Our Love Story: Hard to Guard Against the Sudden Love Strike-Chapter 256 - 253: Clarity

Domestic variety shows, because of censorship reasons or perhaps due to hosts being more formal, always seem to escape a sense of seriousness and monotony.

Sienna Thornton wasn’t nervous initially, but seeing other lawyers’ nervousness in front of the camera made her feel a bit constrained too.

When the camera focused on her, she stood up with a smile and gracefully said, "Hello everyone, I am Lawyer Sienna Thornton from Cognitas Law Firm in Brimfield."

Perhaps the show intended to flatter her, as the host, who remained silent during other lawyers’ self-introductions, suddenly joked in front of the camera, "Oh, in our serious legal education program, we’ve finally got a beautiful lawyer who looks like a celebrity!"

With that, the camera turned to Sienna, and she cooperated with the show by making an expression of pleasant surprise.

The camera then turned back to the host.

The host, feigning a casual chat with the law school professor sitting next to him, who was guest starring as a judge, said, "Professor Rayburn, I heard that Lawyer Thornton used to study at Braden University. Did you ever teach her?"

The person referred to as Professor Rayburn adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose, stared at Sienna for a while, then laughed and said, "I never taught her, but I know her. In their cohort, four people applied to Harvard for doctoral studies, and only she got the Harvard scholarship. Moreover, I heard that when she graduated from Harvard Law School, she was the top graduate."

The camera turned back to Sienna, who pretended to be shy.

The host exclaimed, "Wow!" in an exaggerated manner and said, "Then Lawyer Thornton is absolutely a scholar! No, no! She’s a genius! And such a beautiful genius! So this show is really full of talents, besides Lawyer Thornton from Harvard University, we also have Attorney Linton from the University of London, and Lawyer Stowe from Pennworth University..."

Then, the camera turned to the other lawyers.

After introducing the participating lawyers, the host began reviewing the case.

The case was the one Sienna Thornton mentioned that night to Simon Forrester. The defendant, due to issues with her mother-in-law and a broken marriage, had a termination procedure at thirty-five weeks of pregnancy. The plaintiff (the husband), upon finding out, sued the defendant in court, claiming his reproductive rights were violated and requested the court to order the defendant to apologize and admit fault, compensating the plaintiff with a mental distress fee of one hundred thousand yuan.

Sienna Thornton, as the lead attorney for the defendant, was the first to speak.

In a few words, she stated the defense’s position—that the primary reason for the defendant’s termination was marital discord, and that the plaintiff was aware of the termination. According to the law, women have reproductive autonomy, so the court was requested to dismiss the plaintiff’s claims.

Subsequently, the two co-attorneys of the defendant engaged in fierce arguments with the plaintiff’s lawyers from various angles. The scene had to be paused as the audience privately discussed and due to the sharp stand-off among several lawyers onstage.

In recent years, among every hundred divorced couples, several cases were due to women terminating pregnancies without their husbands’ consent, highlighting the significant value of showcasing this issue for legal education. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

The rehearsal went intermittently and only concluded at two in the afternoon, but it was deemed successful, so the director allowed the participating lawyers to have lunch before starting makeup and styling preparations for the formal recording at five in the evening.

Sienna Thornton and Ingrid went for a simple lunch nearby, and upon returning when the other lawyers hadn’t arrived yet, the makeup artist came over to do her makeup first.

The show’s makeup artist, accustomed to applying heavy makeup effects, immediately gave Sienna heavy contouring and rainbow-transition eye makeup.

Ingrid, on the side, reminded, "I say, girl, our Lawyer Thornton’s facial shape and features don’t need such heavy contouring. The way you’re doing it makes the whole makeup look dirty."

The people on this show aren’t celebrities, and these lawyers, who aren’t even remotely considered online influencers, have always been respectful to the makeup artists, letting them do as they please, so who dares question the makeup artist’s professionalism? Consequently, these makeup artists have been spoiled with a bad temper, and upon hearing Ingrid’s comments, not only did they not listen, but they also retorted fiercely, "Are you the makeup artist, or am I? If you’re so great, do it yourself!"

With that, the eyeshadow brush was tossed onto the table as the artist moved on to do another lawyer’s makeup.

Ingrid, incensed, wanted to complain to the director and producer, but just as she pulled out her phone, Sienna stopped her.

Sienna shook her head at Ingrid, saying, "Don’t cause trouble; I can handle it myself." With that, she picked up makeup remover wipes and began taking off the makeup.

Ingrid was momentarily speechless with anger, pulling a chair nearby to sit down, and said helplessly, "That’s how it is in this industry. If you’re not famous, even a small makeup artist dares to show you an attitude."

Sienna took out her own foundation, loose powder, and lipstick, applying a thin layer of makeup on herself.

As she applied makeup, she smiled and said, "It’s not just the entertainment industry. It’s like this everywhere. When I was a lawyer at a major firm, I also had to be obedient and listen to senior lawyers and partners who were superior to me."

Ingrid sighed, "That’s why Maeve often says, either let her be worthless or make her a top star. Her personality, as you know, cannot stand these indignities, so after so many years in the industry, she’s only now making a splash."

Sienna nodded; no one understood Maeve’s temperament better than she did.

Ingrid chatted with her while watching her apply makeup and said, "In my opinion, you live more openly. Your emotional intelligence is higher than Maeve’s, and you can make a mark wherever you are."

Sienna didn’t respond further.

After Mr. Lester married another woman after Maeve’s mother’s death, Maeve’s stepmother never dared mistreat her. Although she did not care for or nurture her, she didn’t make her live in constant fear either. So Maeve has always done as she wishes, living as follows her own heart.

But Sienna was different. She lived cautiously from a young age. Without being perceptive, how could she survive in the Raines Family’s environment and among their relatives?

Being perceptive sounds nice, but harshly put, it’s repressing oneself. So when she became a lawyer, earned money, and gained some confidence, the first thing she did was, for Melinda and her past self, declare war on Felix Raines at home.

That’s why they say those who are sensible often have bitter inner worlds.

"Oh my! Lawyer Thornton! You are truly beautiful! You really compare wonderfully to those big stars! Look at that skin, it’s so supple it’s like it could be squeezed to drip water..."

Ingrid’s few words pulled Sienna out of her memories.

She came back to her senses, looking at herself in the mirror.

The effect of light makeup looked indeed more brilliant. Even though she had spent the night with Cyrus until late, she still looked radiant today.