1 Chapter 1 - Mysterious Absence

Yvonne blinked twice as she gazed at the two red lines. "I am pregnant," she said quietly. In the three years since she got married, she has always wanted to have a child, but to no avail. She even thought she would never get pregnant and was ready to be barren. 

'I am sure if Javier heard about it. He would be very excited,' she thought to herself.

There was a loud knock on the door of the restroom, which disrupted her thoughts. A loud voice echoed through the room, "Yvonne, are you done changing?"

Yvonne hurriedly put the pregnancy test away in a small bag, her heart pounding, and called out, "Oh, almost done."

A few minutes later, she came out of the bathroom, and the tip of her long brown hair was wet.

"Is everything alright? You were in the bathroom for quite a while," Helen asked.

Helen is the manager of Yvonne and also her close friend. Helen thought that something was wrong in the bathroom because Yvonne spent thirty minutes in the bathroom while everyone was waiting for her. 

"Yes,"

Yvonne walked ahead of Helen.

"They have changed the script lightly." Helen says, as she hands Yvonne the script.

Yvonne sighed. "What changes?" Ever since she got the script, there have always been changes, one way or another. This was like the fifteenth change since she got the script. Like, why couldn't they make up their minds, and stick to them. 

"I have highlighted it in the script here."

Helen pointed to the highlighted part of the script. Yvonne stopped walking as she read the part, and she handed the script back to her. 

As she stepped outside the resting room where the directors and everyone were, the sun hit her harshly. She uses her hand to block the sun. 

Helen took an umbrella that was on the side and opened it for her.

"Yvonne, go into position now. You took so long."

"Okay."

Yvonne gave her bag to Helen as she sat down on the chair that the staff had prepared for her. Across from her was her co-actress, Nadia, who smiled at her.

'Why is she smiling at me?' she wondered.

Nadia raises her hand.

"What is it, Nadia?"

"Director, can we stand up to do the scene? I am sure that will leave the most impact on the viewer."

Knowing Nadia and her past, she would never have suggested such a thing. She likes to be treated like a princess. 

"What do you think, Yvonne?"

Yvonne was uncomfortable with the idea, but seeing as all of them were looking at her for a response, she had no choice but to agree on it.

"1…2…3…, Action," 

"How much money do you want for you to leave my husband alone?"

Nadia poured a water on Yvonne's body and gave her a slap.

"Director, that wasn't in the script." Helen said as she pointed to them.

"Cut," the director sighed. "Why did you do what you did?"

"I am sorry, I was trying to improvise, but," she said, turning to look at Yvonne, "I feel that the slap will have a great impact on the viewer. I hope you don't mind."

Helen went to meet Yvonne and linked hands with her.

"Helen, take her to get changed."

They were in the dressing room, and she got changed. Seeing as how it was red and the mark was left there, a staff member gave Yvonne an ice bag to place on her cheek. 

"I am certain she did it on purpose, trying to say she was improvising," she scoffed. "Improvising my foot."

"Helen, just let it go." Yvonne said as she touched Helen's hands. 

"Why are you nice to people who are not worth it?" A man who wore a black suit said.

Both of them look to the side.

"Javier," Yvonne said as her face lit up.

"I will leave both of you alone." 

Helen walked out of the dressing room and locked the room. 

Yvonne stood up.

"Why are you here?"

Javier brought Yvonne to his arms and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"I came to meet you," he said, while he used one of his hands to touch her left side of the cheek. "Does it hurt?"

"It hurts for a while, but as I see you, the pain disappears."

Javier chuckle. All of a sudden, he got serious. 

"Should I handle it for you?"

"How will you handle it?" Yvonne said, trying to tease him a little.

"Kill her."

Yvonne never expected the answer from him. She was expecting maybe remove her from the industry, which of course she won't agree to, but to kill her for such a measly matter.

This was the first time in three years he had ever spoken like that. 

"What?"

"I am joking," he said, while removing his hand from her cheek and using both his arms to wrap around his waist.

"I have something very important to tell you tonight." 

"What is it?"

"Make sure you come home early tonight. It is very important."

"Can't you tell me?"

Yvonne knew that Javier hated secrecy.

Helen knocked on the door and said, "Sorry if I am disturbing you two, but Yvonne, the director, is in need of you."

"I will tell you later," she said, while he let go of her.

As he saw how she left the dressing room, his facial expression changed, and he dialed a number.

"Have you found it?"

"Yes, I have."

"Good, tomorrow we will have the operation. Tell the others to get ready."

Yvonne met with the director in his office; he was quiet at first before he started talking, "I want to apologize on behalf of Nadia." 

"It is not your fault, so there is no need to apologize." 

"That is good," he said. "Can you put in a good word for me to your husband?"

Yvonne now knows why he was apologizing. To get into Javier's good grace, since he controls a lot of companies, even this entertainment company.

"Okay."

When she got to the dressing room, her husband was gone. Yvonne thought maybe he had some important business to attend to.

She came home after a long day of filming, went to buy groceries and was preparing a big feast. After she was done, she was waiting for him, but he never showed up.

She texted him, but got no reply.

She called his phone, but it went straight to voicemail. Yvonne can't help but be worried about him.

Her phone beeped, and she hurriedly picked up the phone, hoping it was Javier, but unfortunately it wasn't, but a strange number who texted her, "Do you want to know where your husband is? Come to his office tomorrow, and you will find out."