Hailey smiled gracefully. "Today, I'm not promoting any shops. I heard my younger sister is here, so I came to say hello."
"Wow! You have a younger sister? You've never mentioned her before!"
"She's very shy and doesn't like appearing on camera," Hailey explained sweetly. "But today, I thought I'd introduce her to everyone. She's a beautiful, sweet, and kind girl."
"You two must be very close!"
"Hailey looks so happy talking about her sister."
As Hailey and her entourage made their way upstairs, on the other side of the store, Natalie emerged from the fitting room.
She was wearing the starry blue dress. Though its design was simple, it looked stunning on her tall and slender figure.
The sales assistant gasped, "Oh my, miss, that dress looks like it was made just for you!"
It was a line she used often, but this time, she meant it.
The fit, the color—everything was perfect.
Customers nearby began whispering.
"It's gorgeous."
"I didn't think much of it on the rack, but it's stunning on her!"
"She's just so beautiful—so fair-skinned!"
Natalie smiled faintly, satisfied. She retrieved her card once more.
"I'll take this one and the other two I tried on. Please ring them up together."
"Certainly," the assistant said, accepting the card with a respectful smile.
Just as she turned toward the register, a commotion erupted outside the store.
The sales assistant turned instinctively—and her eyes widened.
"Oh my god! Hailey Roberts! Hailey Roberts and her production team are coming into our store!"
The staff and customers alike were instantly distracted.
Natalie glanced over too.
Sure enough, Hailey and her video crew were outside.
Three cameras were already in position, all aimed squarely at the boutique—right where Natalie stood.
The salesperson instinctively turned her head, and her eyes lit up with excitement.
"Oh my god, it's Hailey Roberts! Hailey Roberts' production team has come to our store!"
Everyone in the boutique—whether staff or customers—was instantly drawn to the commotion.
Natalie also turned to look.
Outside, it was indeed Hailey Roberts, flanked by her production team.
Three cameras quickly positioned themselves, focusing on the boutique from multiple angles. Hailey, dressed in an eye-catching outfit and with a calculating glint in her eyes, smiled sweetly as she walked straight toward Natalie.
Natalie's heart skipped a beat.
The next second, Hailey had already wrapped her hand around Natalie's arm.
With an affectionate smile, she turned to face the center camera.
"Let me introduce you to my sister, Natalie. Every time I get sick, she's the one who donates her blood to me."
"You could say the blood running through our veins is truly the same."
Natalie immediately understood her motive. Hailey had stirred up such a scene to publicly pressure her—once again—to be her eternal blood donor. A guilt trip, performed live for maximum effect.
In her past life, surrounded by spectators and the millions of Hailey's fans watching the livestream, she might have surrendered. But this life? Not a chance.
Natalie smiled, her gaze locking onto Hailey's.
"Did you come here on purpose?"
Hailey nodded, still holding her arm.
"Yes. I knew you were here, so I came to say hello. And I want my fans to meet you, too."
She turned to the camera with a gleaming smile.
"I want everyone to know that everything I am today is thanks to the silent dedication of my sister over the years. Thank you, Natalie."
Hailey was confident Natalie wouldn't dare refuse a request for blood during a livestream. She expected Natalie to confirm—publicly—that she was willing to be her lifelong blood supplier. And the internet would bear witness to it.
With a coy smile, Hailey added, "What a coincidence that I arrived just as you changed into this new outfit. I wanted my sister to look her best on camera, after all."
In truth, she wanted to ward off any online criticism of her own appearance and flex for her fans.
But Natalie's lips curved into a cold smirk. She leaned in and whispered in Hailey's ear,
"Have you ever considered that with me in this outfit, I might make you look like... a plain Jane?"
Hailey's confident expression shattered. Her eyes darted to Natalie. Her flawless skin, long dark lashes, and healthy pink lips radiated charm. The soft sky-blue dress hugged her slim waist, making her elegance almost ethereal.
"Damn it... I messed up," Hailey thought, gritting her teeth.
Jealousy flickered in her eyes, but she quickly lowered her head to avoid the camera. She glanced at her own outfit—a meticulously chosen Lolita dress. It had a cinched waist, butterfly accents, sky-blue fabric with white chiffon trims, and a matching hairband. She'd aimed to appear sweet and youthful.
But instead, the light color scheme made her look heavier.
Almost instinctively, Hailey took a few steps back to appear slimmer on camera. But Natalie followed her like a shadow, stopping just beside her. Hailey had no choice but to hold her position two meters from the glass railing, which subtly reflected light and thinned her frame on-screen.
Hailey's agent, Ava, hurriedly signaled the cameraman to adjust the angle to flatter Hailey.
Then Megan began delivering the lines they'd rehearsed:
"I heard that every time Hailey is sick, her sister donates blood. She's such a selfless sister."
"You two are the most admirable siblings I've ever seen. The younger sister bravely battles illness while the older one quietly supports her. Truly heartwarming."
"You're both a beacon of positive energy."
Prompted by her agent's cue, Hailey snapped back to focus. She beamed at the camera.
"Yes, besides my parents, the person I'm most grateful to is my big sister. Without them, I wouldn't be here today. And without Natalie, I wouldn't have the health to keep going. We're each other's saviors."
Applause erupted from the onlookers. Hailey soaked it in with pride. As long as she wanted to, she could always be the center of attention—the inspirational goddess.
So what if she was a little chubby? No one would notice such trivial details.
But when her eyes landed on Natalie's face again, her smile faltered. Natalie was still smiling, but it was filled with disdain and irony, as if Hailey was nothing but a clown trying desperately to impress the crowd.
In the livestream chat, comments poured in with the applause:
> "Hailey's such a kind and grateful soul."
"Go, Hailey!"
"Her sister is gorgeous too!"
"What a beautiful duo—inside and out."
"Weird… they don't look alike. Is it because Hailey's too big?"
"She probably had to eat more to maintain her strength while sick. That's not fat."
"Exactly! No one stays slim when they're fighting for their life."
"True queens!"
Meanwhile, Ava continued feeding lines,
"Thank you, Natalie, for everything you've done for Hailey. It's because of your love and sacrifice that we get to meet someone as incredible, lovable, and compassionate as Hailey."
Hailey and her agent were masters at emotional manipulation. But they forgot one crucial detail: