Chapter 556

Allison leaned against the corner of the dimly lit room. Her back was against the cold, unforgiving wall.

The silence of the night was heavy, suffocating. In her eyes, the quiet scorn of the man she had been seeing was more piercing than the harshest troll’s comments on social media. Somehow, real-life indifference cut deeper than any online vitriol.

The next day came with relentless pace, and the buzz of the photoshoot took over the previous night’s woes. Allison spent the morning at the studio. Her face was a canvas for the makeup artist. Her reddened eyes, which were the evidence of a night’s crying, could not be fully masked, but the camera would never know, thanks to the magic of post-production.

Throughout the day, Allison changed outfits more times than she cared to count. Her body was moving mechanically through the poses. She felt like a marionette, whose limbs were pulled by invisible strings as photographers directed her every move. She was devoid of feeling, like a soulless doll performing on command.

The studio was packed with industry insiders. The studio was a veritable hive of activity. Everyone knew everyone and everyone knew about the scandal that had unfolded online over the past few days.

But professionalism reigned supreme; everyone was absorbed in their work, from the planning to the styling, as if the gossip was a world away.

When Allison retreated to her dressing room for a midday break, ss soon as the door closed behind her, the studio erupted into whispers.

“Hey, do you think those photos of Allison are real? I mean, Jack, you’re the expert here. They are photoshopped or not?”

Jack, the team’s retoucher, known for his keen eye, lowered his voice and replied, “They’re real.”

A collective gasp rippled through the group, followed quickly by hushed shushing.

“Keep it down, will ya? She is just next door in the dressing room. Let’s not have her overhear this.”

“So what if she does? If she got the guts to do it, she should be able to face the talk. It’s not like she’s unaware of what she’s done.”

“True, but still, she has a good look and pretty nice skin. She comes off all sweet and innocent, but underneath, she’s clearly got a wild side.”

“Yeah, with all those guys in the pictures? That’s just… too much.”

“Hey, Jack, you guys must want that kind of girl, right? Innocent face, but a wild animal at heart?”

Jack grinned sheepishly. “Even if I do, it’s not like I’d stand a chance. With her look and body, I’d be at the back of a very long line.”

“Typical guy,” someone teased.

“It just grosses me out, you know? She looks so young in the pictures, but she’s with all these guys…

It’s just messy.”

“And think about it, she is just starting to heat up in the industry, getting all the good roles. I wonder who her sugar daddy is.”

“If I were her sugar daddy, I’d be disgusted by now.”

Back in the dressing room, Paige clenched her fists, fuming with anger. “They’re too much! All these gossip mongers!” She spun around. “I’m going out there!”

Allison grabbed Paige’s arm. “And what are you going to do?”

Paige was indignant. “Just sit here and let them slander you?”

It was bad enough for her to hear; she couldn’t imagine how Allison felt.

Allison replied calmly, “Let them talk. It’s not like their words will take a piece of flesh from me.”

“But Allison, you’re too kind. These people need to be put in their place. They need to learn a lesson.

How come they only chew on the ones that won’t bite back?”

Allison smiled wryly. “Isn’t that how the world works? People kick the stones that seem softer. Let them be. Their words can’t hurt me.’