Fenella’s POV“We are here to voice our rights.” Mallory’s voice echoed through the speakers mounted on either side of the stage.“The right to get protection, the right to form healthy relationships with others, and the right to live comfortably in our environment.”“We cannot achieve any of that if we continue to close ourselves off from what can protect us. Avoiding the topic because we consider it taboo will only lead to misunderstandings. By spreading knowledge about the subject widely, I’m confident we can protect ourselves from the diseases affecting our community.”“Wow! Yeah, I’ve always felt that sexual education should start as early as possible. I really appreciate this movement you’re advocating.” The host exclaimed, clapping to encourage a round of applause from the audience.Since 8 AM until now, which was 10 AM, I have stood on stage with dozens of celebrities, models, and actresses in Mallory’s circle of friends. We were wearing matching white shirts with a red ribbon
Laird’s POVI glanced at the message from Fenella that she sent yesterday. All night, she didn't reply to my messages and only answered my call once. From her voice and way of speaking, she sounded tired. Jessy was also hit by the negative reactions flooding Fenella's personal social media and Gene's office. After some considerations, they decided to stay away from the public eye until the ad dropped.It seems like the ad launch is facing major issues. Yes, I promised not to ask about that ad, even though I'm curious. I have intentionally given her space to calm down, and maybe I'll visit her later in the evening after work.I think it's not going to be a problem. Moreover, next week is the start of the winter holidays. We will go back to Boston to celebrate Christmas with our families. After the chaos and dilemma with Alan, maybe calming down with her mother is the right decision.I rubbed my chin and considered canceling my winter holiday plans with Fenella. Initially, I wanted to
Alan’s POV"Oh, yeah, I don't know why people have been so easily offended lately, but really, no one is harmed, right?"The man on the other end of the phone rambled on about general ethics, social norms, and various other nonsense. I stayed silent, swallowing all of his unhelpful lectures. My eyes rolled upwards every time he recited sections about advertisement broadcasting."Alright, sir. I understand. How about we meet to discuss this matter, hm? Talking in person will surely feel different, right?"Usually, this trick works with some hush money. What else did they want but money? Moreover, in my opinion, this controversy was completely groundless."No, no. I'm not trying to bribe you, sir. I just want to
Fenella’s POV‘She was such a mess!’‘What was Mallory thinking when she approved an ad like that?’‘I thought the ad was pretty funny and creative.’‘She and her friends and her models should have died and gone to hell!’I sighed as I read the comments on Mallory West's official social media page. The internet was still buzzing with arguments about the ad that was released yesterday for the HIV/AIDS prevention campaign. Driven by intense curiosity, I finally opened my own social media page.‘Why did you accept a job like that? The ad only ruins your reputation as an elegant model.’‘I thought she was getting more famous, but it seems she's running out of work.’‘Isn't it her agent who chooses the jobs?’‘No excuses! She should have refused if she didn't want to. This shows that she was okay with doing the ad.’‘I don't know. I thought the ad was pretty funny and creative.’‘People are reacting as if it's the first time they've seen something like this. You can see more scenes like th
Fenella’s POV"Who? Are you sure you didn't read it wrong?”Jessy was still speeding down the road, maneuvering sharply to avoid other vehicles. He also drove through alleys and side streets to avoid the city’s traffic in New York.I repeatedly checked and read the document Laird had sent me. Reading a document on my phone while in a recklessly speeding vehicle was a bad idea. My head started throbbing, compounded by the movement of the car.I reflexively gagged from nausea but managed to hold back from actually vomiting. I briefly opened the car's dashboard, grabbed a small plastic bag from it, and covered my mouth before finally throwing up.“Sorry,” I said, wiping my mouth with a tissue after my stomach calmed down.“Are you okay? Maybe we should stop for a moment and take it easy,” Jessy suggested as he slowed the car down.“No! Keep going, Jessy. We have to stop Laird from going too far.”“Alright. But you need to stop reading that document. Reading it over and over won’t change
Fenella’s POV"How dare you tell me to calm down?! How could you do this to me? Goddamnit!"I yelled again, both of my hands clenching the air. My eyes glared at Alan. He swallowed as I continued to curse him with harsh words."Fenella, darling," Jessy said, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and squeezing them tightly to help me regain control of my emotions."Tell me, Clark. What makes you hate me so much?" I ran my fingers through my hair as tears kept streaming down my cheeks.I never thought that the man I believed was always helping me would turn out to be my schoolmate. The one I rejected before, the one bullied by Amy, is now part of Amy's family?"Is it true that Amy told you to ruin me?!" I asked him again in a high-pitched voice.There was no answer. The man just stood there, frozen, watching me lose control of myself. Jessy kept squeezing my shoulders, and slowly I started to feel the physical pressure, helping me stay on my ground."It's not like that at all, Fenella. J
Fenella’s POVI hadn’t called my mother in a long time. The last time I called her was at the beginning of the new year. My mother wasn’t too interested in my career as a model, and she often worried about me. She worried about me so much, in fact, that I ended up distancing myself from her.My father had passed away for five years. During my first year in New York, my father was still paying for my tuition and living expenses. When he died in my second year, I began looking for a job to pay for everything on my own.He didn’t leave much of an inheritance for us. The company he had built over his lifetime with hard work had to be sold to someone else to cover the company’s debts. Even his life insurance money had to be sacrificed to pay off the bad debts.From riches to rags. I was forced by circumstances to become more independent. That’s why I insisted on working while studying, even though my mother disagreed. But I felt that was the only way to support myself, and I didn’t want to
Fenella’s POV“Fenella! Come on, it's time to wake up.”My body was shaken, and I blinked my eyes because of it. I rubbed my eyes, and then I realized that my mother had woken me up. I got up and smiled slightly at my mother. Honestly, I was happy to see my mother's face again when I woke up in the morning.“Hey, mom,” I mumbled.“Hey, dear. It’s time for breakfast. I made your favorite cinnamon bread pudding,” my mother said as she tidied up the table and my bookshelf.“Okay, thanks, mom.” I got up from bed and tied my hair into a ponytail.“Oh, yeah, don’t forget to sort out the items you want to sell at the bazaar after breakfast.”"Alright.” I gave my mother a quick hug. She chuckled for a moment and returned the hug.After showering, I sat at the dining table and enjoyed my bread pudding. This was the first time I finished a bowl of bread pudding since starting my career as a model. I was supposed to eat an apple and a glass of mineral water for my daily breakfast, but this time,