The Stab Behind the Smile

1
I was doing a stunt for a fight scene when the film's It Girl stabbed me for real, landing me in the hospital.
My A-list actor boyfriend, Zane, rushed to my side, fussing over me with worried questions.
Before I could even feel a flicker of warmth, a line of text materialized above his head: [When is Sienna going to realize the A-lister bound her to that wannabe Roxy with a Beauty System?]
[Whatever part of her body Sienna obsesses over, that same part on Roxy becomes even more perfect!]
A second later, my agent of five years, Cole, hurried in.
Another line of text appeared: [The agent's just as bad. He's bound her with an Achievement System. The harder Sienna works, the more successful Roxy becomes!]
I looked at the two men in front of me and fell into a deep, unsettling thought.
So... all I have to do is stop giving a damn.

As the text continued to scroll, a chill crept into my heart.
How could this be possible?
The two most important men in my life were using me, sacrificing me for someone else?
Just then, a celebrity news alert popped up on my phone: [Rising Star Roxy Spotted by Fans, Warmly Posing for Photos and Hugs.]
In the video, her legs were impossibly long and slender, so pale they practically glowed. But just yesterday, when we were filming our fight scene, I'd seen her thighs, and they hadn't looked like that.
The comments section was flooded.
[Roxy is the queen of self-discipline! Just a few days ago people were talking about her 'thick thighs' and now look at this comeback. Incredible!]
[I heard she runs ten kilometers every morning to maintain her figure! How can a star like this not be famous?]
[This is some serious shade on a certain senior actress, isn't it? She's been in the business for years and still hasn't learned to manage her own body!]
[Exactly. She's so dark and chubby. If she's not a flop, who is?]
I didn't need three guesses to know who the "certain senior actress" was.
I glanced instinctively at my boyfriend, Zane, and my agent, Cole.
They were both staring at their phones, grinning like idiots, their eyes filled with undisguised admiration and pride.
I used to think they were just happy to see an artist from our agency succeed.
Now I knew the truth. They were laughing at how stupid I was.
The text floated by again: [See? The more Sienna worries about her thigh scarring, the more beautiful Roxy's legs become.]
I took a deep breath. I was starting to believe it.
There was no other explanation for how Roxy's legs could transform into flawlessness in a single day, right after mine had been sliced open.
Rage boiled in my chest as I looked at them.
One was my boyfriend. When he was a nobody, I was the one who spent a fortunetens of millions, at leaston ads and investments to make him the star he was today.
The other was my agent. When he was a newbie getting bullied in a corner, I was the one, a popular actress at the time, who took him under my wing. Because of me, he became a top-tier agent.
And now, these two were working together to destroy me for Roxy.
I was about to explode when a nurse came in to change my dressing.
Zane immediately took the antiseptic and bandages from her. "I'll do it," he said gently. "You go on."
The nurse gave me a knowing, envious smile. "Your boyfriend is so handsome and thoughtful!"
I forced a smile, my eyes secretly tracking Zane's movements.
With his back to me, he discreetly tossed the healing powder into the trash. The text floated up: [So cruel. This way, Sienna's wound will scar, making her even more insecure about it.]
I shot up and pushed him away. "Forget it. Just leave it."
Zane stared at me, bewildered. "Sienna, don't you know that keeping your body scar-free is the ultimate respect you can show your audience?"
"Besides," he added, his voice hardening, "you're my girlfriend. How can you be worthy of me if you have a scar?"
He talked about not wanting me to scar, but all he wanted was for me to be insecure and obsessed.
Years ago, when he, a famous actor, chose me, a washed-up star, over a bevy of beautiful actresses, his fans had ripped me to shreds for years.
He never once defended me. Instead, hed gaslight me. "Sienna, maybe they just think you're not pretty enough."
"It's okay. With modern medicine, if you want to get some cosmetic work done, I'll support you."
Blinded by love, I'd foolishly agreed.
To be "worthy" of him, I went through hell and back with cosmetic procedures, but my face only got worse. Now people called me a plastic surgery monster, full of toxins.
I remember curling up under the covers, my body wracked with sobs, completely depressed over it.
And on that very day, Roxy won the "Most Beautiful Lead Actress" award for her stunning looks.
Snapping back to the present, I pushed him away with a humorless smile. "If you really cared about me, why haven't you gone to settle the score with Roxy? Why haven't you asked her why she used a real knife instead of a prop?"
At the mention of Roxy, his expression soured.
Cole stepped in, his tone deliberately calm. "Sienna, I know you don't want to be just a pretty face. You care more about your skills, right?"
"So I completely understand you focusing on your acting."
He paused, holding out a call sheet. "Here. I just booked you another stunt gig. Shoots at 1 a.m. The pay is good."
I glanced down at the throbbing wound on my thigh. I'd just been injured yesterday, and he wanted me to pull an all-nighter for a fight scene?
I threw the call sheet on the floor. "I don't feel well. I'm not doing it."
This time, even he couldn't stay calm. His brows furrowed, his voice laced with impatience. "Sienna, accidents happen in acting. You used to be so tough. What's wrong with you today?"
"Do you have any idea how hard I've worked for you these past five years, never giving up, constantly hustling for roles?"
I stared at him, a bitter taste in my mouth. "Oh, thank you so much," I sneered.
He'd been with me for five years. I took him on when I was at my peak. He seemed so grateful, always at my beck and call. When my career tanked, he stayed, working tirelessly to find me gigs.
I always thought he was loyal. It was why I refused to go home and inherit the family business, despite my parents' pleas.
I pushed myself so hard, often staying on set until three or four in the morning, because I didn't want to let him down.
And what was the result?
No matter how hard I worked, I was just a stepping stone for Roxy.
The thought made me shake my head. "Since I'm already a flop, what's the point of trying? I'll still be a flop."
I looked up and smiled at him again. "You never said you were working so hard. Since it's such a burden, why don't you just stop?"
Zane and Cole stared at me, their expressions a mixture of confusion and alarm. My words were strange, but my meaning was clear.
I didn't give them a chance to reply. I stood up and walked out. "I'm checking out of the hospital."
Zane snapped out of it and chased me down the hall. "What are you talking about? Your leg looks terrible! Get back in there!"
Cole followed, frowning as he tried to grab my arm. "You need to heal up. You have a lot more fight scenes coming up."
"You're throwing a tantrum over a little thing like this? You'll never make a comeback at this rate!"
"A comeback?" I stopped dead and spun around to face him. "The truth is, you're terrified I will make a comeback!"
My outburst drew curious glances from a few passersby.
Zane panicked, fumbling to put on his mask and hissing, "Calm down! We'll talk about this when we get back!"
I shoved his hand away and shouted, "I am perfectly calm!"
More people were stopping to watch now.
Zane lost it. "Sienna, are you insane? If you don't care about your own image, at least think about the agency's reputation!"
"You look like a crazy shrew right now! Are you trying to embarrass me?"
His face was red beneath his mask. I reached out and ripped it off. "So, the great A-list actor only likes beautiful women?"
The mask was off. The hallway erupted. "Isn't that the movie star, Zane? And that woman... that's his girlfriend, Sienna, right?"
"Why are they fighting in a hospital? Is she pregnant?"
"No way. Isn't he famous for doting on that ugly girlfriend of his? I thought they were true love!"
Zane treasured his hard-won fame above all else. He hastily pulled his mask back on, muttering, "You've got the wrong person," and fled.
The onlookers froze, their phones still half-raised. I smiled sweetly at them. "Yes, that was Zane."
Cole grabbed my arm, dragging me aside. "If you keep this up, no one will ever hire you again!"
"Once this scandal hits the news, your career in this industry is over!"
I tilted my head, a laugh bubbling up. "Wouldn't that be perfect? I was just thinking of retiring."
I had a family empire waiting for me to inherit. I didn't need to grovel in this toxic industry.
While he was still stunned, I turned and walked away.
I sent a quick text to my mom, then systematically left every group chat for stunt work.
Next stop: the agency, to terminate my contract.
I had no endorsement deals, no TV appearances, and no active film roles. Plus, my parents were the biggest investors in the agency. Leaving wouldn't be hard.
That was the real reason the agency never fired me, even after my career had been in a slump for so long. I had asked them to keep my family background a secret, afraid people would use it against me, and even told them not to give me special treatment or resources.
The moment I stepped into the office, I ran into Roxy.
She stopped in her tracks, her eyes instantly welling up. "Sienna... I didn't know the knife would... I really didn't know..."
I watched her performance, my face a blank mask.
She cried beautifully, inching closer. "Sienna, please don't be mad at me. It's all my fault, all my fault..."
Her eyes darted to my thigh. "That wound... it's going to scar! I'll find you a doctor, I know a really good one..."
I sidestepped her. "You stab me, then you find me a doctor. You're a real saint."
My words ignited the office. A colleague snapped, "Roxy, how is this your fault? It's her own damn fault for not dodging a real knife. She's probably just desperate for attention."
"Yeah! Roxy, you're always getting her roles. She shouldn't complain about one little stab, or even ten!"
"If you ask me, she's just ugly and high-maintenance! And now she has the nerve to be sarcastic with you!"
I scanned the room, a cold smirk on my face. "So, stabbing me was justified, is that it?"
Roxy's tears fell faster. "Sienna, I didn't mean it like that..." she whimpered.
The more helpless she acted, the louder the murmurs grew. "Sienna, that's going too far. Roxy apologized, what more do you want?"
"You think you're so great because your boyfriend's a movie star? Get over yourself!"
"Look at you. How can you even compare yourself to Roxy? One of her fingers is worth more than your entire career!"
"The only reason someone who looks like you is still in this business is because Roxy helps you out. Otherwise, you would've been kicked to the curb ages ago!"
I took a deep breath, trying to suppress the inferno inside me.
They were right. Roxy was better than me now.
But everything she hadZane and Cole had stolen it from me and given it to her.
She'd started as a nobody, an extra everyone looked down on. I felt sorry for her and asked Cole to give her a hand.
And with that one hand, she shot to stardom.
After she got famous, she even got her hooks into my boyfriend.
I don't know when the three of them started plotting against me.
I was done wasting my breath on her. I reached out to push past her.
The instant my hand touched her, she stumbled backward dramatically, collapsing to the floor. She clutched her knee, her face a mask of agony.
"Roxy!" Zane and Cole burst out of the elevator and slammed into me, sending me sprawling. My wound tore open again. Blood gushed out, the pain so intense it brought a cold sweat to my brow.
Before I could process what happened, Zane was pointing at me, roaring, "Sienna! How can you be so petty?!"
Roxy clutched her back, whimpering as she leaned against him. "I have a promotional event tonight... but after Sienna pushed me, I'm so dizzy... I don't think I can go... What if this affects the company?"
A colleague immediately rounded on me. "That event has several major directors attending! If Roxy can't go, what will they think of us? You bitch, you're trying to sabotage everyone!"
I suddenly noticed that Roxy was wearing shorts, and her thighs looked thicker than they had in the video this morning, the fabric cutting into her flesh.
A text floated by: [Sienna stopped caring about her scar, so Roxy's legs are back to their original state!]
I looked down at my own leg. It was a bloody mess, but the skin around the wound was smooth and pale.
Seeing me stare silently at my leg, someone stepped forward and stomped right on my injury. The pain was so blinding I nearly blacked out.
The others backed away in disgust. "Now there's blood all over the floor. So unlucky."
Zane looked down at me, his eyes filled with loathing. "Sienna, if you keep this up, don't blame me for forgetting our history and telling the boss to blacklist you!"
Cole's voice was like ice. "Without me, a top-tier agent, you'll never work in this town again!"
Suddenly, a furious voice boomed from the entrance. "Insolence! Who dares cause trouble in my company!"
Behind the CEO stood my mother, her face a mask of cold fury.
The CEO pushed through the crowd of gossiping employees and strode towards me, his brow furrowed.
He glanced at my bleeding leg, then at Roxy, and his voice was heavy. "What happened here?"
Roxy immediately clutched her back, her voice frail. "Sir, I was just trying to advise Sienna to take better care of her image, but she suddenly lost her temper and pushed me..."
The colleagues chimed in. "That's right, sir! Sienna started it! Roxy was just trying to help!"
"Yeah, Roxy is so kind, she didn't deserve that!"
My mother gasped and rushed over. The sight of my leg, drenched in blood, made her scream. "Someone, call an ambulance! Now!"
But Zane just scoffed, stopping someone who was reaching for their phone.
He crossed his arms, sneering at me. "Stop the act. If you had an ounce of this acting talent on screen, you wouldn't be a flop."
"Look at Roxy. She debuted after you and already has several leading roles. And you? You're still just a stunt double. Isn't that pathetic?"
The pain was making my head spin, but I gritted my teeth and glared at him. "This is acting? Are you blind, or am I?"
"Zane, have you forgotten how you became an A-list actor in the first place? How dare you lecture me!"
"You!" Zane pointed a trembling finger at me. "Sienna! If you hadn't blackmailed me with the past, do you think I would have ever looked twice at a dark, ugly woman like you?"
"I know what you did! You slept with Director Evans to get me that role, to make me an actor! I only stayed with you out of pity, because I didn't want to expose you!"
"But you're the one who did it! I never forced you!"
A wave of gasps and whispers filled the room. "I knew it! That's how she got famous so fast back in the day! She slept her way to the top!"
...It wasn't enough to destroy me. He had to slander me, too?

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