I was startled, looking at her in confusion.
“Who… who told you?” I asked.
“Look at how scared you are!” she chuckled. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”
She whispered, “Many colleagues say they’ve seen the Young Master of The Lynch Family coming to pick you up! Some even saw the station manager greeting you… that’s the manager! Who does he greet like that?”
I remained silent, stirring my coffee in front of me.
“Laura, I didn’t mean anything else,” she said. “I just feel that in such a prestigious family, there should be plenty of news! If you get closer to them, why not take the opportunity to find out? You’d both pursue the truth and accomplish the task.”
This awakened me!
With the deadline for submitting my work approaching, my colleagues were busy with enthusiasm, and here I was struggling to write a single word, which looked awful.
I went home and thought a lot, thinking about the secrets Carter had told me, thinking about the fact that they were half-siblings, thinking about all the complex and strange things in this family, the indifferent and subtle relationship between parents, the seemingly respectful but actually distant and scheming relationship between brothers… Such a story should be something people would want to read.
With all these thoughts in mind, I used The Lynch Family’s story as a prototype and wrote a short drama, similar to those dominating CEO family dramas.
I revised it many times, but it still felt childish. It was my first attempt, and it didn’t go as smoothly as I had imagined. However, with the submission deadline approaching, I had no choice but to submit it to the chief editor.
However, unexpectedly, this short drama, when broadcasted in the late-night slot, turned out to be the highest-rated episode in the history of the program!
Suddenly, I became a popular figure in the Broadcasting Department and the News Department, even attracting attention from the entire television station.
The chief editor greeted me with a smile, his previous condescending attitude now absent. “Laura, you’re truly a hero in our department!” He said, “Before, you were a hidden talent, but now that we’ve discovered your abilities, you must contribute more high-quality articles to the News Department in the future!”
I nodded and responded with a smile.
After he left, Holly pulled me aside. “He acts as if he discovered you… this guy has no shame!”
I laughed in response.
“Now you’re a celebrity! Dinner is on you tonight.”
“Of course,” I thought, “Holly, I owe this success to you! What would you like to eat?”
“I need to think about that!” Holly chuckled. “By the way, I have an important matter to discuss with you. Let’s talk over dinner tonight!”
“Sure.”
I returned to my desk to organize the afternoon interview questions. Suddenly, my phone rang. The name on the screen made my heart skip a beat-Cameron. It had been a while since he contacted me, and during this time, I occasionally thought of him. However, he disappeared completely, as if he had never been a part of my life.
My hand trembled slightly as I held the phone, rushing out of the office. The phone rang for a long time before I finally pressed the answer key. “Cameron…”
“Laura, what the hell are you doing?” His voice was icy, carrying hidden anger.
“What?” I asked.
“Don’t fucking play dumb with me!” he gritted his teeth. “You’re writing that kind of stuff, airing it on the radio, what’s your intention? Do you want The Lynch Family to be embarrassed in front of the entire Jerez State?”
“No, Cameron…”
I felt terrible inside. This man had dominated me, humiliated me, abandoned me, and then disappeared for so long. I was somewhat surprised when I received his call, but he started with such vicious questioning. Did I look so easy to bully?
I smiled, holding back tears, and whispered into the microphone, “What’s wrong? It’s just a fictional story. Why are you so angry?”
“Laura!”
“Cameron, don’t be too overbearing,” I said, my voice trembling. “It’s just a story.”
“As long as the people involved can fucking figure out what the hell this story is implying!”
“Do you think The Lynch Family’s allies or enemies have the time to listen to late-night broadcasts?” I exclaimed, “This kind of thing is only for the night-shift workers, the taxi drivers working late into the night, and those who sacrifice their health for a living! And you, the playboys, are probably spending your late nights in some tender haven.”
“Moreover… moreover, this is just a novel, it’s fictional! Do you even understand what fiction means?”
“You’re quite eloquent!” Cameron sneered. “Laura, I didn’t expect you to challenge me in this way!”
“I’m not challenging you; I’m just doing my job.”
“Very well,” he said indifferently. “With your talent, I think this job is beneath you. I will arrange a better position for you… let’s wait and see.”
His last words, “let’s wait and see,” sounded light, but my heart started to feel uneasy.
In the afternoon, I was summoned to the chief editor’s office.
“What’s going on… your article was doing well, why would they stop it?” he asked, puzzled.
I was startled, knowing that Cameron must be behind this. He acted swiftly-what he mentioned in the morning, he executed in the afternoon.
“Chief editor,” I inquired, “Is there something wrong with my writing? Did I offend someone?”
“No,” he waved his hand, “The station manager didn’t say anything. But it’s precisely because he didn’t say anything that I find it strange.”
I smiled awkwardly, “It must be because my writing isn’t good enough, the plot isn’t smooth, and there are logical loopholes. The audience isn’t stupid… I understand, chief editor. Next time, I’ll be sure to avoid these issues.”
“Wait a moment!” The chief editor interrupted me, then handed me an interview form, saying, “Handle this in the afternoon.”
“Interview?”
“Yes,” he muttered to himself, “It’s just too strange… a program with such high ratings was stopped, and they even specifically mentioned arranging for you to conduct an interview. What’s going on with the station manager? When did he ever care about interviews…”
I quietly exited the office.
The interview form didn’t even specify the location and subject of the interview, it simply granted me half a day off and assigned an interview car.
I found it odd.
I apologized to Holly, “I can’t treat you to dinner tonight, Holly. You see… I have an interview task.”
“Given by the chief editor?”
I nodded, “It seems to be the idea of the station manager.”
“Could it be a promotion for you?” she chuckled, patting my shoulder. “Don’t worry, go ahead! If you really get promoted, we’ll celebrate together!”
I smiled at her.
As the time approached, I called for the interview car and left the TV station.
There were three or four colleagues accompanying me, chatting and laughing along the way. They said this interview seemed quite mysterious since there was nothing specified on the interview form. Could it be that we were going to interview some big shot?
However, the further the car went, the more uneasy I felt. The driver took us to the outskirts, onto a remote road. It was getting dark, and the surroundings were full of trees, making it even darker here.
My heart tightened.
“Where are we going?” I asked the driver.
“Isn’t it the suburban prison?” The driver replied irritably. “You guys from the news department, what are you up to? Suddenly deciding to interview prisoners… traveling such a long distance, who would willingly make this trip!”
Interviewing prisoners…
Who could the prisoner be?
Just then, the car pulled up to the prison, and we showed our interview permits. The prison guards opened the gates and let us in.
Some of my colleagues were excited as it was their first time here, well-prepared with recording pens and interview equipment, ready to show their skills.
But I was drenched in cold sweat, feeling numb all over. I couldn’t utter a word, almost falling out of my seat when getting off the car.
Cameron.
It must be Cameron!
I remembered his call in the morning, saying he would arrange a better job for me… and this was it.
“Today, we received instructions from higher-ups. The TV station manager personally arranged this interview. You will be interviewing several murderers and kidnappers featured in the recent special program.”
The prison guard led us to the visiting room.
I saw my dad being the first one brought out.
This time there was no partition between us. In the spacious room, there was only one table. The officers stood on either side, creating a solemn and severe atmosphere.
I could clearly see him smiling at me. His spirits seemed much better this time, and being imprisoned didn’t appear to have affected him much.
He slowly walked toward me, dragging his shackles.
I screamed, and the guard stopped him, shouting sternly, “Step back!”