“Frank wasn’t as arrogant this time-his portrayal of Godfery was actually decent. Who’s the actress playing Mollie? I’ve never seen her before. What else has she been in? I want to check her other work.”
“Director Colby is amazing! The movie’s even better than the book. If future adaptations are this good, I won’t mind. I used to think Sarah was just a pretty face, not fit for Mollie’s role, but now I’ve changed my mind. Honestly, there’s no one else in the industry who could’ve done it better.”
“I’ve become a Sarah fan now. Did she really get married? Whatever, even if she did, I still love her. I just hope she gets a divorce.”
“Bro, wake up. Even if she got divorced, no way a girl like her would marry someone like you.”
“I came for Frank, but I ended up falling in love with Sarah.”
“…”
Grace’s fans, seeing these positive comments, quickly accused the posters of being undercover Sarah fans. But when they checked, they realized that many of these people had been trashing Sarah just a few days ago.
Some clever bloggers even put together a “Redemption Compilation.”
Examples from the compilation:
The Whole [7 days ago]: Let’s be real, Sarah isn’t fit for Mollie. She should stick to showing off her legs and cleavage, playing dumb beauties.
The Whole [1 day ago]: OMG OMG OMG Mollie is freaking stunning! I can’t believe the author killed her off! I need to watch this movie at least three more times.
Skyblue [7 days ago]: As a book fan, Sarah’s casting was the worst decision ever. If she’s not here through connections, I’ll eat dirt standing on my head.
Skyblue [22 hours ago]: Honestly, I can’t think of anyone better than Sarah to play Mollie. She gave the character a soul. They should really make a sequel and bring Mollie back-I’d definitely watch it.
Stranger [previously]: Can they stop ruining the original work? If you’re gonna make a movie, at least pick decent actors. This is so bad only a fool would watch it.
Stranger [now]: Guess who’s going back for a second watch? Of course, it’s me, the fool.
The “Redemption Compilation” went viral, getting reposted all over the place. Some casual viewers, confused by the sudden hype, started wondering if The Mysterious Family was actually worth seeing.
When the film officially released, a lot of people bought tickets just to see what all the fuss was about. After all, even a bad Colby film is still better than most. Worst case, they figured they could always trash the cast and director afterward.
But in the end, even the skeptics had to admit it-The Mysterious Family lived up to the hype.
Sarah’s latest tweet had initially been filled with nasty comments. People mocked her, calling her a talentless pretty face and accusing her of getting the role through shady connections.
Grace’s fans were especially loud, saying only Grace deserved such a role.
But now? The tone had completely changed.
Chihiro: Please don’t die! Bring Mollie back! I need a sequel NOW! (180k likes)
Fadelove: I was wrong to ever insult you. Babe, will you notice me? (130k likes)
Whatislove: Sarah, you were born to play Mollie! When’s the sequel coming?”
Sarah was baffled.
“There’s gonna be a sequel?”
Director Colby, “…”
He had other projects lined up for next year-there were no plans for a sequel.
But with ticket sales soaring, anything felt possible.
Usually, in fantasy films like this, the most popular stars are the handsome male leads.
But this time, Sarah was the one gaining the most followers-over a million new, active fans in just a few days.
Sarah’s fans, “…”
Turns out their girl actually had talent-it wasn’t just fan bias.
With tears of joy, her fans felt vindicated for the first time in a while. They flocked to Grace’s videos, leaving comments like:
“Didn’t you guys say your girl was the perfect Mollie? How drunk were you when you said that?”
Meanwhile, Sarah toured several cities with the cast for in-person promotions. When she finally got back, Butler Ted handed her a stack of scripts, looking visibly drained.
Thanks to the success of The Mysterious Family, countless offers had landed on Sarah’s desk.
Poor Butler Ted, an older gentleman, now had to sift through titles like The CEO’s Runaway Wife and You Killed My Family, So I Don’t Love You Anymore.
With Sarah’s growing fame, she was focused on choosing her next project carefully. She wanted to work on realistic dramas rather than low-effort romances. Every script was going through a thorough review.
And that wasn’t all-brand deals were pouring in. After the film’s massive success, luxury brands were eager to sign with her.
Butler Ted even brought over a high-end car endorsement.
Sarah was genuinely shocked.
“They want me to be their ambassador?”
Butler Ted nodded. “Yes.”
No wonder Sarah was surprised-she’d endorsed expensive skincare products and bags that cost tens of thousands, but never a luxury car worth millions.
This particular brand usually hired global superstars-athletes, singers, or A-list actors.
Butler Ted smiled. “The brand is really impressed with you.”
Sarah’s career was skyrocketing. Her previous movie, Heart Throb, had grossed over 3 billion, and The Mysterious Family was well on track to break 4 billion.
Getting these kinds of numbers so early in her career was almost unheard of, and Butler Ted couldn’t help but feel that Sarah was incredibly lucky.
Normally, when an actress becomes a breakout star, the internet floods with gossip and smear campaigns, usually orchestrated by rivals. But in Sarah’s case, there was nothing-they couldn’t dig up any dirt. She’d spent the past six months entirely focused on filming, giving her detractors no chance to attack.
In addition to scripts and brand deals, Pineapple TV had repeatedly invited Sarah to appear on their variety shows.
But everyone knew that Sarah had bad blood with Pineapple TV. Elisa, who got her start on that network, had trashed Sarah on multiple shows, leading to a wave of online harassment against her for a while.
So when Pineapple TV reached out with invitations, Sarah didn’t even bother responding.
However, the film was still in its promotional phase, and every other cast member had joined a Pineapple TV variety show-except for Sarah.
Director Colby totally understood. In his opinion, Holden, being one of the biggest investors in the entertainment industry, had stakes in several platforms. If Holden’s wife didn’t want to appear on a show, then she simply wouldn’t. No need to force it.
Frank and Camille, two of her co-stars, got it too. After all, even before Sarah debuted, Pineapple TV had dragged her name through the mud in all kinds of ways. If anyone with a weaker mental state had gone through the same, they might’ve left the industry-or worse, fallen into depression. If they had been treated like that, they probably wouldn’t want anything to do with Pineapple TV either.
But Pineapple TV’s execs? They weren’t having it.
Over the years, they’d worked with countless A-listers from around the world, and almost every time they sent an invitation, the stars happily agreed. Some struggling celebrities were even willing to pay just to get on their shows.
They had reached out to Sarah five or six times privately-and she still had the nerve to refuse?
Meanwhile, Sarah was running herself into the ground, juggling ad campaigns, film promotions, and all sorts of other jobs. She desperately wanted a break, preferably on a tropical island somewhere far away.
Holden hadn’t been home lately-apparently, there was some urgent business abroad. Whatever it was, Butler Ted told Sarah not to ask questions or pry.
Sarah knew better than to dig into either Holden’s business dealings or his personal life. Someone like Holden probably had more secrets than she could imagine.
But before Sarah could even plan her vacation-and before Holden returned-Old Mr. Smith was rushed to the hospital, critically ill.
Sarah rushed there overnight.