The words on the laptop were bold and beautiful, written 'THE END'. Miranda clicked the last full stop of her three-year-long novel, 'Forgotten Melody'. After sending her last chapter, she reclined her body on her desk chair inside her apartment room. Her hands hanged on the air, and her head faced the celling beam with a smile.
"At last!" She exclaimed, a sudden phone call rang on her phone.
She picked up her phone from her desk beside her laptop, the name 'Mr. Anderson ' screamed out on her phone. Swiped the green icon on her call, she said.
"Hello, Mr. Anderson. Isn't it a surprise you call?" She said reluctantly.
Having a call from Mr. Anderson is never a good thing for her. Mr. Anderson was her editor for more than three years before she started the novel Forgotten Melody. Besides having the relationship of author and editor, their story goes way back during their youth.
No one would ever guess they have dated during three different times of their lives. In high school, college and work, and each time they would break up. But their lifes were entwined, not in relationships because they fail every time. But as friends and coworker, their relationship grew stronger despite of their past relationship.
Mr. Anderson wasn't as old as he sounded on Miranda's lips, it's just Miranda preferred the name to create a line between them.
Mr. Anderson, on the other side, sighed disappointingly. "Miranda, what have you done?"
His question came as a surprise for Miranda. "What do you mean?" She asked, taking a second to think about what Mr. Anderson meant.
"You know what I mean Miranda, Forgotten Melody can't end like that. You know that too!" He retorted.
When Miranda finally understood what Mr. Anderson was talking about, she chuckled.
"This is the way it should end, it's the end I have imagined it for three years."
"It's too disappointing. Forgotten Melody is good with a happy ending, not a sad one," Mr. Anderson explained his disappointment through the phone.
Miranda could hear his voice crack with frustration on the other side. She imagined all the possibilities he would attempt to do if she were in front of him. She imagined how he would yell, explaining his point and pointing out every mistake that came across his head. He was chatterbox, talking about everything regardless of the situation.
Moreover, the matter of her ending her novel in a sad tone. It's her choice to make and only hers.
"Mr. Anderson, I don't get it. Why are you so against it?. Sad ending, it's not a bad thing, consider it a trend" She uttered confidently.
"Your so-called trend is raising uproar on our side. Your fans don't like the end of Forgotten Melody , they are complaining. Comments of dissatisfaction are flowing on our website"
Miranda was taken by surprise, she just posted her last chapter in less than five minutes, but already there are reviews on it. She logged in on her laptop and checked the comments. She gasped, comments deflating on her screen every second that passed.
She read as follows:
'This is so disappointing, why should Kael die?'
'I'm so sad, I'm not happy with the ending I request the author should rewrite the ending'
'If I had known this was how it was going to end, I shouldn't have read it'
'What's wrong with the author? After three long years, she decided to disappoint us. I'm not happy
'Not happy at all, very disappointing'
The comments marked her like a printed newspaper. She let out a burst of snicker as her attention went to the phone call.
"This is my finally saying Anderson, I have finished the last chapter of Forgotten Melody. So there's nothing that can change my mind about it. Besides, what is it stressing you? It's the last chapter, and whether people like it or not, they have no means but to read it"
"It still affects the future readers too," Mr. Anderson declared. Miranda didn't seem to care.
"I spent a lot of time writing the last chapters, so I think I need some rest. Let's talk later" With that she hanged up the call and placed the phone aside.
Miranda felt less frustrated than anyone, out there, she understood her fans didn't like the outcome of the story. Their complaints and requests were justified, but she was tired. Tired of writing a novel for three years each single day she had to sit on her laptop, typing words of inspiration and chapters in sequence, and lighten the mood of others whereas she was having difficulties.
She had no choice but to end it that way. It was cruel, yes, but worthy enough to be called the end.
She laid her body on the bed and smiled at the relaxation of her muscles and mind. Finally, she thought her mind was at rest, she could thunk of nothing but to shut her eyes.
Late that night, Miranda woke up with a phone calling on her side. She slip her phone from the bed and placed it on her ear and mumbled.
"Hello"
"Girl!, what are you doing?" A feminine voice came on the other side. Bianca, Miranda's friend.
Miranda grunted, spun around her bed, and slowly opened her eyes when she heard the voice of Bianca.
"I'm sleeping", Miranda muttered, tiredly wishing someone could just leave her to rest for a while.
"Girl! You just finished your Forgotten Melody, so why are you still slacking off on your room?. Come out here and enjoy."
"Bianca I am really tired. I don't think I can go out tonight. Maybe tomorrow, " Miranda said.
There was silence for minutes. Bianca took some seconds to think it over, then finally she muttered ."Okay", Miranda was relieved to hear that, but Bianca continued to say. "If you are not coming, then I'm going to be the one coming to you. Just get ready. I will be there in thirty minutes"
When their phone call ended, Miranda thought about closing her eyes again. She was tired, so tired that it was unbearable. She didn't understand why? Normally she doesn't get tried so easily. She looked for time on her phone, it was already past eight. She has been sleeping for five hours, her hands let go of the phone.
She fought to keep herself awake, but her eyelids were heavy with each second passes, she gradually closed her eyes and fall into a deep and peaceful slumber.