Chapter 2

I smiled, but there was no warmth in my eyes.

I continued, "After that, you wanted my name, too.

"Matilda is such a lovely name. You said only a name like this would suit you.

"So, from the day we started elementary school, I became Melissa Olsen, and you became Matilda Reily.

"And after that, you took my whole life away."

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a piece of perfectly folded paper.

I unfolded it, letting the stamp and bold black letters flash across the screen for everyone watching.

The words read, [Brokeoth City Film Academy, Acting Department, Admission Notice.]

[Recipient: Matilda Reily.]

I took a deep breath and went on, "I waited eighteen years for this notice, but I never received it.

"On the first day of school, Mom and Dad told me I didn't get in. They said I wasn't cut out for college and told me to start working early, so you could attend those pricey art prep classes.

"I found this notice last month when I went back to our hometown, hidden in the lining of your old, discarded mattress.

"Melissa, no, Louisa. You took my admission notice, used my name, and walked into the college that should've been mine.

"You stole my dreams, you stole my life, and now you want my face as well?"

My voice wasn't loud, but it hit everyone hard, like a sledgehammer to the heart.

At that moment, the flawless persona Louisa had built for herself finally showed its first crack.

She was shaking from head to toe, her lips quivering, but she couldn't get a single word out.

A male voice shouted, "It's all fake! None of it's true!"

Jimmy, her agent, finally came to his senses. He rushed onto the stage, shoved me aside, and put himself between me and Louisa.

"This woman is a lunatic! She's just some distant relative of Louisa's and has always been jealous of her. She's here today to extort money!"

He shouted at the audience, his voice cracking. "Security! Throw her out! Call the police. Sue her for slander!"

A few security guards started closing in on me again.

I shot him a cold look. "Jimmy, are you really sure you want to call the cops?"

I pulled out a third item from my bag.

It was a contract and a tiny voice recorder.

"You made me sign this double contract yourself, didn't you?" I said, my voice steady.

I read it out, "It's all spelled out right here: Matilda Reily is going to be Louisa Olson's exclusive stunt double, body double, and even acting double.

"Two thousand dollars a month, no days off, and I had to sign a ten-million-dollar NDA.

"If my identity ever got exposed, I'd have to pay an outrageous penalty fee."

I pressed play on the voice recorder.

Jimmy's familiar, greasy voice echoed through the whole venue.

He snapped, "Matilda, don't be ungrateful. Your sister is the golden girl now. She's a star, and what are you? Just dirt under her feet.

"Letting you be her shadow is a blessing. With a face like yours, you'd never make it in this industry.

"Keep your head down and play nice. Once Louisa's on top, you'll get something out of it. But if you even think about stepping out of line, I've got plenty of ways to make sure you never work in this town again."

The recording ended.

The whole place went dead silent.

Jimmy's face went through every shade, shock, rage, panic, all at once.

He pointed at me, his finger trembling hard.

"You... how dare you record it!" Jimmy stammered, his voice shaking.

"Why not?" I shot back. "When dealing with devils like you, I'd better keep something to protect myself, right?"

I stared right into the camera, locking eyes with all those fans who worshipped Louisa.

I said, "You remember that movie that made your idol famous, The Wind?

"About that scene where she jumped from thirty floors up, was that really her doing the stunt?"

I pulled up the back of my shirt, showing off the ugly scar that stretched from my shoulder blade all the way down to my lower back, right there for everyone to see.

I snapped, "The wire snapped, and I fell from the third floor. I almost ended up paralyzed. Meanwhile, your goddess Louisa was chilling in her private van, whining about her coffee being lukewarm.

"And that underwater scene in the dead of winter? She was bundled up in a down jacket on the shore, sipping hot cocoa, while I was soaking in ice-cold water for a full six hours.

"She couldn't even memorize her lines. For every dramatic scene, the director would shoot my close-up first, then make her mimic me.

"Every bit of glory she got for that Best Actress award? It's all stained with my blood and tears!

"So tell me, who does this award really belong to?"

My question landed like a punch, echoing through the room.

The comment section wasn't just in chaos, but it absolutely exploded.

[Louisa Olson's Real Name Is Melissa Olsen.]

[Louisa Olson Stole Her Twin Sister's Life.]

[Best Actress Is Actually a Stand-In Who Can't Even Read Her Lines.]

All three hashtags rocketed to the top of the trending list, grabbing the first three trending spots in seconds.

Louisa's flawless persona crumbled to dust in that moment, falling apart completely.

She couldn't take it anymore. Her eyes rolled back, and she dropped like a statue, out cold.

Jimmy frantically scooped her up, stumbling as he tried to get her out. Reporters blocked their way, and he made a desperate escape from the venue, looking completely panicked and disheveled.

What was supposed to be a grand celebration turned into a complete farce.

And I, the orchestrator of this chaos, descended from the stage that was meant to be mine, every eye in the room following my every step.