The weight of regret was pressing heavily on Bart’s shoulders. These days, he would stare helplessly at the monitor, watching Sandra stumble through almost every scene. She delivered her lines with a flat monotone, her expression as wooden as the set props around her.
It wasn’t just the mediocre acting. Sandra didn’t even bother memorizing longer lines. During filming, she lazily mouthed, “1, 2, 3, 4, 5,” relying on post-production dubbing to fix her performance.
The thought of enduring the inevitable online backlash made Bart’s stomach churn.
Even though he didn’t trust Elva’s repeated assurances, he had no choice but to let things play out. Sandra’s name still brought attention, and her presence on the show would undoubtedly generate buzz.
But that didn’t mean he had to make things easy. With a stern expression, Bart addressed Elva sharply. “One minute she’s saying one thing; the next, it’s something else. What if she changes her mind in a few days? How do I explain that to the producers? Adjustments within the crew are one thing, but messing with a program’s lineup is a whole different mess. I can’t clean up after that kind of disaster.”
Sandra, oblivious to Bart’s frustration, was barely paying attention. Her eyes flitted around, her mind busy plotting how to humiliate Elizabeth during the show.
Elva, visibly exasperated, stepped forward to smooth things over. “Don’t worry, she won’t back out,” she said, tugging at Sandra’s arm for emphasis. “Sandra, tell the director yourself. You’re definitely going, right?”
Snapping out of her thoughts, Sandra shrugged nonchalantly. “Yeah, I’ll go.”
She had to go. Unlike acting, variety shows relied on spontaneity and adaptability. As long as she played the innocent victim, she was certain that Elizabeth’s sharp, no-nonsense personality would alienate viewers. All she needed to do was sit back and let the public’s bias do the work for her.
Bayview Villa
The house was unusually quiet. Elijah was away, and Elizabeth decided to take advantage of the peace. Camille dropped by for dinner, bringing her trademark lively energy.
After giving Willow the day off, Elizabeth pulled out her phone and ordered hotpot delivery.
When the food arrived, they spread it out on the coffee table in the living room. Sitting cross-legged on the carpet, Elizabeth turned on the projector. She scrolled through the streaming options before settling on a newly released movie.
As the opening credits rolled, Camille hit pause, waving her hand dismissively. “We’re eating hotpot and chatting—how are we supposed to follow a plot? Let’s watch a livestream instead.”
“You’ve been really into livestreams lately,” Elizabeth teased, glancing at Camille’s phone. She knew Camille had a fat account, and the phone must have cost her thirty to fifty thousand.
Camille shrugged, casting the stream to the projector. “It’s just a distraction to take my mind off things.”
Elizabeth didn’t push further. She knew Camille was still grappling with her situation with Albin.
Matters of the heart were too personal for anyone else to judge.
The screen lit up with a new livestream. Camille’s eyes widened, and she jabbed a finger at the screen. “Wait a second—isn’t that your scheming sister?”
Elizabeth looked up, her expression hardening as Yara’s face appeared on the screen. Dressed in hospital garb, her bruised and swollen features gave her a pitiful appearance. She sat on the hospital bed, clutching a tissue as tears streamed down her cheeks.
“I don’t know why my sister hates me so much,” Yara said, her voice trembling with emotion. “Maybe it’s because I took away some of Dad’s love… I don’t blame her for ruining my innocence, but now that Dad’s in trouble, I just wish she’d help the family. After all, half of Dad’s assets belong to her too.”
Her voice broke on the last sentence, and she covered her face, sobbing dramatically.
The chat was filled with oblivious viewers taking her side, calling Elizabeth vicious and heartless.
Camille froze mid-bite, her spoon still in her mouth. She stared at the screen in disbelief before erupting. “What the hell is that shameless witch doing? She messes up her own life and then goes live to blame you for everything? Unbelievable!”
