Her plan with the writers. She couldn't focus on Mark's review due to it.
The moment she realized her phone was under surveillance, she had no other choice than to counterattack. She had written the entire plan on papers for each member of the team to read so they wouldn't discuss it aloud.
Therefore, she had a stack of letters for everyone, explaining the strategy Jayden and Cedric had devised and advised them to use from now on.
Before she could handle the letters she had prepared, Mark had already initiated their usual conversation in the literary cenacle.
"I like your writing style, but the plot is too linear, it lacks spark..." he told her honestly, as he always did.
"I think you could improve the story. Add some suspense and intrigue. You're just describing a nice relationship...but you know people aren't interested in a simple story of 'we met, we fell in love, we had a happy ever after.' Add some obstacles, some twists... People love the journey, not the destination."
His verve was interrupted by a question he had: "By the way, why didn't you describe the female character and let people assume she's not beautiful?"
"I just wanted to write a story about an unattractive girl who is in a relationship with a handsome boy... Maybe there will be many girls who would relate. Quite like the story of Alexandre and me," Marie-Rose explained.
The five men at the table, Ovide and Andre having now joined them, all made skeptical grimaces, not entirely sure if she was being serious.
"But that's not true, you're a pretty girl," Mark eyed her, trying to gauge if she was just being modest. "No, it's not a good idea, people prefer an attractive character."
"I actually had an idea regarding this," she said as she opened her phone to scroll through social media. "Let's look up Raul, I think he can help me with some translations. I just need a few expressions in the native language of the male lead...something to add spark and confusion and create some misunderstandings to pose an obstacle in the way of their love." In truth, she had a list of possible obstacles but they were all worn-out clichés, already used by too many authors.
She suspected it was actually Raul who had initially occupied her spy's thoughts, as he had been the primary suspect in the minds of her persistent stalkers. However, the moment she used Anne's boyfriend's image, their attention immediately shifted, now convinced that her writing centered around him. Therefore, there was no more danger that she would compromise Raul.
Besides, he had a very pretty brunette girlfriend. Stalkers could easily think she used their couple as inspiration for her story. But then she remembered the reactions of the frustrated ladies who had chased her in the streets, sent by the network of informers. When they saw her picture where her hair resembled the hairdo of Raul's girlfriend in their avatar picture, who coincidentally had the same name as the fourth witch in their newly established coven, they had become incensed:
"So you took a picture together!!!" they had ruffled, as if their behinds were scalded. If stupidity would hurt, they'd have been long dead.
Realizing her explanation was still pending, she addressed the writers' waiting, eager eyes, hungry for the revelation of her artifice: "I could tap into the similarity between 'schön' and 'schon' so that the main character thinks the male lead doesn't consider her pretty. And build the story from there. I can quite relate given the way I hear spoken German." In a lively tone, she presented her resolution: "She just thinks she's not pretty because she was bullied when she was in school."
"Speaking of misunderstandings, I remember a funny episode with Livache when he told a dog that he was a dirty thing and a guy turned around to retort, thinking Livache was talking about him," Mark voiced his anecdote. "This would be similar to the story twist idea you mentioned. Not bad, though."
"But while we wait for me to write to Raul and before we go on, please take a look at this new chapter and let me know your opinion," she said, extremely convincing.
The table was enveloped in silence as the writers went through the written rows, their eyes illuminated by the spark of understanding.
None of them said anything; they silently approved with a nod of their head or a knowing look in their eyes. They continued to act normally.
When she was sure everyone was on the same page, Marie-Rose showed them a meme that she had posted on her wall: "Steals my identity, pays for my bills." She never posted any memes on her social media that alluded in any way to the people following her.
But since Daniel was not in her friends' list, at least not with a real account and name, she afforded herself the luxury of hinting at him, only known to her close friends. Others might simply enjoy the joke about inheriting the debts of the person whose identity you stole. It was not always the happy case where you could feed on their bank account. It was the only time she posted something deliberately, directly attacking a person. Even if he was absent, it was still personal.
"You know, I'm the type who can catch a glimpse of a meme or picture on social media and a whole story unfolds from that image," she said, forgetting to watch her mouth.
"Absolutely, to clear the cobwebs when writer's block strikes, I scroll through images, and the next chapter of my story unfolds effortlessly in my mind," Henry concurred, aligning himself with her perspective.
"What do you think, does this meme accurately depict Daniel's choice?" she laughed alongside the writers.
Her remark elicited a frown and grimace at the other end of the line, where the spy was listening in on their conversation. Unfortunately they hadn't yet implemented their plan, and no one had turned off their phones.
Thinking about the meme, she also realized the memes she saw on her browsing pages were not just a random occurrence. The frustrated hacker particularly targeted her to the extent of modifying the script. It wasn't the fault of the AI, as they claimed. The algorithm was written specifically for her, primarily to humiliate her and make her lose her mind.
Even if he did so, it was already too late. Marie-Rose knew his entire strategy. She was one step ahead of him and had no intention of playing along with his plan to satisfy his insatiable need for self-validation.
Moreover, she deliberately fabricated all sorts of deceitful stories to scandalize her stalker. The eavesdropper will hear precisely these farces.
Mark concluded their laughter with a new set of questions about the novel she was writing. It was the first time she was writing alone and she needed his expert advice, as she tended to digress down untraveled paths that could easily derail the plot for an inexperienced writer. She had been a little stubborn lately in her attempt to break clichés.
"Marie-Rose, I was wondering...why did you choose such a dull male character?"
"Dull?" she couldn't contain her dissatisfaction with the characterization.
"I mean, readers like tall, handsome characters who are rich or powerful, and your character is a simple, plain average Joe. Additionally, you even named him so."
"But you know I don't like tall, massive, excessively muscular guys with pretty girl-like faces. Why the heck would I have to imagine a romance between my sweet main character and a guy like that?" she bristled.
"But you write for the people who are paying you, and this is what they want," he said.
"That's exactly what I'm doing," she replied. "I'm writing for the people that support me - my friends from the urban planning department, my music circle, and my friends working at the hospital. I'm writing for the people that pay me, so I'll write exactly what they wish me to write about. End of story."
"But… Marie-Rose, you should expand your reader base," he insisted.
"Well, sure, in that case let me add a reverse harem, so I can gain more supporters," she joked sarcastically.
"That wouldn't be a bad idea..." Andre chimed in. He had a developed sense of humor he used to tease his writer friend, with whom he co-authored a novel about their favorite music genre.
Co-author was just one way to explain their dynamic. They were all actually part of Mark and Henry's writing class in the literature club. These were mere assignments preparing them for potential collaborations with real publishing houses. Marie-Rose was already tasked with sending the draft of her novel entitled 'Oblivion is Inevitable' to a publishing house, while the others had their own works on the pipe.
They just kept amusing themselves with the exercises they had started long ago.
"No, keep the harem for our novel," Ovide rushed to preserve the content of their own novel intact and singular. He and Marie-Rose were writing a magical realism novel with an incorporated system, targeted at a female audience. So they had added the reverse harem element, which they found highly amusing. They derived some "slice of life" from their office lives, much to their friends' delight.
"What type of boy should we expand the harem with in the next chapters?" he mused rhetorically, hinting to the previous disagreement.
"I don't know...do you have any suggestions?" she asked of everyone at the table.
Ovide was one of her former patients, just like Alexandre, her former boyfriend who was actually one of the invited guests tonight. He had become a frequent presence at the writers' meetings and wasn't going to miss this one. In fact, Alexandre knew her first as an author and when he found out she was a therapist, he sought her out and specifically requested that she be the one to treat him.
"Well, you don't have a green-eyed guy yet," Henry correctly noticed. Involuntarily, his remark brought the image of Jayden instantly before her eyes. Pieces of memories from last night invaded her mind. She preferred rough style, but his technique, if that art could even be called technique, left her at a loss for words. She was on the verge of crying from the wave of emotions that flooded her last night - the attraction was so powerful it was as if someone had cast a spell on them. Donum dei, they have been gifted with the donum dei, there wasn't any other valid explanation.
Of course, they had cloaked their ritual under mundane names, like "let's make kids." Hadn't Cezar complained they didn't have kids? Well, they were in the making. All with the purpose to confuse her stalker. Oh, but then she hoped the crazy man had no knowledge of the existence of her son. She feared her son falling into the hands of the org, becoming a slave to their plans. Or worse.
Other moms would proudly show off their children. She had to look around to make sure nobody saw her with hers. No wonder she ended up working for the office of Child Protection.
"Guys, how about we have a boy with fluffy cheeks instead?" she countered the initial idea.
"Marie-Rose, girls want to read about golden boys, you'd kill your own novel which already lacks an interested audience. System novels lack a female reader base. Truth is, we all love to fantasize about being chosen by the golden boy or girl."
"But why, there are many boys with fluffy cheeks who are cute! Nobody gives credit to a simple boy." she pouted her lips. "Besides, it's a harem, does the diversity do any harm?" She pondered the army the heroine had gathered.
"Can you give me an example?" Mark required.
"Well, yes!" she quickly remembered an example. "But he's an editor, and I don't want anyone thinking I'm interested in him just to get his backing if I praise his appeal."
In the story, they already had lots of tall, muscular boys with various hair and eye colors and races. She would definitely insert this fluffy cheeks one instead of the green-eyed boy. 'I don't want any hint leading to Cedric. Or to Jayden, even if he's the one I admire most.'
"I actually saw an extremely nice guy in an airport once, whose cheeks were a little fluffy, they were so cute. And another one at a fast food place, I loved how he gave me special treatment when everyone else was captivated by Jolene." Jolene was a star, fan would surround her for autographs anywhere she went.
She pondered a bit more, then remembered other examples. "I can give you at least three more examples of public figures who aren't conventionally attractive but have charisma. Two rappers and a philosopher, all locals." Maybe it was because they were successful and perceived as powerful?
"But would you choose them as your partner? Did you feel attracted to them?" Henry tried to undermine her convictions.
So, these guys had been the only ones with fluffy cheeks she ever felt attracted to, but why should she give Henry such details when it has never been the case? They never flirted with her.
What kind of question was that when she had already met the man she could love? Jayden was not a cute fluffy face, but his rough, masculine appearance was all she saw in her mind's eye all day long. She was that crazy about him.
"It wasn't like that. I just admired their overall look. They weren't flirting with me."