"Goodness!" Aileen let go of Lola, looking at the latter with gleaming eyes. "Gosh. You should walk the runway. You should be there! How could you even be prettier than you already are?"
Lola chuckled. "Haha. I was looking for you since I ca in."
"I had a lot of things to do back here — tsk." Aileen clicked her tongue and sighed heavily. Her face then lit up, smiling from ear to ear. "Oh, right. Do you know that lissa Young was here?"
"Yeah, I saw."
Aileen chuckled as she hooked her arm around Lola’s as they walked away. "It feels good. That woman has never changed. She still thinks she’s better than everyone else. Ugh. Whenever I think about it, it makes angry!"
Aileen continued on and on, leading Lola away to introduce her to so people. As they walked off, Derek stayed hidden behind one of the pillars. His eyes were wide, and his heart was pounding against his chest.
"Lola?" he breathed out, peeking out and checking where Aileen and Lola were headed. His eyes settled on Lola’s figure, gasping in shock. "That’s really her?"
His eyes shook, rembering all the tis he had encountered that woman. First, at the airport. Derek froze as if soone had poured a bucketful of cold water over him. When he first t that woman, that was also the ti Lola ca back to Novera.
However, back then, Lola didn’t show up. Hence, he threw a huge tantrum because Lola ditched him.
Then, he t her in the hotel where the audition was ongoing. In the sa hotel, he had seen Lola in that get-up with the man in a fish headmask. Thinking more about it, his breath hitched. It didn’t cross his mind until now, but the image of Atlas’ face just crossed him right now.
"That guy..." he gasped, his complexion turning pale. "He’s the sa guy who..."
For a good minute, Derek just stood there frozen, rembering his first encounter with Atlas and how that man had taken him down. Slowly, his hands balled into tight fists until they trembled, and he clenched his teeth. His heart swelled with nothing but bitterness and dismay, glancing in the sa direction Lola and Aileen had left.
"This is all... lissa’s fault," he breathed out. "All of it is her fault."
Had it not been for lissa, Derek and Lola’s engagent would’ve been pushed through. It would have been him standing beside Lola, and not Atlas. But lissa had robbed him of that chance by manipulating him.
"Screw her!"
*****
anwhile...
lissa wept in her car, her makeup already ruined from all the tears that had stread down her face. Yet, she couldn’t stop herself from crying.
"I hate them..." she hiccuped. "I hate all of them."
But the anger in her chest was nothing compared to the humiliation she had to endure in front of everyone. She shouldn’t have co. lissa should’ve listened to Jasmine instead of listening to this secret admirer, who turned out to be a bully.
"I hope all of them die."
*
*
*
*
Hours later in the Young Residence...
Jasmine just stepped out of the study when she saw a figure running up the stairs. Turning her head, her brows knitted as she caught lissa’s figure briefly.
"lissa, you’re back?" she called out, but like usual, lissa didn’t answer. A shallow breath escaped her, checking the ti.
Jasmine was not sure if lissa was back too early or whether the event had ended. Thus, she followed lissa until she reached her daughter’s bedroom. Unfortunately, the door was locked.
"lissa," she called out once more. "Please, can we talk?"
Jasmine humd and waited for lissa’s answer.
"Dear, I know you feel like I was controlling you, but rember that I only have your best interest in mind," she leaned against the door and sighed heavily. "Your mother was born dirt poor with abusive parents, and growing up, I swore to love and cherish my child and not beco those good-for-nothings."
She smiled very subtly. "Mom loves you, lissa. And everything I do, all of it is for you. I know sotis it sounds a little too much, but you’ll benefit from it anyway."
She waited for another minute, hoping her daughter would open the door for her. But even after a mont, lissa still hadn’t opened it.
"Fine," Jasmine sighed heavily. "Once you’ve cald down, then open the door. Though I hoped that the event helped even just a little. I wished for that from the bottom of my heart. Goodnight, sweetheart."
Jasmine reluctantly took a step back, keeping her eyes on the door in the hope that lissa would open the door before she left. But even if she idled for another minute, there was no sign that lissa would. Hence, she dragged her feet away, telling herself her daughter would go to her once she cald down.
Little did Jasmine know, lissa was just seated on the edge of the bed. Her empty eyes cast downward, and they were barely blinking. Her complexion was pale, and her smudged makeup couldn’t even hide it. lissa didn’t even hear her mother’s words as her mind was blank from anything else.
"..."
When lissa finally blinked, she reached for her phone and checked the news. As expected, there was already an article about tonight’s fiasco, and it was quickly picking up traction. But she didn’t even flinch or show any sign that it affected her.
lissa left the tab and checked her contacts, scrolling through all of them until she finally saw the na she was looking for. Without a second hesitation, she called the number and placed it to her ear.
"lissa?" ca a voice from the other end of the line. "I didn’t know you’d call at this hour. Is everything okay, dear?"
She pursed her lips, listening to the caring voice on the other end of the line. "Uncle Mike."
"Yes, dear? I’m here. Sorry if I haven’t had ti to spend so with you. Just a little busy. But don’t worry! I’ll definitely make so ti soon! Just for you!"
"..." lissa listened, but none of that mattered to her. "Uncle Mike, can you pick up tonight?"
"Huh?"
"I might kill myself if you don’t," she whispered. "Please co... and don’t tell my mother. If you do, I’ll run away and then disappear forever."
*****
Mike hadn’t been that busy, but he was in the middle of sothing when lissa called. After hearing her words, he dropped everything and rushed to her. He hadn’t been around for all of lissa’s life, but whenever he was, he made sure she could rely on him.
When he arrived, lissa was already outside the house. She jumped in, and he sped off. They drove in heavy silence with lissa in the front passenger seat.
"I bought so things you like," he said, trying to break the quiet. "Bought them a while ago, but I was busy, so I never gave them to you. So snacks are in the back. As for the rest, I haven’t sent them to your ho yet."
lissa didn’t answer.
Her silence made him glance at her. "If you don’t want them, do you want to eat sowhere else?"
Still no answer.
"lissa," he sighed. "I’m worried about you. I can take you away from here so you can relax. But I need to know what’s going on."
For a long minute, she stayed silent. Then she finally looked at him.
"Uncle," she said, her voice weak and hollow. "I want to... end all of this pain."
The words tumbled out, and a tear fell down her cheek. "Everything’s falling apart—my engagent, my career, even our family. My life is ruined."
"The whole world hates , and everyone who doesn’t know judges ." She buried her face in her hands and sobbed. "I hate myself. I hate everything. I hate my life."
She cried until Mike began to panic. He slowed the car and pulled over to a safe spot. When they stopped, he turned to lissa, eyes wide with worry.
"lissa—" he reached out toward her back, then stopped before his fingers touched her. His mouth opened and closed; he didn’t know how to console her.
Mike might’ve been kind to her, but there were many things he’d never learned—comforting soone was one of them. He wasn’t sure what to do.
"I hate myself!" lissa shouted through gritted teeth. "I don’t know what to do anymore! Nobody loves anyway!"
Mike exhaled. "lissa, that’s not true," he said quietly. "You are my world. You are my favorite. It’s not true that nobody loves you. We love you."
lissa studied his face. Her lips trembled. "You do?"
"Of course," he said, forcing a smile. "lissa, is that even a question? You’re like a daughter to . I’d do anything to make you happy."
"What if soone’s death would make happy?" To his shock, her next question ca fast. Her teary eyes were empty. "Will you kill for , then, Uncle?"
"lissa—"
"Lola took everything from ," she whispered. The words made the hairs on his arms rise. "I want her dead, Uncle. Can you... kill her for ?"
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