Chapter 7 Flattered To A Flaw

Her smile re-assuring, Julie slowly pushed the dessert towards Shelly. "I know you didn't mean to be late. Have this. In the meanwhile, let me also order a cup of coffee for you."

Shelly beamed from ear to ear as she said, "You are so kind to me. My brother would have definitely scolded me for not being punctual. No wonder I felt connected the moment I saw you."

Julie smiled and handed a stack of money to Shelly, "Put it away."

Quickly, Shelly shoved the money into her purse. Relieved, she said, "Of late, my mother has been in a bad mood, scolding me for anything and everything. I couldn't dare ask her. I am glad I have you, you are so kind to me."

Julie smiled and said to Shelly, "And you understand that by my being good to you, I expect you to follow my advice too, right? The entertainment industry is complicated, which can be a vicious pit sometimes. You must be alert, aware and know how to protect yourself. Your mother and brother, they care about you. Why add on to their worries? And as I always remind you, let no one know that you come from the Leng family. You never know even people who pose as friends can turn out to have ulterior motives. It's just that I want you to be careful."

"I know my dear sister-in-law. And thank you for that. But I'm not beautiful. No one would ever believe that I'm the daughter of the Leng family." Shelly was aware of this reality but she never cared. Instead, she laughed at her own pitiable state.

She had always been crazy about a movie star Jackson Lin. She so adored him that, regardless of her lineage, she took up the job as his assistant. Miranda vehemently opposed this idea and had tried stopping Shelly. Yet she couldn't deter her and to everyone's surprise, Shelly had her way, with Miranda unable to do anything.

As she finished her second serving of dessert, Shelly's cell phone rang. While listening, her frown grew deeper. She exclaimed, "What? We lost that movie? Was it Mark again? Yes, I know. Mark is so popular now. Well, there is nothing we can do about it, right? After all, people will bet their money on the one who is more popular. Jackson would definitely be in a bad mood. He was looking forward to bagging this role and had been preparing himself for this for such a long time. I will reach tomorrow. Until then, please take good care of him. He has the habit of binging on spicy food when under stress. So, don't let him eat too much. He can get stomach aches that will add on to his troubles. Remember, for him to sleep well, ensure to give him a cup of warm milk. He gets sick otherwise. Next, give him his eye mask and ear plugs, without which he can never sleep right. There is an advertisement for skin care products three days later. Don't let him eat too much fried food."

On finishing her call, Shelly looked up to see Julie smiling at her. Sheepishly scratching her head, she asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"

Julie smiled and said, "My, my! So considerate. I can't even recognize you dear. It seems that you really like this Jackson fellow."

Shelly smiled shyly, and then lowered her head, dejected. She said in a low voice, "However much I work hard, I end up being sad. Is there any point in liking someone when one can't get the same feeling back? I sometimes think I'm just wasting my time. Are you aware of any medicine in the world that can make him fall in love with me?"

Julie lowered her eyes and murmured, "If there was ever a thing like that, I would have been the first to get it."

Lost in their own thoughts, Julie and Shelly remained silent for a while. At this time, two guests happened to pass by, talking rather loudly.

"Got to know Bella is to hold a concert in our country soon. She is definitely a popular pianist but I've also heard she is a sight to sore eyes."

"Are you even interested in such concerts? I have never heard you mention before."

"Why shouldn't I like it? Piano is my favorite instrument. It's the "The Requiem" by Beethoven I like the most."

As the two walked away, Shelly glanced at Julie, with a naughty smile. "That's definitely a first. "The Requiem " created by Beethoven! Mozart would have sued Beethoven for stealing his creation. Funny! And pretentious! Why should someone pretend to like something when they doesn't know much about it? I clearly don't understand."

Julie didn't laugh. She said in a low voice, "Everyone has their own difficulties, and they are just better off behind disguises. If pretending to be strong can give people a sense of security, then it's a good choice for them."

Shelly didn't understand what Julie said, she frowned in confusion.

Julie smiled and said, "By the way, is this performer Bella that famous?"

With a snort of contempt, Shelly said, "Famous my foot! It's only hype. She is so pretentious. I wonder how she become a pianist. She cashes on the ignorance of common people. The so called international awards propel her faked fame. I agree she is beautiful, so let's say she's more of a performer. But wait, I don't think I can give her that credit at all. And when everything started operating in a similar way to that of how famous people are handled, she now considers herself to be one, feeling superior to others."

It was the first time that Julie had seen Shelly hate someone so much. With a smile on her face, Julie asked, "What's wrong? Did she offend you?"

Shelly frowned and said, "Offended me? She is also the reason for your suffering. She was my brother's first love, the same Bella we're talking about. Initially, she seemed to be very nice, and I had really liked her. But, you could call it the work of providence or destiny, the same time, my father's sudden demise got us see her real character. It so happened that my brother had just graduated from university and hadn't officially taken over the company. Our family almost fell to pieces. On the pretext of pursuing her dreams, she conveniently broke up with my brother. The fact remains that she did not want to risk her quest for money and fame. Both my brother and my mother were going through difficult times. With the huge responsibility on his shoulders, at the least expected time, my brother was so stressed at work and that heartless woman just abandoned him! He then devoted all his energy and time to building up the business, bringing back the glory and striving to make it better every day. As a result, we are in a good position today. On seeing everything better than before, Bella tried getting back with my brother. The two would have reconciled if it wasn't for you, and I am truly grateful for that. I like you the most."

"Bella! Bella! Bella!" whispered Julie repeatedly.

She recalled the night when James held her in his arms.

His voice, the love and warmth in it, got her heart miss a beat, got her give up all resistance, made her forget all what James had done to her.

So, that night, it wasn't her but Bella that he craved for in earnest. James was too drunk to be clearly audible. He had been mumbling and she thought he wanted her. But now she understood the one he wanted was actually Bella.

Some did compliment her to have a resemblance to Bella, especially her eyes and her arched eyebrows. And some even taunted her for being chosen, that it was just because she reminded James of Bella. Earlier, these were just "possibilities", but now Julie was struck by reality. James had taken her to bed as a substitute, twice.

Remorse took over, the pang of being treated as a joke just couldn't be ignored any further. She was now the most ridiculous joke the world ever encountered.

As the truth dawned on her, Julie couldn't help laughing at her own pitiable self.