The Miraculous Simone Gray

Chapter 5 Variety Show Premiere

Upon returning to her apartment, Simone logged into her Facebook account and casually changed the password. Previously, Titus had been managing her account but didn’t pay much attention to it, only posting once every one or two months. Upon opening the comment section, Simone wasn’t surprised to find mostly negative comments. Most of the people criticizing her were fans of Leon and Aaron. There was an instance when she and Leon went out for a meal, and the paparazzi exposed them before revealing their childhood connection. As a result, his fans began insulting her, accusing her of riding on his popularity and suggesting that she shouldn’t have inappropriate thoughts about him because she was out of his league. This was all while their relationship was still kept private; otherwise, she would likely have faced even harsher criticism. Titus also didn’t arrange for any public relations assistance for her and turned down her request to do so.

It was also at this point that she started considering leaving Gray Entertainment. Regarding these fans and comments, Leon simply ignored them and didn’t provide any explanations. In fact, he even suggested that she might not be suitable for the entertainment industry and should consider leaving, which led to a heated argument between them. In hindsight, Simone found it quite amusing that this was the boyfriend she had known since childhood. He had stood by and watched her being insulted and attacked without offering any explanations or support. By not explaining, it almost seemed like he was confirming the accusations that she was using his popularity for her own gain. As for Aaron, there was an incident where he asked her to accompany him to a dance practice, which was secretly recorded by the paparazzi. This resulted in his fans criticizing her, accusing her of shamelessly trying to seduce and attach herself to Aaron. They insulted her by calling her a sl*t who harbored a desire for Leon and tried to win over Aaron at the same time. She even trended on social media because of this incident. Although she asked Aaron to explain, he insisted that the truth would speak for itself and that providing explanations would only make things worse. He believed that their relationship didn’t need justification in the eyes of the world. Similarly, Titus also didn’t arrange for the public relations team to clarify. With both brothers taking no action, she realized it wasn’t worth trying to explain herself, understanding that responding to the situation would likely lead to more criticism and make things worse. Not long after, Titus took Jodie to the mall for some shopping and carried her bags, paying for her expenses using his card. Then, someone took a photo of them and posted it on the Internet. The Gray brothers and Jodie used their mother’s maiden name, Johnston, instead of Gray, in the entertainment industry.

narrative that emphasized their deep sibling bond. Simone felt increasingly distant and detached from Aaron and Titus when she recalled these events from her past life, and it was because of this that she decided to leave

got the spot through connections, like having a financial backer behind her.’ ‘Exactly, her specialty is playing relationships.’ ‘OMG! She’s not here to chase after my Aero, is she?’ Aaron’s fans affectionately called him Aero. ‘I bet she’ll cling to Aero during the show and use his popularity for attention.’ ‘In that case, it’s disgusting. Poor Aero specifically brought her little sister to participate in this variety show. I pray that she doesn’t target Aero.’ ‘I have no issues with the other guests, but I don’t like Simone at all.’ ‘She’s quite attractive. A year ago, her performance as the second female lead impressed me. I just don’t understand how she didn’t become famous.’ ‘In the past year, she hasn’t been active in the industry at all. It seems like she’s focused on getting close to the top actors and film stars. How can she become famous that way?’ ‘Who knows if her face is natural or if

they would pay more attention to her. It was the same for Simone, but her image was negative. She didn’t pay attention to the negative comments and criticism. With her current popularity and status, responding would only make things worse and harm her public image. In other words, she would have to rely on her performance on the variety show to change the audience’s perception and make them like her. One’s status and influence depended on their popularity and talent. After closing Facebook, Simone checked the detailed information of the other guests. In the following days, she focused on recuperating and preparing for the upcoming variety show. During this time, Leon tried to contact her through someone else’s phone. However, as soon as she heard his voice, she immediately hung up. Aaron, too, reached out to her, but she responded by blocking and cutting all contact. One week later, the variety show ‘Starting from Scratch’ premiered. It was the first reality show set in the great outdoors, where the production team claimed they wouldn’t use any beauty filters or scripts, aiming to create a genuine experience. The guests arrived at the recording location from different cities. It