"Thank you, Rose," Melody Monroe said immediately.
"Get changed and come out. I'll be waiting for you."
Rose Shaw led Tony out of the hospital room.
Melody carefully recalled the plot of the original novel. There didn't seem to be any mention of a charity gala, likely because this was a side story that focused on the experiences of the main villain, Ian Monroe.
In the side story, the original owner of her body was the scapegoat for everything—the primary reason the villain became so ruthless, and also the key to whitewashing his image.
Transmigrating into such a character, Melody didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Now, she was somewhat relieved that she hadn't transmigrated directly into the main plotline. As things stood, there was still a chance to salvage the situation.
Melody quickly changed her clothes. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, the face staring back still felt like a stranger's. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself.
She was incredibly nervous, because she was about to face a situation the likes of which she had never experienced before.
She, too, had dreamed of being an actress and had once fantasized about getting into an acting program. But she couldn't add to her uncle's family's burden, so she had chosen a different major.
'Now that I've come to this world, I must no longer exist in that one, right? In my past life, I secretly used the money I earned from part-time jobs to buy a life insurance policy. If I had an accident, the beneficiary was my uncle. It was my way of repaying him.'
From now on, she would embrace her new life!
"Melody! You can do this!"
She pushed open the door to her room. Rose Shaw was waiting outside, holding a cigarette, though it wasn't lit. When she saw Melody emerge, she put it away.
"Let's go."
Melody followed Rose into the elevator.
The hospital had arranged a secure exit for them to avoid disrupting normal hospital operations.
Entertainment reporters who had gotten wind of her discharge were all waiting there, hoping to be the first to get a shot of Melody leaving the hospital.
The public was getting a bit tired of hearing about the same A-list celebrities over and over. Melody's recent popularity was decent, so everyone was eager to dig up some dirt on her, hoping she might bring a breath of fresh air.
Melody had already braced herself, but when she pushed open the door and saw the dark mass of people outside, she still froze.
Camera flashes flickered nonstop, all aimed directly at her.
She just stood there, stunned. No one had to struggle to find an angle; every shot of her was perfect.
'I'm in a total panic,' Melody thought. 'What should I do? Should I say something?'
A few seconds later, she took a step forward and bowed to the crowd. "Thank you, everyone. Thank you all for your continued concern. I've recovered and been discharged from the hospital, so you don't need to worry about me anymore."
"Melody, your role was taken by someone else. Do you have any thoughts on that?" a reporter suddenly asked.
"I'm an actress. I'm sure I'll have many more works to share with everyone in the future. Please continue to follow my career."
A flicker of admiration showed in Rose Shaw's eyes.
She felt that getting injured had made Melody much calmer; she no longer flaunted her sharp edges like before. Good looks were certainly a natural advantage, but a bad personality was a tragic waste of that gift.
After all, Melody was still young. Rose hadn't pointed out her flaws, figuring they could be adjusted over time.
Now, watching how Melody handled things, she felt much more at ease.
"Melody, we heard you were seriously injured and your face was disfigured. Is your current appearance the result of plastic surgery? Did you have any work done during your hospital stay?"
"If I were injured that badly, I'd still be lying in a hospital bed right now. And if I really had plastic surgery, it's been less than ten days from my admission to my discharge. Isn't that too soon to even have the bandages removed?" Melody retorted.