A video of me scolding a child trended number one on Twitter. Netizens quickly figured out the kid was the son of NYC's most elusive billionaire heir. My rival starlet tweeted her outrage: [She looks glamorous on the outside, but who knew she was a child abuser in private? Is she bullying him because he doesn't have a mother?] Haters united to boycott me, screaming for me to get out of Hollywood. Me: "?" Wait... who said this kid doesn't have a mother? That night, the billionaire heir tagged me: [Allow me to introduce everyone to my wife.] 1 Early in the morning, before I was even fully awake, my manager Valerie burst through my front door in a panic. "Scarlett, you're finished!" I was completely confused, but her face looked like the sky had just fallen. "How could you have the nerve to hit Harrison Vance's son?!" Me: "???" Valerie quickly unlocked her phone and shoved it into my face. A hashtag titled #ScarlettBlakeChildAbuse was sitting at the number one trending spot. In the video, I was pinching a little three-or-four-year-old boy's cheeks, my mouth moving as I clearly lectured him about something. The kid looked up at me with big, teary eyes, standing perfectly still, not daring to move an inch. Because of the camera angle, my expression—which was actually super gentle at the time—looked incredibly harsh and aggressive in the video. [Oh my god, is that Scarlett Blake? What the hell is she doing?!] [Hurting a kid? That poor little boy looks terrified!] [That's not just hurting a kid, that's straight-up child abuse! Industry insiders have always said Scarlett is selfish, manic, and uses people as punching bags! I can't believe she's not even sparing a toddler! Look at her terrifying face!] The comment section under the video was a cesspool of rumors and insults. Naturally, a few people tried to defend me. That is, until someone posted a specific photo. It was a paparazzi shot of Harrison Vance holding a little boy's hand at a private charity gala. In the photo, the man wore a sharp black suit. He was devastatingly handsome, his dark, deep-set eyes radiating a cold, untouchable aura. And the little boy holding his hand looked like a carbon copy cut from the exact same mold! [Holy crap! That kid is Harrison Vance's son!] Everyone knew Harrison Vance, the elusive heir to the Vance empire, the ultimate "Prince of Wall Street." He had a son whose biological mother was a complete mystery. But it was common knowledge that Harrison spoiled this kid to the heavens. No one was allowed to so much as bump into him. Harrison took his son everywhere. Once, a rival corporate executive tried to secretly "invite" little Hudson over for a "chat." Although the kidnapping attempt failed, the billionaire heir was so furious he ruthlessly acquired and liquidated every single company under the rival's name. That incident sent shockwaves through New York's elite circles. The moment this photo was dropped into the thread, the internet went dead silent for a minute before exploding into unprecedented chaos. Anyone who had been defending me immediately shut their mouths. [Scarlett is done! She is completely finished! Who gave her the audacity to abuse Harrison Vance's son?!] [Serves her right! I've always hated her. She's probably going to lose her life over this, let alone her career!] At the same time, a few other celebrities decided to jump into the fray. Among them was my biggest rival, the up-and-coming starlet Harper Monroe. Since her debut, she had skyrocketed to fame by copying my fashion sense and acting roles, earning her the nickname "Little Scarlett." But unlike my edgy, straight-shooting persona, she loved playing the pure, innocent sweetheart on the internet. Harper posted a tweet: [It's shocking how some people look so glamorous on the outside, but are actually so vicious and cruel. How could anyone commit child abuse? Doesn't this cross the line into criminal liability?] She even tagged several high-profile celebrity lawyers in the replies. Even though she didn't name me directly, everyone knew exactly who she was talking about. Her engagement skyrocketed, and her comment section became a breeding ground for people hurling death threats at me. 2 I've always been a polarizing figure in Hollywood. I have a massive base of die-hard fans, but an equally massive army of haters. The tiniest thing I do gets magnified a thousand times and instantly hits the trending page. Let alone when my name was suddenly put in the same sentence as "Child Abuse" and "Billionaire Heir." Valerie's phone was ringing off the hook. When the trend first started, most of my brand sponsors and business partners were secretly watching from the sidelines, waiting to see how it played out. But the moment it was revealed that the kid was Harrison Vance's son, they all started calling to terminate my contracts. Me: "..." Harrison and I had been secretly married for five years. Hudson is my son. I thought my own kid looked cute, so I pinched his cheeks. Is that a crime?! Yesterday, I had just rushed out of a commercial shoot and was hurrying to my next schedule when I saw my son waiting for me. He looked up at me pitifully and said Daddy had prepared a candlelight dinner and wanted to invite me home to eat. If he could, Harrison would prepare six meals a day just to keep me at home! My temples throbbed. I was terrified the paparazzi would photograph the kid—it was way less safe for him to be seen with me than with Harrison. So, I sternly told him to hurry back to his dad's car. I didn't expect a paparazzi to actually catch it, much less post it online and frame it as child abuse. Valerie collapsed onto my sofa, muttering, "It's over... it's over... it's all over." Seeing her looking so defeated, I felt a twinge of guilt. "Valerie, maybe there's a turning point..." But before I could finish, she cut me off, wailing, "What turning point?! Everyone knows you don't mess with Harrison Vance's son! You could have pinched anyone! You could have pinched me! Why did you have to provoke his kid?!" I opened my mouth to explain, but her phone rang again. When Valerie came back from taking the call, her eyes were shining. "Scarlett! A reality TV show just reached out! They're offering three times your usual rate! Let's do one last big heist before you get blacklisted from the industry!" Me: "..." Looking at Valerie's desperate, hopeful face, I sighed and nodded. 3 It was a travel and lifestyle reality show. The producers clearly saw the massive traffic my scandal was generating. They didn't just invite me; they invited Harper Monroe, too. The entire show was broadcast via livestream. When I arrived on set, Harper was literally facing the camera, giving a legal PSA: "Child abuse is a felony. In severe cases, it constitutes a criminal offense that can carry actual prison time..." The live chat was flooded with comments praising Harper for being so beautiful and kind-hearted. However, the moment she saw me, her face turned ice-cold. The cameras immediately zoomed in on me, and the chat exploded. [Holy shit! How does Scarlett have the nerve to show her face on a live broadcast right now?!] [Where are the cops?! Why hasn't she been arrested yet?! She committed a crime!] [Five stars to Harper! Our girl is so straightforward and hates injustice! You can tell just by her face how angry she is to see Scarlett!] [That was child abuse! Even I was furious watching it! Toxic Scarlett, get out of the entertainment industry!] Harper walked right up to me and demanded, "Scarlett, do you have anything to say for yourself regarding your abuse of that child?" I let out a cold laugh. "I have absolutely nothing to say to you. If you're sick, go to a doctor. Don't come barking at me; I'm not a vet." My reputation on the internet was already in the gutter, and I had always despised Harper anyway, so I didn't bother holding back. Harper's face flushed bright red, clearly furious. The livestream viewers launched a new wave of attacks against me. [Damn! That bitch Scarlett actually dared to call Harper sick?!] [Toxic Scarlett! I want to rip her face off!] [Honestly, I kind of agree with Scarlett here. If you just watch the video, she's literally just pinching a kid's cheek. It doesn't look like actual abuse. It's one thing for netizens to gossip, but Harper is a public figure pinning a felony charge on her, lecturing about the law on a livestream, and leading a hate mob. She deserved to get roasted.] [To the person above, you're disgusting. You probably enjoy abusing kids in your free time too, huh?] There were a few people speaking up for me, but they were quickly buried under an avalanche of hate. Harper sneered. "Scarlett, don't be so arrogant. We live in a society with laws. Everyone has to pay for what they've done! Harrison won't let you get away with this!" Harrison? What the hell was that? She called him by his first name like they were close friends? The livestream viewers were just as curious. [Wait, Harrison? Does she mean Harrison Vance?] [Does Goddess Harper actually know the billionaire heir personally? Otherwise, why would she call him so casually?] [Ahhh! Harper, tell us! What's your connection?!] Harper saw the comments scrolling by on the monitor. She took a deep breath, a smug smile tugging at her lips, and looked directly into the camera. "That's right. I wasn't going to say anything. But Scarlett has gone too far. I can't just stand by while she bullies my little nephew!" "As his aunt, I couldn't just watch! I had to stand up! The truth is... Harrison Vance is my cousin!" Harrison's cousin?! Why did I not know about this?! 4 Harper's declaration sent a massive tsunami through the livestream. The chat went absolute feral. [NO WAY! Harper is Harrison Vance's cousin?! She kept that hidden so well! I've never heard a single rumor about this!] [Omg I'm crying! My girl really comes from a super-wealthy background, but she's still so beautiful and hardworking! She deserves all her fame!] [Scarlett is officially dead meat! She bullied the young master of the Vance family, and now his aunt is standing right here!] [At first, I thought Harper was just clout-chasing, but she actually stepped up because she's fiercely protective of her family. Respect.] I furrowed my brows, voicing the exact question in my head: "How come I've never heard that you were Harrison Vance's cousin?" Harrison is an only child. Even though our marriage is a secret to the public, I know almost all of his relatives. I had never heard of him having a cousin named Harper. Seeing the viewer count skyrocketing, the director of the show got visibly excited. The name "Harrison Vance" represented absolute power and endless traffic, but the man himself was unreachable. Now that "Harrison's cousin" was standing right in front of him, the director knew he had to milk this opportunity! Immediately, the director signaled the cameraman to give Harper a close-up. "Harper, does that mean you hid your identity in Hollywood just to experience life as a normal person?" Harper gave the camera a perfectly practiced, modest smile. "Being an actress has always been my dream. The reason I never mentioned my background is that I didn't want people to think my success came from my cousin's empire. I wanted to prove my own worth to everyone." [Oh my god! I love her so much! She works so hard!] [I've always said stan Harper! She never disappoints!] Harper's words instantly trended on X. #HarperMonroeSecretHeiress #HarperMonroeChasingDreams Her hashtags dominated the trending page, and her follower count skyrocketed by the second. I only found all this out from listening to the production staff whispering off-camera; as part of the show's rules, all guests had our phones confiscated. Striking while the iron was hot, the director asked, "Harper, our next filming location is in Aspen. I've heard the Vance family owns a massive private estate there. Do you think you could ask Mr. Vance to lend the estate to our production crew for a few days?" "No problem," Harper agreed without missing a beat. I narrowed my eyes. Harrison did own a massive mansion in Aspen. I was the one who picked it out. The scenery was stunning, and it was large enough to easily house an entire production crew. But that property was legally registered under my name. "Did you even ask the owner of the house? And you just casually agreed?" I asked. Harper frowned, looking at me with deep annoyance. "My cousin and I are incredibly close. What's the problem with me borrowing his house for a few days?" A young woman in a white dress walked up and linked her arm through Harper's. "Harper, some people are just jealous and bitter. Let's just ignore her." This was Madison Hayes, another actress participating in the show. There were six guests in total: me, Harper, Madison, and three male celebrities. Right now, the other five were clustered together, deliberately keeping their distance from me. Off-camera, Valerie was frantically winking at me, signaling me not to pick a fight. I clenched my hands and kept my mouth shut. I really wanted to see how Harper planned to get into that Aspen mansion.
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