His Substitute Ex-Wife

Chapter 4: An advertisement made a splash citywide

Sofia borrowed some money from her friend Lily to temporarily settle down with her mother and Amelia. The three of them rented a small apartment. As the eldest, she felt the burden of responsibilities, but luckily it was summer vacation, so she didn't have to go to school.

She gently stroked her sister's head, "Amelia, I promise I'll gather your tuition fee before the semester starts."

Amelia lowered her head in silence, she had been feeling down ever since she left home.

Sofia was a student majoring in acting at an art school, and after summer break, she would be in her second year. She urgently needed money, but acting felt unrealistic for her now, since she hadn't officially signed with an agency yet. A senior who was now a rising star offered her several auditions. She went to each one of them.

Not only that, she planned to seek out some print advertisements and also participate in small plays. She was willing to do anything as long as it earned her some money.

Lily had already lent her a substantial amount, and she knew she had to rely on herself for the rest.

Sofia is tall and slender, she is the kind of beauty that turns heads in a crowded city street. With high cheekbones, deep brown eyes, her style was a blend of chic and casual, always accentuating her natural elegance. Whether she was in a tailored dress or jeans, there was an undeniable magnetism about her that left an impression on everyone she met.

With her beauty, it should not be difficult to receive offers. However, each time when everything had been going smoothly, and she was close to signing a few contracts, ultimately, they all fell through. Sofia wasn't stupid, she knew someone was sabotaging her efforts, and the only person that could be it was Ethan Westwood. What a jerk!

Feeling bitter inside, however, she cheered herself up, and didn't plan to tell her mother and sister about this, because she knew telling them would not solve any problem but only make them feel worse.

Just as she was packing up to head to another agency for an audition, she suddenly noticed a scene on the large screen in the plaza. A luxurious room, an opulent bed, and a girl sensually lying down on it. Her wavy, golden hair cascaded down to her waist, and a butterfly tattoo on her shoulder was zoomed in on, strikingly eye-catching.

It was a brief advertisement, just a few seconds long, showcasing the mysterious beauty's half-naked figure accompanied by elegant and sensual music. The final shot revealed four bottles of the Butterfly series perfume, with the only line writing, "5203, come find me."

5203 was a model number of perfume from the Butterfly series by Vertex Holdings. The butterfly tattoo and the short, enticing tagline subtly ignite the audience's curiosity and imagination about the message conveyed in the advertisement, leaving a lasting impression. This is undoubtedly a great ad.

However, Sofia felt like she had been struck by lightning. Because she knew that the girl in this ad was obviously her. Her half-naked silhouette was exposed to the entire city.

Who did this? The suite, the bed, these settings were apparently in that hotel where she lost her virginity to a stranger. If anyone, it must be the man from that night, had the picture to make this ad, was this whole thing another trap set by Ethan?

"Vertex Holdings is something else, their ads are like movies!"

The passerby's conversation echoed in Sofia's ears, and the looping ad's tagline "5203, come find me" lingered in her mind like a spell. Wait, Vertex Holdings? It seemed Ethan had never had any dealings with that company. Could it be the mysterious man from that night?

Sofia hurried away from the square, anxious that someone might recognize her as the woman in the ad. Once home, she opened her phone and discovered the ad had gone viral on social media, complete with a trending hashtag: #FindTheButterflyTattooGirl.

There were posts featuring interviews about the ad's production, revealing that the concept had come from Damien Steele, the CEO of Vertex Holdings. While the ad aimed at finding the mysterious butterfly tattoo girl, he expressed hope that customers using the perfume would discover a more beautiful, confident, and captivating version inside themselves.

Under the trending hashtag, netizens had unearthed Damien Steele's photos and bio, marveling at how handsome, wealthy, and charming he was—he could easily top the annual list of most eligible bachelors! Influencers shared selfies posing with the perfume, and many joked about whether they could be Cinderella in Steele's eyes.

Sofia was taken aback. Could this Damien Steele really be the man who had taken her virginity that night? Was his elaborate ad campaign an attempt to find her? What did he want?

Just as her thoughts were racing, her mother and sister walked in. Vivian immediately lashed out, "How could you film that kind of ad for money? Don't you feel ashamed to strip in front of a camera?"

Amelia grabbed her agitated mother and said, "Mom, don't be so hard on her. Everything she does is for us to have a better life. We need to support each other, not blame one another."

Sofia didn't want to explain anything, she didn't want to face the accusations or her mother's negative emotions. Determined to uncover the truth behind the ad, Sofia resolved to confront the company.

She was emotionally shaken, but her sense of reason led her to the towering Vertex Holdings building. After all, she shouldn't have her body image used for commercial purposes without her knowledge. She needed to seek justice for herself and hoped this chaos wouldn't spiral further out of control.