Love & Career
Alicia, an eighteen-year-old rising star, was uneasy when filming scenes with her co-star, Brian, because of the shameful thing she did on her birthday. She can't help but wonder what he thinks of her, and gradually, as time passed, she began to develop feelings for him and discover what love was all about. Since he is the biggest star Ali has ever worked with, it was complicated for her to have high hopes for having a romantic relationship with him given their age difference.
Prologue
"I'm not doing it, Sam."
It has been a week of everyone trying to convince me to accept the role that has been offered to me. I am a person who accepts every damn role but not this one. I can't work with him. I just can't.
"Come on, Ali. It has been two years. Don't you think you'll look pathetic if they knew that your reason why you're not going to accept the role is that your leading man is your ex whom you're not still over with?" Here goes the gaslighting of this woman again. I can't believe that she is still trying to control my life even though I'm already 21.
"I don't care about what they'll say. My decision is not gonna change," I said in my most calm voice.
I went out and shut the door, leaving her in my condo unit. I texted Rachel to tell her that I'll come over. I need someone to talk to right now. I'm really exhausted from my tight schedule and stressed at the same time because of these people who don't know how to respect my choices in life.
"Should I be scared that Ms. Alicia Mendes came into my house with an angry face?" Rachel jokingly said after opening the door for me.
"It's not like you haven't seen me like this before," I said. I went straight to their kitchen to grab something to drink. I found a bottle of orange juice and I poured some into a glass. "They're still convincing me for the role and it annoys me."
Rachel sat at the breakfast table, waiting for me to expand the information about why I was very furious. "What did Sam tell you this time?"
I closed the fridge and sat in front of her. "She said that I'll look pathetic because everyone will think I haven't moved on yet," I told her before drinking.
"Don't you think she's right? I mean, you always tell me it doesn't bother you anymore," she said, agreeing with what Sam told me.
"Yeah but—"
"But what?" She raised a brow, expecting a good reason but my brain wasn't fast enough to give one. "See, you ran out of fake reasons. For the past two years, you've changed a lot but for the better. You've been more independent and professional. Do you think bringing personal issues to work makes you unprofessional?"
"How can I prove that I already moved on?"
"There's only one way to find out, Ali," she answered.
Fine.