Elisa rose promptly at six in the morning, returning from an hour-long walk to shower and prepare breakfast. Her previous life, afflicted by gastric cancer, had taught her a profound lesson: from now on, regardless of anything else, she must maintain regular routines, eat on time, for nothing is more important than one’s health.
Thinking back to those years when she prepared a table of food every day, waiting for Hamish to return, only to find herself not waiting for him, but rather being met by gastric cancer, Elisa couldn’t help but mock herself: she truly was a fool.
At nine in the morning, the delivery person called her to pick up a package. After receiving the retrieval code, Elisa put on a coat, donned sunglasses and a mask, and went out. Since it was a workday, there weren’t many people in the community, mostly elderly men exercising and mothers with their children.
Relying on her memory, Elisa retrieved the package and, upon returning to her room, unpacked it to find a pile of loose parts. After some assembly, it ended up being about the length of a finger. She clipped this newly assembled trinket into her hair, making it look like an ordinary hairpin. If one didn’t look closely, it wouldn’t attract much attention when worn in her hair.
Due to time constraints, she could only manage to assemble one for now. In the future, she would have to install several more to be prepared for any eventuality.
There were still some small dishes in the fridge. For lunch, Elisa quickly cooked a bowl of noodles, adding plenty of chili. Despite being someone with a stomach illness and a history of gastric cancer, she loved spicy food. Not being able to eat spicy food was simply torture.
Now, her health was good… very good?
Elisa couldn’t help but sink into contemplation. Was her body really that healthy? Elisa felt a sense of dissonance, as if she were forgetting something important, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
After quickly finishing a steaming bowl of noodles, Elisa returned to the bedroom and began aimlessly searching. Eventually, in the bottom drawer of the wardrobe, she found a stack of documents, with a “depression” diagnosis buried at the bottom.
This was from a year ago, a time when Aoife had just left Finn and had gone to the hospital for a checkup. At that time, her depression was still mild. She had not sought psychological counseling and instead kept everything to herself. However, with the outbreak of negative rumors on the internet, her depression had become increasingly severe.
Aoife had always faced unfair treatment since childhood. One could say that she had a strong ability to endure pressure, but it was more accurate to say that she had grown accustomed to others’ malice. Camels could carry heavy loads under pressure, but it was always the last straw that broke the camel’s back.
The fate of Aoife and Elisa was remarkably similar. Both were subjected to unfair treatment, surrounded by malice from others, enduring endless speculation, and the apathy of onlookers, gradually being pushed towards their demise while trying to maintain a facade of strength through smiles.
Setting down the diagnosis in her hand, Elisa let out a long sigh.
After lunch, her agent Thomas messaged her the location: “Tea House”.
True to its name, the “Tea House” was an ancient-style teahouse. Elisa got ready and called a ride-share to get there, as she preferred to be punctual.
Exactly at 1:50 PM, she arrived at the appointed room number, where a server ushered her inside.
Thomas was seated in a chair, and upon hearing her entry, he briefly glanced up before returning to grinding the tea.
Elisa quickly surveyed the room. Thomas wasn’t a generous person. Aoife was a soft target for him. He had swindled a lot of money from her. When they dined together, he always ordered the most expensive dishes, yet never paid the bill. He didn’t even accept splitting the check. If anyone criticized him, he’d turn it back on them, calling them stingy.
This teahouse, calculated over a three-hour appointment, was no less than $5000. Elisa’s eyes narrowed in contemplation.
“Thomas, I’m here…”
Thomas grunted, and if he didn’t permit her to sit, she wouldn’t. She obediently stood in front of him, looking quite submissive.
“Why didn’t you follow my instructions yesterday?”
Elisa blinked her bright eyes in grievance, her clear gaze like a pool of spring water. “Thomas, where did I not follow your instructions yesterday? I arrived on time for the audition.”
Thinking about yesterday, Thomas was still furious. He lashed out at Elisa, “I told you to put on makeup, why didn’t you?”
Elisa hesitated before explaining, “Makeup isn’t allowed for auditions. Besides, I don’t have any makeup left. You know my salary, I can’t afford to buy makeup. How about you talk to the boss and see if he can offer me more work and a raise?”
“You’re quite the dreamer,” Thomas replied. Today, he didn’t primarily call Elisa to discuss her makeup. Instead, he wanted her to back out of “Revenge and Love”.
“Call Mr. Kentala now and withdraw from ‘Revenge and Love’,” he ordered.
Pretending not to understand, Elisa asked, “Why? Thomas, you arranged for me to audition for this role. If I got it, how will Mr. Kentala view me now?”
“What does it matter how he views you? I asked you to audition for the role of the third female lead, but who knew you would be cast as the second female lead,” he began to shift the blame. “Elisa, I’m doing this for your own good. Do you realize the second female lead has already been confirmed? If you mess things up, you’ll attract backlash.”
“I’ve already attracted enough backlash. A little more doesn’t matter. A little less doesn’t make a difference. Don’t worry, Thomas, I can handle it,” Elisa said calmly.
“I don’t care whether you can handle it or not,” Thomas snapped, glaring at the woman before him. “You used to be a nobody, and now, even though the internet is criticizing you, you’ve gained popularity. What’s the thing the entertainment industry fears the most? It’s the lack of attention. Do you not understand even this bit? If you can’t handle this, why did you enter the entertainment industry in the first place?”
It was this twisted logic that had driven Aoife and so many others to their deaths. Lorelei was a money tree to those capitalists, so they would support her no matter what happened. On the other hand, for those “tools” who couldn’t earn them money, they were deemed expendable.
“Thomas, are you admitting to what the company did to me?” Elisa said. “There are probably many pitiful people in the company, right? I’ve heard that higher-ups often send trainees out to accompany drinking sessions, or worse, to solicit. I’ve even heard that some of them are minors.”
Thomas’s expression changed. How did Elisa know about these private matters?
In fact, Elisa hadn’t just known; these things had happened to her. When “Aoife” signed with this economics company at 18, she hadn’t even settled in for two months before being introduced to Finn. The details of that arrangement were best left unexplored.
If there was one “Aoife,” there would be a second. To eradicate the rats, one must start from the root, such as finding the rat’s nest and getting rid of the whole lot. Elisa’s hand, tucked in her coat pocket, moved slightly.
Having been an agent for so many years, Thomas had keen insight and observational skills. Seeing Elisa’s hand constantly in her pocket, along with her stiff and unnatural demeanor, and evasive gaze, he sensed something was amiss.
Then, it dawned on him. His face twisted, his eyes filled with hostility.
He lunged towards Elisa, grasping her right hand and forcibly pulling it out, discovering a recording device hidden inside her coat.
“Trying to trap me, are you?”
Elisa’s face was in disarray, her misty eyes uncontrollably spilling tears.
“… Thomas, I just want to terminate our contract,” she tried to resist, but Thomas’s grip was too strong. Fearful, her whole body trembled like a blade of grass in the wind.
Thomas glared at her sinisterly, deleted the recording, and for precaution, formatted his phone, then smashed it on the ground, shattering the screen.
Elisa cried out, “Don’t…”
Thomas thoroughly searched her, ensuring there were no recording devices. Then, he grabbed Elisa by her hair, throwing her to the ground. Her hair was clenched in his hand, forcing her fragile face upwards, her eyes as frantic as a startled deer.
Thomas gritted his teeth, “To terminate the company’s contract, you’ll have to pay a hefty penalty. Can you afford such a sky-high sum?”
Elisa timidly shook her head.
Thomas sneered, “If you can’t afford it, then behave yourself. Don’t scheme against me. Let me tell you, these are just leftovers for me to play with. You’re not qualified to play with me.”
Surprisingly, someone usually so timid dared to thwart him. The more Thomas thought about it, the angrier he became, and he raised his hand, forcefully slapping Elisa.
Though she dodged, her neck still got hit. She collapsed to the ground, holding her neck, tears streaming down her face.
Her emaciated body lay on the ground, hands protecting her head, resembling a pangolin tightly curled up to stay alive. She choked out, “The contract the company gave me is completely illegal, forcibly suppressing my labor, defaming my reputation. The company’s obligations and powers should be equal. What you’re doing is a serious violation of the law.”
“Violation?” Thomas seemed to find it a huge joke, arrogant as he said, “Then go ahead, sue me and the company. Go on!”
Seeing Elisa’s feeble expression, he laughed arrogantly, “You’ve forgotten, with just that little money of yours, you probably can’t even afford a lawyer. Furthermore, with your current reputation, even if you speak out, no one will believe you. Elisa, can’t you just behave yourself? You insist on courting disaster. Even if I gave you ten lives, it wouldn’t be enough for you. No money, no evidence, and you still want to threaten me. Ridiculous!”
After his tirade, he disdainfully sneered.
After all this mockery, Elisa’s face grew increasingly pale. “You have no regard for the law.”
Thomas stepped on the phone, squatting down. “Elisa, let me tell you, as an employee of the company, you should obey the contract you signed in the beginning. The company arranges everything, and you do as you’re told. You’re right – the company is like a pimp. Didn’t they pimp you out initially?”
Elisa’s face turned cold.
Thomas smiled, threatening her bluntly, patting her fair face like one would a dog, “If you’re not convinced, you can only endure it. After all, crushing you would be like crushing an ant. If Mr. Kentala doesn’t speak for himself, the company will speak for you. It’s not the first time, after all.”
“As for the company contract, you signed for ten years. It’s only been three years, so there are still seven years left. If you really can’t endure, you can choose to die.”
Perhaps over the years, Thomas had grown accustomed to being an agent, used to oppressing the artists under his wing. Once someone becomes arrogant, they can’t hold their tongue. He forgot the basics of being human, arrogantly taunting Elisa.
Still unsatisfied, he wanted to continue striking Elisa. She dodged to the side, “Thomas, this is a public place. Are you sure you want to lay hands on me here?”
Thomas indeed stopped, though it was a private room, there wasn’t much soundproofing, and staff outside could likely hear any commotion and intervene.
Thomas spat, “Settle the bill, and let me remind you, don’t play tricks with me. If I catch you again, I’ll finish you. I wouldn’t mind the company pimping you out again, after all, your face is good enough to accompany drinks.”
Elisa seemed frightened, not daring to lift her head. Thomas felt it was pointless, just like trying to prop up mud against a wall. He got up, opened the door of the private room, and left.
Once he was sure he was far away, Elisa’s eyes turned cold once again. She picked up the shattered screen of her phone from the ground, tore off a tempered glass film, then a protective film, and finally, a silica gel packet.