By the time the game was done, Viviana looked like she came out of a gothic painting. Her makeup was melting, coming off. The Red mascot cursed at himself for taking up this job just for a few more bucks.
He also cursed at Lyra for being so dumb for not being able to answer even a single question.
Feeling pity for the victim for his abuse, he helped Viviana stand up without a word.
"Thank you." Came the soft voice of the actress.
But instead of feeling the gratitude from the girl, he shivered at the calmness in her voice. He couldn't help but wonder if it was one of those calmness before a storm came raging.
He, like the other staff, was wondering if the actress who had a bad reputation for firing her staff would burst out in anger and leave the show. Or just attack Lyra like she did to Madeline Wells two years ago, which would eventually lead to a pause in the filming. Or worse. The show got banned.
On the contrary, his worries turned out to be unnecessary as the head-to-toe soaked woman went away to change her clothes.
.
.
.
"Why did you get so smart with your mouth?"
"Why can't I get smart when your barbie is playing the game she shouldn't? I wonder if her brain is also made of plastic. Can't even answer a single question."
Viviana talked back to the agent, not forgetting to mock his favorite girl.
"I thought I told you to just lay low."
"If you wanted me to just act like a stone then you should have not sent me here. What do you expect from me when you send me to a variety show?"
"…"
"I would have just stayed quiet if not for your sweet little girl poking at me every single second she got."
"…"
"It's a courtesy not to kick a dying man. Tell her not to be so impatient."
"…"
Agent Yan waited for a few seconds before he asked,
"So, you do not plan to renew the contract?"
"I'm…" Viviana sighed. Then continued
"Tired"
She did not specify what she was tired of. But. It was the truth. She was tired from having to play the vicious and jealous stepsister, friend, fiancé and what not. She was wondering if she even liked acting for her to be stuck in this industry.
"…"
Agent Yan looked at the actress who was lost in her own mind.
"Get out."
Then she suddenly commanded him.
"??"
Agent Yan gave her a questioning look, asking her what she just said.
"What!"
But the actress questioned him instead.
"Don't tell me you have to see me change clothes now? Hey! Don't be such a perv_"
"I'm going."
Agent Yan snapped before Viviana could finish her sentence and then headed out of the changing room arranged by the production team. He did not forget to slam the door on the way to show his frustration.
Just when he felt that there could be something he should do for Viviana, the girl did not let him forget that she was the reason he would soon need Blood Pressure medication.
'Indeed. It was better for her to quit.'
He thought before he went to check up on Lyra.
.
.
.
After a break of about thirty to forty minutes, the production team was preparing to get back on the track of the show. Director Jone was now having a second thought on the matter of Viviana and Lyra.
Yes. He did want the conflict between them to gain more viewership. He felt no guilt for using the artists for that. But he didn't want that much trouble in his paradise, which he worked so hard to build.
Before he thought Viviana was the one he needed to mind as she had a bad reputation amongst the Filming Industry for being hard to get along with. He thought that even if she did bully Lyra in front of the camera, it would not be excessive.
But from what he saw, Viviana was not the problem. Lyra was.
From what Jone had heard. Viviana was an arrogant and rude woman while Lyra was the complete opposite of her. She was a kind and polite young lady. But the kindness and politeness of this young lady was looking more and more pretentious to him.
On the contrary, Viviana, who's rumored for being abusive to her staff and co-worker, seemed to be an aloof girl. She had not even said anything about what had just happened in the game, which left the director and the production team on their toes with anxiety.
Now he was beginning to doubt all the rumors he had heard of Viviana. If any of them was the truth.
All the guests, leaving out Viviana, were in the sitting area, a tent arranged by the production team. Derrick had also gone to clean himself up before he joined the rest.
"Miss Viviana is still not here?" He whispered to Bryson, whom he shared the closest relation with amongst all the guests.
The younger man shook his head as a reply.
"Huhh…"
The comedian sighed as he watched the 'star' of the event they had before. Lyra was sitting at a distance, with Tang Tang comforting her.
From her looks and all the news he heard, he thought that the young idol would be a gentle girl. He should have known that looks could be deceiving.
Bryson was thinking the same. Viviana was rumored to be the rudest and most temperamental in the Entertainment Industry. That she did what she wanted, without caring to give the higher up respect.
'If Lyra treats Viviana like this then…'
Bryson did not continue his thought. He turned his back to look at the idol who was sitting solemnly with a cup of hot coffee in her hand. Her eyes were fixed on the coffee, as she was being comforted by her friend. Anyone who didn't know what happened and saw her like this would think that somebody had wronged her. And never the other way round.
'You really shouldn't judge a book by its cover.' The e-sport player thought. Then added. 'And a girl by her looks…'
In the meantime, Lyra was listening to her friend's comforting words.
"Lyra. I'm sure that you don't mean it. Miss Viviana would understand that…" Tang Tang then added. "Nobody will think that you did it on purpose."
Lyra took in a sharp breath. That's it. That was the problem.
People will either think that she did it on purpose. Or that she was just outright dumb. To not be able to give a single correct answer out of the ten questions. What would she do if this was aired?
'Should I tell the director to cut this section off?'
No. She did not have that much ability….. Unless she went to Director Yan…
But she did not want to do that either….
What Lyra was thinking was the truth. The guests and the staff who became the spectator to the event had different opinions regarding what had just happened.
Some were thinking that it was a retaliation to Viviana's comment on how dumb she was before the game began. While others were bent on the thought that Lyra was just too simple minded to understand the witty questions prepared by the production team.
"Do you think she'd just quit?"
Ming Ruo Xuan asked Daniel. The two had worked on a few projects together and were close enough to have a comfortable conversation.
The man listened to the question and thought for a while before answering.
"I don't think so."
"hmm…" Ruo Xuan also nodded. "Me too."
Then she added an opinion of her own.
"If it was me, I'd wait for a chance to give her back the same treatment."
"Hey! You should not be saying those so openly."
Daniel advised helplessly. It was clearly not the first time he had heard such comments from the actress.
"What? There is nobody here to hear me."
The two were seated at the corner and were speaking in low voices. With the music playing in the background, nobody would hear what she said. After all everyone was stuck in their own conversation to care for the two of them in the corner.
Or so she thought.
Daniel just sighed and nodded his head to a direction. The actress turned to look, only to be greeted by the dumbfounded face of Bryson, who didn't have enough time to collect himself and pretend that he did not hear what he just heard.
Getting his lost mind together, he just smiled and made a zipping gesture on his mouth under the threatening watchful eyes of the actress. Only after seeing that did Rou Xuan get back to her conversation with Daniel.
Bryson sighed, taking in deep breaths as he placed his hand on his chest, feeling the fast pace of his heart.
'Really… Never judge a girl by her looks.'