Revenge Of The Jilted Bride (Ophelia)

Chapter

32

"Hey, why are you looking at me like that? Look, if you run into any problems here, just let me know, and I'll do whatever I can to help you out," Brock said with a gentle look.

Ophelia still didn't say a word and just stared at him with that calm, knowing look. Her gaze alone seemed to strip away his defenses layer by layer. Brock swallowed hard, hands on his hips and nervously licked his lips. He finally asked, "Ophelia, what do you want?" His voice dropped, strained with desperation, the polite facade completely gone as his brows knitted tightly together.

After a short silence, Brock exhaled, ran his fingers through his hair, and fidgeted with his glasses. "How about this, I'll talk to the production team and make sure you get the runner-up spot. If it's money you need, I'll give you whatever I can. You know we're both from the slums, and it hasn't been easy for me to get where I am."

"Hasn't been easy for you?" Ophelia found his words funny. She hadn't even said anything, and he was already this flustered. Brock opened his mouth to say something else, but someone from the crew was calling for him outside. "Mr. Decker..." "I'm begging you, Ophelia, please don't let anyone know about my background," he whispered. Coming from the slums was still a stigma for him, and if people found out about his past, all his success could come crashing down.

Ophelia neither agreed nor refused. Outside, the assistant kept calling his name. Brock slipped his glasses back on and put on a polite smile as if nothing had happened. He then walked out, looking elegant as ever.

The designers and celebrities had all gathered in the waiting area. The awkward part was that Ophelia didn't have a model standing beside her. Samantha, who had just managed to switch to a more well-known designer, stood nearby and shot a disdainful glance in Ophelia's direction.

Samantha scoffed in her mind, 'Her? She's probably just here because she's got a pretty face and some connections. She's a

with her.' cannon fodder for sure. Bet she'll be the first to go. Poor soul who pairs up

"Ophelia Spencer, right?" the director, Cameron Bishop, called her name, frowning as he looked at her file, which was practically blank. He thought, 'No wonder even someone as minor as Samantha didn't want to partner with her. Who picked her anyway? "Anyone willing to partner with her?" Cameron asked. If no one stepped up, they'd just have to replace her. Designers like her were easy to invite, but celebrities were not.

"Sir, hasn't everything already been decided?" Taylor chimed in, worried that they might somehow mess things up and pull her away from Brock.

Everyone had their own thoughts, and the bigger-name celebs were getting visibly impatient. Just then, a distinct voice spoke up, "I'll team up with her." It was Sharon Campbell, the washed-up actress who had just been bumped off by Samantha. Her voice had that nasal quality that made it instantly recognizable.

Her agent had only signed her up for this show to promote an upcoming movie-to make a quick appearance and get some screen time. Whether she got eliminated early or not didn't really matter.

'A washed-up actress and a no-name designer... Yeah, that's just what everyone expected,' the crowd thought. "They are basically written off as the cannon fodders of the show.'

Sharon walked over to Ophelia. Neither of them knew each other, and when they tried to exchange a polite nod, they awkwardly missed each other's gaze.

After confirming everything, the recording began with the celebrities being introduced one by one, followed by their designers.

"Next, let's welcome Lora Smith. Lora Smith is twenty-nine years old, graduated from Yoskela School of Design, and won

13:56

the first prize in the Future Fashion Stylists..." The host rattled off the accolades for each designer stepping on stage.

Every designer here had a sparkling resume: prestigious schools, international design contests, chief designers for famous brands-even the two bickering earlier in the lounge. One had won a Young Designers Award, and the other was an international fashion influencer. Then it was Ophelia's turn. The host glanced down at her blank cue card and wanted to scream, but professionalism kept the smile plastered on her face as she continued, "Let's welcome the final contestant, Ophelia Sinclair." And that was it. No intro, no credentials. After hearing eight elaborate introductions, the audience was suddenly intrigued by this ninth designer who came with nothing. It made the other designers, who had been so full of themselves, snicker in disdain, but they couldn't help feeling a bit wary. Finally, Brock's turn came, and the host practically lit up. "And now, we have Brock Decker. He's the first student from Heloria to attend the Royal College of Design and the chief designer for the Fashion Ladies.

"His work was included in the 15 editions of Dellanex University textbooks. He has been invited to multiple international fashion design competitions and is currently the vice president of the Heloria Designers Association."

The host made sure to give Brock some extra time for his speech. Amid the applause, his humble yet handsome demeanor caught the attention of many female audiences. Brock took the microphone and delivered a polished, gracious speech, full of praise for the contestants and the usual formalities. Next, each designer stepped forward to draw lots and determine their partner for the competition. This was where the acting came in. When they were backstage, Cameron instructed them to show their surprise to the camera. These reactions had to be big and memorable. Some designers would act stunned to be paired with a high-profile celebrity, while some celebs would light up with excitement at being matched with a famous designer.

When it was Ophelia's turn, she kept her expression neutral as usual. After drawing her lot, she glanced at Sharon, and her smile grew just slightly.

"Cut! Ophelia, your reaction is way too bland. What's wrong? You're unhappy with your model?" Cameron shouted to Ophelia, and his words seemed to stir up trouble for her.

"Nope, I'm very happy," she replied.

Cameron said, "Then show it, okay? Look a little more excited."

"Okay," Ophelia replied in a calm tone.

The cameras rolled again. This time, Ophelia looked at Sharon with a slightly wider smile after drawing her lot.

"Stop, stop it. That's basically the same as before. And don't zero in on Sharon right away. You need to scan the room first, take in

and then settle on her, got it?" Cameron said. everyone,

"The other contestants looked at Ophelia with thinly veiled annoyance.

"Can we not waste time here, please?"" one of them muttered."

"Yup," another one echoed.

"I'm a designer, not an actress," Ophelia shot back, leaving the whole room stunned. Even Cameron was momentarily speechless. In all his years in the industry, he had never been called out by a young girl like this.

Sharon raised her eyebrows and was slightly amused. "The girl has got spunk,' she thought. But Sharon was the only one who found Ophelia's response endearing. Everyone else looked at her like she'd lost her mind-who in their right mind would

13:56 Sun, Nov 10 BOL.

openly defy the director?

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Just as Cameron was about to blow up, Brock stepped forward, adjusted his glasses, and spoke, "Sir, I actually think she's got a point. Not everyone put on a show of surprise, right? If every reaction is the same, it just gets stale for the needs to audience. Authenticity is what really sells. Wouldn't you agree?"

Cameron shot Ophelia a glare before turning to Brock with an awkward laugh. "Yeah, you're right. She's got her own style. Let's move on."

Brock glanced at Ophelia out of the corner of his eye with a smile, seemingly expecting some thanks from her. However, Ophelia didn't give a damn to his help and ignored him.This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

COMMENT

14:00 Sun, Nov 10 BOW.

openly defy the director?

Just as Cameron was about to blow up, Brock stepped forward, adjusted his glasses, and spoke, "Sir, I actually think she's got a point. Not everyone needs to put on a show of surprise, right? If every reaction is the same, it just gets stale for the audience. Authenticity is what really sells. Wouldn't you agree?"

Cameron shot Ophelia a glare before turning to Brock with an awkward laugh. "Yeah, you're right. She's got her own style. Let's move on."

Brock glanced at Ophelia out of the corner of his eye with a smile, seemingly expecting some thanks from her. However, Ophelia didn't give a damn to his help and ignored him.