Chapter 178 Outwitted by Jesse
Since taking on her new role, Josie had been swamped with work every single day. Dexter was equally busy, and they hadn’t seen each other in a few days.
Alice, being the person in charge of a brand collaboration and the progress of an advertisement, had been pestering Josie, “Why don’t you come with me? Jesse Abbott, the famous celebrity, will be participating in the ad shoot.”
The name rang a bell in Josie, “Oh? Is Jesse Abbott a guy or a woman?”
“It’s a woman,” Alice whispered, “and there were rumors that she was dating Mr. Russell after they walked the red carpet together at an awards ceremony. The media exploded the next day, dubbing her his alleged girlfriend.”
Josie cringed at the idea of Dexter having a rumored girlfriend, “For real?”
“Who knows? But I bet she’d be dying to claim Mr. Russell hers since she’s been crushing on him.”
Unable to resist Alice’s persuasion, Josie then reluctantly agreed to visit her at the filming site once her work ended.
The shooting location was in a commercial district, so she brought a cup of hot cocoa on the
way.
When Josie saw Jesse, she finally remembered that she used to take on Jesse’s project to design an apartment when she was still a junior designer.
At that time, Josie busied herself with sketching for a solid two weeks, but in the end, Jesse abruptly terminated the project.
Consequently, Jesse’s action infuriated Josie. Filled with anger, she took to the Internet to expose Jesse’s exploitation of her professional work. The online community rallied behind Josie, leading to a significant backlash against Jesse.
Josie never expected to reencounter Jesse, let alone see her rise to fame as a well-known celebrity.
Upon hearing the story, Alice felt sympathy and resentment for Josie. She couldn’t help and shot a disdainful glance at Jesse, who was busy posing for the camera. With a resentful tone, Alice remarked, “Yeah, she may have good looks, but her vanity and thirst for attention make me gag.”
was the only one bold enough to express her disdain.
Sensing the piercing gaze of Jesse’s manager from afar, Josie immediately signaled for Alice to tone it down and maintain a low-key demeanor to avoid any potential offense.
Alice, known for her quick wit, devised a mischievous plan. She nonchalantly settled at the director’s computer, offering comments that appeared objective and casually constructive. Little did they know, she was up to no good, covertly attempting to sabotage Jesse. Much to everyone’s surprise, the director adopted Alice’s suggestions and had Jesse redo several takes.
As a result, Jesse’s cheeks were sore from the prolonged filming, and her annoyance became evident as she lost her composure.
“Hey, are you friends with the director?” Jesse approached and scrutinized Alice.
Alice grinned and said slyly, “Oh, not at all. But it seems like the director found my suggestions useful. You probably thought so, too, right?”
Josie almost burst out laughing at Alice’s witty comeback.
Finally given a twenty-minute break, Jesse skipped resting and went straight to Alice without bothering to take even a sip of water, “Do I know you?”
“Huh? Uh… Nope,” Alice was taken aback by Jesse’s sudden question. She blinked her eyes, pretending innocence with acting skills that surpassed those of movie stars.
“Are you one of my haters, then?” Jesse probed with suspicion.
Her crude questioning left everyone cringing, including Alice and the crew members w earshot.
Jesse took a deep breath, attempting to compose herself. She glanced around and caught sight of Josie, who had remained silent throughout.
Narrowing her eyes, Jesse felt a surge of unpleasant memories rushing back.
I remember this woman! She was the reason I got backlash from the netizen and accused me of being cheap for canceling the project! Jesse thought to herself bitterly.
Josie locked eyes with Jesse and calmly responded, “What a coincidence. Never thought we’d cross paths again, Ms. Abbott.”
Jesse’s gaze shifted between Alice and Josie; her hands balled into fists.
Having experienced the highs and lows of the entertainment industry, she contained the shame and fury. She remarked, “Well, if that’s what you say, then I can only thank you for the coffee treat you’re offering everyone here. Let’s see… there are about twenty of us here.
Alice was caught off guard by Jesse’s unexpected response. Unaware of the underlying tension, the surrounding crew cheered, buying into Jesse’s claim that Josie would treat them to coffee.
“You…!” Alice exclaimed, annoyance and embarrassment coursing through her. On the other hand, Jesse couldn’t help but flash a triumphant smirk at her defeated foes.
To Josie and Alice’s dismay, they were put in a checkmate and outwitted by Jesse.
