Irene and Britney had both been nominated for Best Director and Best New Artist, respectively—both highly prestigious awards. Their seats were near the front, surrounded by singers who had been famous for years.
Britney introduced Irene and Edward to everyone one by one. Most people were friendly, nodding or shaking hands, but a few treated them as if they weren't there.
Before the ceremony officially began, Irene heard plenty of people whispering about her. She was the main subject of their gossip.
That was only natural. Irene had always believed that if no one envied you, you were probably mediocre. Her arrival was bound to rub many people the wrong way, so she never let it get to her.
Besides, unlike many people there, she knew perfectly well she wouldn't win today.
The reason was that she'd received a call from the organizing committee the day before, inviting her to present the Best New Artist award.
If she was presenting the award, then it was obvious who would win Best New Artist.
As for one person winning both Best New Artist and Best Director for the same work, that was so unlikely as to be nearly impossible. To spare the other nominees' feelings, MTV probably wouldn't do that.
In fact, she hadn't had high hopes of winning Best Director this year either. Directing Britney's music video might be her only experience directing a music video, and compared to the directors who had spent years in the industry, she was far too inexperienced.
If she won today, it would feel like she was beating up on the competition.
After that, Britney went backstage to change. She had to perform that day.
At the most important awards ceremony in pop music, Britney appeared in a glittering crop top and a schoolgirl outfit, delivering a performance full of youthful energy and confidence.
The performance transformed her from a hot newcomer into a global superstar, perfectly defining the "Sweetheart" phenomenon.
During the performance, Britney spotted Irene in the audience. This was one of the most important moments of her year, and at that moment, her best friend was sitting below, watching and encouraging her. It was as if she had boundless courage.
When the performance ended, Irene led everyone in applauding first, making it seem as if the whole stage belonged to Britney alone.
More singers performed one after another. Among the young singers of that era, aside from Britney, many made their debuts in boy bands, such as the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC.
When Britney returned to her seat, NSYNC was performing onstage.
"One of the guys up there looks familiar. I think you've performed with him before?" Irene asked casually, as if she really had only found him familiar.
"Oh, you mean Justin Timberlake? He and I were both child actors on the Disney Channel's Mickey Mouse Club, so you've definitely seen him."
Irene could tell there wasn't the slightest hesitation or flirtation in Britney's voice when she mentioned him. It seemed that, in this life, there probably wouldn't be a chance for them to get together.
"What? Are you interested in him? Want me to introduce you two later?" Britney teased.
"I'm not into boys like that. I'll pass."
Britney shrugged in disappointment.
After all the performances were over, the host took the stage. Amid his jokes and banter, the awards ceremony soon got underway.
One award after another was announced. As the genre awards were drawing to a close, Irene saw a member of the production team backstage waving to her urgently.
She gave them a discreet nod, then leaned toward Britney and said, "Brit, I'm going to the restroom. I'll be right back."
Britney waved dismissively and whispered, "Go ahead, go ahead. Just be back before they present Best New Artist."
But Britney hadn't expected Irene to still be gone even after the host had begun introducing the Best New Artist award.
She was nervous about whether she would win and anxious about why Irene hadn't come back yet. But the cameras kept sweeping over her, so she didn't dare move too much. Only her hands, fidgeting restlessly, betrayed her anxiety.
"This year's presenter is rather special," the host said with a mysterious smile, building the suspense. "As I understand it, she's the youngest presenter in the history of the MTV Awards. Let's welcome Ms. Irene Coppola to reveal the winner of Best New Artist!"
As he finished speaking, a spotlight swung toward the entrance, and Irene emerged from the shadows.
Britney abruptly covered her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. Murmurs broke out around them, while the other nominees' hopeful expressions turned to disappointment at the sight of Irene.
Irene walked calmly to the microphone and opened the gold envelope in her hand. She had even changed into a black evening gown, her smile more dazzling than the jewels she wore.
Her gaze locked precisely onto Britney.
"The winner of this year's MTV Best New Artist award is..." Irene paused deliberately. The entire venue fell silent.
Britney felt all the blood in her body rush to her ears, drowning them in a buzzing roar. She saw Irene's lips move as she clearly said the name Britney had dreamed of hearing countless times—
"Britney Spears!"
As soon as the name was announced, the music to "...Baby One More Time" began playing backstage, but Britney remained frozen in place, her mind completely blank.
Thunderous applause and cheers erupted around her. Someone beside her nudged her, bringing her back to her senses. As she stood, she nearly tripped over a table leg.
She slowly walked onto the stage. Irene opened her arms, handed her the heavy, gold, microphone-shaped trophy, then hugged her tightly.
"Surprise, my champion," Irene whispered in her ear, her voice full of pride and joy. I helped you win the Best New Artist award you missed out on. And the rest of your life will be filled with glory.
At that moment, all of Britney's taut nerves and pent-up emotions finally broke loose.
When Irene and Britney returned to their seats hand in hand, Britney was still crying.
Edward quickly offered up the pocket square from his suit. Britney took it and was about to blow her nose hard, but Irene immediately covered her hand and whispered, "Careful. You don't want to be tomorrow's headline."
Britney wavered between blowing her nose and ending up in an unflattering headline photo. Irene helped her avoid the cameras and led her to a blind spot, where she could blow her nose to her heart's content.
Irene borrowed some makeup from a member of the production team and touched up Britney's makeup.
Thanks to Britney's natural beauty—and to all the makeup videos Irene had watched in her previous life—she knew a few basic tricks. It didn't take long for the two of them to return to their seats.
As soon as she got back, Irene heard the host announce that the next award would be Best Director. She quietly breathed a sigh of relief, glad she'd made it in time.
Even though Irene knew she wouldn't win, she still had to appear on camera when the nominees were announced. If the camera panned to her and she wasn't there, it would make her seem disrespectful of the ceremony.
As the presenter took the stage, Irene was busy planning where to spend the remaining ten-odd days of her summer vacation. Should she go to Hawaii to sunbathe and fish, or head to Las Vegas to experience the glitz and excess? She paid no attention to what was happening onstage.
So when her name rang out across the stage, she was still daydreaming, not even paying attention to who had won.
It wasn't until Britney's piercing cry jolted her awake that she blankly looked around and realized everyone was looking her way.
Their expressions held curiosity, congratulations, shock, and even disdain. She immediately understood what had happened.
Her mind had rebooted, but her limbs were still frozen. Mechanically, she hugged Britney and Edward, then walked onto the stage in a daze.
She took the trophy and tried to speak, only to realize she had no idea what to say.
After a few attempts, she finally managed to speak. "Honestly, when I got the notice that I'd be presenting Best New Artist, my subconscious immediately told me that I had no chance of winning Best Director. So I didn't prepare an acceptance speech at all."
The whole venue erupted in laughter. After all, this really was completely unexpected.
"But since I'm already up here, I should say a few words. I want to thank my parents for their support, my agent for making the connections, and my fans for working so hard to vote for me.
"But the person I'm most, most, most grateful to is Brit. If it weren't for you, I never would've wanted to make this music video. You were the beginning of everything. You're the best leading lady in my heart."
Thunderous applause rang out again as the audience cheered for the two friends.
Onstage, Irene smiled at the world. Below, Britney burst into tears once more.
The scene soon appeared on the front pages of newspapers everywhere the next day.
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