Chương 24: My Revenge

Ah-

I quickly covered my mouth, not knowing what I should do. Asking now was just appropriate, right? I mean, I hadn't asked about this before. It was only natural.

I've given grandma enough time for us both to settle down a bit. Now, I need to know. Not that I would fight or anything. I'll just file a divorce a few years from now.

I'll endure it for grandma if that was what she needed to stay alive.

But for some reason, grandma looked hesitant. Reno blinked as he slowly stopped crying.

"Wait, you are married?!"

He shrieked and shook my shoulders, ugh my head started to spin again, I released myself from his hold carefully.

"Reno dear, please… Don't shake me that much. I'm still too weak unfortunately."

Realizing that, he gasped and quickly apologized to me with a guilty face, "Ah- s, sorry…"

"It's fine. And yes, I got married. I signed the papers yesterday."

Turning to grandma, I was expecting her to answer me now that I had explained everything. But instead, she shook her head and patted my back.

"You don't need to know yet, little Vixen. The man is abroad in any case, you still have a long time before meeting each other."

What…?

If the man was abroad, what was the point of even getting married to him? Per your words, grandma, I was supposed to lean on him because you aren't there anymore. This case was strange.

Was it bad though, if I asked again?

Nothing should be wrong. Ugh, I either be an asshole and run away from home, or be so fucking delicate that I'm afraid of a simple question.

I never know balance, do I?

"But grandma," Fuck it all, I needed to know, "Didn't you say that this marriage would be the best because you needed someone to support me? In that case, why is my husband in another country?"

"Circumstances, little Vixen, circumstances. I couldn't possibly force the man to come back that quickly when his family was in a difficult situation."

Huh? What kind of difficult situation is this, financially?

"Health related. A new plague is spreading around, thankfully our country is still safe from it," Sensing my doubt apparently, grandma answered me.

"If you put it that way…"

I guess she was right. It was only normal, but still too weird for me.

"In any case, Alice. Diam would be here soon, you need to discuss the role with him. Me and Reno will be away in the meantime."

Saying that, she grabbed Reno and left without waiting for my answer. This feels like it has become the norm nowadays.

Who am I to complain, though? Had I not done the same before?

Knowing that, I could only shut up. That reminded me, Mei had been oddly quiet. Is she still asleep?

I called her name a few times. But I received no response at all. Eventually, I was forced to enter my mindscape to search for her.

The downside of this way was my hatred towards this place and the fact I would be half asleep in real life. Whatever, Mei don't usually disappear like this.

I looked around, searching every corner in this almost empty place.

…But I was still unable to find Mei.

It was as if she had never been there. She simply vanished from my sight. What was the meaning of this?

My heart was beating so fast at the possibility of Mei disappearing. But fortunately, when I was about to lose it, I found her.

She was there lying down in the midst of the void, her hair flowing around. Eyes closed, she looked like a sleeping beauty.

However, once more, I was unable to wake her up.

At least I knew she hadn't disappeared, everything would be alright eventually. I whispered to myself and slowly pulled myself to the real world.

My eyes opened and to my surprise, I was already faced with Auteur Diam sitting with me. He was looking through different scripts while munching on some cookies.

Ah, shouldn't Mei be the one who's sitting here?

Ha. Everything just seems too annoying to me today. Fine, I'll just do whatever today.

"Umm, hello sir. It had been a while since the last meeting…"

"Indeed! I'm glad that we're meeting today, hohoho. I've searched left and right for the right theme for your debut!"

"My debut…?"

"As you heard. I'm going to sponsor an exclusive role for you in one of the best upcoming movies this year. We can't delay that."

He pushed the scripts into my hand and continued.

"There are 3 offers, I called dibs on each. The cast are angry, though. Because they're calling you a newbie who doesn't know shit about this fucked up world yet."

Scoffing, he pointed at his head, "They forgot who I am. I would never choose trash for the sake of a beautiful appearance. Beauty is dispensable, but talent is not!"

His eyes were full of confidence and pride, even some slight arrogance mixed within them. But it felt justified, he was an amazing and established Auteur who had been in this industry for years.

Choosing him is the only correct path to follow.

At the same time, a notification in my phone caught my attention. Making me stop in my tracks before even reading the scripts.

[The Actor Marcos Marvinia is going into a sudden hiatus! The duration is unannounced and everything seems to be extremely vague. What is the truth behind this hiatus? What is happening behind the shadows?]

Marcos was getting a hiatus?

Heh. I suppose Christopher must've truly done a whole number on him. Or else, why would that arrogant punk announce a sudden hiatus?

"Excuse me for a moment, I'll send a message to my manager."

Opening my phone properly, I quickly asked Annie to gather me some information about these people I've seen with Marcos.

Heh. Hiatus or not, suffering in private will never be enough.