Chapter 20 Coming to a realization
It was like magic.
SLAP!
Another blow landed squarely across Cameron’s face, leaving the imprint of Olivia’s palm glowing red on her soft skin. The second impact sent the girl stumbling to the ground.
Charlotte’s mouth fell open, too stunned to close it. Darling went completely silent in shock in Olivia’s mind, though only Olivia could sense the system’s quiet panic.
The makeup artist froze mid-motion, her heart skipping a beat. Olivia frowned, flexing her stinging hand.
What kind of fragile body is this? she thought irritably. A simple slap and my palm hurt like hell.
She was about to complain to Darling when Sammy shot up from her seat and charged toward her.
Olivia quickly realized that whatever physical skill or reflex she had in her own world didn’t carry over into this one. She couldn’t control Emma’s body the way she once controlled her own. Still, she refused to lose face, especially not in front of these people.
Before Sammy could reach her, Olivia’s sharp voice cut through the air.
“I’m guessing you’re coming to pick up your poison?”
Sammy froze mid-step. Olivia’s eyes darted meaningfully to the bottle of water that had rolled across the floor.
Sammy’s chest rose and fell rapidly, her anger tightening her features. Cameron’s exaggerated sobs faltered into quiet whimpers.
That was when Charlotte finally stepped in.
“Emma… are you saying the water was poisoned?” she asked, walking toward where the bottle had landed after Olivia’s slap had sent it flying.
Cameron lunged for it immediately. Sammy, seeing the movement, quickly changed her course of action. Instead of striking Olivia, she crouched beside her assistant, offering a hand.
“Are you alright?” Sammy asked coolly.
Her concern was an act. As she helped Cameron up, she shot her a subtle look, silently ordering her to dispose of the bottle.
Sammy couldn’t afford exposure. Charlotte was sharp, too experienced to miss details, and one hint of suspicion could ruin her pristine image. The public saw her as gentle and gracious, the perfect white lotus. If word spread that she had tried to poison a co-star, her reputation would shatter overnight.
Worse, Emma looked, despite being a newcomer, had begun gathering her own small but loyal fanbase. Losing to her in popularity was one thing, but being branded jealous or vindictive? That was a scandal Sammy couldn’t survive.
Still, she wasn’t ready to let things slide. As Cameron rose shakily with the bottle in hand, Sammy turned toward Charlotte, ready to redirect the situation.
Meanwhile, Olivia had gone silent, not out of hesitation, but because new memories had begun flooding her mind.
Charlotte.
Now she remembered.
She saw flashes of the past, how Emma had first met Charlotte at a local market. The younger girl had been helping customers load their purchases into cars or onto buses, sometimes carrying heavy boxes all the way to the bus stop for a few coins or a scrap of leftover food from the stall owner.
That day, Charlotte had been one of the customers. She had bought a sealed box too heavy for Emma to lift alone. When Emma politely asked for a little help, the woman selling the goods had insulted her instead, calling her useless and lazy.
Charlotte had watched quietly. Despite the humiliation, Emma hadn’t complained. She had simply straightened her back, lifted the box with trembling arms, and balanced it on her head. Her hands shook. Her knees quivered. But she carried it.
Something in that moment caught Charlotte’s attention, the quiet strength behind those deep, innocent eyes. Beneath the sweat and dust, Emma had the kind of beauty that didn’t need polish. A body perfect for modeling, a face that could move hearts, and eyes that told stories without words.
When the stall owner threatened to fire her, Charlotte stepped in, intrigued.
Later, as they walked together toward the bus stop, Charlotte offered her a job, a chance to become famous, to be molded into an actress. But there was a condition: Emma had to obey her without question.
Desperate and grateful, Emma agreed. Not because she wanted fame, but because she wanted stability. Her family depended on her income, and that cruel stall owner could have dismissed her at any moment.
That was how their partnership began.
Olivia processed the memory with growing disgust.
What revolted her most wasn’t Emma’s poverty or desperation, it was what came after.
The memory shifted again, revealing a darker truth: Charlotte had ordered Emma to sleep with someone.
And when Olivia’s mind filled in the missing face, Brian’s face, she froze.
The realization burned like acid in her chest.
She, Olivia Smith, the Olivia Smith, was now inhabiting the body of a woman who had traded herself for a role.
A filthy body.
Her breath quickened, rage and revulsion twisting through her veins. She called for Darling, but the system didn’t respond. Darling had seen the outburst that followed the memory and knew better than to provoke her now.
Olivia glared at Charlotte, her voice trembling with fury she barely contained. But before she could speak, Sammy stepped forward, her tone low and threatening.
“Emma Williams,” she said coldly. “You’ll regret everything you did today.”