Serena Lockwood went to pour a glass of water. As she returned, she saw the new message Stella Lockwood had just posted on her microblog. The water she was drinking went down the wrong pipe, and she nearly choked to death on the spot. After several violent coughs, she finally managed to swallow. Her eyes spitting fire, she shrieked:
"Stella Lockwood, can't you go one day without causing me trouble? Is your life that boring? The boss lady told you to invite Moira Morton, but you just had to punch above your weight and try for Sean Quinn. And you even announced your target on your microblog... Are you trying to get the whole internet to grab their popcorn and watch the drama unfold? If you don't want to be an actress, we can switch careers right now! Is there any point in humiliating yourself so publicly?"
'I'm going to die of anger!'
Stella Lockwood tossed her tablet aside and went to hug her sister with a giggle. "Oh, come on, Sis, don't be so angry. I'm doing this to burn my boats and force myself to try... You have to support me."
"Support my ass... You already crashed and burned once. How much longer are you going to keep embarrassing yourself?"
Serena Lockwood forcefully shoved away the girl, who was becoming increasingly difficult to handle.
'She used to be quiet but obedient. Whenever trouble came up, she would cooperate meekly to resolve the crisis. Now, she's becoming more and more willful.'
"It's too early to call it a failure. As long as I succeed with the invitation before the show's deadline, I'll get to keep performing, whether it's for the first season or the second. That's all that matters... Hmm, but my plan is for the first season..."
Stella looked on in eager anticipation. 'In my past life, this show was a massive hit after it aired. Especially the first season.'
Without thinking, Serena Lockwood stepped forward and placed a hand on Stella's forehead. 'No fever. So how could she be spouting such nonsense!'
"I don't have a fever." Stella sounded exasperated as she brushed her sister's hand away. She clasped her own hands together in a plea. "Sis, just let me have my way this once! Look, the word is already out there, so we have to give it our all, don't we? Please, stop shooting me down. I really need your encouragement right now..."
Serena Lockwood sank onto the sofa, sighing. The anger was giving her a pain in her chest. 'Being her agent is going to take years off my life.'
'Fine. I'm washing my hands of this.'
Just then, her phone rang. She glanced down and saw it was the boss lady calling again. 'What a headache,' she thought, 'but I have to answer.'
The moment she answered, the woman on the other end unleashed a torrent of fury:
"Serena Lockwood, can you get your artist under control? Honestly, I've already helped you more than enough. When Stella Lockwood said she wanted to do this variety show, I cut her some slack. I even called Moira Morton for her. And what does she do? She goes and announces she wants to invite Sean Quinn! Is she trying to humiliate herself, or me?"
"I've never seen an artist who so blatantly disregards the company's arrangements. Even the biggest international stars aren't as difficult as she is. Now you listen to me good. You two made this mess, so you can clean it up. If she can't get Sean Quinn, then Stella Lockwood can just forget about ever working in show business again..."
With that, she hung up.
The call had been on speakerphone, so Stella Lockwood had naturally heard everything.
But after hearing all that, her mind turned to something else. 'Why is the boss lady always so determined to shelve me?'
'Before the company found and signed me, I didn't have many resources, but I made enough to get by. After I signed with Veridian, I got into a couple of sticky situations, but it wasn't really my fault. Still, the boss lady seemed determined to put me on ice, threatening me at every turn. In my past life, if Don Joyce hadn't helped me, my dream of becoming famous would have been impossible.'
'The thing is, the boss lady and Don Joyce are mother and son, but their attitudes toward me couldn't be more different. Is there some hidden secret behind all this?'
'And more importantly, could this secret be connected to the deaths of my father and brother?'
'Yes. I need to make investigating this a priority.'