Chapter 5

I stood there stunned.

When I was young, I accidentally fell into water and nearly drowned.

Ever since, I've been terrified of water.

Once water rises above my chest,

I start having heart palpitations.

After Charles learned about this,

every contract he signed for me

included the same clause:

prohibiting any form of drowning scenes.

"Is there a mistake?" My voice was tight.

"This scene isn't in my script."

The director rolled his eyes.

"This was specially added for you by Miss Nia."

"She said she was worried you'd feel you didn't have enough scenes and feel unbalanced, so she kindly added some screen time for you."

"Charles knows about it too."

Charles...

My heart sank to the bottom.

This was the largest indoor pool at the studio.

I stood by the pool's edge, my whole body already soaked through.

"Cut!"

The director shouted.

"No good. Bella, that expression just now was wrong. Too fake. Do it again."

I was pushed into the water again.

"Cut! Your struggling is too exaggerated. Who drowns like that? Again."

Pushed down again.

Climbed up again.

"Cut! Not enough emotion. Your eyes need to show despair!"

"Cut! Your body is too stiff. Again."

I hung on the pool's edge, soaking wet,

hair plastered to my face, gasping for breath.

"Maybe the pool isn't deep enough, that's why Miss Bella can't make it look real."

Nia tilted her head, suggesting innocently,

"Why don't we switch to the deep end? That way we can capture that desperate feeling of drowning."

My heart dropped.

"I'm not going to the deep end!"

But no one listened to me.

Two hands reached from behind,

gripping my arms on either side.

I struggled desperately as my body was dragged forward,

until below me was an unfathomably deep blackness.

Nia walked up behind me.

She leaned close to my ear, her voice very low,

"Bella, Charles is mine. Go die."

She pushed hard.

My body fell backward.

In that moment the world flipped before my eyes.

Water surged toward me from all directions.

My body was sinking. Water pressed against my lungs from every side.

I kept my eyes open,

watching the water's surface grow farther and farther away.

My consciousness began to scatter.

My eyelids grew heavier and heavier, my body lighter and lighter.

Just as I was about to close my eyes,

a pair of arms wrapped tightly around my waist,

pulling me out of the water.

I struggled to open my eyes

and saw the person before me.

I was dazed.

"...Charles."

"Hahahaha did you guys see how she looked just now?"

"Like a drowned rat, so funny."

"And she's supposed to be an Oscar winner? Can't even do a simple drowning scene."

Nia clung to Charles's arm,

laughing so hard she was bent over.

"Charles, look how scared she was. Your idea was so fun."

Charles laughed too.

I stared at him blankly,

suddenly feeling cold all over.

Charles approached me.

"See that? Without me promoting you, you're nothing."

"In this industry, anyone can step on you."

He crouched down, leaning close to my face, his manner intimate.

"As long as you admit your mistake, I can act like none of this ever happened. You'll still be Bella, still the Oscar winner everyone adores."

He was waiting for me to bow my head.

Nia also walked over, opening her mouth falsely,

"Miss Bella, I'm not trying to break you and Charles up. I'm here to join this family."

"Don't be hostile toward me."

I lifted my head

and spat right in both their faces.

Nia screamed.

Charles was furious.

"Bella, have you lost your mind!"

He turned and left with Nia.

That evening,

the production's official account posted a statement.

"Actress Bella refuses to follow production management, repeatedly acts like a diva, seriously affecting filming progress.

After deliberation, the production has decided to immediately terminate cooperation with Bella.

All filmed content will be deleted."

Attached was an image of the termination letter from the production, stamped with a red seal.

Immediately after, Fletcher Family Media reposted this statement.

"Resist problematic artists. No one is above the rules."

I instantly became a pariah everyone wanted to attack.

All endorsements and film contracts were terminated.

While Nia, stepping on my corpse,

gained countless fans and a good reputation.

On my phone, I received a text from Charles.

[As long as you beg me, I can suppress all the negative public opinion against you.]

I knew Charles was forcing my hand.

He was betting that without him,

I had no way out.

I stared at the retirement statement I'd already drafted on the screen.

My finger hovered over the send button.

3, 2, 1.

I pressed it.

Within seconds, the comment count began to skyrocket.

One hundred, one thousand, a hundred thousand, ten million...