Chapter 59
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Eleanor furrowed her brows as she thought back to what Brock had said earlier and wondered. He said I stole his sister’s role. What does that even mean? Victor hasn’t even contacted me yet. I don’t even know if I got the part, so how do they
know?
“Holy crap, Eleanor, you’re trending!” Janet suddenly shrieked.
Eleanor was stunned when she heard the word “trending“. She was still a nobody, barely worth noticing, so the idea of her making it onto the trending list felt absurd. So she responded, “It’s probably someone with the same name.”
“No. It’s definitely you, Eleanor.” Janet excitedly shoved her phone in Eleanor’s face. “Isn’t that the character you auditioned for Megan Moore? It has to be you!”
Eleanor took the phone over, and sure enough, her name was brightly displayed in second place on the trending list, along with the hashtag. “Megan Moore portrayed by Eleanor Vanderbilt. There was even a ‘trending” tag next to it.
When she clicked on the trend, at the top was a tweet from someone named Camilla Byron.
It read: [I’m truly sorry to disappoint my fans and those who love me. I wasn’t able to land the role of Megan Moore. I think there are still some areas where I don’t quite match the character, but I believe a newcomer can do just as well. Let’s wait and see.]
Attached was a picture of the casting scores, with Eleanor’s score being the highest.
As Eleanor scrolled down, she saw fans‘ comments, almost all of them cursing her and offering comfort to Camilla.
One user wrote: [Don’t cry, Camilla. You’re perfect in our hearts. We’ll always support you. Eleanor can go to hell!]
Another said: [Victor’s got some nerve. Camilla is literally the most suited actress in the industry for Megan. She’s highly educated, does ballet, and she’s stunning. How did they even pick someone else?]
Someone else chimed in: [Exactly! Camilla is a top graduate of Haverhill University. Isn’t that way better than those film or drama schools? What kind of education does this Eleanor even have?]
Another person sneered: [I don’t have much to say. But can I just ask, did Eleanor save Victor’s life or something?]
When Eleanor clicked on Camilla’s profile, it showed her verified status as an actress with a follower count of seven million.
Eleanor instantly understood and pondered, ‘No wonder this person got me trending with just one Twitter post. Turns out she’s a third–tier actress with a fanbase. Wait a second. Her last name is also Byron. So she’s Brock’s sister? The one who was just here stirring up trouble?‘
Janet, who was sitting close to Eleanor, also saw the comments under the Twitter post. She immediately fumed. “Are these brain–dead fans serious? Spraying nonsense without knowing anything? A degree from Haverhill University and they think they’re so high and mighty?
“Eleanor, with your scores, you’ll be a top scholar. When it’s time to choose universities, you’ll have your pick of the best- any top–tier school will outclass Haverhill University!”
Eleanor handed the phone back to Janet, taking a deep breath before calmly saying, “We haven’t even taken the University Admissions Testing yet. Everything’s still uncertain. Fans supporting their idols, though–that’s normal.”
Janet looked at her, a bit surprised by her calm demeanor. “Eleanor, aren’t you angry? They’re dragging your name through the mud.”
Eleanor raised an eyebrow, her voice steady and sincere. “Not at all. There’s nothing to be upset about.”
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12:45 Sat, Nov
Chapter 59
These trivial accusations were nothing compared to the insults she’d endured in her previous life. In fact, in the entertainment industry, getting hated on was pretty standard. Sometimes, being talked about–good or bad–was much better than being ignored entirely.
But Janet didn’t have Eleanor’s composure. The more she looked at the comments, the angrier she got. She fumed on Eleanor’s behalf. “Camilla is clearly doing it on purpose. The passive–aggressive tone is obvious! Eleanor, how about I get someone to take down that Twitter post?”
Eleanor shook her head. “No need. Just leave it there.”
Janet was baffled and asked, “Why?”
Eleanor smiled, “I’m already trending. Everyone who needs to know has seen it. Deleting it now would only make us look guilty. And even if we do take it down, what if she posts something else? We can’t exactly cut off her hands, right?
“The best way to deal with public opinion isn’t to fight fire with fire but to turn the tables on them.”
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Eleanor thought, ‘Since Camilla dared to post that tweet, she must be confident that my acting skills aren’t on par with hers, which is why she’s openly mocking me.
‘But what if she realizes the person she’s mocking is actually more talented than her? I won’t even need to lift a finger–the audience will humiliate her for me.
‘Plus, based on my years of experience in the entertainment industry from my past life, Victor’s name is huge. He’s trending now, and he hasn’t even made a statement yet. He’s definitely using this as a chance to drum up some buzz for his new movie. It might not be ethical, but it’s a strategy.
‘Besides, I’m planning to enter the entertainment industry anyway. Getting on the trending list early and gaining some exposure will only benefit me. Since it’s a win–win, why stop it?‘
In the afternoon, the last class was a self–study period. Taking the chance to hand in her test papers at the office, Eleanor turned and headed to the small grove by the west field, the one Brock had mentioned.
According to Liam, she figured since they were sports students, it made sense for them to be training on the field. Plus, with the last class being a free period, there was a high chance they’d come early to wait.
Sure enough, as soon as Eleanor arrived, she overheard an irritated voice coming from the grove.
Brock shouted, “Damn! Why isn’t class over yet? I can’t wait to beat that kid up!”
“Brock, I did some digging. That Felix guy seems to be from the Vanderbilt family, and he’s one of the top students in our grade. The teachers like him a lot. If we really go after him, won’t we just bring trouble on ourselves?” another voice chimed
- in.
Brock scoffed, “What’s there to be afraid of? He’s the one who asked for it! Everyone in his class heard him. It’s not like we’re making this up. Even if the teachers ask, we’ve got our story straight. Besides, we’re just giving him a lesson, not killing him.”
“Yeah. That makes sense.”
“When he shows up, we’ll grab our stuff and go at him. I’m gonna make sure he’s begging me for mercy by the end of it!” All these grand, reckless words entered Eleanor’s ears, leaving her speechless.
She wondered, ‘Is this what these middle school tough guys find fun? Do they not feel embarrassed spouting this nonsense? What’s with acting like some mafia boss when they’re just high schoolers?‘
But they were so engrossed in their discussion that Eleanor had managed to walk right up behind them, and none of them
