Phoenix Rising: From Heartache to Heroism

Chapter 305 Hattie's Ascent

Hattie, possessing both sweet looks and an elegant demeanor, had the added advantage of being a "second-generation star," returning from Harbor City to further her career.

The hype surrounding Hattie and Jacques had already captured the hearts of many young and impressionable girls.

Rumor had it that some fans even went to the set to take behind-the-scenes photos.

In short, Hattie's current development was the best in the entire class.

Everyone in the class envied Hattie's success in her junior year. In contrast, Violeta, who had also spent a semester filming last year, remained virtually invisible online!

Searching for Violeta's keywords on Facebook yielded no relevant information about "The Quiet Ode."

The only thing that appeared was the rumor from a while ago, when Zelena used a burner account to spread malicious gossip online.

Despite attempts to suppress them, the negativity lingered, casting a shadow over Violeta's online presence.

Meanwhile, Hattie's star was on the rise.

A quick Facebook search revealed a plethora of fan-taken photos from the set, showcasing the drama's attractive cast and generating envy among classmates.

Hattie's active social media presence, filled with glamorous photos, had already garnered her a substantial following even before the drama's premiere.

The stark difference between Violeta's and Hattie's online presence couldn't be more apparent.

These were all the results of Hattie's company's efforts in managing her image.

After all, in the world of entertainment, image management was everything.

On the other hand, Violeta had none of those advantages. Despite having filmed a project, she lacked the promotional machine that Hattie enjoyed. No agency backing, coupled with lingering online negativity, meant that her online presence was virtually nonexistent.

There were no exciting sneak peeks, and no buzz-generating marketing campaigns.

It was nothing to rival Hattie's carefully cultivated image.

It seemed that good academic performance really didn't matter.

Becoming a famous star still depended on luck!

The contrast between their situations was stark, fueling whispers among their classmates. While no one dared criticize Violeta openly, they couldn't help but compare her to Hattie in private conversations.

Gillian and Candy, eager to curry favor with Zelena, were particularly vocal in their criticism.

"Who could possibly compete with Hattie? Violeta never stood a chance. She simply doesn't have that star quality."

"Exactly! Look at Hattie! She's already landing deals and gaining recognition even before her drama airs. She's destined for stardom."

"Haha, Violeta can just wait. Without the luck to be famous, even filming is useless!"

Zelena listened to them, smirking.

In reality, Zelena didn't particularly want Hattie to succeed either.

She couldn't stand Violeta's rising fame or Hattie's unique charm.

Zelena was anxious, desperately hoping to connect with the crew of "Spring Isn't Blooming."

She had bought good wine to gift to the director to build connections.

These days, Hattie had been either too busy or simply ignoring her, not replying to her messages.

Zelena knew Hattie had her own interests and wouldn't necessarily go all out to help her.

She was growing increasingly anxious.

The only comfort she had was that Violeta had returned to school after filming, with no apparent changes, continuing to attend classes.

At noon.

After Jasper graduated, the tennis club needed to elect a new president.

Violeta had a good chance of becoming the president.

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Kaylee had new troubles and complained to Violeta, "Vio, Zelena has been getting worse lately. She's overly strict during inspections, confiscating many items and using her position to pressure people. I don't want to stay in the dorm anymore, but I have nowhere else to go. I was thinking of staying at the shop."

Violeta replied, "Why don't you stay at Liberty Grove? You could help with the cat too."

Kaylee shook her head and honestly

replied, "The rent there is too high and Zelena lives there too. Seeing her makes me sick. Besides, we're friends, but I don't want to take advantage of you.

"So I thought I'd stay at the shop and keep Ms. Fiona company."

Kaylee had previously worked part-time at the shop and lived in the storage room. Despite the small space, she was quite satisfied with everything else.

She had come to discuss this with Violeta.

"Are you saying you are going to live in the storeroom?"

"Indeed."

Violeta thought about it.

The storage room was quite dirty and cluttered. Even if it was livable, drying clothes and other tasks would be inconvenient.

In her past life, Violeta had also stayed in a coffee shop during tough times, so she knew how inconvenient it could be.

But in Kaylee's case, she had other options.

Violeta said, "Kay, I understand your situation, but living in the storage room isn't ideal. It might work as a temporary solution, but long-term, it's simply not suitable."

Kaylee sighed. "I know, but what other choice do I have? Zelena is constantly targeting our dorm, and I don't want my roommates to suffer because of

me."

Since losing her single dorm, Kaylee had been assigned to a shared room with freshmen.

After Kaylee's single-room reservation was canceled, she was placed in a shared dorm with freshmen, including a student named Nessie.

This arrangement embarrassed Kaylee, especially since not all dorm rules were enforced.Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

For instance, despite restrictions on high-wattage appliances, some girls still used them for hairstyling before dates.