The Contracted Ever After novel Chapter 274

Deanna's palm slapped hard across Samantha's face.

Deanna had been seething with resentment lately. Samantha was her assistant, yet her eyes were always on the bigger stage, yearning to be in the spotlight. It frustrated Deanna that Samantha, with her lack of formal training and connections, had such lofty ambitions.

The slap was satisfying.

"What is this?" Deanna pointed to a hole in a designer gown. Samantha had borrowed it for her, only to return it damaged.

Deanna used this as an excuse to vent her anger at Samantha's constant auditioning. Samantha felt humiliated, but she had to bear it.

"Where are your loyalties? Are you my assistant or not? If you don't want to be, just say so." Deanna snapped.

Unfortunately for Samantha, she was once again in Deanna's line of fire.

"I want to be." Samantha replied, her voice barely above a whisper. She was a very patient person, willing to endure anything for her goals. If she could appease Deanna, maybe she would have more opportunities in the future. But if she couldn't, Deanna could easily make Samantha jobless by tomorrow. So, she had to swallow her pride and continue working for Deanna.

Meanwhile, Samantha had caught the attention of the producers of The High Society, a popular TV show. Despite Deanna being a far bigger star than Samantha, she hadn't received any invitation to audition for the show. Samantha, on the other hand, had no such demands. As long as she could land a role in The High Society, she would have a name in the acting industry.

Samantha longed for that overnight success. Working as an assistant could only get her so far, but acting offered the chance of instant fame. Right now, every actor in the country was eyeing this show. Not only was it a big-budget project, but the producer was the renowned Alana.

Alana, born into a prestigious family and blessed with natural beauty and grace, had risen to stardom at the tender age of twenty-three. However, at the peak of her career, she vanished from the limelight, starting Keegan Entertainment, one of the top film and TV production companies in the country. Although it produced only one or two shows a year, each one was a smash hit. This was another source of Deanna's envy and anger.

"Even if you do bag a role in The High Society, you'll just be a second-rate maid." Deanna said venomously, "And if you go, don't bother coming back as my assistant!"

Samantha remained silent. Recently, her mother Sienna had been inquiring about her life in Millstone. If things were going well, she and Ronald, Samantha's stepfather, planned to move there, since their hometown Colwood was becoming increasingly desolate due to the mass exodus of workers.

Ever since Samantha had landed a minor role in a show, Sienna had been bragging about her daughter's potential stardom to anyone who would listen. They all said, "Oh, your daughter's going to be a big star. Are you going to move to Millstone?" This had become a nagging worry for Sienna, which was now weighing heavily on Samantha. Samantha was desperate to land a role in The High Society. If she succeeded, she would quit working for Deanna. But for now, she had to keep playing along.

"Cordelia is carrying Ronan's baby!" Samantha blurted out suddenly.

Deanna frowned. Why did Samantha always bring up the things she least wanted to hear? She slapped Samantha again. "Do you have to stir the pot?" Deanna asked.

"No. Yesterday, I saw Cordelia driving Brooklyn back to her dorm in a BMW 7 Series. Cordelia's belly was noticeably round. I had a hunch, so I had a cab follow her. She went to Garden Estates, and I saw Ronan's car there. Why would he be looking after her if it wasn't his baby?" Samantha stated, "And the BMW - I doubt it's Cordelia's. It must be Ronan's. Would he be so generous if the baby was Jamie's? Cordelia once told me she wanted to find her soulmate. It's not like her to be pregnant with another man's baby before her divorce is finalized."

Samantha's argument made sense, and Deanna's eyes began to glaze over.