When Carl fell into a deep sleep in his apartment, he was still unaware that he had once again climbed to the top of the trending list.
Within a few days, negative news spread like snowflakes.
The company was thoroughly disappointed in Carl. They not only canceled the planned contract with him but also considered him a tarnished artist to be permanently hidden.
Hailey was also helpless about this. She was Carl’s only manager since he entered the industry, and she had hoped to witness talent she had raised succeed.
Dusk.
Carl woke up and realized that it was getting dark outside.
He got up, took a shower, shaved his beard clean, and prepared to go out for a simple dinner.
However, before he could leave, there was a sudden knock on the door.
“Carl, open the door for me! I know you’re hiding in the apartment!”
Upon hearing Hailey’s voice, Carl stretched and lazily walked over to open the door.
In the instant the door opened, Carl saw Hailey furious.
If someone who didn’t know the situation saw her, they would definitely think she had a deep grudge against Carl.
“You still have the nerve to open the door for me?”
Hailey gave Carl a fierce glare and bumped into his shoulder as she walked into the apartment.
“So, you mean I should play dead in the apartment?”
Carl couldn’t help but laugh and cry. He always felt that Hailey’s way of thinking was sometimes different from that of normal people.
Of course, Carl could understand. Hailey had a fiery temper and was neurotic. It was all quite normal.
But after all, she was his manager, and Carl was very grateful for her help and guidance over the years.
“Hailey, why are you so angry?”
Seeing Hailey sitting on the couch with her legs crossed, lighting a cigarette, Carl also approached her.
“What do you think? Is there no electricity or internet in the apartment?”
Hailey rolled her eyes, thinking that Carl was playing dumb.
But Carl really didn’t know. He had returned to the apartment early and slept right away. When he opened his eyes, the sun was already setting.
“Everything is working…”
Carl scratched his head inexplicably, guessing that he might be in the news again.
“Let me check my phone.”
Since Hailey didn’t respond to him, Carl obediently took out his phone from the bedroom.
There were several notifications on the screen, and two of them were news about him disturbing the peace at night and being taken away by the police.
Carl couldn’t be bothered to read the specific contents. He returned to Hailey’s side and grinned, “Let the media write whatever they want. I can’t wash away my reputation, but maybe if they blacken me to the extreme, it’ll turn into clear.”
Hearing Carl’s indifferent self-mockery, Hailey almost spat out a mouthful of smoke and nearly vomited blood on the spot.
“You have such a good mindset. I’m not at your level.”
Hailey had no way to deal with Carl. She felt pained and sympathetic toward his current listless state and emotional entanglements.
After a few sarcastic remarks, Hailey extinguished her slender cigarette, stood up, and looked down at Carl from a higher position.
“You stay in the apartment and don’t go anywhere. Wait for me for half an hour!”
“Hailey, where are you going?”
Carl was completely confused, thinking that Hailey wanted to confine him.
But Hailey didn’t respond and quickly walked out in a hurry.
True to her word, she returned exactly half an hour later, holding a plastic bag in her left hand filled with various snacks and a whole box of beer in her right hand.
“Hailey, why are you in such high spirits today?” Carl asked in astonishment.
Hailey spoke with an annoyed tone and said indifferently, “I’m planning to drown you in beer since you’re already a useless person anyway.”
Despite her harsh words, Hailey never gave up on Carl.
On this cool evening, Hailey poured her heart and soul into guiding him, putting herself in his shoes.
By midnight, both of them were drunk. One sprawled on the bed, and the other slept soundly on the couch.
The next morning, Carl got up from the bed and remembered what Hailey had said to him last night.
His mind was completely clear now, and he realized that he couldn’t continue to sink further.
No matter what the future held, he had to gather his spirits and work hard to realize the dream of a harmonious family of three.
“Hailey, why don’t you sleep on my bed?”
Seeing Hailey still snoring loudly on the couch, Carl called her a couple of times but couldn’t wake her up, so he decided to cover the tough girl with a blanket.
Next, he walked into the study and opened the computer that he hadn’t touched in a long time.
Now Carl no longer needed to follow his mother’s wishes to become an actor. He decided to calm down and write a script, turning all his thoughts into words.
At the same moment, William bought two steamed buns from a stall, planning to finish eating them and then go to do odd jobs to earn money.
He hadn’t seen Nana for two or three days and wanted to visit her after receiving his wages.
However, William was currently waiting at the bus stop when he suddenly felt a tap on his back.
“William, are you looking for work?”
The person speaking was Scarlet.
Upon hearing that voice, William’s mood inexplicably became tense.
He turned around and saw Scarlet smiling gently, as if nothing had ever happened between them.
“Scarlet, are you going to work?”
William greeted her casually, unable to hide the embarrassment in his face.
“Yeah, I’m also waiting for the bus.”
Scarlet nodded with a smile in her eyes.
It was at this time yesterday, when he woke up from a hangover, that he opened his eyes and saw Scarlet sleeping next to him on the pillow.
Realizing that both of them were completely naked, William was at a loss.
That was when he found out that the two of them had ended up having a blurry, intimate encounter after leaving the bar the night before.
There was an obvious bloodstain on the bedsheet, and William understood what that meant.
Scarlet didn’t mind, saying that everyone has a first time and she didn’t regret giving it to William.
But instead of reassuring him, her words only filled him with pressure and anxiety.
In the end, all William could say was, “I’ll find a way to take responsibility for you,” before hastily leaving the house where Scarlet was staying.
Now that they crossed paths again, William still couldn’t face her.
Scarlet, on the other hand, remained calm. Seeing that William couldn’t find the words to say, she leaned closer to his ear and asked shyly, “William, since I didn’t have a chance to ask yesterday, how do you plan to take responsibility for me?”
She was waiting for William to say the words “be together” himself.
People were coming and going at the bus stop, while William stood frozen in place.
He didn’t know how to answer Scarlet’s question.
“William?”
Scarlet gently shook his arm, acting like a spoiled lover.
William wanted to suggest compensating her with money, but he didn’t have any at the moment, and even if he said it, it would be an empty promise.
After a moment of silence, William softly spoke, “I’ll try to earn more money to make up for that night’s mistake.”
Just as his bus arrived, William quickly followed the crowd onto the bus, leaving Scarlet behind at the bus stop.
So, he wanted to solve it with money?
Scarlet’s face stiffened, unmoving. She resented Nana and hated the fact that this man had taken her virginity, yet she still couldn’t have William.