As Annie's phone vibrated, she woke up in a groggy state, still feeling the exhaustion from the previous night. She contemplated reaching for her phone, but her weariness held her back.
Meanwhile, as Martin left the room, Annie instinctively wished to stretch her hand toward him but hesitated, ultimately retracting her arm.
Outside, the sound of Martin answering the phone carried through the closed door.
"What? Trouble with the investments in Atlanta and Asia?" The urgency in Martin's voice was palpable. Those outside could hear the commotion, causing their voices to rise. "Bruce, where are you? Right outside the door. Just give me a moment."
The door opened and closed as Bruce entered the living room. "I received a call from Atlanta," he began. "The IRS and FBI are scrutinizing the investors' accounts, and funds can't be transferred."
Martin's frustration was evident. "How on earth did this happen?"
Bruce, momentarily flustered, fumbled with his words. He retrieved a simple script from his pocket and stood before a camera he'd brought along. "The Asian investors are inexplicably pulling out their capital upon hearing this news," he read from the script.
Martin slammed his hand onto the sofa and discreetly gestured an offensive hand gesture at Bruce. He expressed his annoyance, saying, "Both of our projects are on the line!"
Bruce calmly continued to follow the script, advising, "You need to quickly reconcile those accounts. If they conduct an audit, it'll be a major headache."
Martin, his voice filled with dread, exclaimed, "I don't have the funds to cover it! What can we possibly use as collateral? Our cars? Those gems?"
Bruce, still reading from the script, replied, "It won't be enough."
In a panicked tone, Martin acknowledged, "We're headed for bankruptcy, reduced to paupers!"
Bruce made a suggestion, "You could ask your agent to secure some ad deals and take on additional roles. There's no other way..."
Inside the bedroom, Annie opened her eyes but chose to remain still, afraid of revealing her presence.
Her thoughts raced as she grappled with the situation. She couldn't help but wonder how it had come to this.
Martin's voice broke in again, this time with a hint of reassurance. "Hey, don't make a fuss. Don't bid farewell to anyone just yet. We can handle this; it's just a crisis. Once we overcome it, we'll soar again." Bruce pocketed the script, turned off the camera, and headed out, saying, "I'll wait downstairs."
With Bruce's footsteps fading away and the door closing behind him, Annie's head was a whirlwind of emotions. She finally sat up, gripping the sheets as if to release her pent-up frustration.
"Why did it turn out like this?" Annie wondered, her mind racing. As she ventured out of the bedroom, she was overwhelmed by her emotions and couldn't contain her anguish, falling to her knees and letting out a scream.
After venting some of her pent-up emotions, her mind began to clear. Her first thought was, "What should I do?"
It was evident that Martin was facing severe financial difficulties, possibly bankruptcy, and even investigation by the IRS and FBI. Annie had heard his words herself; Martin's future looked bleak.
Annie also began recalling other details she had overlooked in the whirlwind romance with Martin. He hailed from the slums of Atlanta, drove an ordinary car, and rented a modest apartment. Except for the gem, were the other gifts he'd given her genuine or mere embellishments?
Annie's realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Besides that single gemstone, there were no luxury cars, no diamonds, and no mansions. Her so-called prince charming was little more than a pauper.
As the pieces fell into place, Annie understood that Martin was financially destitute and possibly embroiled in legal troubles, and she, as a princess, didn't want to share in his misfortune.
Annie couldn't help but feel relieved that she hadn't invested her own money in Martin or entangled herself financially with him.
Her next steps weighed heavily on her.
She decided that the princess should not suffer alongside a pauper.
Annie took out her phone and dialed Laura's number. "Come over right away," she said.
Laura arrived promptly, seeing the distress on Annie's face. She inquired, "What's wrong?"
"I want to break up with Martin," Annie declared coldly. "Please help me find the gifts he gave me. I want to return them to him."
Laura was taken aback. "Why... why?"
Annie chose not to reveal the true reason. "He and I have irreconcilable differences. That's all. Don't ask any more questions; just find the items for me."
Though Laura had more to say, she ultimately complied. "I'll look for them."
Annie grabbed her phone and pressed a number key, initiating a call to Martin's number with a single click.
"Should I end it today?" She pondered the question, her thoughts drifting back to a middle school classmate who had been through IRS scrutiny. Even those merely involved with him in financial disputes had been through unbearable stress.
Speed was of the essence.
Just then, Laura entered the room, carrying a box that she placed on the coffee table in front of the sofa. Inside were a few of Martin's gifts.
In reality, there were only three items in total: the horn carving and tusk pendant, the star map roster, and the jade plaque.
Annie picked them up one by one, cursing herself for her naivety. How could a man give such paltry items to a woman after only two months of dating?
She thought, "It doesn't matter if you're poor, but this guy is a miser!"
"A pauper and a miser?" Annie scoffed. She found a random handbag and tossed the horn carving, tusk pendant, and star map roster inside.
She then opened the mahogany gift box containing the jade plaque, inspecting its brilliance.
Annie decided, "I accidentally misplaced this one."
Laura remained silent, sensing the situation was delicate but unwilling to comment.
Annie handed the handbag to Laura. "In the afternoon, go to Warner Studios and return these items to Martin or Bruce."
Laura couldn't fathom why Annie was being so ruthless and asked cautiously, "Is it truly irreversible?"
Annie responded with a resolute shake of her head. "This relationship is in the past."
Observing Annie's troubled state, Laura wisely held her tongue.
Annie ran her fingers through her hair, clutched her head, and closed her eyes.
After some time, she suddenly snapped her eyes open, grabbed her phone from the sofa, and pressed a number key once more.
...
In a small office at Warner Studios, Bruce plugged a data cable into Martin's phone, connecting it to the computer. He copied the video recorded at the hotel and began playing it.
After watching for a while, he quipped, "I'm quite the actor."
Martin, sitting beside him, waved off the remark. "you couldn't even remember my lines. I was really tempted to kick you out."
Bruce muttered, "I forgot my lines. It happens. If you look at all NG scenes, many of them result from actors forgetting their lines. At least I had the script with me so I could read from it immediately."
Martin teased, "Are you planning to recite 1234567 live, and then I'll find a dubbing artist for you?"
Bruce sighed, admitting his mistake. Changing the subject, he asked, "Annie hasn't called you. Will she realy propose to break-up."
Martin had no time for idle conversation. "Secure the video properly and don't forget the scenario we've set. I have an audition to attend. You meet me at the hotel for a makeshift rehearsal to help me become familiar with the lines and the role."
Bruce commented, "You've truly lost your humanity."
Martin responded, "Better safe than sorry. As long as she doesn't confront me directly, that video will remain hidden."
Bruce sighed in mock admiration. "True love is truly remarkable!"
Just as Martin's phone rang, Bruce plugged in a data cable.
"Hello, Annie," Martin greeted. Before he could speak a second sentence, Annie's voice came through, resolute. "Martin, I've thought it over, and I think we're not compatible. Let's break up."
Martin was stunned. "Break up?"
"Yes, I'm heading back to New York. I'm at the airport now."
"Why, Annie? Everything was fine when I left!"
"Enough talking, Martin. Let's just part ways."
"Why?" Martin persisted, caught in the throes of a love he couldn't escape. "Why are you doing this?"
Anne suddenly raised her voice, exasperated. "Are you accusing me? Fine, I'll tell you why!"
Brimming with grievances, she vented, "Because you're on the brink of bankruptcy!"
Martin hastened to explain, "Listen to me..."
But the call abruptly ended, replaced by a busy signal as Annie disconnected.
Martin unplugged the data cable and looked at Bruce with a helpless expression. "Poverty is really an incurable ailment."
Bruce saved the video and recordings to the same USB drive, disconnected it, and tossed it to Martin. "You and Annie should've not been together in first place. You're not a match for each other."
Martin retorted, "At least I haven't set my sights on Anne's sister."
Bruce was left momentarily speechless, then his phone rang. It was a call from Laura, Annie's assistant.
"Annie is done. I've returned all the gifts you gave her," Bruce relayed as he retrieved the items from Martin's bag and placed them on the desk.
Martin examined the collection and remarked, "One item is missing."
Bruce noticed and realized what it was. "The most valuable one is gone. That gem."
Smacking his forehead in realization, he remarked, "I take back what I said earlier; she's just like you!"