The Starlet Before | ONC 2023 - Stephanie - Wattpad

Story cover for The Starlet Before | ONC 2023 by theStphnieCollection

The Starlet Before | ONC 2023

theStphnieCollection

Reads 989
Votes 189
Parts 10
Time 2h 6m

Reads 989
Votes 189
Parts 10
Time 2h 6m

theStphnieCollection

1950s 1954 affair california entanglement fastpaced historical historicalfiction hollywood novella oldhollywood onc2023 secrets secretsrevealed strainedrelationships twistandturns

***2023 SHORTLISTER FOR THE @OPENNOVELLACONTEST & FEATURED ON (FORMERLY) @STORIESUNDISCOVERED'S 'FEAST ON FICTION' READING LIST IN OCTOBER 2023***

Born and raised within a few steps of Hollywood's golden gate, Arlene Berkshire always knew she wanted to be an actress. After some minor roles in overlooked features, Arlene gets her break at last when she secures a role in Forrest Washburn's highly-anticipated directorial debut. Asked to play opposite a veteran actor who seems to stray from the script only in her presence, Arlene soon finds herself at the cusp of a blossoming affair with the famed Norman Stillwell himself. 

Yet it is not long after their affair's beginning that an individual reveals a secret that could bring ruin to Arlene's career before it's even started. Thus torn between the man she's fallen for and her reputation, Arlene realizes relatively quickly that no script could have prepared her for what turns out to be her own Hollywood scandal. 

AN OLD HOLLYWOOD NOVELLA & AN ONC ENTRY.All Rights Reserved

1950s 1954 affair california entanglement fastpaced historical historicalfiction hollywood novella oldhollywood onc2023 secrets secretsrevealed strainedrelationships twistandturns

Table of contents

10 parts

Sign up to add The Starlet Before | ONC 2023 to your library and receive updates

or

Content Guidelines

You may also like

Enthralled by troubadouri

WARNING: This is a work of fiction. Any names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are all fictitious and only existing in the author's mind. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. Anathalia Lavimoure had it all-fame, fortune, and a face plastered across billboards and movie screens. But behind the glamorous facade was a self-absorbed, sharp-tongued diva who was used to getting her way and never hearing the word no. As one of the most controversial figures in the industry, she'd made enemies in every corner-enemies who didn't just gossip behind her back, but were now actively hunting her down. Forced out of her luxurious life and into a nightmare she never imagined, Anathalia was suddenly on the run, desperate and terrified, with nowhere to hide and no one left to trust. Once a man with a future, Elias had been wrongfully convicted and left to rot in a prison cell for a crime he didn't commit. By the time he got out, the world had forgotten him-and he wanted nothing to do with it anyway. Hardened by betrayal and injustice, Elias had built walls no one could climb and trusted no one but himself. He had no interest in heroes or saving anyone. And yet, when fate threw a panicked, designer-heeled Anathalia into his path, running for her life, he didn't walk away. Maybe it was the fear in her eyes. Maybe it was the way her bravado crumbled in the face of real danger. Or maybe, deep down, Elias just couldn't turn his back on someone who felt what he had once felt-helpless, cornered, and utterly alone. Now bound by necessity and danger, the spoiled starlet and the bitter ex-con must rely on each other to survive. But as bullets fly and secrets unravel, the line between protection and connection begins to blur-and neither of them is ready for what that might mean.

Cancelled || ONC 2025 by minsari

Fame, fortune, and millions of followers can disappear as quickly as they come, especially in an era where getting ''cancelled'' is just one viral scandal away. Hollywood's former golden boy, Finnegan Braxton, knows this all too well. Once a beloved teenage heartthrob, he's now branded as a notorious player, arrogant, and a lying cheat. With his career hanging by a thread, his PR team scrambles to salvage his image. Their solution? A reality dating show where Finnegan must prove he's not the heart-breaker the world thinks he is, but a man searching for true love. Everything takes a turn when Finnegan crosses paths with Aurelia Winslow - a recently fired librarian - who is unimpressed by him. After their public altercation goes viral, she's thrown into the contest. For Finnegan, it's a chance to rebuild his reputation. For Aurelia, it's merely a paycheck. Will Finnegan face the truth and reclaim his integrity, or will the spotlight expose him for good? Can he prove he's more than just a tabloid scandal, or will this love experiment be the final nail in his Hollywood coffin? ★| ★ | ★ | ★ |★ | ★ | ★| ★ | ★ | ★ |★ Open Novella Contest - main prompt 31, secondary prompts 126,128 130. © 2025 minsari // all rights reserved

The Day I Slept With My Boss's wife by Mkay_mood01

I thought I had life under control- A decent job, loyal friends, and a promising future in the tech industry. But everything changed the day I crossed the line... and slept with my boss's wife. Her name is Catherine. Elegant, powerful, and broken in ways that drew me in deeper than I ever expected. One night with her was all it took to drag me into a world I never saw coming- A world of secrets, manipulation, betrayal... and love. Suddenly, I'm not just an employee anymore. I'm the man everyone whispers about at work. The guy is caught between his ex-girlfriend who disappeared for three years, a mysterious investor with hidden motives, and a married woman carrying a child that might be mine. Now the stakes are higher. Threats are showing up at my doorstep. My friends are distant. My life is on the line. And someone is pulling strings behind the scenes, making sure I don't make it out of this alive. I never asked for this. But if I want to survive, I'll have to play smart- Even if it means choosing between love and loyalty, truth and lies... or life and death.

The Lord and his Lady by CrossAndQuill

*spin-off to The Duke's Forbidden Lover* Lord Richard of Caldwell's perfect life is upended with news of tragedy. Amidst the uncertainty of his father's health and a happy courtship, he is forced to strike up a friendship with his mother's lady-in-waiting, Louise Price. As their friendship blossoms, an undeniable spark ignites between them that defies the social norms that govern their world. But little does he know that behind her delicate facade lies her hidden past as a runaway slave. Now caught between duty and desire, the two must fight the past for a future they may never have. *** bwwm historical romance.

Untangled by Stephanie_Aston

I slammed the table loudly and groaned out of pain. Not only the pain from the headache I was having right now. But also from the memories flooding my mind as well. I was slowly remembering everything. "I hate you!"I shouted seething from anger as I gritted my teeth to stop myself from attacking him. He was really tempting me and I knew it wouldn't be long before I would attempt to pull his face apart and rip out his throat. "Not more than I hate you Alexander Norman. Trust me." He said emphasising on the name that seemed so foreign to me yet that was my real name. He had a mischievous glint in his eyes as he seemed to enjoy the internal battle I was having in my head. " So back to my story-" He drawled in an attempt to irritate me before he continued. " Your mother married me because I had her secret and I threatened to ruin her with it if she did not give in to my wishes." "And what exactly was her secret?" I asked. "She killed your father." He responded and glanced at me probably waiting for my reaction at what he just said. ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● Scandals brew in the air once more. Lies in the web of deception and atrocities committed, he seeks to unravel them. Would the past rear its ugly head and untangle all the mysteries? Started[November 2022] Finished [August 2023]

Lie To Me Softly by BlakeNewbury

He was my cousin's fiancé. Off-limits. Untouchable. Irresistible. Dalton Haywood isn't the kind of guy you fall for-he's the kind of guy you survive. Cold. Confident. Hiding secrets behind every smirk. But when Elijah walks back into his cousin's life, all quiet fire and unexpected softness-everything Dalton thought he knew starts to unravel. In the city that never sleeps, their connection grows like a bruise: dark, aching, impossible to ignore. Loving Elijah was never part of the plan. But some lies feel like love. And some love stories were never meant to stay hidden. ------------------------------- LGBTQ friendly 🏳️‍🌈 Soundtrack: POV by Ariana Grande 🎶 Lie To Me Softly Published: 22.04.25 - 17.08.25

The Chauffeur [Complete] by jj31030

Warning: Mature (18+) Content! #1 in Chauffeur 2023 #12 in Slowburn 2023 #3 in Arguing 2023 #8 in Sexualtension 2023 #15 in Sexual 2023 #1 in Spanish 2023 #11 in Kids 2023 #4 in Affair 2023 #69 in Kids 2023 #13 in Mature 2023 #6 in Interracial 2023 #71 in Steamy 2023 #20 in Lovestory 2023 **** 25 year old Celeste Hendersen's marriage is failing. And it has been for a while. The spark is fading, and she's not sure what to do anymore. Her husband is hardly home. And when he is, his mind remains on work. He doesn't take her out on dates like he used to. He doesn't shower her with gifts or offer to massage her feet like he used. They barely even have maritals like they used to. So when she builds a connection with her attractive and mysterious new chauffeur, Celeste finds herself craving a man who she's certain can give her what she lacks in her marriage. **** Will Celeste cross that forbidden line and explore her possibilities? Or, for the sake of her daughter, will she keep her desires bottled up and fight for a marriage she feels has lost its fire? Find out what happens in this steamy drama!

The Beauty Of Rose by yahsss

**DRAFT MOSTLY** FOR FANS OF BRIDGERTON Rose Axel is deformed from the burns she endured from her father. Her face is forever hidden under a veil. Her waist is much too wide, hips too ample. Too many prefer calling her fat. Or to her family, a cow. When hastily married after her father's death, to honor the agreement made in his will, she expects nothing of it. And she is right to think so. Matthew Whitfield is not happy upon receiving Rose as a bride. He cannot even look upon her, as she refuses to take off her veil, and has no features he considers attractive. The handsome charming Mr. Whitfield cannot be bothered by the likes of his wife. She is the fulfillment of a contract and nothing more. So he takes a mistress, and falls in love. Victoria Sill is everything Rose is not. Beautiful, gliding, and glowing. She's interested in one thing only, and that is to hold the title of Matthew's wife, Mrs. Whitfield. She doesn't care who she has to crush to get her way, be it Rose herself. Victoria always get what she wants. Be it one way or other. Soon Rose falls upon a secret that turns the tables. In addition, Victoria finds a way to become closer to the Whitfield name. A child. As the circumstances shift, and the Whitfield mansion is thrown into uproar, will this situation bring Matthew and Rose together? Or will Victoria succeed in keeping them apart? ---- #35 in victorian 5/13/22 #1 in oldtimes 5/23/22 #2 in regency 5/28/22 #1 in bridgerton 6/15/22 [[word count: 80,000-100,000 words]]

The Men Next Door by wildfirehoney

✅ Complete ✅ When Campbell Kramer accepted a job offer in Manhattan, she never could've imagined what the city had in store for her. Namely, two handsome men who live on either side of her new apartment. One is older, one is younger. One is introverted, one is extroverted. One is serious, one is playful. Both of them want her attention. What could go wrong? ☲☲☲☲☲ ☆Brooks☆ My neighbor was the one to close the distance between us. She did it quickly--like she was scared the moment would pass away forever if she let another millisecond go by--and I rested my hand on the side of her face to steady her. Something about my touch must have given her courage. ♡Campbell♡ The men finally greeted each other while I snipped the green, woody stems and plopped them into the tallest mug I owned. Their sentences were short and awkward, and as I rearranged the blooms for the umpteenth time, the realization that they'd told each other what happened hit me like a south-bound train. I don't know why I didn't expect that. They were best friends, after all. I was just the girl next door. They had no loyalty to me, no reason to keep our time together a secret. ☆Luca☆ Her lips met mine slowly, softly, hesitantly--like she wasn't so sure kissing her neighbor was the best idea--and I responded just as delicately. But when her hand made its way into the back of my hair, our bodies melded together like a lust-struck alloy. And the only hope of separating us was to add more heat. ☲☲☲☲☲ Featured by: 📙 @Wattpad • Love Triangles 💘😈 (July 2025) • Spicy Summer Reads (July 2024) • Endless Reading Mode 🧡 (Jan 2024) • Summer in the City 🥵 (June 2023) 📕 @Romance • Love Triangle (April 2025) • New Adult (June 2024) 📘 @Ambassadors • Hot Encounters (Dec 2024) 📗 @ChickLit • Rom-Com (Oct 2025) • Ambassador's Picks (Jul 2025) Awards: 🥈 Romance runner-up (The Prime Awards 2023)

You may also like

Slide 1 of 9

Enthralled cover

Cancelled || ONC 2025 cover

The Day I Slept With My Boss's wife cover

The Lord and his Lady cover

Untangled cover

Lie To Me Softly cover

The Chauffeur [Complete] cover

The Beauty Of Rose cover

The Men Next Door cover

Enthralled

WARNING: This is a work of fiction. Any names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are all fictitious and only existing in the author's mind. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. Anathalia Lavimoure had it all-fame, fortune, and a face plastered across billboards and movie screens. But behind the glamorous facade was a self-absorbed, sharp-tongued diva who was used to getting her way and never hearing the word no. As one of the most controversial figures in the industry, she'd made enemies in every corner-enemies who didn't just gossip behind her back, but were now actively hunting her down. Forced out of her luxurious life and into a nightmare she never imagined, Anathalia was suddenly on the run, desperate and terrified, with nowhere to hide and no one left to trust. Once a man with a future, Elias had been wrongfully convicted and left to rot in a prison cell for a crime he didn't commit. By the time he got out, the world had forgotten him-and he wanted nothing to do with it anyway. Hardened by betrayal and injustice, Elias had built walls no one could climb and trusted no one but himself. He had no interest in heroes or saving anyone. And yet, when fate threw a panicked, designer-heeled Anathalia into his path, running for her life, he didn't walk away. Maybe it was the fear in her eyes. Maybe it was the way her bravado crumbled in the face of real danger. Or maybe, deep down, Elias just couldn't turn his back on someone who felt what he had once felt-helpless, cornered, and utterly alone. Now bound by necessity and danger, the spoiled starlet and the bitter ex-con must rely on each other to survive. But as bullets fly and secrets unravel, the line between protection and connection begins to blur-and neither of them is ready for what that might mean.