"It's over."
Ella tightly closed her eyes.
A deep sense of disappointment washed over her as the efforts of the past two months seemed to have been in vain.
However, simultaneously, a strange sense of relief lingered in a corner of her heart.
She couldn't confidently identify its nature.
But in a fleeting moment, she recalled a play she had seen when she was young.
During the closing remarks on stage, a nobleman suddenly barged in, pushing aside the male lead and shaking hands with the female lead before the audience.
The male lead, who seemed the most courageous and splendid man in the world, couldn't respond and was pushed aside. The female lead, who appeared destined for the male lead, submitted to the nobleman.
Later, as she grew older, she learned that such incidents were common in the entertainment industry.
However, it was a scene that had shocked the young Ella, who saw the world on stage as independent.
