"I overheard the assistant say that the boss wanted to pave the way for his beloved, so he threw down ten million dors just like that."
In elite circles, it wasn''t unusual for wealthy CEOs to shower their lovers with money and opportunities, hoping to give them a leg up. Ste had lost count of how many such requests she''d turned down over the years.
One of the main reasons she refused topose for others was precisely because she didn''t want them to use her name for hype.
She''d even suggested to those who begged her for a song that she was willing to write for them—so long as her name, "Star," didn''t appear anywhere on the credits.
Without exception, every single person had turned her down the moment she made that offer.
It was obvious what they really wanted had never been her music in the first ce.
Abby asked, "By the way, are you and Antoney nning to y any original pieces at the concert this time?"
Ste nodded. "I''ve got five original scores on hand. If Antoney can rearrange them a bit, we can use them at the concert."
Abby looked at her. "And theposer credit? Are you going to put ''Star'' on it?” Ste had been writing her own music since she was sixteen-her musical talent was undeniable.
She shook her head. "No. I don''t intend to use the name ''Star'' anymore."
Abby considered this and nodded in agreement. "You''re right. That name draws way too much attention. Besides, there are so many jealous critics watching your every move; anything you do gets blown out of proportion and twisted into something ugly."
Back when "Star" was at her peak, she was practically a national sensation. Of course, with all that praise came plenty of bacsh.
People used her of being an attention-seeker, of ying mysterious, of hiding in the shadows. Some even spread rumors that she was in it for the money, that she only cared about cash.
A few so-calledposers had even imed to spend millions hiring "Star" to write songs, only to use her of handing them garbage work. The same people who once sang her praises turned on her in an instant.
Worse still, some went so far as to spread giarism rumors, posting long-winded attacks online that quickly went viral.
Many demanded that shee forward to defend her reputation-even a few major news outlets publicly called for her to respond.
But Ste never paid them any mind.
She knew the truth: if she spent all her time countering every rumor and nder online, she''d never get anything else done. If there were? re any real evidence of her being a fraud or a thief, the authorities would''ve locked her up by now-instead of
these people just stirring up drama on the inte.
Most of it was just noise, people trying to grab attention by riding on her fame.
She knew if she ever responded, it would only escte into a mudslinging free- for-all. No matter how loud the gossip got, "Star" never once replied—and, eventually, the chaos died down.
The only reason Ste had even
enteredpositionpetitions in the first ce wasn''t for fame or money. She just couldn''t stand the
arrogant attitudes of some of the foreign contestants.
She''d never expected to be a sensation overnight.
Abby chimed in again, "Just because you beat those foreigners, now the haters
think you shouldn''t make a dime off your work-they want you to give it all away for free!"
Every profession is about earning a living, after all.
But after Ste had won big on the international stage, self-righteous critics demanded she give her music away for free, as if charging money was somehow a betrayal of the
honor she''d earned. ''
Thankfully, Ste had her own career ns-she never relied on licensing fees.
So, in the end, she really did make her work free for everyone.
It didn''t bother her. Instead, she said, "If I ever appear as ''Star'' again, people will
start digging for my real identity. It''s just not worth it."
No sooner had she finished speaking than her phone rang.
Ste pulled it out.
Foreman Richards.