NOVEL NEXT Chapter 823: Before She Became Cunning
[GodOfReader: As you can see, i can still upload new chapter because my laptop still works. even tho the windows is already corrupted.]
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By May 2010, Iron Man 2 had hit theaters. Martin showed up at the premiere to drum up support. In the original timeline, this role would become Scarlett Johansson's defining performance. In this timeline, it might still be one of her standout roles—just one among many.
The grand hall buzzed with sharply dressed men and radiant women, their glasses clinking as they awaited the film's start. Amid the sea of handsome faces and stunning beauties, two women stood out, drawing every eye. They looked like lovers, their closeness undeniable.
Martin recognized one of them: Amber Heard, the breathtaking beauty dubbed the "world's siren," future star of Aquaman. In 2022, she'd gain global infamy for allegedly defecating on Johnny Depp's bed and dragging him through a messy, scandal-fueled divorce. But right now, Amber hadn't yet met Depp.
The other woman was unfamiliar. Martin racked his brain but couldn't place her.
Though he shook his head, Robert Downey Jr. leaned in to fill him in. "That drop-dead gorgeous one is Amber Heard. She's got English, Irish, Scottish, German, and Welsh blood—a real mix. She's a small-time actress, hasn't landed any big roles, but she's famous in Hollywood for her looks. Shame, though—she's a lesbian."
"What?" Martin's shock was silent but seismic. The future heartthrob, the woman who'd have the world's richest men wrapped around her finger, was currently a lesbian? Was this for real?
He recalled that Amber's companion, Tasya van Ree, had previously photographed Miranda Kerr and Elle Macpherson. Amber, though, was undeniably magnetic. If not for Martin's memory of that yet-to-happen "bed incident" from his other soul perspective, which left him a bit repulsed, he might've already gone over to charm her.
To his surprise, while he held back, Amber and Tasya made the first move, approaching him. As Martin and Downey whispered about them, the two women noticed.
"Is that Martin Meyers? Is he looking at us?" Amber said, a mix of excitement and nervousness in her voice.
She'd had her share of run-ins with sleazy producers, their intentions far from pure. At this point, Amber hadn't yet "evolved" into the cunning manipulator she'd become during her legal battles with Depp. She didn't fully grasp how to wield her beauty to get what she wanted. Otherwise, with her looks, she wouldn't still be a D-list star in a town overflowing with gorgeous faces. Her face alone placed her at the top of Hollywood's beauty pyramid—no question about it.
Her stunning looks were a resource she hadn't yet learned to tap. Sheltered under Tasya van Ree's wing, she didn't realize this protection was also a limitation. In the original timeline, marrying Johnny Depp still didn't teach her how to leverage her beauty or his connections fully. Her "evolution" began only after their divorce lawsuit.
During that saga, Amber realized the longer she dragged out the legal fight with Depp, the higher her fame climbed. But her joy was short-lived. Depp hit back, suing her for defamation and accusing her of domestic violence against him. He presented evidence: hospital photos showing his near-crippled hand, cigarette burns, and more. A leaked audio followed, capturing Amber raging at Depp: "I only slapped you, hit you a little—it wasn't a punch!"
The drama flipped again soon after. A chat log surfaced, exposing Depp's own dark side—drunkenness, drug use, discussions with friends about killing Amber, even allegedly supplying "substances" to his then-13-year-old daughter.
On the stand, Amber detailed a chilling account, claiming Depp was violently abusive, forcing her into degrading acts and using her supposed drug-hiding as an excuse to invasively search her. Beyond that, Depp allegedly mocked her clothing and humiliated her in cruel ways.
In short, Amber's cunning persona emerged through her legal war with Depp. But, unluckily for her, just as she honed this skill, her reputation plummeted. She never got the chance to capitalize on it and ended up retreating to Spain in obscurity.
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[My dog stepped on a bee.]