‘I'm giving you a chance to play the lead role of the play!’
‘We just want some wages. That price is too low for you. Now that we don't accept it, we're looking for someone else.’
‘Alright. I accept. I'm going to transfer tonight.' 'yes. We go first. Let's go.’
The negotiation ends with my witness. It all caught my eye clearly.
I do not hold back much longer, and left. There is still a glimpse of my silhouette. That eyes were spiteful, indignant mixed with doubt, the streaks of tendons appearing on clenched hands as if to foreshadow a signal that that person would kill someone. But suddenly the secret person quickly turned back to the bewildered deer, no longer exuding a terrifying expression.
The following days are terrifying for those who signed up for the contest. A person who is not seriously ill and admitted to the hospital with a cleft head and forehead. The number of participants is decreasing significantly, most of whom are in the top 10 of the best persons. Now it's just me and Alice who haven't been hurt.
Today is the third rehearsal day, and it is such a stressful day of uncertainty over who would come to the hospital. All are doing the dance scene in the big hall. Alice plays Juliet, Vincent plays Romeo, I play the nanny who takes care of Juliet. They are standing in the middle of the stage rehearsing the scene where Romeo and Juliet first meet through the aquarium. The surrounding all turns into glittering waves as if they are all in water. When two people see each other through the glass of the aquarium, suddenly the screw falls into the aquarium. The play is paused, two of them look up at the ceiling. The spotlight bulb is falling.
'Alice, step back.'
Alice listens to Vincent's voice and steps back, but her shoe suddenly breaks the heel, causing her to fall. The lamp follows the momentum of falling into the fish basin, the loud swirling sound shook everywhere, causing shards of glass to splash. The person who runs past me is Leviz. She is nervously running to Alice's side.
‘Alice, are you okay?’
‘Le…Leviz…My leg hurts.’
Beneath Alice's feet are blooding, large patches of wounds lacerating the white flesh. Everyone surrounds Alice. Vincent approaches, holds Alice in his hands and takes her to the infirmary without speaking a word.
Since the day Alice was injured, the whole school has withdrawn its application to participate. With only 40 people left, the play is irrevocable, and Juliet's character must be re-elected. On the stage, only me, Tina and Leviz remain. Tina is the school's notorious actress. She joins with the aim to restore the reputation that has been taken by Alice. She does not seem as scared. She trusts she would be cast in the play.
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‘We've chosen who will play Juliet. Congratulations Leviz, you have been chosen.’
Leviz jumps happily. I wasn't shocked by this result, on the contrary, Tina was shocked to the point of anger, and turns to grab Leviz's collar.
‘Bastard. You play me! Jerk! There's no way the poorest kid in this school with bad talent could have the lead.’
Leviz laughs coldly and knocks her hands. I just cross my arms and stroke my hairs to watch the play. Leviz brushes off the clothes that have just been touched by Tina.
‘You say I'm poor? So you haven’t yet looked at the stock prices of your and Alice's house. It was all in my hands. I'm the richest person in this school now, do you understand?’
Leviz is now like a madman, squeezing Tina's chin so that she could clearly see the anger in those eyes. She pats Tina's face slightly, laughs and raises her eyebrows triumphantly.
'How you treated me back in the day, I'll treat you like that.'
Lu Shuo stands up and smiles at me like a close friend. I am the most disgusted of this kind of person but interested. I walk into the dressing room. I see Leviz coming in, closing the door, sitting down on the nearby sofa like a queen, looking at me with half an eye.
‘I didn't expect you to help me get those shares. It was also thanks to you that I am no longer poor. Thanks.’
She swipes the fire, smokes a cigarette, says, 'Ivy, how do you want me to return the favor?'
I think for a moment, and stare at her, ‘Let me see! You negotiated with me a fair amount of money the other day. Seeing your crying pitifully, I agreed to help. Now I want to... your protagonist.'
She slams her face and throws the cigarette in her hand to the ground, stomps on it. I still look at her with a smile as she smiles at me on the stage. So she gets even angrier, stands up and approaches me, pointing to my face.
'This lead role, I don't allow anyone to disturb my plan. It’s mine.'
‘So you're not afraid of being betrayed? I can make your stock price go up and down. I don't like those who take advantage of my benevolence. Because you made fun of me, I forgive you. It's not because you have money.’
I walk out of the room, open my phone to see messages on messenger. It turned out to be a message on a group chat.
Sister Tina: What's wrong? My acting is cool right? Give me a lot of applause.
Vincent: Not too bad but not too cool.
Sister Tina: Huh, you only have a beautiful face, do not compare it to my ability....
Alice: What's wrong Ivy? Is everything okay?
I send a recording of the conversation between me and Leviz to them and say, ‘Everything is following our plan. Let’s do as per the plan.’
The message is sent. I smirk. The fun will start now...