Chapter 3
The next second, Eugene looked away and said coldly, "Who told you to bite off more than you could chew and try to go up against Maria? And you even had the nerve to throw shade."
With that, he took Maria by the hand and walked away.
People started whispering all around.
The salesperson rushed over and quickly helped me up. "Ma'am. Are you okay? Should I call an ambulance?"
I gritted my teeth and shook my head.
Using the salesperson's help to stand up, I called my agent again right away.
Trying to hold back tears, I said, "Add another clause to the contract. The music diva Karissa Harrell must participate in StarVoice."
"StarVoice?" My agent was stunned. "What a coincidence. They just happened to invite us to be judges on the show."
"Great." I cut him off, my voice shaking with pain. "Get the contract ready. I'll come sign it immediately."
StarVoice was the most popular music competition show nationwide.
Every episode would take over at least half of the trending topics online.
If Maria performed this song on StarVoice, that meant the whole nation would be listening.
And the song would blow up everywhere and become a nationwide hit.
If Karissa got to hear Maria perform this song live on the StarVoice stage, that would be epic.
In my previous life, Eugene pushed me off a cliff and left me broken beyond repair.
This time around, I was going to put them on the biggest stage there was.
And when they were riding high, I'd make sure they saw themselves crash and burn.
I got home after signing the contract and was surprised to smell food cooking.
I was stunned for a second.
It had been forever since anyone actually cooked here.
Eugene said my cooking was awful and suggested we eat out instead.
I took it seriously and worked hard to improve my cooking.
Later, I realized he just didn't want to eat anything I cooked at home.
The table was set with four dishes and a soup, all cooked exactly how I like them.
Eugene peeked out from the kitchen, apron on.
He wore a smile I'd never seen before, looking all eager to please.
He said, "You're back? Come, have a seat. The soup's just ready."
I didn't move.
"Is your back still hurting?" he asked.
He quickly grabbed all sorts of new creams and patches.
He reached out, wanting to rub some on me.
I sidestepped to avoid him.
I looked at him and said, "If you have something to say, just say it."
His hand froze in mid-air, and his expression stiffened for a moment.
"Well, here's the thing," he said, licking his lips. "Maria's about to be on StarVoice. She needs a bunch of equipment, especially a pro mic."
He glanced at me after he finished talking.
I pretended not to get it. "So? What's that got to do with me?"
He said like it was the most natural thing in the world, "You're her senior, so of course you have to help her."
I let out a laugh.
No wonder he went out of his way to cook up a whole spread of my favorite dishes.
All was just so I'd foot the bill for his dream girl Maria's fancy microphone.
"How am I even her senior?" I leaned back in my chair.
Eugene's expression shifted.
"Out here, I'm like her brother," he said. "She's got nobody in this city. If she doesn't lean on us, who else can she turn to?"
"If you want to help her, whatever," I replied coolly.
I picked up the soup bowl and took a slow sip.
The soup tasted pretty good. He really went all out.
Shame, though, all that effort wasn't for me.
Eugene's eyes brightened, and he leaned forward eagerly.
"You said yes?" he asked.
I nodded.
He held out his hand. "Just hand over your card."
I looked up at him.
"Come on, if Maria hits it big, you'll definitely get something out of it too," he coaxed.
But I could see the desperation in his eyes.
I set down my soup bowl and pulled a card out of my bag.
His eyes lit up, and he practically lunged for it.
I pulled my hand back. "Are you sure you want to help her?"
He nodded frantically and snatched the card from me.
If he wanted to screw himself over, that was his business. I wouldn't stop him.
That card held every penny he had.
He clutched the card tightly in his hand.
There was even a flicker of emotion in his eyes as he looked at me, like he was genuinely touched.
"Taylor," he said, holding my hand, "you finally grew up."
I just gave a small, knowing smile and kept quiet.
*****
Early the next morning, Eugene rushed me out the door like it was some kind of emergency.
He claimed it was all about "broadening my horizons."
But honestly, he just wanted me there to wait on them hand and foot.
As soon as Maria saw Eugene, she rushed over and hooked her arm through his.
"Hey Eugene, you're finally here," she said.
They completely ignored me, acting like I wasn't even there.
But honestly, I couldn't care less.
The place was packed with microphones of every kind, from entry-level models costing a thousand dollars to top-tier ones going for over 100 thousand dollars.
Maria walked in and, whether she meant to or not, her gaze drifted straight to the priciest mic in the room.
"Eugene, this one is so pretty," she exclaimed.
She pointed at a microphone bedazzled with diamonds.