Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Giving All the Wonderful Things to My Sister
"You’re too kind."
"Thank you so much."
The girls took the gifts, but their eyes were glued to Cecilia Sterling’s face. ’Lily Sterling really wasn’t lying,’ they thought. ’Her sister is gorgeous.’
Even at the Film Academy, which was filled with beautiful women, her beauty was the kind that would stop you in your tracks.
"Sis, didn’t you say you were coming tonight?"
Lily Sterling stepped forward, her eyes turning red as she spoke. She hadn’t seen her sister in almost two years. Ever since Cecilia had come to Lorcain for university, she hadn’t returned home once.
She and her brother could only keep in touch with their sister through WhatsApp video calls.
Cecilia Sterling looked at her younger sister, a lump forming in her own throat.
In her past life, although her sister had gotten into the Film Academy, she never made it big.
Her good looks landed her some decent opportunities at first, but she was always jilted by the production team at the last minute—either her role was recast, or she was replaced by an actor with their own funding.
Some actresses, jealous of her beauty, even privately suggested to directors that she be made to play an ugly character.
Worse, she was often forced by crew members to entertain investors, and the prime years of her youth were wasted just like that.
Life after graduation was even harder for her. Her once-innocent personality was worn away by the toxic environment.
So, she gave up on herself. She was photographed by the paparazzi, passed out drunk on the street after a night of binge-drinking. She was photographed smoking and cursing. She was photographed getting into a physical fight with another actress on set. That period was the peak of her career—the time she had the most exposure and was most famous—but sadly, all of it was negative press.
In the end, right up until her death, Lily Sterling never got anything she truly wanted.
Seeing her again now, looking into the pure, untainted clarity in her sister’s eyes, Cecilia Sterling forced herself to remain calm. She stroked Lily’s hair and said softly, "I bought you a few things and wanted to drop them off first."
Lily Sterling’s eyes widened in shock as she looked at what her sister was handing her.
A phone, a laptop, a tablet, and headphones—a complete set, all from Apple!
These were all things she had dreamed of having but had never dared to ask for.
Her current phone cost less than two thousand yuan, and she’d had it for almost three years. Even typing on it was laggy.
Every time she saw someone with a new Apple product, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy.
"This is all for me?"
Lily Sterling reached out and took them, finding it hard to believe.
Seeing her sister’s reaction, Cecilia’s heart clenched. ’She never got anything she wanted. From this day forward, I’m going to give her all the best things in the world!’
Composing herself, Cecilia Sterling glanced around the dorm room. The dorms at the Film Academy were quite nice—a standard, clean four-person room with a private bathroom and a small balcony.
Then she turned to her sister’s three roommates and said, "Lily Sterling is a bit on the quiet side. I hope you’ll all be patient with each other and take care of one another in the future."
"Of course, don’t worry."
"We all really like Lily Sterling."
The roommates were all very friendly. Cecilia smiled in satisfaction, then turned to Lily and asked, "Are you free today? If so, I’ll take you out for a bit. We can go shopping, have dinner, and then I’ll bring you back."
Lily Sterling nodded happily. She hadn’t seen her sister in two years; of course she wanted to spend more time with her.
After the two sisters left the dorm arm in arm, the remaining three roommates finally huddled together in excitement.
"Oh my god, Lily’s sister is so beautiful!"
"When I heard her say her sister was a goddess, I didn’t believe it. I should be ashamed of myself for ever doubting her!"
"I’ve hardly seen any girls this gorgeous at our school. If you dropped her in the entertainment industry, she’d easily outshine everyone!"
"And she’s so nice! She even brought us gifts. I love Guerlain, but I’ve never seen this collection before."
"Me neither. It looks different from the Guerlain I’ve bought. It seems more high-end. Nina, do a reverse image search on it."
The girls all crowded together, craning their necks to look at Nina Zimmer’s phone.
Guerlain’s top-tier luxury Black Orchid series. The full set retailed for nearly fifty thousand!
So expensive!
The three of them stared at each other, their faces a picture of disbelief.
Although they all came from well-off families, none of them had ever used skincare this expensive. Just a single bottle of the eye cream cost a staggering sixty-seven hundred!
"Lily Sterling’s clothes and things always look so ordinary. I can’t believe her family is this rich!"
"It’s probably just her personality. She’s pretty low-key."
The girls nodded lightly, thinking that made a lot of sense. Their impression of Lily Sterling improved even more.
The two sisters walked arm in arm toward the main gate of the Film Academy. Because they were both so stunning, they attracted a lot of attention along the way. Some guys even took out their phones to sneak pictures.
It made Lily Sterling stand up a little straighter. It had always been like this, ever since they were little. The thing she was most proud of was having the most beautiful sister in the world.
So, whenever she walked down the street with her sister, it was when she felt the most confident.
"Sis, where are we going?" Lily asked.
Cecilia looked at her with a smile and said frankly, "I want to take you shopping. I’ve already replaced your essential electronics, so now I’m going to buy you some new clothes and shoes."
Her sister had always had low self-esteem. In an environment like the Film Academy, with its intense competition and glamour, having the right "hardware" was essential.
Otherwise, watching others wear designer brands day after day while she had nothing would only make her self-esteem worse over time.
The Metro Mall, one of the most high-end shopping centers in Lorcain. It housed nearly every major international luxury brand and was a place Lily Sterling had only ever seen on TV.
She was still in awe of the mall’s magnificent, luxurious exterior when she realized her sister had already led her to the Cartier counter.
"Sis, this is too expensive. Let’s not."
Lily Sterling looked at Cecilia and gently shook her head. Cartier was a top-tier luxury jewelry brand; a simple necklace could easily cost tens of thousands.
The salesperson at the entrance hadn’t even had a chance to greet them yet. But she was close enough to hear Lily’s words and secretly rolled her eyes.
’Another window-shopper who can’t afford anything,’ she thought. ’Looks like I got stuck with a dead-end rotation again.’
Sales associates at luxury stores worked in rotation at the entrance, taking turns helping customers who came in. Whether a customer actually bought something was purely a matter of luck.
Cecilia calmly and confidently led her sister into the store. The salesperson pursed her lips in annoyance but had no choice but to steel herself and follow them to assist.
"Welcome to Cartier. I’m Katia, and I’m happy to assist you."
Her voice was listless, barely louder than a mosquito’s buzz.
Cecilia stopped in her tracks, turned to face the salesperson, and said calmly, "But you don’t look happy."
The salesperson resisted the urge to roll her eyes on the spot. Ignoring Cecilia’s comment, she mechanically followed the script, asking, "Do you have a particular style in mind? I can bring it over for you to try on."
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