Circle Tech Company was the kind of company that, thanks to its successful games and huge player base, had a pretty aloof attitude. They mostly collaborated with top-tier celebrities and had never worked with a newcomer like Sarah. If they actually signed on with her, though-
Just thinking about it made Sarah’s fans feel giddy with excitement.
After seeing Sarah’s photo, Elisa suddenly had the urge to borrow that gown for dinner the next night. She asked her agent for help.
The agent hesitated.”That dress is really picky about who wears it.”
Elisa frowned.”Are you saying I won’t look good in it?”
Having been in the industry for a while, the agent had a keen eye. She knew Elisa looked decent in touched-up photos, but in reality, there were quite a few flaws.
For one, Elisa’s face wasn’t as smooth as it could be; it only worked well with heavy filters for idol dramas, not for high-definition cameras in serious films. Her body wasn’t perfect either-her chest could be enhanced, but her legs needed some serious Photoshop to look long.
Elisa’s skin was relatively fair compared to most people, but it paled in comparison to Sarah’s naturally flawless complexion. Bright, saturated colors just didn’t suit her.
The agent had been guiding her towards a sweet and cute image, encouraging her to dress either vibrantly youthful or elegantly pure. Trying to play the role of a breathtaking beauty when she wasn’t one could easily backfire.
After the recent drama, some of Elisa’s fans had dropped her, but those who stuck around were fiercely loyal. No matter what Elisa did, they praised her.
Hearing all those compliments, Elisa sometimes really believed she was just like her fans described, making it hard to listen to her agent.
Seeing she couldn’t persuade her, the agent tried to deflect.”This brand’s gowns are hard to borrow…”
Elisa lost it.
If Sarah could wear it, why couldn’t she?
So she turned to Ronald for help.
But, over the past couple of days, Ronald had been acting a little hesitant around her, even struggling to talk. Whatever she asked for, though, he would make it happen.
Seeing Ronald’s attitude, Elisa figured he was probably off with some other shameless gold digger. But she knew she was reaching high by being with him. He chose her over others from well-off families, and that gave her an edge.
Sometimes, she’d have big blowouts with Ronald, but more often, she played it cool.
Before long, Ronald managed to borrow the gown for Elisa.
Elisa got her makeup artist to give her the same look Sarah had. She had just tweaked her makeup and looked great; fans were even saying she looked better than Sarah.
In the same style of dress, Elisa felt like she had more elegance. After all, she was a graduate of a prestigious university and had read a lot-definitely more substance than most of the other artists in the entertainment industry.
Sarah had just bought a diploma abroad, lacking that refined aura Elisa had from her education.
Once the dinner started, Crystal had a hard time processing what she was seeing.
“Wow,” she gasped, shocked.”She really fell for it.”
With the lighting and cameras at these kinds of events, even a goddess would struggle to look good. A perfect face could easily turn into a mediocre one on camera.
Elisa walked in wearing a blinding hot pink gown-one of those big, poofy styles that trailed on the floor, making her look like she was ready for a fifth-grade play.
Even before the dinner ended, Crystal could already guess how the internet would roast Elisa over this outfit.
When Elisa spotted Sarah, she froze for a second. They weren’t wearing the same outfit after all.
Tonight, Sarah had on a sleek misty purple satin mermaid dress. Her golden hair was pinned up, exposing her elegant neck, which was adorned with just a simple pearl. Under the dim, dreamy lights of the banquet hall, her features looked especially refined, giving her an aloof and distant vibe.
In comparison, Elisa’s whole look-her outfit, her makeup-seemed tacky and gaudy, just like Crystal had said: like a kid playing dress-up.
Sarah had completely deviated from Elisa’s expectations.
And once again, Elisa was fuming on the inside.
With so many celebrities attending, the media was, of course, snapping photos at the event.
When Elisa’s unedited pictures hit the internet, the dress brand was practically on the verge of a meltdown.
The brand prided itself as a top-tier domestic label offering custom-made pieces, with its main clientele being wealthy socialites and rich wives. After Sarah had posted that one photo in their gown, they’d been flooded with orders from these wealthy women.
But once Elisa stepped out in the same dress, it was a total disaster-like a perfect case of expectations versus reality gone wrong. Some of the high-end clients even started canceling their orders.
While everyone online was making fun of Elisa, her fans scrambled to do damage control.
“It’s the dress! That design would look bad on anyone.”
“Knew that brand was trash. They charge a fortune-millions-and for what? They’re just a cheap domestic label. Put anyone else in that dress, and it’d still be a train wreck.”
“Sarah’s pic was 100% edited. Elisa’s was raw. Comparing edited pics to unedited ones is just bullying.”
“…”
Elisa’s fans kept blaming the brand.
But the brand wasn’t having it. Conveniently, they had just secured a collaboration with Sarah the day before, and she’d given them a couple of unedited photos.
The brand’s official account posted one of Sarah’s untouched pictures right at the top of their profile.
In the raw photo, Sarah’s features stood out even more sharply, without the artificial influencer look. You could even make out every eyelash and the pearly glow of her skin under the high-definition shot.
Her legs looked long and graceful, with just a slight train trailing behind her, making her proportions flawless.
Honestly, the brand’s social media team couldn’t figure out what Elisa had been thinking.
How did she not realize that as a fellow actress, it would’ve been smarter to avoid wearing the same dress? And then to parade around in it like that? How embarrassing.
At this rate, no brand was going to lend her any custom gowns in the future-she’d have to buy them herself.
In the crowd, Sarah spotted a familiar figure.
Butler Ted, ever diligent, was dressed in a sharp suit and holding a glass of red wine. He was chatting with a short, balding man.
Crystal glanced at the bald guy and tilted her chin toward him. “That’s the boss of Upward Group. He’s one of the top industry players-if an artist signs with his company, they’re guaranteed solid resources. But-”
Since Sarah was still relatively new to the industry, she didn’t recognize many of the big names.
Crystal, being a veteran in the entertainment scene, didn’t mind guiding talented newcomers.
Hearing the “but,” Sarah’s curiosity was piqued. “But what?” she asked, sensing some gossip.
A flash of disgust flickered in Crystal’s eyes. “That bastard swings both ways. Nearly every artist in his company has been… involved with him. And his wife has some serious criminal connections-she’s a big deal in City N. Best you stay far away from him.”
Sarah felt a chill run down her spine and made a mental note to heed Crystal’s advice. She swore she’d stay far away from that bastard.
Crystal, curious, tilted her head. “Still… that bastard’s known for kissing up and kicking down. He’s scared of his wife and usually super obsequious. So who’s that old guy over there, the one making him bow and scrape?”
Sarah paused for a second. “Oh… Honestly, he looks like a butler to me.”