Chapter 212 Fulfilling Aria
Live streaming was all about real-time interaction, and streamers had to roll with the punches and answer audience questions on the fly. Reality TV, though, was a different beast. It was pre-recorded, so there was a lot more room to breathe creatively. If someone messed up or gave a lousy performance, they could just do a retake and edit it to look exciting. The way these two were produced was like night and day.
Thanks to my long stint in live streaming, I felt super comfortable during the reality show recordings. My time in front of the camera had me handling all sorts of challenges like a pro, making it seem like I had everything under control.
But Aria? She was a mess. Even the simplest questions tripped her up, and she’d stammer through her answers, often needing to look up legal texts. This caused a ton of interruptions and really slowed things down. The people looking for help were just as confused as she was, which tanked the efficiency of the whole project.
Still, she was Edward's girlfriend, and she had some serious clout. The crew was fed up with her, but they kept their complaints to themselves, not wanting to cross Edward and stir up trouble.
Even with all the retakes and careful editing, the first episode showed a huge popularity gap between Aria and me.
The audience saw me as professional, witty, and charming, while Aria’s performance was just blah. My popularity shot up, leaving her in the dust.
I was pretty pleased with how things turned out, seeing it as a win.
People online couldn’t stop talking about me, and even Eric, who was semi-retired, posted a video showing his support. His shoutout was like throwing gasoline on a fire, boosting the already high ratings.
Before I knew it, it was time for the second recording.
For this episode, the director team decided I shouldn’t just be a contestant. This time, I was an observer, commenting on the contestants' legal aid.
As soon as I got to the recording site, Aria strutted over with a sneer and said sarcastically, "I thought you got kicked out by the other teams and couldn’t make it."
Right after she said that, Orval came over, all smiles and respect, saying, "Ms. Cooper, please come this way. We’ve got a private lounge ready for you."
Seeing this, a staff member nearby whispered, "What do we do? Aria’s fuming."
Another staffer replied helplessly, "What can we do? She’s Mr. Howard’s girlfriend. We need to tread carefully."
Even the folks there for legal aid were freaked out, standing around muttering, "Can this recording even go smoothly?"
Aria stormed into the office, threw her bag on the sofa, and yelled at Orval, "I want to switch roles with Diana!"She stood there, hands on her hips, eyes wide, chest heaving with every word she spat out.
But the show's schedule was set in stone, and no way was it changing just because she threw a fit. When the crew didn't jump to her demands, Aria whipped out her phone and called Edward.
As soon as he picked up, she switched to her cutesy voice, "Edward, come quick! I don't want to be on this show anymore. Everyone's bullying me. I can't take it." She started sobbing, her voice getting louder.
Edward, clueless about what was really going on, tried to calm her down, "Aria, don't cry. Just tell me what's happening."
With Aria refusing to record, everything ground to a halt.
It wasn't long before Edward showed up at the recording site.
Seeing him, Aria lifted her chin, marched over to Orval and me, and yelled, "Just wait, I'll show you who's in charge here!"
Then she ran to Edward, buried her face in his chest, and kept crying, "Edward, they're being so mean. You have to help me."
Edward, no dummy, took a quick look around and got the gist. He patted Aria's back and told Albert, "Take her back to the car."
Once Albert led Aria away, Edward and Orval started talking quietly.
Orval filled him in on the details, and Edward got the picture.
Edward knew Aria didn't have the chops to switch roles with me.
But Aria wasn't giving up. She burst back into the office, interrupting their conversation, and shouted, "I don't care. I have to be the observer. That spot is mine!"
She stomped her feet, her face red with anger, eyes blazing with stubbornness.
As the show's investor, Edward knew from the first episode's ratings that I was the best fit for the observer role, so he wasn't about to let Aria mess things up.
But Aria kept crying and pestering, flipping between being weak and stubborn. Edward, worn down, asked Orval if a role change was possible.
Orval looked troubled, his brows furrowed, eyes full of worry.
Watching this, I felt both amused and annoyed. Dealing with such nonsense made me question if staying on the show was worth it.
I calmly told Orval, "I'll quit the show to make room for Aria."
My words shocked Orval, Edward, and even Aria.
Orval knew that if I left, the show would lose the huge buzz I brought, making it hard to stay relevant.
Edward, hearing my words, looked conflicted. He cleared his throat and said, "Diana, don't make any hasty decisions."
His eyes showed he wanted me to stay, but he was also helpless against Aria's tears.
But with Aria's unreasonable demands, Orval seemed to have no choice but to nod. After all, Edward was the show's biggest investor. If they upset Aria, even with great ratings, future funding could be in jeopardy.
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