Ugh, being the only supporter of Ezekiel was exhausting. Every day, I received hateful messages and death threats.
Joke's on you all. I already faced death once, I'm not afraid of any of you.
I was ranting to myself when my phone suddenly rang.
I picked it up right away.
"Hello?"
"Viola!"
a voice shouted so loudly I had to pull the phone away from my ear.
"Jhon?"
"Where are you? Did you forget you have a shoot today as a special guest in a movie?"
"Oh shoot... I totally forgot."
I'd been so busy replying to every post about Ezekiel that it slipped my mind completely.
I rushed to get ready, threw on some makeup, and within a minute, the company van pulled up to take me to the set.
Inside the van, I slumped into the seat and used the ride to rest. Balancing school, work, and defending Ezekiel online was brutal. But I still made time to visit Rebecca when I could.
About thirty minutes later, we arrived at the filming location, and the staff immediately got to work prepping me. I wasn't an actress by profession, but I occasionally took small roles the agency arranged for exposure.
Today, I was playing a high schooler saved from gangsters by the male lead. It was a short scene, the kind where the female character falls even harder for the male lead after seeing him be heroic.
Just as we were about to shoot, the female lead approached me. Charlotte Devoune. A former B-rank hunter who transitioned into acting. She was a B-rank magician, if I remembered correctly, and very popular.
"So you're Viola?" she asked, eyeing me from head to toe with a judgmental look.
"Yes, I am."
"I see. You're not that pretty in person."
Wait, what?
Was that an insult?
Sure, I didn't have the same mature allure she did, or her balloon-sized chest and butt that looked like a balloon was planted on them on purpose, but I still had the youthful charm on my side. I knew I wasn't hideous, so what was her deal?
I held back my reaction. We were in public, and I didn't want to start a scene.
As I looked at her, I noticed a faint scar on her cheek. It had been covered by makeup, but you could still see it up close. Probably from a fight, maybe back when she was still actively hunting.
She leaned in slightly.
"Seriously, why did they make you the ambassador of Jean Brand? You're not even a ranker."
These days, it was true that many celebrities were also hunters. People idolized them, called them heroes, and gave them all the best jobs. But still, was it really such a crime to be in the industry even if I wasn't a ranker?
And wait, was she at that audition I did a long time ago?
I smiled at her instead of answering. Every comment she threw, I met with silence.
"Tsk. Bitch."
That did it.
I'd been called plenty of things before-- loser, pig, attention-seeker, but this was a first. My blood boiled.
I couldn't let that go.
"Miss Charlotte!"
I called out, loud enough for the nearby staff to hear.
She turned around, irritated. The others paused and looked over too.
"*That scar on your face*... it's not very visible, but it looks like it must've been painful. I really hope you're okay now. Despite *that scar on your face*, you still look dazzling, and I admire that you've accepted *that scar on your face* and continued living your life with confidence."
The atmosphere shifted.
Whispers spread through the crew.
"Did Miss Viola really just mention her scar?"
"Everyone knows Charlotte hates when people bring that up. That's why she covers it so well with makeup."
"Yeah, I heard she got it during the Palladium entrance exams that she failed to get accepted. A magical weapon injury. Even top healers and doctors couldn't erase it."
Charlotte's face turned bright red. Her glare said she wanted to deck me right then and there.
But someone nearby mumbled,
"Maybe Viola was just concerned. She sounded sincere."
"Yeah, she's called the Saintess of the Internet for a reason. She's young and kind. Probably didn't mean any harm."
I couldn't believe that ridiculous nickname actually helped me in this situation.
Bleh. Serves you right, hag.
"Okay, everyone, get into position!"
The director shouted, stopping the slight commotion around us.
We began filming, and I gave it everything I had. This was my chance to show that aunty what I could really do.
When the moment came, I let the tears fall, looking as pitiful as possible. The scene flowed smoothly until the director called out,
"Cut!"
Afterward, he walked over to me.
"That was amazing acting. I really liked how you cried. It felt genuine, like you were actually being bullied. If you're planning to expand your acting career, feel free to reach out to me. I'd love to help."
I lit up at his compliment and replied,
"Thank you, Director. I'll definitely let you know if I ever decide to pursue it seriously."
While we continued talking, I could feel someone's glare burning into me. Of course, it was Charlotte.
The shoot ended, and I headed home. I still needed to study.
Sunday came, and I planned to visit Rebecca again. On the way, I watched a sneak peek of the movie we had just filmed. It featured the very scene I was in.
I scrolled down to the comment section, and a creepy little grin tugged at my lips.
People were saying I overshadowed the female lead and that Charlotte's acting felt a little off.
Hehehe. If Charlotte was reading this, she was probably being eaten alive by rage.
I would love to see her face right now.
Soon, my ride came to a stop. I had arrived at the hospital.
I walked through the hallway toward Rebecca's room when a nurse stopped me near the entrance.
"You must be the girl who visits Mrs. Solace. I'm her nurse. I'm sorry to inform you, but she was transferred overseas for better treatment about three days ago."
"What?"
Why hadn't she told me the last time I was here?
"Her family decided to move her as soon as possible,"
the nurse said.
"But she left something for you."
She reached into her pocket and pulled out two letters.
"Here. I've been carrying them in case I ran into you."
"Thank you."
I took them from her hands.
Rebecca never owned a phone or rather, she didn't want one. She always said it was a hassle and a waste of money for someone like her.
That meant I couldn't contact her unless I physically came to visit.
So she must have left a letter instead.
But there were two.
I looked closely. One was from Rebecca.
The other one... was from Ezekiel!?.
Oh my God. Was this a reply to all the notes and letters I had left him over the past year?
Even though most of them were just filled with encouraging words and little doodles to cheer him up.
Goodness. I didn't know if I should open it yet. And I had no idea whose letter to read first.
I felt a little sad that I didn't get to say goodbye to Rebecca before she left. Still, I was relieved to know she was seeking better medical care.
But now, curiosity and excitement bubbled inside me. What could Ezekiel have written?
A letter from my hero.
It felt like being noticed by your favorite idol. You know the feeling.
My emotions were all over the place.
But what I didn't know at the time was that this would be the first and last letter I would ever receive from both mother and son.