CHAPTER 242

It had been a week since the audition, and the silence from the producers was deafening. Every morning, I would check my phone, my emails—anything that might indicate whether I had landed the role or not. But each time, there was nothing. As the days passed, I started to convince myself that maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.

I wasn’t sure if I was more disappointed or relieved. Part of me wanted this so badly. The idea of stepping into a role, of being someone else for a while, had reignited something in me that I hadn’t felt in years. But the other part of me, the one that doubted every step I took, told me that maybe this was for the best. I hadn’t acted in so long. Maybe it was foolish to think I could just waltz back into the industry like I belonged there.

“Lucas, slow down!” I called as I watched my little boy zoom around the living room, making car noises as he pushed a toy car across the floor.

He giggled but didn’t listen. Instead, he sped up, making the car crash into the wa