Chapter 3

The following afternoon, I made my way to the Sullivan residence.

Grandfather was in high spirits, standing upright and full of energy.

He was watering the flowers in the garden.

Five years ago, when I told him I wanted to break into showbiz, he completely lost it.

He even locked me up at home, determined to make me abandon this crazy idea.

But I was the heiress of the Sullivan family, stubborn to the bone.

On the third day of my hunger strike, my grandfather finally relented.

Exasperated at my defiance, he poked me with his cane.

"You silly girl, why must you blaze your trail when there's a golden path we've paved for you? Others may not know, but surely you understand how difficult this road is? She—" he scolded.

Weak from hunger but still defiant, I lifted my chin and declared, "I'll win the Best Actress award she never got."

Grandfather was rendered speechless.

He gave me five years.

During these five years, I wouldn't have to take on any Sullivan family responsibilities, nor would they interfere with my work in showbiz.

But it was only five years. Regardless of whether I won Best Actress or not, once the time was up, I had to leave the entertainment industry and return to the Sullivan family.

The reason I was so determined to enter showbiz was simple.

It was all for her, Claire Granger.

Claire was a distant relative from my grandfather's side, his cousin's daughter. After her parents died in a car accident, our family took her in. It took us days to figure out her proper place in the family hierarchy.

That was how I ended up with an aunt who was practically my age.

I loved Claire so, so much.

With my parents busy with work and my brother just taking over the family business, Claire was the only one by my side throughout my childhood.

She was gentle and kind, always watching over me as I grew up.

Later, a talent scout noticed Claire, and she stepped into showbiz.

She gracefully declined the Sullivan family's assistance, choosing to climb her way up through sheer determination.

She was persistent and unyielding.

Claire was always my guiding star, everything I aspired to be.

But six years ago, while I was abroad, I received the devastating news of her passing.

Claire jumped from the 25th floor, leaving no suicide note—no last words at all.

Police found Claire's medical records and antidepressants in her apartment.

And I would never forget the last words Claire said to me on the phone.

"Vivian, I got the part. It's Jason's new film. I know I can do this role justice. I'm definitely going to win the Golden Tree Awards for Best Actress," she exclaimed.

Now, I had finally achieved what she never could.

And as the heiress of the Sullivan family, it was time for me to honor my promise and return to my family.

Grandfather had aged.

The once stern and imposing patriarch was now a lively, kind-hearted old man.

He'd stayed up until midnight just to watch the awards ceremony, and getting out of bed the next day was quite a struggle.

It was already late when I left my grandfather's place.

Still, I contacted Sammy to meet at the office.

When Sammy heard I was quitting showbiz, her eyes instantly welled up.

"Vivian, you just won Best Actress. Why end it now when your career is just taking off?" Sammy exclaimed.

I chuckled and replied, "Because I'm going home to inherit the family fortune."

Sammy was stunned for a moment.

Sammy was kind-hearted and had a strong work ethic.

I decided to bring her over so she could continue working as my assistant.

That was why I asked her here in advance, to explain my situation and make her a job offer.

Sammy looked conflicted, her gaze complex as she stared at me. After a moment, she finally said, "Honestly, I always thought being an assistant to a superstar was as far as my career would ever go."

I entrusted Sammy with full authority to handle my contract termination and showbiz exit.

The next morning, while I was having breakfast at home, I received my official showbiz retirement notice.

The news instantly went viral, sparking heated discussions across social media.

Edward called. I put him on speakerphone and tossed it onto the couch, still chewing my breakfast.

"Vivian, have you lost your mind? You just won the Best Actress award, and now you're quitting showbiz?" Edward sounded absolutely livid, his voice dropping to a low growl. "Did you forget you're still Pila's brand ambassador?"

I picked out the red pepper rings and murmured, "So what?"

"Do you have any idea how much damage you're causing Pila?" he snapped. "Is this some petty revenge against me?"

"Vivian, I demand you clarify this immediately. Say your retirement was just a joke," he demanded. "The losses from this stunt are beyond what you could possibly repay."

Edward really thought he was all that.

I couldn't help but laugh, "Mr. Quinn, sure, I have plenty of breach penalties to pay after quitting the entertainment industry, but Pila isn't one of them. Instead of paying you, I'm going to demand compensation from you. You know nothing about the law."

I never actually renewed my contract with Pila after it expired, but I kept fulfilling all my endorsement obligations anyway.

There wasn't any special reason. It was simply because Edward never mentioned renewing the contract.

Maybe he figured that since we were dating, there was no need to be so strict about our business arrangements.

And of course, he stopped paying my endorsement fees after that.

With fresh grievances piling onto old grudges, I immediately contacted Sammy to compile a solid chain of evidence.

The celebrities might look glamorous on the surface, but it was really just layers of smoke and mirrors.

For years, I was hustling from set to set, barely getting a single day off.

After I decided to terminate my contract, I finally managed to take a whole week off and truly relax.

Sammy proved to be highly capable. Except for situations that required my personal presence, she handled everything else.

During my vacation, only Edward, that tone-deaf guy, kept constantly calling and texting, getting on my nerves.

With my vacation over, I officially returned to the Sullivan family.

At the very first order of business, they threw me straight into a charity party.

In the entertainment industry, charity balls, auction parties, and similar events were constantly popping up. Ostensibly about philanthropy, they were really just thinly veiled opportunities to flaunt wealth and expand social networks.