FIFTEEN

We were once again on set. It had been a busy week since Ivan had been pressuring us for not making enough progress. I couldn't blame him much though; he was investing so much into this, but we kept getting bogged down in our personal beef. First, it was Osse and me, now it was Wade and me.

Wade continued to act like a different person, parading Gabriella around and snapping at everyone. It was almost unbearable to watch. The tension on set was crazy, and I felt responsible, even though I knew it wasn't entirely my fault.

As I tried to focus on the script revisions, my phone buzzed again. Expecting another message from Char or Ivan, I was surprised to see my mother's name flashing on the screen. My heart sank. She never called unless she needed something—usually money.

With a deep breath, I answered. "Hello, Mom."

"Wendy, finally! You never answer my calls," she said, her tone already accusatory.

"I'm busy, Mom. What do you need?" I replied, trying to keep my voice neutral.

There was a pause, and I could hear her taking a deep breath. "It's not just about money this time. It's serious."

My stomach tightened. "What's going on?"

"It's your sister, Karen. She's in trouble," my mother said, her voice breaking slightly.

Karen. My younger sister, who always seemed to have her life together. "What kind of trouble?"

"She's been arrested," my mother said, barely above a whisper.

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. "Arrested? For what?"

"Drugs, Wendy. They found drugs in her apartment. She swears they're not hers, but the police don't believe her," she said, her voice cracking.

I felt the room spinning around me. "Where is she now?"

"She's in jail. They set her bail, but it's high. I don't have the money," my mother said, desperation seeping into her voice. Yeah, it was eventually about money, but Karen was the most important this time.

"How much?" I asked, bracing myself.

"Twenty thousand," she replied, almost pleading now.

I closed my eyes, trying to process everything. "Mom, I don't have that kind of money right now."

"You're joking, right? With your fancy job in the movie business? You must be rolling in it," she snapped, pausing for a second. "Oh right, you think I wasn't aware?"

"Mom, it doesn't work that way. Most of my money is tied up in expenses. I can't just pull out twenty thousand dollars," I explained, my frustration growing.

"Well, you need to figure it out, Wendy! Karen needs you. This is life or death," she demanded, her voice rising.

I sighed, feeling the weight of her expectations crushing down on me. "I'll see what I can do, Mom."

After hanging up, I sat there, numb. Karen in jail for drugs? It didn't make any sense. I needed to talk to someone, but Wade and Ivan were the last people I wanted to turn to right now. I decided to call Charlotte instead.

"Wendy! What's up?" she asked, her voice cheerful.

"Char, it's Karen. She's been arrested," I said, my voice shaking.

Charlotte's tone immediately changed. "What? Are you serious? What happened?"

I quickly explained the situation, and Charlotte listened intently. "Oh, Wendy, I'm so sorry. What are you going to do?"

"I need to get her out, but I don't have that kind of money. I'll have to figure something out," I said, my mind racing.

"Do you need me to come down? I can be there in a few hours," she offered.

"No, Char, it's okay. I just needed to talk to someone. Thanks for listening," I replied, grateful for her support.

"Anytime, Wendy. Just let me know if you need anything, okay?" she said.

"I will. Thanks, Char," I replied before hanging up.

As I sat there, a new resolve formed within me. I needed to go home. It was the only way to deal with this. I couldn't ask Ivan for money; it would complicate things even more. But before I left, I would have to speak with Ivan for some time off.

I immediately called Ivan, letting him know I had to see him, but instead of going to him, he said he was coming to me. So I just sat there, waiting for his arrival. While everything went on, I couldn't concentrate; I just wanted Ivan here so I could be on my way home.

It wasn't long before Ivan called me back, informing me to meet him outside. I got up immediately, packed my things, and signaled to Osse that I was leaving. He didn't even care if I showed up or not; after all, it gave him enough of a chance to take full control.

As I was leaving, I heard Wade call after me. I turned around to see him running towards me. That was new, considering his attitude these past few days. "What do you want now, Wade?"

"Why are you leaving so soon?" He sounded different, more like the old Wade. Why? Did he have some sense knocked into his brain? However, I wasn't in the mood to talk to him. I needed to get home to my sister.

"Why do you care?" I snapped at him, looking back with worry about keeping Ivan waiting.

He sighed, facepalming himself. "I need to talk to you."

"Listen, we can't talk now. I need to—" I was cut off by Ivan's voice calling after me.

"Wendy, you ready?" I looked back to see Ivan waiting in his nice black suit, staring down at his wristwatch like he was in a hurry. I turned back to Wade apologetically, but his initial soft, remorseful look had now become ice cold once again.

"Really? Ivan again? I bet both of you couldn't wait to even wrap up here," he said harshly. I shook my head, trying to make him understand, but he wasn't up for it. "Just when I thought we could work things out, but you know what? Fuck you!"

Wade stormed off, and I brushed him off, not wanting to bother myself with him. I hurried over to Ivan, who looked at me with concern.

"What was that about?" he asked, nodding towards where Wade had stormed off.

"Nothing important," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I just need to talk to you."

We settled into his car, and I took a deep breath, preparing myself. "Ivan, I have a family emergency. I need to go home for a while. I'm not sure how long it will take."

Ivan's eyes filled with worry. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"It's my sister. She's in some trouble, and I need to be there," I said, avoiding his gaze.

"Do you need help? Money? Anything?" he offered, his hand reaching out to touch mine.

"No, Ivan. I just need time. Please," I said, pulling my hand away gently.

He nodded, though his eyes were filled with worry. "Take all the time you need. Just let me know if there's anything I can do."

"Thank you," I replied, turning to leave.

He dropped me at the apartment saying he was late for a meeting. "Have a safe trip Wendy and please, call me!"

He had promised to have Alfred book me a ticket back home and drive me to the airport. I rushed back to my apartment, my mind swirling with thoughts of Karen and the mess she was in. As I packed my bag, my hands shook. I stuffed in essentials, not bothering to be neat. A couple of changes of clothes, toiletries, and my laptop went in haphazardly. I paused briefly to grab a photo of Karen and me from my nightstand—an old picture from happier times, both of us smiling broadly. I slipped it into my bag, a talisman to remind me why I was doing this.

Ivan really kept true to his word. Within an hour, his assistant called to confirm the earliest available flight and arranged a car to take me to the airport. I could feel his concern and support. Just as I finished zipping up my bag, my phone buzzed with a message from Alfred: "Car is waiting downstairs. Have a safe trip." I took one last look around my apartment, trying to ground myself in the familiar before plunging back into the chaos of my family.

The car ride to the airport was a blur. The driver, a middle-aged man with a kind face, tried to make small talk, but I was too lost in my thoughts to respond much. My mind kept drifting back to Karen, to the disbelief in her eyes when she was arrested. I wondered how she was holding up, alone and scared.

At the airport, the driver helped me with my bag, wished me luck, and left me at the entrance. I checked in and made my way through security, feeling like I was moving through a fog. Every step brought me closer to home, but it also brought back memories I had tried to bury.

I found my gate and sat down, clutching my ticket. The minutes ticked by slowly, each one dragging out my anxiety. Finally, it was time to board. I found my seat, a window seat near the back of the plane, and settled in. The hum of the engines was almost comforting, a white noise that drowned out my racing thoughts.

As the plane took off, I stared out the window, watching the city I had come to love shrink below me. I thought of Ivan, of his worry and his kindness. I would miss his presence, but I knew I needed to do this alone. I needed to be strong for Karen.

The flight was long, but I barely noticed. My thoughts kept cycling back to Karen, my mother, and the money we needed. I tried to sleep, but every time I closed my eyes, I saw Karen's frightened face.

When we finally began our descent, I felt a knot of anxiety tighten in my stomach. I wasn't sure what I would find when I landed, but I knew I had to be ready for anything. The plane touched down, and I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what lay ahead.