One

|ATHENA|

Five years later:

“I’m nervous. I can’t feel my throat anymore. Help.”

I was all sweaty, and my hands were clammy from anxiety. I couldn’t do this. I should just go back home and—

“Calm down, Athy.” Mina placed both hands on my shoulders. “Everything is going to be fine. Have some water.”

Mina brought out a bottle of water from her bag and handed it to me. God, she was the best agent. I quickly gulped down half the bottle of water and thanked her.

I hadn’t even walked inside the building, yet, I was already so nervous. I wanted to audition for the role of a female lead in an upcoming movie.

This was going to be the start of a new life for me. If I failed this, then I’ve failed, period.

The audition was being held in an extension building of Star Galaxy Entertainment, which I must add was the most famous and upstanding entertainment company ever created.

Since they were fully sponsoring this movie, the audition was going to be hosted out here. I shouldn’t be so nervous about it. The director of this movie was an old friend.

He told me that I was the best actress who was going to be auditioning for the role. If I could just calm my nerves and do what I know how to do best, the role would be mine.

Yet, this fucking anxiety stirring inside me…

“Are you calm now?” Mina asked me with a concerned tone.

We’ve been paired for less than a month, yet she’s been the kindest person to me. Maybe it was because she knew that I really needed just one big splash to make it once again in the entertainment world.

Everything I had was riding on this audition. I couldn’t chicken out now.

“Not really. But I’ll be fine. I have to be fine.” I reassured both her and myself.

I remembered the reason why I was doing all of this. If I couldn’t conquer this audition, how would I achieve my real goal?

“That’s good. You still remember your lines, don’t you?” Mina asked, I nodded.

The audition consisted of me playing two different scenes of my supposed character from the movie. In the movie, the female lead was the daughter of a gangster leader who eloped with and married a poor common man because of love.

However, after marriage, she faced abuse from this common man because she was basically better than him in all aspects and the man developed an inferiority complex.

She suffered for years under his hand, until one day, she got the courage to report him and send him to jail. Then she returned back to her family as a prodigal child and realized that her father and the relatives she had were all dead to be replaced by a new gang.

The new gang leader was a young and cold man who chained her down the moment she returned and made her his personal maid. But they soon fell in love, and after many trials together, they get a happy ending.

I was supposed to act out the scenes where the female lead would stand against her father and the one where she realizes that the husband she left her family to be with was a monster.

This character was basically designed just for me. I had to get the role no matter what.

“Come on. Let’s go in.” I said to Mina, then we walked inside the building.

The receptionist at the front desk gave us directions to the auditioning room. Mina and I found the hallway leading to the room easily. We were about to take a turn to get there when I suddenly bumped into someone.

“I’m sorry.” I quickly apologized, even before seeing the person’s face. Being courteous was a must now that I was starting all over again in this industry.

The person I apologized to tsked in response. I lifted my head to see a young man who easily towered over me.

He was wearing a white button-down shirt with black trousers. He had a very slim and toned body. And his face… There was only one person in the world who could be said to have this kind of ethereal beauty.

“North…” The name slipped out of my mouth before I even realized.

His slim gray eyes widened in that second, showing that he recognized me as well.

“Oh, my goodness, hi! It’s been so long. What are the odds of meeting you here?” I spoke to him with a friendly tone.

Suddenly, a deep frown settled on his face.

“Who the fuck are you?” he asked rudely.

I was physically and mentally taken aback. Surely I didn’t look that much different from seven years ago, did I? And I thought he recognized me.

“It’s me, Athena Carson. You don’t remember me? We played China and Celia together in ‘The CCs’ show eight years ago. You’ve forgotten?” I said, using my hand to gesture at two Cs that almost formed a heart.

That used to be our signature gesture in the show. We acted together for over a year with two great seasons.

North’s frown only deepened at my explanation. Then his lips formed into a sneer, and he said, “Oh. It’s you.”

He said only those three words, but I have never heard someone use a tone so condescending to speak to me before.

“Pardon?” I said, trying to understand why he was being so rude to me.

“Athena, huh? You fell off the grid so pathetically, it took me a while to recognize you. Tsk. What are you doing here now? Want to get back into the spotlight?” North spoke with a snobbish tone, and I was really lost.

I always knew he had a sharp-tongue, but I never thought that one day I’ll be on the receiving end of it.

“I don’t know why you’re being rude to me, but yes. I’m back to get into the spotlight. Have a problem with that?” I bit out boldly.

North’s eyes drew into thin slits for a moment, then enlarged to their regular size.

“Good luck with that.” He simply said, then sidestepped me and walked away.

My hands had already tightened into fists. His good luck wish did not sound like a good luck wish at all. That bastard! How dare he act so smug with me?!

“Athy.” Someone shook my shoulder, bringing me back to reality.

I turned my head and realized that Mina had been standing next to me this entire time. I suddenly felt embarrassed that she had seen me getting cooked by North.

“There’s less than five minutes to the audition. Where’s your head at?” Mina said.

I thanked her mentally for not asking about the exchange between me and North that she just witnessed.

“You don’t need to worry. It’s all good. My head’s fine.” I said with a smile.

However, I couldn’t stop replaying the words, “Oh, it’s you,” inside my head.