CHAPTER 2 - VICTIM

THE light filtered through the heavy curtains of caramel brown, causing Elisabth to stirred lazily. Waking up was never the option, it always hasn't been. Has she ever experienced waking up with relief? Absolutely, not.

Either it's exhaustion or pressured bubbling up first thing in the morning— rarely happy or excited if she got offered into a new contract. But on this day? She felt beyond sick, as flashbacks from last night are what passed her mind the moment she opened her eyes; Waking up next to the person who caused it somehow made it worse.

She momentarily wondered why the back of her eyes hurt, until she recalled how she cried in her sleep last night. Vane was on her side with his right arm around her waist, his face was extremely closed in her nape— she could feel his steady heart beat on her back. This position was almost too secure, and 'suffocating'. She rolled her eyes in nuisance which made the headache worse.

"Son of a bitch," she groaned as she slowly swatted his arms off her waist. She sat up on the edge of the bed, still groggy. Elisabth wasn't really a morning person, but considering of what happened last night, she didn't really feel like staying any longer with the devil in the same room— not alone beside her, breathing the same air as him; she couldn't stand him.

As she is fixing her disheveled hair, she caught a glimpse of his peaceful facade while sleeping. Such a beautiful face.. People often have an unpleasant look when sleeping, but this man.. she sometimes thinks that this man is too perfect to exist. Perfect, "as what standards refer". to be talking inside, this man is anything but pure. It may appear that he possessed everything a person could have wanted, however a person can't truly have it all— Vane wasn't an exception; Beautiful face but unpleasing personality— a pretentious and cunning bastard.

Beauty standards appeared silly and 'sick' for some, but practically thinking, they were called 'standards' for a reason. Uniqueness doesn't matter if you aren't beautiful or made something beautiful. Everyone needs an approval that could be gotten when you pleased their shallow views; that's what all matters in this industry after all. They're here to please, that's how they got fame. Money. Success. Luxury. 

Fortunately for some, they could easily please everybody by just their looks alone, while others strived to be noticed.. That's what irks Elisabth the most, she could never be like them; Like him!

An exasperating sigh escaped her lips. She found her phone inside the drawer of the bed side table. She remembers shutting it down before sleeping when it wouldn't stop ringing from the calls of different people. Friends, co-artists, directors, management—Fuck it! She couldn't deal with all of them. She should have considered getting an another phone for personal matters; It was kind of her fault as she thought that her business and personal matters are not too far from each other

And quickly, she locked herself up in the bathroom.

She contacted the first person who she thought that could help her out of this absurd situation. It rang a few rings and didn't waste a minute when she saw that it was answered. "How is it going?" setting aside the greetings, she got straight to the point. She opened the free standing faucet of the jacuzzi— she sat on the edge while waiting for it to be full.

A high pitched voice answered— that once she found it annoying before— It was Missy, the head manager, "I'm thinking of a much nicer way to say this to you."

"Just say it." she rolled her eyes, she stood in front the LED circle mirror to scrutinize her appearance— she knew she wouldn't be pleased at the sight yet still glowered when she saw the bags under her eyes. Cursing, she put the blame to the male, albeit she won't admit it's an act of resentment.

"I won't say it's that bad, like what I've expected, but it's not good either," the actress scoffed but didn't answer, letting Missy finish talking. She knows Elisabth has been expecting the worst yet she dared to pathetically try to fabricate the sour details— perhaps an act of consideration, Elisabth will give her that. She put the phone in the loudspeaker, and placed it on the marble sink, as she's readying herself for a toothbrush.

"Bitch, it's all over the internet, the paparazzi are over the top on this. Some articles already came out about last night's interviews, and in the matter of a few hours, it would be featured on news television too," Missy added.

"Yeah, yeah, expect them to fucking bombard my social medias." the actress spoke a bit gibberish as she was brushing her teeth at the same time. "Oh, as a matter of fact, they already did. Fuck it."

"I suggest you turn the notification off. Avoid watching TVs or hanging around any form of social media for the meantime. Step down on the spotlight for once, save your goddamn self. Stop pleasing your fans, we all know they won't die for you. That asshole could take care of himself; just with his pretty face and dick, his fanbase would bath in mud just to lift him." The only person that was to blame, are being saved instead, just how fucking lucky Vane is? In their eyes, he was the victim. She took off all of her clothes and hopped inside the jacuzzi as soon as she noticed it's full enough. The warm water soothed her limbs; She dipped further till the water reached her chin, hoping it would take all her burdens away.

"In the situation of the both of you, you're in the critical state. First, you were the one that keeps denying your relationship to him, when it's completely obvious; Of course, that would seem like you're embarrassed to be with him. Next, you're lesser known…"lastly, because I'm a woman, just how badly she wanted to add that. "But the upside, there is always a two side, you can expect some people defending you, yes. But they won't go to the extent as Vane's little bitches are doing." She lowly wheezed at what Missy addressed them.

"There are some people that noticed his "sussy" ways yet are afraid to call him out. We all fucking knows what his crazy fanbase could do... or what he could do," she added.

Dejectedly, the young actress heaved a breath, "Fuck, i'm just gonna break up with him, and pretend none of this happen, and deny all he confessed like i'm gonna make it look like it's just a public stunt," she nonchalantly interjected. She have been thinking for this for a while when she start feeling that Vane would possibly break their compromise-- at least, as a good girlfriend as she was, she still trusted him that he will keep their agreement yet here they are; Pulling that stupid stunt last night that could possibly ruined her entire career, and sabotage her branding.

The woman on the other line hissed, "Dumb bitch!". Ouch, maybe. "Are you out of your goddamn mind?! You just can't do that!" She'll admit, she said that as half serious and half joke. She maybe is dumb for sticking with Vane even after his toxicity became slowly noticeable, she could have prevented this for happening sooner, but she was a halfwit sometimes.

"We both know that you have a screwed acting career, 'cause you're a shit actress— Don't make that worse, not when you're already reaching the top. We're doing our best to smoothen this path for you, just stick with it for the meantime until we can get a better solution— Don't fucking do anything stupid, and if happened you came up with a solution, make sure to consult it to me first, do you understand?" Her eyes rolling ninety degrees; Missy's words could get on her nerves sometimes but she can't deny that she hits the bullseye most of the time. Albeit it was a good wake up call, It would never fail to make her struck speechless, in a hurtful way at least. "Whatever," all she answered and reached for her phone to hang up the call, wetting it in the process but she couldn't care less.

How long has she been in the industry anyways? It's seven-fucking-years. Seven years she lived through the dark light, became critiques punching bag. Missy's one of the people that did really stay, and never gave up on her. It was the long rocky way to reach where she is right now—yet it was just the start. She's just starting to build her own legacy. Maybe her success is what she could gift to herself after all those years, and she knows it would also mean a lot to Missy and to those people who are continuing to believe in her.

She opened her Instagram, ignoring the manager's advice.. As usual, people flock over her Instagram posts, even her DM is flooded with their hateful messages, there's no way she was going to read them as she noticed that most of them contain death threats. Each slur in every comments meant to slander her made her uneasy. The fear forming in the pits of her stomach as she immediately shut down her account for the meantime, and proceeded to go to Twitter to do the same— all while fighting the urge not to break down. Too late, stubborn tears already were streaming on her face, as pathetic whimpers came out of her lips. All the fear, doubt, discouragement and upset she suppressed last night— It came out like a waterfall. She just wanted to curl into a ball and disappear.

At the same time, she ended her breakdown session, getting dressed and touching up, and walking out the bathroom, he woke up. She met his glimmering eyes that hide what god knows devil sinister in them.

Her blood immediately boils at the sight of his smile, almost radiating like he had the best night sleep. "Goodmorning, darling."