Star's Fury: Pageant Scandal Unveiled

The latter part of the party ended with Shayla's absence. Having risen to stardom in the entertainment industry, Shayla lost a great deal of face during the event. Considering her current influential backing, she naturally didn't take the beauty contest too seriously.

However, the next day, when "Scandal Sphere" dropped the bombshell scoop, the media were abuzz with news of Shayla's diva-like behavior and her bullying of newcomers. The whistleblower, Liam Thompson, as a top gossip in the entertainment industry, vividly recreated the entire situation for the public—

He described how Shayla acted pretentious at the party, how she scolded a junior who accidentally spilled red wine, and how she sharply and maliciously made things difficult for her alumna and underclassman beauty pageant contestant, even conspiring to nearly rob the young woman of her eligibility to compete... Several photos served as evidence.

In the photos, Shayla's expression was fierce, glaring malevolently at the little girl in front of her, whose white dress was stained entirely with red wine. The little girl was squatting on the ground, picking up the shattered glass all around, tears welling up in her eyes, the picture of injustice...

The scoop quickly went viral, becoming a hot topic in just a few hours. Comments on the post were divided, some supporting Shayla, others condemning her. Many even dug up old embarrassing photos and news of Shayla's alleged sexual transactions from her early career, hurling insults and claiming she shamelessly slept her way to the top, and was now relentlessly oppressing newcomers without any sense of decency.

Some commentators shifted their focus to the young girl bullied by Shayla. Although only her profile was visible in every picture, her facial contour and necklines were strikingly beautiful. Her slightly furrowed brows and tearful eyes elicited exclamations of amazement from many.

Consequently, a search was initiated for this girl's background. It was discovered that she was contestant number 17 in the Miss China beauty pageant and a high school student who might lose her chance to compete because of Shayla's actions.

Gradually, the situation took yet another turn. The scandal led to an outpouring of votes for contestant number 17 on the official beauty pageant website, nearly causing it to crash due to the overwhelming response. Mallory, bearing the number 17, led the competition by a substantial margin thanks to the support from the netizens.

After leaving the party the day before, Shayla headed to the love nest she shared with William Blake. However, William claimed he had drunk too much and would not be returning that evening, which further infuriated the already upset Shayla.

To her surprise, as soon as Shayla stepped out the next morning, she was ambushed by reporters outside her home. They bombarded her with questions—whether she had oppressed her juniors, bullied a schoolmate, what her motivations were for tripping up the newcomers, and whether, with such prejudices, she was fit to serve as a judge for the beauty contest, among others.

Shayla hadn't expected such an incident to occur. The mere thought of that girl made her blood boil with anger, yet she managed to keep her composure. Unaware of the full situation and drawing upon her years of experience in show business, she knew remaining silent and unresponsive was the safest approach. It wasn't until her assistant and manager arrived that she could make an embarrassed getaway under their protection, clambering into the nanny van.

Inside the van, her manager Paul Lee located the content of the scandalous revelation and handed her the tablet: "Shayla, I'm not trying to scold you, but after all these years, haven't you learned anything? Bullying the weak is a big taboo in the entertainment industry. You can throw your weight around, but you can't suppress a newcomer who hasn't even debuted. Public opinion is completely against you right now, and it's not looking good. We've already contacted the organizers of the beauty contest to contain this news, but neither the organizers nor Jade Television Station agreed. They said the scandal is beneficial for the ratings of the beauty contest. In the end, they've decided that the girl should come forward to clarify the situation in front of the media to clear your name."

"What? Let that little wretch clarify things in front of the media? She's merely a beauty pageant contestant and she's using me for exposure, why should I allow this!" Shayla, ripping off her sunglasses, was furious.

Manager Paul Lee, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses, replied helplessly, "Shayla, you need to understand the situation. What's more important, your reputation or hers? The company is working hard to clear your previous bad press and the negative impression it left with the audience. You should be focusing on rebuilding your image. That little girl is immature and has nothing to lose, so she doesn't care. You will have plenty of opportunities to deal with her in the future; it's not worth squabbling with her now. In this industry, it's too easy to ruin someone. Do you understand?"

Although Shayla was still angry, she calmed down a bit. She settled back into her seat and turned her face away in disdain, "What should I do?"

"There will be a small press conference arranged for this afternoon. You'll attend it together with that girl. We'll instruct her beforehand on what to say. All you need to do is to present yourself as a magnanimous senior. Remember, don't conflict with her in front of the media," said Paul Lee.

...

In just half a day, Jane had jumped from being one of the many beauties to a hot topic in the entertainment industry. After the entertainment news had heated up, the organizer called her in. She was so nervous and panicked that her face was etched with fear. It was only after the organizers reassured her, saying there would be no blame placed on her and they only hoped she could attend a small press conference in the afternoon to clarify things and foster a fair image for the beauty contest. They also mentioned it was a good opportunity for her to gain exposure, which was not to be wasted...

Jane understood all too well the intricacies of this media storm.

Shayla is concerned about her image. Judging by her endorsement of a children's amusement park, she is attempting to shed her previous online persona as a 36D goddess and pin-up star. She aims to transform herself from a lowbrow, flesh-selling celebrity to a high-end, international star. As such, she cannot afford to have negative press.

The pageant organizers won't let Jane drop out of the competition because they are looking for both ratings and a good reputation. If they can create a harmonious and joyful pageant atmosphere, that is something they would welcome with open arms.

Therefore, even if Jane appears a bit overwhelmed in front of everyone, inwardly she has no fear whatsoever. To make it in this industry, one must be audacious and thick-skinned, willing to take risks. As long as Jane keeps a good measure of control, Shayla will merely serve as a stepping stone for her ascent.