Chapter 654: Best Friend
For a moment, Dorothy thought she had heard incorrectly. She sat frozen in her seat.
The applause around her sounded distant. Almost unreal.
Only when her assistant squeezed her hand did she finally react. Slowly, she stood up.
As she walked toward the stage, countless memories flooded her mind. There had once been a time when she could barely afford proper meals.
A time when she struggled alongside her mother. Yet now she was standing before thousands of people. Receiving an award for her acting.
The contrast felt surreal. When she reached the podium, her hands trembled slightly.
Taking a deep breath, she began her speech.
First, she thanked her fans. Then her parents. Then the friends and colleagues who had supported her journey.
Finally, she paused. A warm smile appeared on her face.
She looked directly toward one of the cameras. "There is one person I need to thank."
Dorothy’s eyes softened.
"None of this would have been possible without my best friend."
Her voice grew emotional. "My closest friend, Aurora."
The giant screens immediately displayed her face.
Dorothy smiled through her tears.
"If I were given another chance..."
She laughed softly. "I would still choose to become her friend all over again."
Then she bowed deeply toward the camera. "Thank you, Aurora."
The audience erupted into applause.
Many people in the crowd found themselves unexpectedly touched.
Even Dorothy’s eyes filled with tears. By the time she finished speaking and returned to her seat, she was already crying.
Her assistant immediately handed her a tissue. A few moments later, her manager leaned closer.
"Ma’am."
A teasing smile appeared on his face. "You almost made the entire audience cry."
Dorothy rolled her eyes. "Shut up."
Her cheeks reddened slightly. Thinking back to her speech made her feel embarrassed.
Meanwhile, her manager continued laughing. This only made Dorothy feel even more awkward.
Several hours later, the ceremony finally came to an end.
By then, the sky outside had already become dark.
The city lights illuminated the streets as Dorothy’s car drove her home.
The moment she leaned against the seat, she closed her eyes. Soon, she fell asleep.
When she opened them again, nearly two hours had passed. Blinking in confusion, she looked around.
The car had already arrived at her mansion. Surprised, she turned toward her assistant.
"You should’ve woken me up."
Her assistant smiled.
"You looked exhausted. We didn’t want to disturb you."
Dorothy sighed helplessly.
Then she looked out the window at the magnificent mansion standing beneath the night sky.
Her assistant opened the door. "Ma’am."
A gentle smile appeared on her face. "Shall we go inside?"
Dorothy nodded. "Let’s go."
Together, they stepped out of the car and walked toward the brightly lit mansion.
More than anything, she was thrilled that her mother would be present so she could personally show the award to her.
The thought alone filled her heart with warmth, making it impossible for her lips to stop curling into a smile.
As she thought about it, she entered the villa. To her surprise, the entire place was shrouded in darkness. Not a single light was on.
’Did everyone go somewhere?’ she wondered in confusion.
Just as she was about to call out, every light in the villa suddenly came to life at once, bathing the entire hall in a warm golden glow.
"Surprise!"
She froze.
Standing before her were Aurora, her close group of friends, her family members, and right at the center stood her mother with the brightest smile on her face.
The entire villa had been beautifully decorated with balloons, elegant flowers, ribbons, and fairy lights that twinkled softly across the ceiling.
For a long moment, she simply stood there in disbelief. Her eyes slowly filled with tears. She covered her mouth as a trembling smile spread across her face.
"Thank you... Thank you so much..."
Her voice quivered with emotion as she slowly walked inside. That night, another joyful celebration began.
As laughter echoed throughout the villa, she looked toward Aurora.
’Perhaps I accumulated countless blessings in my previous life. Otherwise, how could I possibly be fortunate enough to have a best friend like her? She has been beside me during every important and precious milestone of my life.’
Whether it had been when she struggled through countless difficulties, when she completed her first movie, when she won her very first award, or even now, when she received the Best Debut Actress Award, Aurora had always been standing beside her.
Thinking of all those memories, she suddenly threw her arms around Aurora. "Thank you... thank you... thank you..."
She kept repeating those words while hugging her tightly. "If you were a boy, I would have definitely married you."
She paused for a second before suddenly laughing. "No... even if you weren’t a boy, I could still marry you, you know. I’m bisexual."
She hugged Aurora even tighter after saying that. Aurora became completely speechless.
Meanwhile, Theodore immediately protested. "Hey! Don’t hug my sister so tightly!"
Dorothy rolled her eyes before crossing her arms. "And here comes the annoying part about her."
Hearing that, Theodore immediately glared at her. "What did you just say? I said exactly what you heard."
The two instantly began bickering like children. Everyone around them had long since grown accustomed to it.
Theodore and Dorothy had never managed to get along. Watching the familiar argument unfold, Aurora simply smiled helplessly.
’I wonder how Jacqueline even manages to deal with this every day.’
Then again...
’My future sister-in-law is an incredibly patient person.’
As that thought crossed her mind, Aurora’s gaze wandered across the hall until she noticed Jacqueline sitting alone in a quiet corner.
Unlike everyone else, Jacqueline looked completely out of place. The lively laughter surrounding her only made her lonely figure stand out even more.
A trace of concern flashed across Aurora’s face. Without hesitation, she walked toward her.
Perhaps Jacqueline was too deeply lost in her thoughts because she didn’t even notice Aurora approaching until Aurora gently tapped her shoulder.
Jacqueline blinked before looking up in surprise. "Oh... Aurora."
Aurora smiled warmly. "So, sister-in-law, what are you thinking about so seriously?"
Jacqueline quickly shook her head before forcing a gentle smile. "Nothing. I was just thinking about a few things."
She then changed the topic naturally. "Anyway, how’s everything going?"
The two casually chatted for a while, but throughout the conversation, Aurora couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in her heart.
’Something is definitely wrong.’
Although Jacqueline smiled, the exhaustion hidden beneath her eyes couldn’t escape Aurora’s notice. She decided not to press further.
’I’ll ask my brother to look into it. Sometimes people find it easier to open up to the person they love.’
After all, she couldn’t keep protecting her siblings forever. At some point, they had to shoulder the responsibilities in their own relationships.
Once the party came to an end, she quietly approached Theodore. "I think something’s bothering Jacqueline."
Theodore’s expression instantly turned serious. "...Actually, I noticed it before too."
He sighed softly. "When I asked her about it, she told me she was only confused about what dress to wear, so I didn’t think much of it."
He frowned. "But now that you’ve pointed it out as well... I also feel something isn’t right."
Aurora nodded. "If that’s the case, then you should investigate it."
Theodore agreed without another word. That very night, Theodore invited Jacqueline on a late-night date.
The invitation had been rather sudden, but Jacqueline agreed almost immediately.
When they met, Theodore’s heart tightened. Jacqueline looked exhausted.
The dark circles beneath her eyes were obvious, and despite wearing a smile, she looked as though she hadn’t slept properly for days.
Without saying anything, Theodore quietly walked behind her. His warm hands gently rested on her shoulders as he slowly began massaging them.
The tension in Jacqueline’s body visibly eased. She paused before smiling softly. "Thank you."
Theodore smiled gently. "What happened, baby?"
His voice was unusually soft."Won’t you tell me? After all, I’m your boyfriend... and your future fiancé."
The moment those words reached her ears, Jacqueline instinctively froze.
She lowered her head and stared at the ground for several long seconds before letting out a bitter smile.
"Theodore..."
Her voice trembled ever so slightly. "I don’t think I’m worthy of becoming your fiancée."
Theodore froze. His heartbeat skipped. "What do you mean?"
He hurriedly sat in front of her, searching her face anxiously. "Do you... not like me anymore?"
He swallowed hard. "Or..."
His voice became hoarse. "Have you fallen for someone else?"
As soon as that possibility entered his mind, his chest felt unbearably heavy.
’Is that why she’s been acting so distant lately?’
Back when Eleanor had deceived him, he had only felt a dull ache inside his heart.
But this... this felt as though someone had reached into his chest and was mercilessly tearing his heart apart.
Before his thoughts could spiral any further, Jacqueline immediately shook her head. "What are you talking about?"
She looked at him helplessly. "I’m saying this because..."