Chapter 2

I was so mad that I actually laughed.

There were plenty of shameless people in this world, and at this moment, Edward was definitely the most exceptional one.

I had made it this far not just through my hard work, but solely because I have the Sullivan family behind me.

Who did Edward think he was? All he ever did was throw me some third-rate endorsements or splurge on crappy scripts.

To spare Edward's fragile ego, I even lowered myself to take on a few cheap endorsement deals and got chewed out by my brother for days.

And now Edward actually dared to claim that without him, I was nothing.

Noticing my shifting expressions, Edward wore a smug look, thinking he'd hit a nerve and, full of himself, actually tried to lean in for a kiss. But I quickly yanked Jimmy before me to block Edward's disgusting lips.

Both Edward and Jimmy were stunned for a moment.

Feeling violated, Jimmy wiped his mouth with a wry smile and said, "Hey, come on, leave me out of your drama, alright?"

Edward's face darkened as he lit a cigarette, eyeing me with a sinister gaze. "Vivian, you've devoted your best years to me these past four years. But the Quinn family could never accept a lowly actress. If you know what's good for you, just stay as my girlfriend. We can keep things just like before."

Nothing but trash ever came out of his mouth. Today, I finally saw Edward for who he really was.

"Then I'll just write off those four years of my youth as time wasted. Edward, we're through," I said.

I couldn't bear to look at him any longer, turning my heel and walking away at once.

Edward was practically foaming at the mouth as he roared after me, "Vivian, you'll regret this."

I left him with nothing but my resolute back and a raised middle finger.

I hoped he wouldn't regret this.

Edward had just been humiliated by me in front of everyone. Of course, he wasn't going to take it lying down.

That very night, I was dragged onto the trending list.

[Vivian's Best Actress trophy is undeserved.]

[Worst Best Actress—Vivian.]

Sammy's eyes were bloodshot with rage as she logged into her burner accounts and furiously fired back at the haters online.

Lounging with a face mask on, I was chatting away with my mom on the phone.

"Sweetheart, you're absolutely amazing. I'm so proud of you," she exclaimed.

My mom, who had always been a health nut, actually stayed up past midnight just to celebrate my Best Actress win. One could tell she was really overjoyed.

I grinned and said, "Thanks for always having my back, Mom. Couldn't have nailed this performance and taken home the crown without you."

"Oh, right," My mom suddenly said, her expression turning serious. "Your grandpa has a message for you. Now that you've won Best Actress, isn't it time to fulfill your promise?"

By the time I hung up with my mom, Sammy was already multitasking furiously, juggling two laptops and three phones at once.

My jaw dropped as I watched Sammy working herself into a frenzy, concern creeping in. "Sammy, don't get so worked up."

Sammy was grinding her teeth in fury, practically itching to crawl through the internet and confront them. With bloodshot eyes, she turned to me and declared, "Vivian, I can tolerate all their nonsense, but I won't stand for them calling you unprofessional."

She had gotten a point.

They could question my acting all they wanted, but never my professionalism.

The film that won me Best Actress told the story of Alice, a college student who was abducted. After enduring hell on earth, she never gave up, fighting back every step of the way until she finally escaped and dismantled the criminal network all by herself.

Throughout the entire shoot, in order to keep things as real as possible, every scene of abuse and violence was performed for real, including slaps, hair-pulling, and even getting kicked across the set. Dragging my bruised and battered body through take after take, I kept going. Even the veteran actors working with me were moved to tears by what I endured.

Everyone had seen how hard I had worked and how much I had put in.

Sure enough, before my agency could even respond, both the director, Jason Warren, and the studio simultaneously issued statements of support.

Jason: [Vivian is the most dedicated young actress I've ever worked with. She fully immersed herself in the role. To me, she is Alice. The Golden Tree Awards for Best Actress is a title she's earned and deserves.]

The studio's official account: [Without further ado, just watch the video.]

Though the video was a bit raw, it perfectly captured everything I went through on set.

Even the moments when I sustained a cut during filming, putting on a brave face in front of everyone, only to break down in Sammy's arms when no one was looking, were all caught on camera.

Official statements turned the tide of public opinion.

Soon after, my former co-stars came forward one after another to voice their support for me.

This ridiculous farce began with a blunder and ended just as quickly.

At 2 a.m., my brother sent over some photos.

I couldn't help but scoff at the photos.

No wonder Edward had the nerve to turn against me right in front of everyone. It turned out he's been cozying up to Lydia, the heiress of White Rock Biotech.

Since my endorsement, Pila had risen from a domestic mid-tier brand to the ranks of accessible luxury.

Now, if Pila wanted to go further, the only way was to innovate with its ingredients.

Retinol, developed by White Rock Biotech, was currently the most cost-effective anti-aging ingredient in the skincare industry.

So in Edward's eyes, even winning Best Actress didn't make me valuable anymore.

They could replace brand ambassadors, but the product formulation was the true essence of a brand.

He certainly knew how to play the game.

It was typical Edward, always wanting to have his cake and eat it, too.

I studied the photo of Edward's plastic smile.

I couldn't help but wonder something. What kind of face would Edward make if he knew I was the heiress of the prestigious Sullivan family in Dandelih?