Chapter 5
Back at her apartment, Elizabeth logged into Facebook and quickly changed her password.
Richard used to manage her account, but he barely paid attention to it.
He'd post something maybe once every month or two, hardly keeping it active.
When she checked the comments, she wasn't surprised to see most of them were nasty.
The haters were mainly fans of Eugene and Kevin.
There was that one time she had dinner alone with Eugene.
The media caught them and revealed they had grown up together.
Eugene's fans accused her of using him for fame.
Richard never bothered to get anyone to handle her PR.
Eugene didn't address the fans or clear things up either.
Then there was Kevin. He once asked her to join him for dance practice, and the media caught that too.
His fans went off on her, calling her a shameless flirt trying to seduce both Eugene and Kevin.
She asked Kevin to explain, but he said there was no need to go public about their relationship.
And again, Richard didn't get anyone to handle her PR.
Not long after, Richard was spotted taking Brenda shopping and doting on her.
This got caught on camera and went viral online.
Kevin's fans started bashing Brenda too.
But this time, Kevin stepped up. He posted on Facebook, defending Brenda and revealing they were siblings.
Richard quickly had his team handle the PR, explaining their relationship and highlighting the strong sibling bond between Kevin and Brenda.
Soon, the show's official Facebook announcement went up.
Elizabeth deleted all of Richard's old posts and shared the official announcement.
As expected, aside from the buzz about the two mysterious male guests and excitement over Kevin, the comments were full of hate directed at her.
"What? Elizabeth is one of the female guests? Is this a joke?"
"Out of all the guests, she's the least popular and least relevant. What were they thinking inviting her?"
"She probably got the spot through some connections, maybe a sugar daddy or something."
"Is she here pursing our Kev?"
Kevin's fans all called him Kev.
"I bet she'll cling to Kev on the show, trying to ride his popularity."
"Kev, stay strong. Don't let her latch onto you. Just take care of your Brenda."
Amid the continued bashing of Elizabeth, there were praises for Brenda.
Elizabeth knew right away that this was Richard's marketing team drumming up buzz for Brenda.
She ignored the hateful comments. Given her current popularity and status, responding would only make things worse. To change the audience's perception and win them over, she'd have to shine on the variety show. Popularity and talent determine status and influence.
After closing Facebook, Elizabeth looked up detailed info on the other guests.
In the following days, she focused on resting and prepping for the show.
During this time, Eugene tried to contact her using someone else's phone, but she hung up as soon as she heard his voice.
Kevin also reached out, but she hung up and blocked him too.
A week later, the variety show "From Zero" premiered.
It was the first live outdoor reality show.
The production team claimed there'd be no beauty filters and no scripts, aiming for a truly authentic experience.
The guests traveled from different places to the recording city on their own, and then the production team arranged transportation to a remote mountain village.
Elizabeth was the first to arrive.
As soon as her car pulled up, the live broadcast officially kicked off.
Elizabeth had delicate features, a healthy tan, and a tall, slender figure.
Today, she wore a sporty outfit, light makeup, and a ponytail, giving off a youthful, vibrant vibe.
Next, the second, third, and fourth cars arrived one after another.
Out came popular singer Nancy Wilson, actress Lisa Moore, and talented actor Ronald Lewis.
Nancy was dressed in casual sportswear, Lisa in an elegant long dress, and Ronald, with a clean and gentle demeanor, smiled and greeted the three female guests as he got out.
Elizabeth returned a polite smile and greeting and also smiled and greeted the other two women.
Nancy smiled back and even chatted with Elizabeth for a bit.
Lisa also smiled and greeted Elizabeth, but with a sense of coldness and superiority.
Soon, another car arrived.
It was Kevin and Brenda!
Next episode preview: Guess how Elizabeth will take revenge on her family and ex-boyfriend?