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

The Billionaire's Seductress ✔ by CollateralSunshine

Seducing powerful men into telling her all of their secrets is Scarlett Ambrose's specialty. Ace Hardwood is probably no exception. * The gorgeous, confident and charismatic Scarlett Ambrose is perfect candidate to help Terrence Burke take down the powerful, demanding, and ever-so-handsome Ace Hardwood. When the two cross paths, it seems that the universe has different plans than a hostile takeover. * Scarlett Ambrose is beauty personified. The perfect femme fatale, she commands the attention of a room and is the ultimate social butterfly. She has had many a man fall at her feet. Ace Hardwood is a man that only the imagination could come up with. He is affluential, respected and shuts everyone out. He doesn't give in to her disarming ways. He plays her game with her. Slowly, they start to uncover the secrets of each other's life. In the depths of each others' company, they discover the intricacies that make people who they are. Will Scarlett get what she came for, or will they change each other forever?

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.

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!

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

City of Secrets| ongoing by ersatz-

Toronto, 1954. The city hums with neon, jazz, and whispered secrets, but for Selina Carter, a young Black woman trapped in the polished confines of her respectable life, it is suffocating. Married to a well-meaning but distant husband, Selina carries the unspoken grief of a childless marriage and the ache of desire that goes unmet. When her car breaks down on a quiet summer evening, a stranger comes to her aid-a man of rough hands, quiet authority, and a dangerous, magnetic presence. Reed Sullivan owns a small mechanic shop in the city's shadows, and from the moment they meet, sparks fly that neither can ignore. What begins as polite gratitude quickly turns to stolen moments, lingering glances, and a hunger neither has felt before. Their affair is intoxicating, charged with erotic tension, secret laughter, and the thrill of the forbidden. In his arms, Selina discovers a passion and tenderness that her marriage has never given her; in her, Reed finds a vulnerability and longing that unsettles him entirely. But Toronto is not kind to women like Selina. The affair threatens not only her reputation but everything she has been taught to value-respectability, family, safety. And Reed, brooding and fiercely protective, demands a reckoning: a choice between the life she knows and the love that could destroy them both.

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)

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.

Love & Reputation (HC #3.5) by Flo_Writes

Rosemary Albright has been a topic of gossip in the Ton for six long years. She has perfected her gentle smile, her polite non-answers are above reproach, and not a single brash suitor has seen a snippet of her ire. She is the picture of a calm and collected widow, and she intends to remain that way, even as strangers, acquaintances, and friends alike insist on encouraging her to marriage once more. Alexander Kilroy will do anything in his power to remain unnoticed. Caught between two worlds - his brothers' titles and his father's humble roots - there is nowhere he quite belongs. Ignoring the whispers around him and the hurt in his mother's eyes, Alex is determined to forge his own path, even if it carries him even further from the family he craves but cannot have. When Rosemary and Alexander are reunited, they find their situations are not so different. And what starts as a friendship between two opposite - one like sunshine, the other midnight rain - might just be what they've both been searching for. *A Humphrey Chronicles Novella (book 3.5) which may be read as a standalone* An ONC 2024 Entry (2K, 8K, and Round 2 Ambassador's Pick) Completed December 2024 (~35000 words)

The Actress' Husband Retitled "Love, Unscripted" (PUBLISHING 02.12.26) by Zanzan112

❝Hollywood is scary. She is scarier.❞ • • • Emily Pinault is on hiatus as Hollywood's Golden Girl after a series of traumatic events. Just as her luck would allow, another is added to the list when she catches her fiancé in the act of cheating. Unaware that she knows, he's audacious enough to push her limits further: he postpones their wedding. In a whirlwind of rage, Emily comes up with a plan-a revenge plan. She no longer wants to forgive and forget. Instead, she's bloodthirsty for payback. To get even, Emily grabs the first good-looking man she sees and confidently asks, "Will you marry me?" Nicholas King is the ruler of the #1 media company nationwide. But he's also about to turn thirty and is in desperate need of a wife. His company's shareholders want the stability that comes with a married man. This is when Emily's intrusion turns out to be quite the temptation for him. Achievements: #1 - hollywood (08/01/2020) #1 - actress (01/26/2020) #1 - actor (06/26/2020) #1 - young adult (12/19/2019) #1 - diverse lit (02/05/2020) #1 - husband (02/22/2020) #1 - cute (12/18/2019) #1 - revenge (04/22/2021) #1 - wife (12/29/2022) #3 - chicklit (11/22/2019) #3 - steamy (04/19/2020) #5 - new adult (12/06/2019) All rights reserved @Zanzan112. Copyright 2019. [The first book in the Hollywood series.] ***BEING PUBLISHED AS "LOVE, UNSCRIPTED" BY ZANIELLE HART ON FEB 12th 2026*** Preorder on Amazon, KU & all major book platforms. Socials: Instagram: authorzaniellehart TikTok: authorzaniellehart Website: zaniellehart.com

You may also like

Slide 1 of 9

The Billionaire's Seductress ✔ cover

Enthralled cover

The Chauffeur [Complete] cover

Lie To Me Softly cover

City of Secrets| ongoing cover

The Men Next Door cover

The Day I Slept With My Boss's wife cover

Love & Reputation (HC #3.5) cover

The Actress' Husband Retitled "Love, Unscripted" (PUBLISHING 02.12.26) cover

The Billionaire's Seductress ✔

Seducing powerful men into telling her all of their secrets is Scarlett Ambrose's specialty. Ace Hardwood is probably no exception. * The gorgeous, confident and charismatic Scarlett Ambrose is perfect candidate to help Terrence Burke take down the powerful, demanding, and ever-so-handsome Ace Hardwood. When the two cross paths, it seems that the universe has different plans than a hostile takeover. * Scarlett Ambrose is beauty personified. The perfect femme fatale, she commands the attention of a room and is the ultimate social butterfly. She has had many a man fall at her feet. Ace Hardwood is a man that only the imagination could come up with. He is affluential, respected and shuts everyone out. He doesn't give in to her disarming ways. He plays her game with her. Slowly, they start to uncover the secrets of each other's life. In the depths of each others' company, they discover the intricacies that make people who they are. Will Scarlett get what she came for, or will they change each other forever?