of your relationship?"

The company's PR had prepared answers to these questions.

I met Marvin while filming, frequently seeking his guidance on scripts and acting.

Of course, I was the one who pursued him!

But it had to be emphasized that currently, we were just "good friends".

We were not the "lovers" people claimed we were.

Such explanations were purely formalities, like hiding one's true intentions.

But in the entertainment industry, that was how things were said.

True feelings never stayed, and only ambiguous relationships captured hearts.

However, I didn't want to answer this way.

To stand out, I needed to be different.

I decided to say something unconventional.

"Of course, it's because I'm beautiful and pure that I attracted Marvin.

"Who pursued whom? He's a gentleman, so naturally, he pursued me.

"As for the current status? Well, Marvin said from the first time he saw me, he already thought of names for our future children. It's just that I'm not ready for marriage yet. You can ponder that."

The publicity director, off to the side, was pissed off, but I didn't care.

Netizens were flooding the live chat with "vomiting" emojis.

They were claiming that I was boasting!

[She's gone mad!]

[If Marvin were to pursue you, I'd stand on my head!]

At that moment, Marvin, who wasn't supposed to be here, unexpectedly emerged from the kitchen in casual home attire.

"Arielle, the kitchen faucet was broken, so I fixed it for you."

He had been wearing a turtleneck, but it got wet while fixing the faucet, and the buttons were undone.

Sharp-eyed netizens discovered a startling secret!

[Look at Marvin's chest! A tattoo!]

[Damn! It's the word Arielle?]