My carefully cultivated Princess Scarlett roses were all ripped up by a viral reality star during filming. Her tone was utterly innocent, “Such pretty flowers should be made into a wreath. Your owner just doesn’t know how to use them efficiently.” “Let me make sure you reach your highest potential.” On the show, her smile was bright as she showed off her new wreath to her fans. Afterward, she refused to apologize and sicced her fans on me for cyberbullying. Looking at my messy, ruined garden, I smiled, too. “That garden is insured for ten million dollars.” “According to the contract, you owe me one hundred million!” Chapter 1 I was startled awake by the security camera alarm. I threw on a robe and went outside. By all accounts, my little cottage was in a remote location, and the gate was locked. Who would trespass on private property early in the morning? But inside the yard was a swarm of people. A dozen people surrounded my property. The beautiful climbing roses I had trained over the gate for aesthetic purposes had been violently torn down. The branches lay ripped and discarded on the ground, and the wooden gate hung crookedly on the fence posts. A clean path had been crudely trampled right through the middle of the neatly arranged flower beds. A few large men were carrying cameras, filming a beautiful, bright-faced girl standing in the center of the flowers. She was casually tearing off a few blooms, weaving a wreath. “Bae-bies, look how pretty this wreath is! Isn't it perfect for me!” “If only I had other flowers to mix in, it would be even better.” Her smile was dazzling, with faint dimples. I recognized her: Maya Brooks, the hot new Hollywood “It Girl.” I was actually watching her show. Online, she was praised as a sweet, kind, and graceful angel. I had always liked her, but I never expected my first encounter to be this. Looking at the wreath on her head and the complete devastation in my garden, I was furious. “Who are you people? Who gave you permission to come in here?” The director’s team was startled to see someone emerge. The director paused for a second, then quickly explained, “We’re with a reality show. We’re filming a segment here.” “Can’t you see this is private property? You broke my gate to trespass!” Maya took the wreath off her head. “Oh, please. They’re just flowers. Here, take them back.” She offered the wreath. I didn't take it. Seeing my refusal, Maya threw the wreath to the ground angrily. She looked me up and down, sizing me up. “Here’s five hundred bucks. Is that enough? For a country woman like you, that’s probably all your flowers are worth.” Her assistant pulled out a five-hundred-dollar bill and tossed it at my feet. “Take the cash and step aside. Don’t interrupt Maya’s filming.” The director's team tried to usher me away. A few assistants held up blocking screens, attempting to shield me from the camera. Country woman? I genuinely laughed. I might have just thrown on a robe and walked out with messy hair, but I was certainly not some “country woman.” Trespassing, vandalizing someone’s private property, and then trying to buy off the owner with pocket change. You people are truly shameless. Chapter 2 I originally just wanted them to give me a proper apology, and I would have let the matter drop. But given their sheer arrogance, I wasn't going to be nice anymore. “What show are you with?” The director thought I was backing down, and his voice softened. “Little sister, we’re from the Charming Acres reality show. We just saw this beautiful little yard and wanted to film a segment.” I scoffed. You just wanted to film, so you violently forced entry and destroyed property? The director looked around at the damage and knew he was in the wrong. He tried to negotiate. “Okay, how much compensation do you need? What’s a fair price?” I let out a light laugh. “How much? I doubt you can afford it.” These weren’t just common roses. They were the world’s most expensive variety, the Princess Scarlett Rose (a popular nickname for the Juliet Rose). The Juliet Rose is notoriously difficult to grow. I had invested massive amounts of time and money cultivating them. Moreover, I had insured the entire garden for ten million dollars. Maya, who had been resting nearby, interrupted impatiently. “Director, why are you wasting time arguing with a hillbilly? She just thinks five hundred is too little. Give her two thousand and get rid of her.” I walked straight up to Maya and slapped her across the face. “Hillbilly? Wasn’t your family from the sticks too?” My action was completely unexpected. Maya’s personal assistant didn't react in time to stop me. Five clear fingerprints swelled on her face. Maya clutched her cheek. Tears streamed down from the pain. “You actually hit me! I’m going to kill you!” She lunged forward to attack me. I sidestepped. She stumbled forward from momentum and fell flat on the ground. Her assistants finally reacted and helped her up. “What are you standing around for? Go hit her!” Maya put her hands on her hips and screamed at the assistants. “You’re all useless! Hit her!” I clicked my tongue in disbelief. Wow. This aggressive, trashy behavior was a far cry from the “graceful angel” persona. A few assistants charged at me. I didn't panic. I have training in Taekwondo and self-defense. I wasn't afraid of a few low-level thugs. “Stop!” The director, as if remembering something crucial, made the assistants halt. He then whispered something in Maya’s ear. The group started packing up, preparing to leave. Maya shot me a venomous glare before leaving. “You bitch, you better watch your back!” I glared right back. We'll see about that. Chapter 3 That afternoon, I was still leisurely drinking coffee when my assistant’s call came through. “Ms. Xu, you’re trending!” “Send me the link.” Liam, my assistant, quickly sent the link. I opened it. It was a video posted by the show’s official account. The video was heavily edited. It only showed me entering the yard and confronting them, the director politely trying to explain, Maya offering the wreath which I refused, the assistant trying to pay me off, and then me slapping her. The video ended right when Maya was holding her cheek, tears welling in her eyes. The video had only been posted for twenty minutes, but it had already dominated the trending topics. The comments numbered in the hundreds of thousands. [Who is this woman? She dared to hit our Maya! People, I need all her info now.] [Look at that handprint! My heart breaks for her.] [Poor Maya. Why didn't the staff stop her?] [What were the director and staff doing? Why didn’t they protect Maya?] [Staff, hit her back! Hit her!] [Secretary, I need the address ASAP! I’m going to get revenge for Maya!] [Don’t you guys think this is the show’s and Maya’s fault? They trespassed!] [Yeah, the video shows the yard is a mess. They must have destroyed the owner’s property. That’s why she was so mad!] [Maya’s reaction is so catty!] [The person above me: Our Maya offering to use those country flowers was an honor for her.] [Side note: Honestly, this girl is quite pretty, even without makeup.] [… ] A few comments spoke up in my defense, but they were quickly buried. Maya also posted on social media: [Thanks for all the concern, babies. I’m okay now.] She included a photo showing the faint red marks on her face. The comments were immediately filled with support for her and condemnation of me. I didn't want to look at them anymore. A cropped and edited video is useless. If you want to see it, watch the full version. The production team clearly didn’t realize that my little yard was covered by hidden cameras. Their entire operation had been clearly recorded. Chapter 4 That evening, I uploaded the complete video online. I paid Liam to run a ten-thousand-dollar ad campaign to ensure the video instantly appeared in everyone’s feed. Since I released the video during the peak online activity time, and all the major gossip accounts jumped on the opportunity, reposting it immediately. By the time Maya’s team and the production crew tried to manage the PR disaster, it was too late. A massive wave of new comments appeared under the video. [Reversal! Huge reversal! So this is what Maya is like in private! Unfollowed.] [The production team is shameless! Trespassing and acting like they own the place!] [That beautiful yard was ruined. I’d be furious too.] [I support the young lady! The show and Maya are disgusting.] [That slap was epic! I love her!] [The yard didn’t say ‘No Entry.’ The show and Maya must have entered without knowing it was private property.] [Besides, what’s the big deal about borrowing a location? Why is she so petty? Maya and the show gave her publicity! The country girl should be paying them for the exposure!] [Exactly! Maya even offered five hundred bucks! That’s more than enough for those flowers. She must have been holding out for more cash.] I laughed coldly at the comments. Publicity? Entrance fee? As expected, the dogs followed their master—equally shameless. Just then, I heard shouting outside my yard. “You bitch, come out!” “Come out! How dare you set me up and leak that video online!” I walked out. There were three people outside: Maya in the middle, the assistant who threw the money at me, and a man I hadn't seen before, probably her manager. Maya was kicking my gate. Seeing me, she started screaming again. “You bitch!” “Ms. Brooks, you know there’s surveillance here. Should I release this footage to your fans?” “You…” Maya glared at me, but didn’t dare to move. “Miss, my client, Maya, was impulsive today. Could you let us in so we can discuss this properly?” the manager said. “No need to come in. Say whatever you need to say right here.” “We’re here to negotiate compensation and the removal of the video.” The manager slipped a contract through the gate. “Please take a look.” I flipped through the contract. It stated that Maya’s team would pay me one hundred thousand dollars, and I, in turn, had to delete the video and publicly explain that I wasn't the owner of the garden, but a friend watching the property. The explanation would claim that the show had negotiated with the owner, and I, being uninformed, had interfered. “Miss, this hundred thousand is compensation. If you’re not satisfied, we can offer you a job. What do you say?” The manager offered me a stack of cash. “I can delete the video, but I won’t make any public statement. Also, Ms. Brooks needs to apologize to me.” I shook the stack of cash in my hand. “You have no right to demand an apology from me!” Maya yelled defiantly. “Well, Ms. Brooks clearly isn’t willing. In that case, there’s no need for a contract. You’re free to go.” I threw the hundred thousand dollars back at Maya. The bills fluttered around her. Through the gap in the gate, I could see the fury on her face. “Maya, apologize!” the manager commanded, his voice sharp. “No, I’m not accepting any apology now. Let’s just leave it at this.” I cut them off before Maya could speak. “Don’t push your luck! Do you know who my connections are? My boyfriend is the heir to the Latham Group!” “Alex Latham?” I asked, uncertainly. Maya thought I was terrified. Her voice was full of arrogance. “Yes! You’re terrified now, aren’t you? Now, you need to kneel and apologize to me and delete the video, or I’ll make sure you can never show your face in public again!” “What’s there to be afraid of? We’ll see who can’t show their face in public.” I turned and walked back inside, ignoring Maya’s insults. Alex Latham’s girlfriend? She probably doesn't know that Alex Latham is my...
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "386928", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel