Chapter 2654


    The more Ivy scrolled through the online chatter, the more anxious she felt. In the end, she handed her


    phone over to Evadne.


    The next day, at the crack of dawn, Ivy went meet up with the director and the crew. Their first stop was


    the college in the city where “Bad of Valor,” the film they were promoting, was shot. The movie spun


    a yarn of young, starry-eyed love, targeting a youthful audience as its main demographic.


    College students were unpredictable, a tough crowd that didn’t follow the beaten path.


    Ivy’s nerves were strung tight as guitar strings at the thought of facing this challenging group.


    The director noticed Ivy’s pallor – a few shades lighter than usual a few shades lighter than usual and


    couldn’t help but chuckle. “You weren’t this jittery when you auditioned for the role of Valor. What’s got


    you spooked today?”


    Ivy pulled a face, “Aren’t you nervous? The thought of being grilled with random questions has me tied


    up in knots, like I’m back in school facing a pop quiz.”


    “Hey, they’re just college kids. They’ll ask you questions based on the film, and you, my dear, are the


    living embodiment of Valor. What’s there to fear? You can’t get stage fright now you’re our leading


    lady!”


    The other actors rallied around Ivy, offering words of encouragement. Among them was Ryan, a new


    actor like Ivy, but with a seasoned model’s experience in the limelight, today’s Q&A session was


    nothing big for him.


    But Ivy was different. She had been the target of online vitriol for quite some time before facing a real


    audience. She didn’t know how these people saw her or if they bias that might prevent them from


    giving the film a fair chance. That was one she hadn’t voiced to anyone except Balfour. And under a


    circumstance couldn’t be there to offerfort.


    Though they were both swamped with their schedules, Balfour still found a mo call and bolster her


    spirits before her event.


    “Have you gone on yet?” he asked.


    “No, otherwise how could I be talking to you?” vy muttered, her voice tinged with nerve


    –


    “Don’t worry about the online drama; it’s old news. They won’t judge you with those biases. A good


    movie speaks for itself. You’ve got to trust yourself. Remember when your teaser dropped and you


    gained eight hundred thousand followers overnight? That’s not something just anyone can do.”


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Ivy stomped her foot in frustration, “But back then, they weren’t swayed by all that online nonsense.


    Ugh, it’s so annoying. Why me? I don’t want to be misunderstood. I wish they could get to know who I


    really am from the start.”


    Balfour could hear the depress in Ivy’s voice and felt a pang of sympathy. These were unwarranted


    troubles, and yet she had to bear them alone.


    “As an actor, your work is what matters most. Today is the first step for them to get to know who you


    really are. You can’t back down, Ivy. The more you retreat, the more those lies gain traction. You need


    to reach out, to show them who you truly are, to make them understand.”


    “Okay, I’ll give it my best shot.”


    When the lights dimmed, Ivy took her seat among the audience and allowed herself to be


    absorbed in the story of “Bad of Valor.” It was her first time watching the final cut. After wrapping up


    filming, she had only caught glimpses of the editing process and had never seen theplete work.


    The story began with two girls biking down a countryne, theirughter as free as the wind in their


    hair. The cheerful tinkle of their bicycle bells apanied them as they turned into the schoolyard.


    “Valor, are we hitting our secret hideoutter?”