Patrick looked at Jane with tenderness in his eyes, no longer feeling the annoyance he had towards Florence just moments ago.
“Isn’t it funny?”
Jane smiled at Patrick, and with that one smile, she touched him deeply.
“Yeah, it’s hilarious,” he replied. Seeing Jane happy made Patrick smile too. He held onto that smile for a long time until the sound of knocking interrupted their moment of peace.
“Mr. Pansy, can I come in?” whispered the secretary from outside.
Jane gave him a seductive look before writing something down on paper and leaving the room.
…
In the village, mountains were scattered around them while green water surrounded them. Ancient trees towered over everything else.
Maria gazed upon a steep and dangerous canyon before her. She had been filming here for three months without realizing it. The environment was extremely difficult to work in but thankfully peaceful without any online abuse or ridicule from others which allowed Maria to feel safe here.
Filming was coming to an end soon and she would have to leave this place behind eventually. Looking at these mountains rising up one after another made her feel reluctant to go back home where there were still more work waiting for her as well as family obligations.
Maria took a deep breath then boarded the bus back home leaving behind this lush forest filled with memories.
Jane was standing at the company’s entrance, waiting for Maria to return. Having just received the news, this trip to the mountains had been quite challenging, and she was determined to properly treat Maria for her efforts.
As Maria descended from the bus, Jane approached her, saying, “You’ve been through a lot lately. Take some time to rest.”
Maria looked visibly darker than before, a clear sign of enduring sun and wind.
“Jane, I’ve missed you so much,” Maria sighed.
As Maria moved to embrace Jane, she was met with Jane’s outstretched hand, halting her advance.
“Don’t do this, I can’t handle it,” Jane said, drawing a smile from the onlookers as they led Maria back to the company.
Not long after, the movie was released.
On the first day, the box office didn’t see a significant response. After all, Maria was still a newcomer, playing a supporting role, which was quite normal.
Observing Maria’s dejected demeanor, Jane patted her shoulder and said, “It’s okay. This is just the beginning, and there will be many more opportunities in the future.”
Maria nodded, but her face still betrayed an unmistakable sense of disappointment.
To Jane’s surprise, the second day saw ticket sales more than double from the previous day.
She couldn’t believe the numbers on the screen. Up to that point, many people were still making advance bookings.
Maria was equally astonished, watching the rapidly spinning numbers on the screen, almost doubting if she had accessed the wrong website.
“Is this really the box office for my movie?”
“Silly girl, it’s yours,” Jane chuckled, astonished at the unexpected success of the movie.
“Jane, look, there are many Twitter bloggers with millions of followers recommending this movie,” Maria said, handing her phone to Jane, who then understood what was happening.
Initially, not many expected much from the movie, and the initial viewership was low. Today, however, the surge in viewership was largely due to the fervent online recommendations, attracting a significant audience.
“Well done, Maria,” Jane nodded approvingly. “Considering your recent performance, I’ll increase your bonus.”
“Really? Thank you, Jane!” Maria’s eyes sparkled, ready to embrace Jane, only to be stopped by Jane once again.
“Pay attention.”
Maria awkwardly scratched her head, looking at the continuously rising data online, feeling inexplicably happy inside.
In the following days, the movie’s box office sales continued to multiply, breaking this year’s record. Maria, playing the supporting role, even outshone the female lead, becoming the subject of discussion among internet users.
With the soaring box office numbers, Maria’s reputation gradually recovered. After all, in this industry, it’s all about talent. As long as there’s impressive work, it will be highly sought after.
The online evaluations of her had completely turned around, with many praising her as a powerhouse in this supporting role. There were few criticisms about her previous high-handedness, and Maria had now become a top-tier actress.
Seeing the movie’s tremendous success, Maria was delighted. At this moment, she received a text from her boyfriend, Kim.
Due to the movie’s great success, Kim felt Maria had achieved something significant and wanted to take her home to meet his parents.
As she read the message, Maria’s heart raced unexpectedly. She had never expected this day to come.
She bounced home, rummaging through her wardrobe, but despite it being filled with clothes, she couldn’t find anything suitable.
Looking at her overflowing clothes, Maria fell into contemplation.
Kim was from a wealthy family, and she needed to dress up properly to meet his parents. But now she was at a loss. She usually liked loose and casual clothes, and other than those, she only had some costumes. She couldn’t find a suitable outfit.
In desperation, she meticulously dressed up at a clothing store and nervously got into the car when Kim came to take her to his home.
Upon entering, she had one overwhelming feeling: everything was splendid. Wherever she looked, there was a glistening opulence, grand and yet graceful.
“Mr. Ragsdill and Mrs. Ragsdill.”
Kim’s parents were sitting on the sofa, and Maria bowed to each of them before being pulled by Kim to sit on the opposite sofa.
“You must be Maria.”
Diana spoke with a very calm tone, her face showing neither joy nor worry.
“Yes, hello Mrs. Ragsdill,” Maria felt a bit awkward, and at this moment, Kim spoke up, “Dad, Mom, this is the gift Maria brought for you. She carefully selected it.”
Maria was taken aback; this was the gift prepared by Kim.
She felt somewhat relieved that Kim still cared so much about her at this moment.
Diana’s face stiffened, and she expressionlessly accepted the gift.
“Mrs. Ragsdill…”
Maria nervously clenched her fingers.
“Maria, we’ve heard about it. You work in the entertainment industry, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Maria swallowed and glanced at Kim beside her, still feeling very nervous.
“Both his father and I have heard about it. Your previous online reputation, well, it’s complicated.”
Out of etiquette as the hostess of a wealthy family, Diana didn’t continue.
But Maria understood the general meaning from her words.
“Mom, what are you saying?”
Kim was a bit anxious. He had already discussed with his parents beforehand, but he didn’t expect them to say something like this.