Chapter 6

Early the next morning, Sylvia's phone rang.

She glanced at the screen. It was Quaid Grant, her old acting professor from college, who was now the vice dean of the drama school.

"Sylvia, it's Quaid. I heard you're heading to Havenport? How could you not tell me about something this big?" Quaid asked.

Sylvia quickly reassured him, explaining that she hadn't meant to keep it from him.

Quaid said he wanted to give Sylvia a proper send-off and suggested a dinner.

Sylvia tried to decline, saying she didn't want to trouble him.

But Quaid wouldn't let up. "What's with the formality with a teacher. It's settled then. Tonight at seven, at our usual spot. I'll get a few classmates who are in Hinston to join us. You have to come."

After that, Sylvia really had no choice but to agree.

To Sylvia's surprise, when she opened the door to the private room that evening, Edwin was already there.

He was her senior and one of Quaid's star students.

Josie was sitting right next to him.

Even at a class reunion, Edwin brought Josie along.

Edwin looked surprised when Sylvia walked in, then gave her a meaningful glance, signaling her to take the empty seat beside him.

Sylvia pretended not to notice and headed straight to the other end of the table, settling in next to Chloe.

Chloe nudged Sylvia with a wink and whispered, "Why'd he bring Josie along? He did it on purpose, didn't he?"

Sylvia shook her head, staying silent.

They really were a picture-perfect pair. Edwin was dressed in a casual but expensive shirt, while Josie wore a simple yet elegant dress. They chatted quietly, sharing smiles every now and then.

Their classmates kept sneaking glances at them, eyes full of envy and gossip.

Sylvia just smiled to herself. She muttered, "I'd better not interfere. I'll just play the quiet background character tonight."

Josie spotted Sylvia and gave her a smirk, then switched to a faux-apologetic look, her voice just loud enough for everyone at the table to hear.

"Oh, sorry, guys, for crashing your class reunion. I was just bored, and Edwin didn't want me to be stuck at home alone, so he brought me along. You don't mind, do you?" she said.

Everyone quickly reassured her that it was fine.

Josie turned to Sylvia with a smile. "How about you, Sylvia? You don't mind, right?"

Sylvia just smiled and shook her head.

Josie covered her mouth with a playful giggle. "Edwin was worried you might get jealous. Sure, we broke up, but we're still friends. He always treats me like a little sister. As long as you're cool with it, I can stop worrying."

The table instantly fell silent.

Edwin opened his mouth to speak a few times, but in the end, he just stayed quiet.

He gave Sylvia a complicated look.

Sylvia picked up her glass, raised it with a calm smile, and said, "If Mr. Grant doesn't mind, then neither do I. Ms. Stone is a VIP tonight, welcome."

With that, she took a sip of her Whiskey. The fiery burn stung Sylvia's throat.

During dinner, Sylvia's phone kept buzzing in her pocket.

She pulled it out and saw a message from Edwin.

[I just brought her along, don't read too much into it.

[If it bothers you, I'll ask her to leave.

[Sylvia, let's head home together later. We need to talk.]

Sylvia cleared her throat, looked down, and quickly typed back: [No need. You and Josie can go ahead together. I drove myself.]

Then she put her phone on silent, set it face down on the table, and just concentrated on eating, not bothering with it anymore.

Over the course of the meal, everyone reminisced about old times and had a great time chatting. They talked about how they used to forget their lines in dialogue classes, the funny incidents during rehearsals, and even how someone had a crush on Quaid.

Laughter filled the air, one wave after another.

Quaid, his face flushed from the drinks, stood up and raised his glass to Sylvia.

He said, "Sylvia, you were the student I believed in most. I still remember your graduation play. Back then, your dream was to head to Havenport, said you wanted to go out there and give it a shot."

He paused, his eyes a little unfocused. "But then, I never understood why you decided to stay here and took on some projects that didn't suit you. I always felt it was a pity."

He shook his head, then smiled and raised his glass again. "But now, you're finally heading to Havenport, chasing your dream at last.

"I'm so proud of you. Let's toast to you. May your future be bright and may you make your mark in Havenport."

Sylvia's eyes grew misty as she stood up, holding her glass. She said, "Thank you, Mr. Grant."

Sylvia drained her glass. The fiery liquor stung her throat, but warmth blossomed in her chest.

As she set her glass down, she caught a glimpse of Edwin.

He looked utterly stunned, his face drained of color, like he'd just been hit with some unbelievable news. His fork fell with a sharp clatter onto the table.