CHAPTER 101

"WELCOME BACK ON.... LOS ANGELES TIMES WITH ME NOOH SMITH. On the same issue regarding Eleanor DeLaRue... what's your opinion on the upcoming movie Rustom where she co-stars alongside Drake Anderson????" the man who called himself Nooh Smith asked accompanied by a heavy thick accent. He seemed half Asian and half Caucasian. Indian perhaps?

"I would say it was going to be a bomb as the entire world was expectant for that movie....Except it won't be anymore after Eleanor backed out and requested they change actresses...." the reporter sitting across the table replied.

"Change actresses when the entire movie is almost filmed??" Nooh asked, seeming shocked.

"That's what's shocking everyone.....how can they consider changing actresses when the movie is only two weeks away from being completed. Considering the shoot was halted for a month is already an catastrophic now changing actresses is just an abomination.... Eleanor is really acting selfish....." she added the last part with a smirk and a very rudely sour tone.

I couldn't believe how even women would not take my side in such a case. I was literally being vandalized like public property but all they cared about was a stupid movie.

"Would you tell me why you keep watching these things???" Lauren switched off the TV and handed me a cup of coffee.

I sighed and received it, taking a sip. I placed it down and hugged the cusion tight.

I was disturbed and confused amidst this entire dark fog that had befallen me.

First it was the mystery of the dead girl then the case of Lane Min Joon, and came the weird amazing man that saved me and now Drake. His behaviour was very disturbing.

Everything had just taken a drastic turn and although I was the victim, it all seemed to be backfiring as though I was the witch hexing the whole world.

Every person hated me and I didn't like a single bit of it.

I couldn't even believe it was the very same me that used to be the pride of the world. It was an odd paradox that a society, which can now speak openly and unabashedly about topics that were once unspeakable, still remained largely silent in a matter as sensitive as mine. Were there any humans left on earth or just a jingle full of animals?

I picked my phone and decided to go online but a few reviews shocked me even more.

Earlier on, Los Angeles Times had confirmed through an evidence based video clip that I wouldn't be starring in the movie anymore. The news spread quickly online causing their website to slow down and crash from user overload making them suffer outages.

The Wikipedia foundation reported nearly a million visitors to my biography within one hour; probably the most visitors in one hour period to any article in Wikipedia's history. As much as it sounded as a good thing and highlighting my fame, it was surely a very bad thing.

"Eleanor....drink your coffee....I said no TVs..." Lauren sat in front of me and I raised my eyebrow at her.

"....and phones...." she rolled her eyes, snatching the phone away.

"You need a moment to breathe....." she moved close to me and literally placed a mug in my hands.

"How can I? I've become the world's largest laughing stock and it's humiliating....." I sighed holding tightly to the coffee mug that was surprisingly still hot.

"I can understand but you don't have to let it sink in you..... we'll handle it...I think you need to hold a press conference...explain to everyone your side of the story...."

"And what? Gain their pity? no thank you...."

"Of course not, Eleanor. You just want them to understand you. What they're doing is unfair because they don't know the truth of the matter.....if they knew how much you were suffering....all this will be cleared up....." something in her words was able to succeed in making me get her.

I was disappointed in everyone else at this point.

They didn't care what happens to me, even if it meant I die just as long as I give to them what they want. My life was meaningless to them and entertainment is all that mattered.

How terrible a life.

"Have you heard from Natalia lately? Or Elroy...what about him???" she asked and I shrugged, my face rubbing my forehead against my wrist.

Elroy and Natalia where the most useless people in the entire world. I was a model and actress signed under their agency but they didn't care in the least about me given this whole crisis.

They didn't even bother to control the media and instead just wished for the show to go on.

Ridiculous Fools.

"Am not interested....in meeting either of them....." I groaned and sank myself in the couch.

"Am sorry to say this but you have to. They are your bosses and whether you like it or not, you've got to talk to them about this. How about Gemini.....??" Lauren asked worriedly and a thought came to my mind.

Even Lauren works for them and she was just trying to secure her job by persuading me to talk to them.

I can understand her perspective but I really wasn't interested in talking to them. They hadn't even tried to reach me after this crisis and why should I be the one reaching out to them? I was their money making machine and nothing more. That's why they did this.

"Eleanor...." Lauren went at it again and I clenched my teeth.

"Please....was it not you that said I needed a moment to breathe???" I asked and she immediately for the signal and kept quiet.

I was suddenly furious and angry.

All this time she had been as quiet as an angel but now her otherwise was resurfacing.

How could I not see it? She was on Natalia's side.

She is registered with them and it's a shame to even think she'd care about me.

How could I let myself think that she would dump her boss for me?

I rubbed my eyes and tried to hide the years that were there. An odd silence embraced us and I could feel the awkwardness after what just happened. Silence said to be an antidote to the stressful lives we lead, offering benefits to both mind and body but this silence was purely opposite.

Fortunately, my phone vibrated alerting me of a text message which I decided to check.

I picked it up and entered the pattern unlocking it and opening the picture.

"Aaahh!!!!!" I shrieked and jerked throwing the phone down, smashing it against the carpet. To my misfortune, I spilled the hot coffee on my lap saving me a few burns as it penetrates through my jeans.

"Eleanor....are you alright????" Lauren quickly turned to me and palpated my face and hands helping me stand up after she saw the coffee on my legs.

"No...no...no...!!" I pushed her hands away and cried, squishing my body in the corner of the couch as I cried.

I hugged the cushion and tried not to remember the image I just saw but it was almost as impossible.

"What's wrong Eleanor???" she asked and I backed away from her. The tears blurred my vision and I rubbed them off to look right at her face.

"It's me Eleanor....Lauren...what happened my dear....???" she asked kindly and I looked at her still confused. I let out intermittent soft sobs and looked at my phone before burying my face on the pillow.

I felt her walk and pick my phone causing me to raise my face and look at her. Her eyes widened, followed by her fingers grasping her mouth. She looked at me and back at the phone.

"You... will... die.... too..." everyword echoed in my head alongside the memory. The same picture of the girl in the bathtub but this time with her head chopped off was sent to me. She seemed more rotten than before and I knew I was going to throw up in a second.

"Oh No...!!!"