Laura’s POV 129
I froze, my hand, which was trying to cut the steak, stopped in midair, and the knife and fork fell to the table, clashing with the plate with a crisp, luscious sound.
Heart pounding.
I felt a little sad in that moment.
This was the second time Rafael and I had a disagreement.
Instead of being married, the two of us were like two business partners. We can sit down calmly and discuss any issue and face each other’s exes.
It’s so unlike being married. I can’t help but ask myself, Laura, Rafael, is this a question you can answer?
Would you be so calm if this person were Cameron today?
The answer, of course, is no.
How could I possibly tolerate Cameron thinking about another woman’s career? How could I possibly understand that he’d be thinking about another woman’s career? It was hard for me to sit next to Fryday and hold his hand for a long time!
I quietly looked at him, he also looked at me, we clearly see each other each heart, but in the end just a faint smile.
“Forget it.” He gave me a step down, “Steak doesn’t taste good cold.”
“Thank you.” I uttered those three words from the bottom of my heart.
“Don’t be so polite.” He laughed softly, “Maybe one day you’ll realize that I’m not as nice as you think I am at all. I might have done something wrong to you too, and when that happens, will you forgive me?”
I didn’t really understand the meaning of his words at the time, thinking that the things he was referring to as wronging me were the feelings he was involved in with Fryday.
So I raised my head and said in a half-joking tone, “If you dare to get entangled with another woman behind my back and do something wrong to me, I’ll cut you up like a steak!”
Rafael laughed his ass off.
I was so exhausted from that meal that I was more tired than I was from the war. It wasn’t until this laugh from Rafael that my hanging heart fell to the ground.
…Property © NôvelDrama.Org.
George arranged for my agent to get me another new movie and a talk show.
He said that notices don’t need to be too much, sometimes high exposure is rather a sign of low quality. Especially for someone like me, who is halfway through his career in show business, it’s more important to focus on quality rather than quantity.
I laughed, “President George how has this picture changed? Didn’t you used to say that exposure is everything!”
“That was when you were not famous, of course the higher the exposure the better! But now that you’ve made a name for yourself, you can’t take the rough route anymore, it has to be boutique!”
“You’re the one who has a point.” I said, “Anyway, you are my boss, of course I listen to you.”
“Listening to me is definitely right!” He raised his eyebrows, “This movie can be sent to compete for the Golden Lion Award! When the time comes, I will escort you and guarantee that you will ascend to the throne of the movie queen …”
Before the words left his mouth, a crisp cough suddenly came from the doorway.
Fryday leaned on the doorframe, his arms wrapped around his chest, his chin up, smiling slightly, his disdainful gaze turning several times on me.
“You guys have something to talk about, so I’ll head out.” I say hello to George.
As I pass Fryday, I get the distinct feeling that she wants to eat me alive with her hostility.
Even though I hadn’t done anything wrong, this was still not a place to stay for long.
Fryday grunted softly and slammed the door with a bang.
I shook my head and hadn’t taken more than a few steps out when I heard the door open again and a clatter of heels came from behind me.
“Now that’s something, Laura!” her voice was shrill and laced with mockery, “Heh, I really underestimated you before!”
“Tell me about it!” She stopped in front of me, “What kind of kung fu do you use to get so many men to fall head over heels for you? Let me learn it too!”
I turned to look directly at her and took a deep breath.
For Rafael’s sake, I didn’t want to get into a confrontation with her, but things came to me on their own, and I had to fight to meet them.
“I’m really sorry, but I’m afraid you won’t be able to learn this kung fu!” I smiled.
She blushed, “Isn’t it just that shit in bed? You know a lot of tricks, don’t you? Hehe, really shameless and cheap!”
“Watch what you say.” I sank my voice and warned her, “Fryday, to be able to get to this point, do you think you’re so clean? Let me tell you, since I have the ability to make men die for me, I have the ability to find out about you! How much black material do you have, don’t think I don’t know … If you really piss me off, the big deal is that we are fish dead! I don’t belong to this show business, I don’t care if I quit! But what about you? What else can you rely on if not this body?”
“So don’t challenge me again and again, Fryday,” I looked at her, “Rafael has old feelings for you, and I’m not going to push you over the edge. But don’t you dare give me an inch! I, Laura, am not someone you can mess with!”
Fryday stared at me in a daze, her face flushed red for a moment, biting her lip gently, hatred burning in her eyes.
In the middle of the day she sneered, “Heh, I can’t argue with you now, and I’m not qualified to argue with you. You Laura is the future movie queen, the pillar of The Curry Group, what am I?”
“I’m just an old favorite of Rafael’s who had a fling with Cameron!” She laughed, emphasizing the word ‘Cameron’.
There was a thud in my heart.
“But I’ve heard that The Lynch Group is in turmoil these days! I’m afraid there’s going to be a regime change.”
“Who did you hear that from?” I glared at her.
She doesn’t answer, just purses her lips and smiles.
“Do you think a secret like that is kept for life?” She said, “You know Cameron’s life all too well, it’s rumored that he’s from an unknown background, and now The Lynch Group, which isn’t what it used to be, could go under at any time!”
A chill ran down my spine.
Cameron’s life, other than Stella who told me on her deathbed, could there be someone else who knows?
I fiercely recalled Mellisa’s furious words when she came to me that day, telling me not to join hands with outsiders to harm my only brother …
Could it be that she already knew the inside story?
“Laura,” Fryday’s shrill voice came again, “it’s destiny that we both are involved with Rafael and Cameron at the same time. For the sake of that fate, I’ll tell you one more thing …”
“Rafael’s ex-wife is back!” She whispered in my ear, one word at a time.
There was a buzzing in my ears, as if something had cracked.
When she looked up at her, she smiled an extraordinarily sinister smile.
“Who? Who’s coming back?”
“Becky!” trailed Fryday, “Former movie queen, Rafael’s ex-wife, Willow’s own mother!”
“Laura, what are you gawking at? Don’t stare so wide-eyed!” She hid a smile, “Aren’t you always good at stealing men? This time you’ll give it a try and see who’s more skillful between you and this godly ex-wife of his!”
“To say that this Becky movie queen, she is not ordinary, she …”
Fryday was about to say something else when a low cough suddenly came from behind him.
George slowly paced up and down, his face not looking good.
“Fryday, you talk too much! Didn’t I give you enough work to do?”
Fryday smiled sarcastically, floated me a blank stare, and walked away with her heels clattering.
George looked at me as if he had something to say.
I followed him into his office and closed the door.
“Don’t take what Fryday said to heart.” He handed me a glass of water.
I smiled, “Which words?”
He blushed in embarrassment and made a motion to wipe his sweat.
“Fryday told me so much,” I looked at him, “It was a lot of information and I couldn’t digest it for a while.”
“I know you have doubts.” He sat down, “I’ll answer them for you one by one.”
“Cameron he …”
“Cameron’s life is something I’ve only just heard about.” George was a little heavy, “He only told me, even my sister didn’t know.”
“So, is The Lynch Group really finished?” I couldn’t help but grip my glass tightly in my fingers.
“Not yet.” He paused, “But once the news spread, there was real chaos within The Lynch Group, and The Lynch Group does have an uncertain future.”
“Who spread the word?” I frowned.
George looked at me and didn’t make a sound.
I know in my heart, it’s probably my mom, Mellisa.
She’d do anything for her son, even stand up for Carter when he kidnapped me and hurt Rafael.
“Laura,” George added, “I don’t think Cameron’s troubles are a big deal compared to yours.”
I froze, “And what trouble am I in?”
“Becky’s really back.”
I responded with a faint ‘oh’, nothing on the surface, but my heart really felt like a mess.
“Anyway, she’s Rafael’s ex-wife, and you and Rafael are getting married, it’s not good that she’s coming back … at this point in time!”
“George,” I look at him, “have you already met Becky?”
He nodded and admitted, “She’s Willow’s mom after all, and if I want to chase someone, I have to meet the parents!”
“You’re really good! Still really hitting on minors!”
“You still have the heart to be sarcastic? Think about how you’re going to get through this first!”
“What do I need to get through?” I don’t get it, “Rafael and Becky got divorced a long time ago, it’s not like I’m the one who stepped in!”
“Laura,” he sighed, “You still don’t understand show business!”
“Becky came back this time and contacted me first, aside from the factor that she’s Willow’s mom, there’s a good chance she’ll choose to make a comeback with me. I’m afraid I won’t be as free when I arrange resources for you at that time. Besides, you two have a new love and an old love in the same company, what will the outside world talk about?”
“I don’t care what others say, it’s not like I live for others.” I waved my hand.
It’s the truth. What’s on my mind right now isn’t Becky, it’s Cameron.
The Lynch Group was his labor of love, and I wouldn’t be willing to give it up just because of his life.
If Cameron does leave The Lynch Group, where does he go from here?
And now that the wall is falling down, Cameron has treated his father and brother so well, sweeping all these people who are close to him out of the door, the board of directors must also be quite critical of him … Now, perhaps there will not be anyone to stand by his side.
I suddenly had some heartbreak.
George called out to me several times before I came back to my senses.
“Laura, I’m being serious with you, what are you fuming about again?”
I raised my eyes and met George’s angry two-pronged stare.
“Nothing …” I smiled resentfully, “thinking about the script!”
“By the way, what were you saying?” I ask.
He gives me a blank look. “Saying Becky!”
“Oh, go on.”
“Didn’t I tell you, The Sterling Family is very powerful.” He paused, “That’s why Becky was smooth in the biz back in the day.”
“The Sterling Family… “But in all the years I’ve lived here, I haven’t heard of any powerful The Sterling Family.
“The Sterling Family’s sphere of influence is not in Jerez State, but around Southeast Asia.” George explained, “The Sterling Family is a big plutocracy that has a voice throughout Southeast Asia.”
“So powerful!” I exclaimed, laughing, “Looks like I really can’t afford to mess with the Becky movie queen, or I’d better not marry Rafael.”
“That’s two different things.” George grinned back, “But what’s the point even if the family is powerful? That Becky still can’t inherit the family business, and the Southeast Asian people are so traditional that there has to be a boy in the family to inherit.”
“Son preference.” I bristled, “There are no men in The Sterling Family?”
“Not in Becky’s generation, at least.”
George shrugged, regretfully. “Alas, if I was born in The Sterling Family, the tens of billions of dollars of family fortune would be in my pocket …”
“Dream on!” I laughed.
At the same time, I was curious about the movie queen.
However, I didn’t realize that it was Becky who asked me out first.
I was on set that day, there was no scene for me in this section, so I dragged a chair and sat aside to memorize my lines. Suddenly my assistant found me and pointed to a spot not far away.
George and Willow were standing there waving at me.
I was wondering how these two people could come at the same time, but George spoke first: “I’ve already greeted the director, he’s going to shoot someone else’s scene first, Laura, why don’t you go out with us for a while?”
“With you guys?” I felt bad, “Honestly, who else?”
Willow glanced at George, “I told you nothing gets past Ms. Laura!”
“Here’s the thing,” she said with some difficulty as she gently crossed my arm, “It’s … it’s my mom, she wants to meet you.”
My heart tightened.
Although I guessed that it wasn’t the two of them who wanted to see me, I never expected that it would be Becky!
We met at a cafe near the set, and just walking in, I recognized her immediately.
She was sitting by the window, wearing an earth-colored dress with a wool jacket of the same color and a string of pearls around her neck, simple and elegant.
She looked out the window leisurely, with an air of aloof detachment, far from the world, Willow did get her genes.
“Ms. Laura, why are you frozen?” Willow touched me with her arm, then ran towards Becky, “Mom!”
Becky smiled and turned her head, and in that moment our eyes met and my heart skipped a beat.
“Hello.” She stood up and extended her hand, smiling, “Willow should have introduced me.”
“Yes, yes …,” I fell back looking a little timid, “Hello Becky Movie Queen.”
“There’s no need to be so polite, it’s better if we call each other by our first names.”
“How can this be, you are a senior.”
“What’s not to like?” She smiled softly, her eyes looked like they could see into the bottom of one’s heart, “Anyway, you’ll soon be Rafael’s wife, and it’s only really inappropriate to call each other, seniors and juniors, between us.”
I didn’t know how to answer at once.
The atmosphere fell into silence.
Not long after, it was Becky who broke the deadlock first. “Willow, mom just saw a flower store on the corner, can I trouble you to run with President George and help me choose a few Birds of Paradise?”