"Ah! Heavens above, oh Mother Earth, I've finally finished this super Mary Sue, ridiculous novel!" Melody Monroe rolled over, took off her glasses, and rubbed the bridge of her nose.
"I really don't get it. You were cursing it out the whole time you were reading, but you still managed to finish it. Tell me, just how much of a masochist are you?"
Melody Monroe closed her eyes, her brows furrowed, and waved her hand dismissively. "Summer, you don't get it. It's because the most vicious, drama-stirring female villain in this novel has the exact same name as me! That's why I couldn't stop reading."
"So what was your ending like? Tell me."
"Pah! What do you mean, *my* ending!" Melody Monroe felt her head grow groggy. Between reading the novel and wrestling with her dissertation, she had been living like a mole for the past week.
A news report about someone dying suddenly at a young age flashed through her mind. Her heart suddenly clenched. She quickly pulled the blanket over her head, preparing to catch up on sleep.
"I read a bit of the beginning, but the novel is too long, so I didn't have time to keep up with it. Tell me, what's the ending for the Melody Monroe in the book? At first, I thought she was the female lead! She had so many of the typical female lead traits!" Summer nudged Melody Monroe.
"Sigh... She had all the makings of a female lead, but none of the luck... The ending..." Melody Monroe was too exhausted to go on. Her words trailed off, her voice growing fainter and fainter until it disappeared completely.
...
A dazzling white light stung her eyes, and Melody Monroe instinctively raised a hand to shield them.
"Don't move!" a sharp voice immediately stopped her.
A liquid trickled down her forehead. It smelled of antiseptic. Before she could even open her eyes, a sharp pain shot through her.
"That hurts!" Melody Monroe cried out in pain.
'What's happening? What's wrong with me?'
"The wound is too deep. She needs surgery immediately!"
Melody Monroe struggled to open her eyes and vaguely made out several figures in white coats.
'Is this... a hospital?'
'Why am I in the hospital?'
Before she could find an answer, she fell unconscious again.
...
"Hello everyone, this is Lady Buzz for Entertainment Buzz. I'm currently outside the hospital where Melody Monroe was admitted. It's been confirmed that Melody Monroe was brought here half an hour ago, and we hear her injuries are severe! Melody Monroe might even be at risk of disfigurement!"
A woman holding a microphone was facing the hospital, delivering her report.
Elsewhere, a dozen other reporters with high-end cameras were all covering the same story.
"Hello everyone, the drama *Warm Wind Blowing North* is a huge favorite among the novel's fans! Since production began, it has been plagued by one controversy after another! First, there was a bitter fight over the female lead role, followed by more infighting over the supporting female role. Only after intense competition and public feuds were the actors for the female lead and supporting role finally confirmed! I won't rehash all that old drama for you now! But according to our inside sources, Melody Monroe, who plays the supporting female role, was seriously injured on the very first day of filming! When Melody Monroe's fans heard the news, they were both shocked and worried!"
"We've just received another update: Melody Monroe is currently in surgery. As for how serious her condition is, the hospital is not releasing any details at this time! However, there is a chance Melody Monroe could be disfigured! So, will the role of the second female lead, which she fought so hard to win, be recast as a result?"
Outside the hospital, a crowd had formed. Fans had also gathered, some holding flowers, others with homemade signs, all there to cheer on their goddess.
"Rose Shaw! I see Rose Shaw!"
"It's the star agent from Stellaris Entertainment!"
In an instant, the reporters swarmed the car that had just pulled up.