One problem after another...
Lydia couldn't shrug off the dark feeling that this new life was determined to test her at every turn.
She took a deep breath and forced herself to ask the question she dreaded hearing the answer to;
"What's the problem this time, Rose?"
Rose heaved a heavy sigh as she clutched the bloodstained paper and damaged phone tighter.
"Lolo, the media is going crazy. They're saying your accident was a suicide attempt... because of drug addiction."
"What?" Lydia felt the blood drain from her face.
"This could ruin your career completely..." Rose continued, with urgency in her voice.
"Some of the brands you endorse are already calling to terminate their contracts and demand compensation for damages to their reputation."
"But I know you, Lolo. You've never touched drugs in your life. This has to be fabricated. And, your manager has called... There's going to be a press conference today where you'll need to address the media directly Rose added, her voice slightly trembling with worry.
The weight of this revelation settled on Lydia's shoulders heavily, making her sank onto the bed.
In her previous life, she'd been destroyed by lies and betrayal. Now, in this second chance at life, someone was already trying to tear down everything she had.
Rose stood still for a moment, as if to allow her boss fully process the information before dropping the bombshell.
She stepped closer to the bed, holding out the bloodstained paper and damaged;
"There's something else. Something much worse."
"What are those?" Lydia's eyebrows shot up as she looked at the items with growing dread.
"They were retrieved from your accident scene yesterday. The police just released them to us..." Rose paused to inhale deeply before continuing;
"Lolo, I don't think your accident was really an accident. And it definitely wasn't suicide."
The room seemed to spin around Lydia as Rose's words sank in. She reached for the stained paper with trembling fingers.
"What do you mean?"
"Read it." Rose urged her.
Lydia unfolded the paper carefully. The message was partially obscured by dried blood and water damage, but she could make out the chilling words:
*I will make sure you leave this world in a very painful way if you don't...*
The rest of the text had been too damaged to read, but the threat was clear enough.
The paper fell from Lydia's hands as if it had burned her, her heart racing with sudden terror.
Someone had tried to kill Allison Lowell. Someone had tried to kill *her*.
The irony was devastating. In her previous life as Lydia Collins, she had died unjustly at the hands of people she trusted. Now, reborn as Allison Lowell, someone was already plotting her death again.
For a moment, she sat in stunned silence, overwhelmed by the cruel repetition of fate.
Was she destined to be a victim in every life?
Would she never escape the cycle of betrayal and violence?
But then after a minute of her thoughts spiraling, something shifted inside her.
The fear that had paralyzed her began to transform, slowly evaporating. Her hands clenched into fists as a familiar rage, one she'd carried from her previous life, began to surface.
She had been powerless as Lydia Collins. Poor, naive, and trusting, she had let herself be destroyed by people who saw her as nothing more than a convenient victim.
But she wasn't Lydia Collins anymore.
She was Allison Lowell; the young, beautiful, wealthy, and famous actress.
"I have power and resources now!"
Lydia stood up abruptly as this new bright thought surfaced, her movement so sudden that Rose took a step back.
"Lolo? Are you alright?"
"No, I'm not alright. But I'm done being a pushover." Lydia replied sharply.
Rose blinked in surprise at the transformation in her employer's demeanor. The frightened, confused woman from moments before had been replaced by someone with steel in her spine.
"In this life, I'm going to fight back. I'm going to show them all exactly what happens when they mess with the wrong person." Lydia said more to herself.
"Lolo, what are you planning to do? This is a serious situation. We need to be careful..." Rose was saying, her eyebrows furrowing with skepticism but Lydia interrupted her with a harsh laugh.
"Careful? Someone tried to murder me, Rose. They made it look like a suicide and are now spreading lies about drug addiction to destroy whatever's left of my reputation. No, I can't be careful." She said sharply then lifted up her chin, staring straight into Rose's eyes.
"I want you to help me get dressed... But not just dressed, I want to look fierce. Powerful. Like someone who refuses to be a victim." She announced.
"Lolo, I'm not sure that's the right approach for a press conference about drug allegations..." Rose was hesitant.
"Trust me on this, Rose." Lydia maintained firmly.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Two hours later, Lydia stepped out of the black sedan in front of the MXN agency building, and even Rose had to admit her boss looked formidable.
Gone was any trace of the vulnerable accident victim.
Lydia wore a fitted black blazer over a deep red silk blouse that brought out the fire in her eyes. Her hair was styled in perfect waves that framed her face like a dark crown, and her makeup was flawless but sharp; winged eyeliner that could cut glass and red lipstick that matched her shirt.
The photographers and reporters who had gathered outside the building immediately began snapping pictures and shouting questions, but Lydia ignored them completely, the rage burning her chest helped her walk through the chaos like it didn't exist even though her fists were slightly trembling.
She had never had this kind of attention before in her previous life.
Inside the building, Rose led her directly to David Mawson's office.
"Lolo, you look... very different." The middle-aged man's eyes widened at her appearance.
"Isn't that a good thing?" Lydia asked, settling into the chair across from his desk with practiced elegance. She was prepared to give this her very best.
David's eyes narrowed at her, as if searching for something hidden.
"Are you... feeling alright after the accident?" He asked, ignoring her question.
Lydia pressed her lips together as she stared at the man, studying him carefully.
There was something in the way David Manson's eyes twitch as he looked at her that made her instantly wary.
"I'm feeling perfectly fine. The question is whether the rumors about my supposed drug use are true or not." She finally replied him firmly.
David shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
"Well, I... I needed to ask. You understand, I have to know what I'm working with here." He said and Lydia's face scrunched up with anger.
"So even you don't believe the person you manage?" She scoffed, finding the situation ridiculous.
"I didn't say that..." David was going to deny but Lydia cut him off.
"You didn't have to. Let me make something very clear, Mr David. I have never used illegal drugs. Not once. This whole story is fabricated."
David looked taken aback by her directness.
The Allison he remembered from before the accident had been much more passive, more willing to defer to his judgment and beg for his help when things went wrong. This version was entirely different.
And Mr David? That wasn't how Allison used to address him.
However Lydia didn't allow him to wander too much in his thoughts before blurting;
"Someone tried to kill me."
"What are you talking about?" David's face went pale.
Lydia pulled out the bloodstained paper from her purse and placed it on his desk.
"This was found at the accident scene. It's a death threat."
David stared at the paper, his expression shifting from confusion to alarm then as if he seemed to catch himself, he shook his head.
"Lolo, this is... this is serious. But let's think about this carefully. If you go to the press conference today talking about attempted murder and death threats, it's going to create an even bigger scandal. The media will have a field day."
"So what are you suggesting?" Lydia narrowed her eyes.
"Stick to the script," David said, pulling out a sheet of paper from his desk drawer.
"I've prepared a statement for you. You'll tell the media that the accident was purely accidental. You are not suicidal and definitely not on drugs. Show some emotion, maybe cry a little. The public loves a vulnerable celebrity." He concluded.
"You want me to lie." Lydia couldn't believe she heard him right.
"I want you to control the narrative. Right now, we can spin this as a simple accident and move on. But if you start talking about murder attempts, every conspiracy theorist and attention-seeker in the country will come crawling out of the woodwork. Your career will never recover from that kind of chaos." David said firmly.
Lydia looked at Rose, who had remained silent throughout the exchange. Her assistant nodded reluctantly.
"He might have a point, Lolo. Murder accusations are... complicated."
"So I'm supposed to just pretend someone didn't try to kill me?" Lydia asked, her eyes widening in disbelief.
The question hung in the air as David simply shrugged.