First Kill (II)

10:01 A.M. 

ASN Studios. 

June 21st, the year 2018. Thursday. 

"What are you gonna do to resolve this?! Margo, you are one of the most popular actresses of this year! Yet you made the noise that can destroy your name and, of course, your reputation!" Manager Ines shouted right across the long table in her office. Margo clutched her sling bag close to her abdomen and didn't dare to look up to see her manager's wrathful eyes. 

"Do you know how much patience I need to make you a star?! Huh?! You owe your career to me, Margo!" Manager Ines yelled again and scoffed after. She scowled, walked through the water dispenser, and poured a full glass of cold water. Silence overtook the entire office. Manager Ines cleared her throat again. 

Margo didn't disagree. She even admitted the situation with Tristan was not right. If she didn't kiss Tristan that day, her career wouldn't end abruptly like what was happening right now. Her acting journey was all she had, and yet, it's taken back from her. 

"And now, face the consequences. Lose your career, that's it! In one blink of an eye, Margo!" Manager Ines clapped sarcastically. Margo's tears dripped down her puffy and red eyes. She clasped her bag at the side. Margo even neglected herself from seeing Carmela these days. 

Margo came back to reality when Manager Ines knocked on the table. She looked up and sniffed. Her manager raised her eyebrows as she said something. 

"You want to stay quiet after what you have done? It's Tristan Dera you had a scandal with and you didn't even know in the first place that it is Katrina's suitor!" Manager Ines hissed at her. Margo wiped the tears and mustered up the courage she had left and had been hiding, in a nutshell, all this time. 

"It's not Katrina's boyfriend, for god's sake!" Margo shrieked. 

Manager Ines chuckled and retorted back, "So what, Margo? Everyone was watching for their relationship. And you ruined it, hmm. You still made a mistake! You shouldn't act out if you weren't thinking about it twice!" 

"Think before you do something, Margo! You are so clueless and to top it all off, so reckless!" Manager Ines bellowed, pointing at her temples. Margo breathed out as she knuckled her fists on her lap.

"Do you understand what I am saying? Huh? You must reflect on your decisions first before making them!" Manager Ines bellowed. It made someone passing by look at the glass window of her office and thought that something was wrong. She held her forehead while tucked her loose hair behind her ear and stood up in a haste. 

"Where are you going, huh?! Turn your back to everything that was going around you?!" Manager Ines barked as Margo gripped the doorknob. Margo quickly remembered what she had to say to her manager. She turned her back around again and faced Ines. 

"Ines, thank you for all your hard work. I paved my way in my acting career, and it is all thanks to you. I would not be here if it weren't for you," Margo said softly and bowed her head down at 90 degrees. She looked up and met her manager's gaze for a moment as she gripped the knob. 

"It's time for me to go," Margo whispered at the door and her manager heard it. 

Manager Ines crossed her arms inside while Margo put her hands over her mouth. She dropped her head down as production teams recognized her as Margo Monteverde. She only wore a plain shirt and tight jeans, no elegant clothes on. 

She swept her loose hair on both sides of her face as the tears dripped down on her eyes. She clutched her sling bag close to her abdomen to control the sobs. Margo exited the ASN Studios with a blurry vision and she exhaled the pain in her chest.

When she was about to walk over to the parking lot, her cell phone vibrated. It was coming from Carmela, her assistant. 

... 

Carmela was trying so hard to unclasp Hannah's arms from around her waist as she dialed Margo's number. Her aunt Martha successfully grab a hold of Hannah's body. She went upstairs with the child in her arms while the howling becoming much louder and louder. It was 10 o'clock in the morning, and she never even heard from Margo a few days after she visited her. 

Katrina must have been crazy when Carmela spoke of some sense to her. She was drunk that day that she didn't know what she was talking about. But Mina and Abbey became mystified why Katrina said that. They knew Katrina was not careful about her words, but that was way too much. 

She dialed Margo's number, and it rang on her first call. Margo answered on the first ring. Carmela heard the rustle of the wind and the chatter of the people in her surroundings. They both hold on to the line for a few moments when Margo started the conversation. 

"Why are you calling Carmela?" Margo faltered. Carmela felt she was trying so hard to hold her tears back. It's the way she answered. Her voice was a little too squeaky. Her hunched breath added to Carmela's right instincts. 

"Hey. I was wondering what you were doing?" Carmela asked, cheering up the atmosphere.

Margo looked at her feet. She averted it after a while towards the trees across the entrance of the ASN Studios. Margo murmured, "I'm fine." 

Carmela nodded and mumbled, "I know you are not." 

Margo pretended to chuckle, "I am, Carmela. You don't have to worry about me." 

"Margo, about Katrina---" 

"No, it's fine. I understand why Katrina said that," Margo muttered. Her insides trembled in fear as the winds whistled across the surface that made her shiver. It feels like someone was watching her. She turned her head on both sides, and observed whether someone was staring at her from a distance. There was nothing.

"It's not, Margo. We talked some sense into her after she went sober yesterday, and she wanted to say sorry," Carmela lied. Katrina is a hard-headed one. She still stood for what she said, even though Mina and Abbey discussed it with her. Marcus's assumptions were correct. 

He told Zoey and Matthew about this, so they talked altogether yesterday. Katrina doesn't have any plans on regretting it. 

"It's okay, Carmela. And I have to go. I need some time to rest," Margo whispered. She hung up the phone before Carmela could say anything. 

"Be... careful," Carmela uttered through her phone when she knew Margo couldn't hear it. 

Margo ran over to the parking lot and quickly climbed into her car. She exhaled, closed her eyes several times, and leaned her head on the steering wheel. 

The rumbling of the thunder and lightning overtook the sunny day. The heavy rain poured down heavily on Margo's car with the loud gust of wind with it. She started the car and zoomed out so fast through the lot and out onto the highway. 

Her car was swiveling through the national road as she screamed like a maniac. 

"What happened, Margo? Remind me I lost my career because of Xian," Margo reprimanded. Her shoulders shook, and she didn't know what to do anymore.

... 

As the rain dripped down through the window, Carmela looked out through their gate. She saw a car stopped in front of their house. The red back light gleamed through the stormy weather. Carmela heard someone climb out of the car and slammed the driver's door. She squinted her eyes and widened her eyes as she saw Marcus. 

Carmela quickly walked to the front door. She got out a charcoal colored umbrella from the corner rack and opened the door. She walked down the front porch stairs slowly and fumble for the keys on the padlock. Carmela panted as Marcus smiled at her. 

"What are you doing here, Marcus?" Carmela asked. 

"I need to show you something," Marcus mumbled. He went in the door and shared an umbrella with Carmela. She furrowed her eyebrows but still nodded, and they headed inside the house. 

Marcus wore off his shoes as Carmela guided him through the sofa. Marcus sat down on the long couch while Carmela sat on one of the lime sofas. 

"What urgent matter is it you dropped by here?" Carmela asked. Marcus fumbled for something on the insides of his jacket and got out a folded paper.

"Some informant dropped this folded envelope in the late dawn earlier at the guard's desk. A police officer gave it to me an hour after I went here," Marcus discussed. Carmela glanced at the envelope and looked back at Marcus. 

He sighed and began, "There was a note outside of it earlier. And I thought about showing this to you since you have the right to open it."

Carmela narrowed her eyes and muttered, "What is it all about?" 

Marcus mumbled, "The informant noted it was all about Torres Productions' bankruptcy."