CHAPTER 20: EDITED VERSION.

The atmosphere was tense as the barking of a man filled the air.

" Why did you go near my things?! Did I not warn you to stay away from this room?!"

The little voice of a scared woman followed. " I'm s-so sorry, I just wanted to h-help wash t-them."

" Wash?! For what? You suddenly want to play the role of the maid, right? So be it! You'll be assigned some domestic duties around the house. After all, you need to earn your keep for living here." The man said in a cynical tone.

" N-no that's n-not it. I'm your wife, Hughes. It's my duty to c-care for your needs."

In response to that, a huge breathy laughter ensued. " W-wife? " He laughed again, this time around, much longer. " Don't joke around, woman. You lost that right the moment you choose to frolic with my brother." He said Icily. " If you want to be a wife, you can head over to him like you've always done. Leave my stuff alone!" He bellowed, grabbed the shirt in her hand and stormed out of the room.

The woman, visibly hurt, headed to the king sized bed in the middle of the room in deep thought.

" You can take it, it'll be fine. It'll be fine." She muttered to herself in consolation, focusing on her five year old son with a determination to make it work.

" CUT! "

The director yelled and the first scene was finalized. It took a second before people began breathing again.

" Phew, that was intense! " A videographer said the minds of everyone which resulted in affirmative nods from almost everyone in the room.

" That was gold. I have a good feeling about this. Good job guys! Especially Ms Deloise and Aaron. We are wrapped for today so you can take the remnants of the day off. You deserve it." The film director said with a smile, obviously happy with the results of the first scene.

Deloise and Aaron were all smiles. Perfunctory smiles. People threw comments, complimenting just how real the scene felt and their acting prowess which they could only appreciate.

Deloise was on cloud nine. She couldn't believe she actually did that! Her first shooting as an actress. With the many compliments being thrown at her, she felt a surge of confidence rise from within her.

She could do it after all. That fact washed away the previous insecurities and disaster stories her mind conjured to her torment.

Now, she felt free. The liberal feeling she got from actually nailing the first scene in one-take as opposed to her usual self and thoughts caused an ecstatic reaction from within.

One that couldn't be dulled by anyone - not even Aaron.

Speaking of Aaron. He was walking a few meters ahead of her while they made their way to the makeup area to change.

She wondered just how bad of an idea it was to reach out to him again. They were going to be working closely throughout the job duration and as much as she envied how relaxed, comfortable and dope he seemed while they worked, she figured it wouldn't be too terrible to reach out to him with an olive branch.

She'd love to have a good working relationship with him, so as to allow them work effectively. Knowing how dedicated he seemed to his work, she figured he wouldn't mind being civil with her. At least for the duration of the project.

With that thought, she decided to act when they were close to the dressing area.

" Hey! That was intense, huh? '' She said with a soft smile which was reciprocated by a look of disdain. Notwithstanding, she continued. " Listen, I know we didn't quite get off on a good start but things are a lot different now. Like it or not, we are in this project together and we need to be somewhat civil in order to work perfectly."

Aaron scoffed. " I am doing just fine on my own, thanks."

"Don't you get it? It's not about whether you–"

"What's it about? You? If you are so needy then maybe take some acting courses by the side or better still, forfeit the gig. There are thousands of people who are more than ready to take your spot."

Deloise couldn't help but feel aggravated. " What is your problem? Would it kill you to be friends with me? To be nice for once?! Hell, I'm giving an olive branch here and you couldn't just reel in your arrogance for a moment and think without your dick?"

There was a moment of intense silence between the two who had somehow gotten even closer to the other. With eyes boiling rage, they glared at each other. They took deep and intense breaths while at it and within a twinkle of an eye, they were kissing.

Aaron captured her lips in a possessive kiss, not knowing what the hell came over him, while Deloise could only struggle to catch her breath. The kiss felt punishing, every shade of hot and sensual.

Pressed against each other, the duo stumbled into Deloise' pod, tongue deep in each other's throats as Aaron dominated the kiss with hands groping her body.

After what felt like forever, Aaron jolted away from Deloise as one burned by a scalding hot Iron. Deloise was a confused mess and before she could conjure something reasonable, Aaron lashed out.

" I don't need friendship. Stay the fuck away from me and do your job properly!"

With that, he stumbled out of the pod, wondering what the hell just happened and leaving behind a breathlessly stunned Deloise.

After two seconds of immobility, Deloise stumbled out of the pod and surprisingly, found Aaron standing outside, backing her. She immediately grabbed his palm, which she noticed felt a bit too full. Bandaged?

Not letting that deter her, she pulled him into the pod and in contrast to the multiple strings of word choices she'd anticipated, her voice spoke in a small tone.

" What happened?" She asked, her eyes trained on his palm which was engulfed in a white bandage. He was hurt.

Aaron's walls grew higher and with a stoic countenance, he laughed. He laughed so mockingly that Deloise felt somewhat uncomfortable. Stupid even.

" What? One meaningless kiss and you think you are important?" His tone turned icy. " Don't you ever grab me or ask stupid questions ever again. Like I said, mind your fucking business!" He yelled in her face and smirked when he noticed her jumpy reaction.

He walked out the second time, leaving Deloise feeling more stupid than the first. Her eyes watered but she held strong, determined not to shed a tear for him.

Meanwhile, Aaron headed straight to campus needing to be alone. His conscience clawed at him and everytime he remembered how he destroyed her with his words, he grew resentment for himself.

He shouldn't have kissed her. That was a terrible mistake. He didn't understand why he also deemed it necessary to rip her into shreds afterwards. After a while of self judgment, Aaron decided he was going to take responsibility and man up.

She deserved an apology.

****

Deloise headed back to Royal Arts with a dark cloud over her head. She was unusually quiet and her colleagues felt an odd aura around her.

Some people interpreted it as pride resulting from her successful filming and snuck disdainful looks at her while others couldn't be bothered to care. Deloise was part of the crew who couldn't be bothered

As the van drove out of the area, her mind returned to the moment she felt the soft lips of Aaron covering hers in a dominating kiss. No matter how many times she replayed the scene in her head, she managed to feel a flutter in her navel which gave her sensations she was apprehensive to figure out.

The interesting thing was that every single time, she would replay the events after the kiss and she would feel tears threatening to break out of her eyes. After countlessly going through the unending ritual, one thing was clear to Deloise.

She was not okay.

She wanted to scream, claw, and wreak havoc on everything around her. She needed to let out the strangling feeling in her chest and wanted Aaron to feel just how terrible she felt at the moment.

As though she wasn't going through enough already, her mind subconsciously drew up a scene of Aaron being unaffected and going about his business like usual. While she remained confused, furious and hurt.

It was at that point she figured she needed a distraction. She couldn't stop thinking about why he kissed her. Why did he look so beat up and bandaged? Why was he so arrogant and overbearing? Why did she like the kiss of someone so arrogant and overbearing? Why she couldn't stop these useless strings of thoughts that only brought one dominant feeling.

Hurt.

Deloise felt she let herself down. She betrayed herself. She set herself up for this emotional turmoil by even speaking to him. What possessed her into thinking he was a decent man anyway? That he could actually be civil with her?

Hmph! Ultimately, the joke was on her. She had once again messed up. No surprise there.

With every thought string, a beautiful day gradually turned into a dark one. She wanted to retire to her bed and talk to her mother. She so terribly needed someone to ground her. Tell her she wasn't at fault for all the misfortunes that managed to create a web around her.

In no time, she was out of the van and on her way to the room. She returned at noon and luckily for her, the room was empty. Layla was probably in class and looking at the time, she had at least two hours to kill in solitude.

Deloise picked her phone to call her mother but the moment she saw it, she felt discouraged. She wanted to talk to her mother about what was going on but something told her she was going to feel worse afterwards.

Why wouldn't she? She's been lying through her teeth all these while and she didn't have the strength or mental capacity to handle a conversation with her mother.

Knowing her mother, just a word from her was enough to tell she wasn't in a great mood and would in turn be forced to spill her guts on what the matter was.

This was a matter she couldn't spill her guts on because she's been lying the whole time. She was far too deep to back out now. You know something about telling a lie? One lie would require a thousand others to keep it afloat.

Deloise wasn't in the mood of telling anymore lies, so she opted to sleep. Of course her mind never shut off but this time around, she let herself relax into the bed.

It was a matter of time before fatigue caught up with her and she slept off. Hoping to feel better afterwards.

At the other side of town, Stella was seated in the office of Mr Austin, her countenance sour as she met the icy eyes of the director

" Whatever that was, let it never repeat itself. You hear me? " He said in a reprimanding tone.

" You don't know what happened! She attacked me first! What do you propose I do? Let her walk over me because she is the main lead? The hell?!"

" Don't you dare raise your voice at me, Stella Davis! Do you know the embarrassment you caused me? The dent to your name? Whatever unresolved feelings you have towards Deloise, I advise to get it sorted out. Because I will not, I repeat! I will not condone any sort of misbehavior from you or anyone. No matter who they are."

Mr Austin stood on his feet, his arms placed firmly on his desk while he bellowed at an unrelenting Stella.

" What's with the girl anyway? I don't recall her auditioning for the film so how on earth did she become the female lead? " She asked, her tone accusatory.

" I've warned you about this. There are lines that should not be crossed. The selection process credibility is one of those. To last in this industry, you need to learn your place." Mr Austin was getting tired of Stella's stubbornness.

" Is that your slick way of putting me off? Because it's not working." She deadpanned. " I deserved that role. You know it. When did I become a second choice?"

" When you didn't make the cut. And oh ! maybe when you started acting like a spoiled brat. This conversation is over. I will not receive any other report concerning you or the filming or so help me God, I will kick you out of the set." He said, the threat in his voice was clear.

" Okay, okay! I get it. No need to be so hostile." Stella was stubborn but she wasn't stupid enough to take his threats unseriously. He was the director for a reason. " But please do me a favour, reconsider the casting. There's still time. I'm ready to go par to par with her, just please do something." She pleaded.

" I believe we are done here, Stella Davis. Leave." He said, having had enough of her. He was sporting a terrible headache thanks to her little stunt at the set. He wasn't in the mood to babysit.

Stella stood up with a huff, deciding to leave but not giving up on her goal. She was going to get her way. One way or the other. She stalked out of the office, slamming the door behind her much to the director's displeasure.

*****

On the other side of things, Esther was having a conversation with Karen via video call. Karen had been gone for a while now, spending some time with her husband who lived in a European country.

" Oh gosh, you look so beautiful! Europe looks good on you, Kare." Esther gushed, taking note of her healthy skin and general outlook as she skedaddled around the huge bedroom, picking out outfits for a supposed date night.

" I know right. Sometimes, all I need is a cozy night in with my husband and it's like I'm pregnant again." Karen mused with a smile.

" Pregnant? Oh please! Who looks this good during pregnancy? Not me." She said sarcastically, eliciting a hearty laugh from Karen.

" Don't be so antsy. I still believe I was the prettiest during my pregnancy with Anna."

Esther groaned. She knew the story was coming. Karen had said that particular story a million times.

" I was so pretty that my husband couldn't get off me until I gave birth." Karen said with a smile.

" Yeah, and like I said a million times , too. Much. Information."

" Don't be such a killjoy! I'm with my husband and you are my friend. You have to listen to the details." Karen chided.

" Debatable. But definitely not a million times over." Esther reiterated.

" Okay, whatever. What's going on over there? Any man? You know, now that I think of it, you've never actually told me anything with regards to any man. I think I need to set you up. You need to get back out there."

" Yeah.. I think I'll pass." Esther said, not wanting to dive into that topic. She also couldn't help the thought of a certain handsome man who recently bulldozed his way into her life.

She thought of sharing with Karen but on second thought, she decided it was best kept to herself. It wasn't anything special after all.

" Alright then, what do you think of this?" Karen said, displaying a purple jumpsuit which screamed luxury.

" That looks so beautiful. It's a Yes." Esther said with a smile.

Happy to finally get a yes, Karen dropped the outfit and drew closer to the laptop placed on the bed.

" You've been so helpful! Thank you so much." She said but was interrupted by a ding sound. " Oops! I've got to go, he's leaving work now. Talk to you soon! " She said and immediately ended the call.

Esther felt a tinge of jealousy at her obvious happiness and relationship. Not the bad kind of jealousy, the good kind. She coveted falling in love, getting married and having the whole fairytale package.

Life wasn't fair. She's grown to understand that. Instead of hopelessly trying to turn around the cards she was dealt with, she chose the part of solitude.

Not everyone was a princess after all.