"Are you okay in the head?"
Sylvia leaned on her hand, studying the cold-faced man in front of her like he was putting on a show. Sure, he was handsome, but everything coming out of his mouth sounded insane.
"Sylvia, let's break things off peacefully. Stop with the suicide stunts. I'm not coming back."
…Excuse me?
As the reigning queen of showbiz with admirers lining up from L.A. to London, why would she obsess over one man, let alone fake a suicide?
Clearly a prank. Probably her friends celebrating her Grand Slam acting award by hiring an actor to pull a skit.
"Cut—cut, okay? Great performance. For a second, I really thought you were some deranged ex." Sylvia clapped slowly. "You're one of our agency's new actors?"
The man's face darkened. "What performance? Sylvia, stop playing dumb. I'll say this one last time—we're over. Whether I pursue Willa on the dating show is none of your business. If you keep targeting her, I'll have the company terminate your contract."
Sylvia froze.
Wait, this isn't a prank?
No cameras. No surprise party. Just this man and a weirdly familiar setup.
Then he said dating show… and Willa…
Oh no.
Sylvia's face went stiff. "Let's… start over. What's your name again?"
"…Gavin West," he said, eyeing her suspiciously.
Oh. Crap.
Gavin West. That's the CEO male lead in the romance novel she just finished last night.
So she had transmigrated—into the book.
And not just any character. The villainess ex with the same name as her.
Sylvia wanted to swear but held it in. Time to recall the plot of Behind the Spotlight.
Willa Ye, the heroine, was a soft-spoken sweetheart who went viral with her graduation pics. Gavin, smitten at first sight, signed her to his agency and even joined a live dating show with her just to win her heart.
Willa naturally became the center of attention—every man on the show adored her. After the show, she skyrocketed to fame, conquering the entertainment world with multiple big-name love interests protecting her every step, ultimately winning an Oscar Lifetime Achievement Award while still in her 20s.
In the end, she chose Gavin, but kept her "special connections" with the other male leads. It was classic wish-fulfillment drama at its peak.
As for the original Sylvia? Just the first stepping stone for Willa to shine.
She was Willa's high school bestie and lowkey rival, a gorgeous campus belle. But every man who met both of them would end up falling for Willa.
Eventually, Sylvia distanced herself from Willa and started dating Gavin in secret. Unfortunately, Gavin fell for Willa's photo while still dating Sylvia.
When Willa joined his company, the love triangle turned explosive. Driven by jealousy, Sylvia tried to push Willa out, only to be humiliated repeatedly on and off screen.
After Gavin dumped her, she joined the dating show to win him back—but on the first episode, she lost it seeing both her ex and first love fawning over Willa, and ended up insulting her live.
Netizens went wild. She became public enemy number one.
From scandals and fake rumors to real dirt (bad acting, diva attitude, sugar daddy, plastic surgery), she got torn apart online.
And when Willa's many admirers decided to "protect their goddess," they ruined Sylvia's career, left her bankrupt, and nearly got her assaulted.
Her fate?
"While Willa was bathed in golden light at the awards show, Sylvia was dragged into a dark alley by loan sharks. Blood ran down her pretty face. As her head hit the pavement, she blacked out for good—never knowing what she had done so wrong."
Sylvia: "...I didn't do anything wrong!"
She had always been hardworking, tax-paying, and even chaste (aside from maybe her brother's hand-holding). So why the hell did she end up here?
She clenched her fists, face full of despair.
"Sylvia, are you listening?" Gavin asked impatiently.
"Oh, sorry. Don't worry, the Sylvia who chased after you is dead. I'm now Sylvia of House Nuhulu," she said half-seriously.
She didn't care about the male or female leads. She just wanted to survive.
She could salvage this.
Probably.
Gavin frowned, turned to leave, then tossed something on the table. "Your apartment key. Returning it now."
He walked off, brooding—but not before thinking of Willa's innocent smile, which completely erased any lingering guilt over Sylvia.
"…Crap." Sylvia slapped her forehead.
She forgot to ask—what episode is the show on?!
There were only ten. If it's near the end, her alleyway doom is around the corner!
She snatched up her phone to check the show's status.
But the second she opened Weibo, it lagged. Three minutes later—bam! 99+ DMs and hate comments.
Just one episode in—and people already wanted her gone.
@SylviaFanKickedOut: "Do you have to throw yourself at men? Anyone with eyes can see Gavin loves Willa."
@HomeworkTime: "Walk upright, Sylvia. Stop trying to tear down our sweet Willa 😌"
@WillaBabyFan99: "Only one episode in and Sylvia bullied our Willa so hard she's shaking with cold in 100°F weather. May next year be your death anniversary, plastic b*tch."
Sylvia: "…Yikes. So the show just started. That's good!"
Also… why are kids on the internet this angry?
She replied cheerfully:
"Sweetheart, don't be mad. It's bad for your liver. I'm on the show because I want to be. And if you don't like it, treat it like a fart in the wind 💨"
@SecretBillionaireReject: "Sylvia, keep going. I'll always be behind you… stabbing your back."
Sylvia: "Your loyalty means the world. Truly."
@CoolTeaLover: "I've sinned a lot in this life. Seeing Sylvia makes us even."
Sylvia: "That's just the heat talking. I forgive you."
Within minutes, someone pinned a new comment to the top:
"She's lost it. Sylvia's GONE OFF THE DEEP END!!"