Chapter 52: A Wolf in Angel’s Clothing
I offered Marissa a bitter smile and whispered, "I know, Marissa." I paused, then added softly, "I won’t trust people so easily."
In my last life, the ones who betrayed me the most were the very people closest to me; my manager, my coworkers, and ... my best friend.
Ding!
As the elevator doors opened, I stepped out with Marissa and my eyes instantly caught on a few magazines lying across the studio table. One cover froze me in place.
It was a fashion magazine, smiling back at me from the glossy page was the face of the person who had betrayed me most of all: Lariette Archer.
She was the daughter of Gregory Archer, the man behind Archer Media Group, a media empire that owned magazines, TV networks, even film companies. With that kind of power, Lariette was destined to shine, talent or not.
I first met her when I was still just a rookie. We were both cast in the same drama, which later exploded into the drama of the year.
After that, we often landed on the same projects, and I honestly thought she was an angel because she always wore a sweet smile and spoke so gently.
Among the many wolves in the industry, to me, she was like a lamb that gave me comfort. That was why, little by little, I let her into my life. We became close friends, and she even invited me several times to her parents’ home for dinner.
But things started to change. As my popularity rose and hers began to fade—her acting often called mediocre—Lariette slowly pulled away from me.
Then, out of nowhere, she reached out again. She acted warm, friendly, like nothing had ever happened, and just like a fool, I let her back in. To this day, I regret that decision more than anything.
One night, she invited me to a celebrity party, the kind I usually avoided. But she begged and begged until I finally gave in.
She handed me a drink, and after drinking it, I felt like I was teetering on the edge between staying awake and fainting. My head was spinning, and in the middle of that crisis, I realized she had spiked my drink.
I tried to leave, but she wouldn’t let me. She kept pressing more drinks into my hand, forcing me further into that haze until I was pale, shaking, completely disoriented.
The next morning, I woke up in my own apartment with no memory of how I got there.
When I grabbed my phone, the headlines nearly made me drop it. "Helena Moore, Drug Addict Actress?!"
They had taken photos of me in secret, not just when I was pale and disoriented, but pictures of me looking pale and dazed, but ones where I looked completely unhinged, like I’d lost my mind.
I tried to call Lariette, but she had blocked my number.
From then on, my career kept falling apart, while she suddenly landed all the movie roles that had originally been meant for me.
"Ms. Orszebet, good morning." I turned my eyes away from the magazine when I heard Margareth’s voice.
"The makeup team is ready for you," she said with a polite smile. "Please, follow me to the makeup room. Afterward, you can also try on some of the dresses we’ve prepared for you."
I nodded and followed Margaret, while Marissa trailed a few steps behind. When we reached the makeup room, Marissa stayed outside, probably wanting to exchange a few words with Margaret.
For a brief moment, I caught the way Margaret’s eyes widened when Marissa introduced herself. But once the door shut behind me, their voices faded, and I could no longer see what was happening.
At least now, people would know I wasn’t standing alone anymore, and I had someone powerful behind me.
But the videos of Madeline bullying me had already spread everywhere, flooding social media until there was no corner left untouched. Everywhere I went, people couldn’t help but look at me with pity in their eyes.
Even at home, a few of the housemaids would tear up whenever I walked past them. Their sorrow weighed on me so heavily that, in the end, I chose to stay in my bedroom most of the time, just so no one else would cry because of me.
A few days ago, even Margaret and Vivienne herself called me directly. They spoke with gentle voices, full of regret, apologizing for almost cutting off the contract with me.
Honestly, I believed Vivienne only did that because she was sure that if she kept me, people would see her as a saint for giving a mistress’s daughter like me a chance to shine.
Well, so be it. In the end, this was nothing more than business.
"Ms. Orszebet, nice to meet you." One of the makeup artists approached me first, smiling warmly. "We’re really sorry for what happened to you back then," she added softly.
I returned her smile and waved it off. "Oh, I’m fine now. It’s all in the past." I had no intention of dragging that topic any further, so I quickly changed the subject. "So, what kind of makeup will you be using today? We’ll use the first concept first, right?"
Jeanne, the head makeup artist, nodded and led me toward the vanity table. There, I noticed several new eyeshadow palettes from Rosélle Beauty.
Though the theme was summer, the palettes weren’t just filled with warm shades like red, orange, and yellow. There were also cooler options—shimmering silvers, soft blues, icy lilacs—that felt almost out of place beside the earthier tones.
I guessed the cool palettes were meant for people who liked to experiment with bold looks, while most people would stick to the warmer, safer colors.
"As you already know, we’ll be doing two photoshoots for you," Jeanne explained with a calm smile. "Today, we’ll go with a warm, classic summer vibe. For the next shoot, we’ll try something a little more creative and artsy."
"Then, let’s do it!" I smiled brightly, feeling excited because after such a long time, I was finally about to officially return to this industry.