Mr. CEO, You Look Strangely Familiar

He had just finished speaking when the two teenage girls in front of them began to argue.

”I told you hardly anyone comes to the movies anymore, but you just had to come. It’s a waste of money. See? There’s nobody here.”

The girl sitting in front of Nora Ainsworth was unfazed. ”I’m here to support the male lead. Besides, it’s not that much money, and I can watch with a clear conscience. I paid for my own ticket, didn’t I?”

”You’re just dumb.”

The other girl was annoyed. ”How am I dumb? Don’t you think they invested time and effort into making this movie? Since when is supporting someone’s hard work a sign of being a fool? I feel proud and accomplished for doing it. When you get a job someday, are you not going to expect a paycheck? If you really think that way, you should just tell your boss, ’I don’t want a salary, I’ll work for free.’ That would fit your attitude perfectly, wouldn’t it?”

”Ugh, I don’t get you. I go through all the trouble of finding pirated novels for you, risking viruses, and you won’t even look at them. You just waste fifty cents a day. And ever since I got kicked out of that author’s VIP group, I’ve been furious.”

”What are you mad about? It’s your own fault. The author clearly stated that readers of the pirated version weren’t allowed, but you still tried to join. Weren’t you just asking to get kicked out? Besides, you won’t even give the author enough money to buy a lollipop. Reading for free is one thing, but to go and brag about it so openly? Seriously? I don’t even want to get into it, but how many of your family’s computers have died because you read pirated stuff? I honestly don’t know which one of us is the dumb one.”

”What’s wrong with pirating? Reading the pirated version helps make the author more famous. She should be thanking me! After she kicked me out, I didn’t just sit on my hands. I went and spammed the comments with links to pirated sites full of viruses. Misery loves company, right? Even if my computer gets wrecked by a virus, all those other freeloaders will go down with me. We can all share in the good times and the bad. And you know what else? I totally ripped the author to shreds in the review section. HAHAHA! I did it on purpose, just to make her mad.”

The girl in front of Nora Ainsworth gave a cold laugh. ”You’re trashing the author in the comments section of a pirate site. Do you really think she’ll ever see it? I think you’ve become completely twisted. You read her novel, and then you attack her. I pay to read the official version and I’ve never said a word, yet here you are, reading for free and whining nonstop. You’re sick.”

”I’ll trash her if I want. I’m doing her a favor just by reading her novel.”

”I’m speechless. I feel sorry for any author whose book you decide to read.”

The two girls’ long-winded debate made the couple sitting behind them cringe with secondhand embarrassment. But even though they didn’t know the girl who supported the author, they found themselves really liking her after hearing her speak.

”Young lady.”

The girl turned, her face lighting up with surprise. ”Are you... Are you Nora Ainsworth?”

Nora Ainsworth nodded. ”Yes, I am. I overheard you two discussing piracy versus official releases, and I think you were absolutely right.”

The girl blushed a little. ”Whether it’s an author writing a book or an actor shooting a movie, it’s all hard work. Oh, right! Nora, I saw you in *Love when the sun comes out*. I read the original novel, too. It was so good! I’m a huge fan. I can’t believe I’m seeing you here.”

”It’s just a shame that the author of the original *Love when the sun comes out* has passed away.”

The girl was stunned. ”She passed away? I never heard anything about that. I had no idea.”

”It happened right after we finished filming the series. The author died suddenly from exhaustion while working on another long novel. It wasn’t in the news at the time. Her family handled it very privately, so it was never exposed by the media.”

”How tragic.”

Just then, her friend chimed in, ”What’s so tragic about it? Nobody forced her to write. If her health was poor, who is there to blame but herself?”

”...”

”...”

Leon Lynch leaned conspiratorially toward Nora Ainsworth and whispered, ”I think the girl in front of you has a healthy attitude. She’ll definitely grow up to be more successful than the other one. The one in front of me is lacking in character, and not just by a little.”

”How can you tell?”

”Generally, people who are destined for good fortune are open-minded and don’t take petty advantages. They know there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Sometimes, the difference isn’t luck, but the kind of opportunities your character attracts. Look at the mindset of that girl who reads pirated content. She’ll grow up to be just as petty and small-minded. It’s probably related to her upbringing. I think these two girls are headed down completely opposite paths in life. They’re destined never to be friends. Their values are just too different—one is positive and healthy, while the other is negative and shallow.”

Nora Ainsworth smiled. ”If it were you, would you rather marry the girl with the good attitude, or the one in front of you...”

Leon Lynch smiled back. ”The answer is so obvious, I think I’ll exercise my right not to answer.”

When the movie ended, the couple and their two children were heading home. As they were pulling the car out, they accidentally hit someone.

Leon Lynch looked and saw that it was the girl who had been sitting in front of him in the theater.

Nora Ainsworth and Leon Lynch got out of the car. ”Young lady, are you hurt?”

She nodded.

”Then we should get you to the hospital right away for a check-up, to see if you’re injured.”

They immediately had both girls get into the car and drove toward the hospital.

Jean Grant sat in her room, a pristine white wedding gown and formal dress laid out beside her.

She was getting married tomorrow. Instead of going to a salon, she had arranged for the makeup artist to come to her home.

Wearing a wedding dress for the second time stirred a complicated mix of emotions within her.

Perhaps it was because the excitement and nervousness she’d felt during her first wedding were gone.

When she went downstairs, Mrs. Grant began to instruct her. ”Tomorrow, once you’re married into the Ainsworth family, you absolutely cannot let things be like last time. Your mother-in-law passed away a long time ago, so at least you won’t have to deal with that relationship. But your new sister-in-law used to be your brother’s fiancée for years. Now that you’re becoming her sister-in-law instead, she’s not going to like you. You have to be patient with her. She’ll get married and leave eventually, and when she does, the Ainsworth household will be yours to control.”

”If she tries to walk all over me, am I still supposed to just tolerate it? Not a chance. I have my limits. If anyone provokes me, I won’t just stand there and take it.”

Mrs. Grant went on, ”You can’t be so impulsive. You need to try and consider things from her perspective.”

”I’ll consider her perspective. But if she doesn’t consider mine, then she’s the one in the wrong.”

”Oh, you. So stubborn. Sometimes, taking a step back can open up a world of possibilities.”

Just then, the butler walked in, holding a package.

”Miss, a package has arrived for you.”

Jean Grant reached out and took it. But as she opened it, her face filled with terror, and the package dropped from her hands to the floor.