Walking back home, I felt the exhaustion settle deep into my bones. The day had been long and eventful, and all I wanted was to relax. As soon as I stepped into the house, I called out, "Aunt Mary, please bring me something to eat," before throwing myself onto the couch.
Our housekeeper, Aunt Mary, appeared almost instantly, her hands on her hips as she gave me a mock-scolding look. "Little Miss, how tired you are! Those people are working you too hard. Can't they see how much weight you've lost?"
I laughed softly at her fussing, watching as she placed a plate of my favorite lamb chops with a side salad in front of me. "No, Aunt Mary, they're not making me work too hard," I assured her. "I just selected my first song for my debut, and I got caught up in it. That's all."
She didn't look convinced, shaking her head as she handed me a fork. "Still, you should get some assistance. Our family has all the money in the world—why do you want to make yourself suffer like this?"
Her words made me smile. Aunt Mary had been with us for years, practically family herself, and she cared for me as if I were her own child. I took a bite of the lamb chop, savoring the perfectly cooked flavor, while she continued.
"Madam might not show it to you, but she's really worried about you," Aunt Mary said, returning with a small plate of cupcakes. "If anyone else were in your place, they would've announced to the whole world how powerful their family is. But look at you, struggling like this."
I laughed between bites, amused by her dramatic rant. "Aunt Mary, it's not so bad. I enjoy working hard. It makes me appreciate things more."
She huffed, muttering something under her breath about stubborn girls, before settling on the couch beside me. She kept fussing over my health and work as I finished my meal, her concern warming my heart, her expression suddenly changed, and she let out a small gasp. "Oh, I forgot to tell you! The butler from the Anderson family came by earlier. He brought an invitation to the Old Master's birthday party. He also mentioned that you're expected to come to the ancestral house a few days before the party as their daughter-in-law."
Her words made me pause mid-bite. Grandpa Anderson's birthday? How could I have forgotten? "Thanks for reminding me, Aunt Mary," I said gratefully. "It completely slipped my mind. I also need to figure out what to get him for his birthday gift."
Finishing the last bit of my meal, I stood up and kissed Aunt Mary's cheek. "Thank you for the delicious meal. You're the best," I said with a smile before heading upstairs to my room.
Once inside, I shut the door and flopped onto my bed, pulling out my phone. After a moment of deliberation, I dialed the pinned number in my contacts. My heart raced as the line connected, a mix of nervousness and excitement swirling within me.
"Hello, Mrs. Anderson?" came the familiar voice of Mr. Cheng, Noah's trusted assistant.
"Hello, Mr. Cheng," I greeted politely.
"Good morning, madam. Is everything all right? We have a time difference, so I assume it must be late where you are," he replied, his tone courteous.
"I'm fine," I said quickly. "Where is Noah?"
"Mr. Anderson is currently in a meeting with the chief executives of a partner company. They're finalizing a deal, and if all goes well, we should seal the agreement today," Mr. Cheng explained.
The mention of business and deals made my head spin slightly—it was a world I didn't fully understand. "Is it something urgent? If you need, I can call him out of the meeting," Mr. Cheng offered.
"No, don't bother him. It's nothing important," I replied, feeling a bit flustered. "We'll talk later. Goodbye."
"Goodbye, madam," he said, and the call ended.
I placed my phone down, letting out a small sigh. Hearing about Noah's busy schedule made me realize how distant our lives sometimes felt. I wanted to share so much with him but knew his work often took precedence. Still, I couldn't help but look forward to seeing him at the Anderson family gathering.
Cutting the call with Mr. Cheng, I started scrolling through my phone absentmindedly when Rose's name suddenly flashed on the screen. It was quite late, and her calling at this hour made me pause. Why is she calling now? I thought, but I quickly answered.
"Hey, Rose. Everything okay?" I asked.
"Lyla... there's something bad," she said, her voice tense.
I immediately sat up, my heart sinking. "What? What happened?"
"I just got a call from Manager Mia," she began, her tone filled with frustration. "She told me they can't give us both the songs we selected. Apparently, some other singer wants them."
"What?" I exclaimed, feeling a wave of disbelief. "But we already submitted them, and they're under our name!"
"I said the same thing," Rose replied, just as upset. "But Mia told me this person is quite important, and we might lose the songs because of that."
Her words felt like a punch to the gut. My smile faded as the weight of the situation settled in. "How could they do this to us?" I muttered angrily. "Then what's the point of choosing songs if they can just take them away at any moment?"
"That's exactly what I told her," Rose said, her frustration matching mine. "But from the way she spoke, it seems like someone higher up in the company is involved in this. It's not a simple decision."
I sighed, my disappointment growing. "So... there's nothing we can do?"
"I wanted to let you know and give you a heads-up, just in case you started working on the songs and got even more disappointed," Rose said gently. "I told Ms. Mia that we'll come to her office tomorrow and talk this out. She agreed to try to find a solution, but honestly... I don't have high hopes."
"Alright," I said quietly, the fight in me ebbing away. "Thanks for telling me, Rose. I'll see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow, Lyla," she replied before hanging up.
I placed my phone down with a heavy sigh, staring at the ceiling. The excitement of earlier felt distant now, replaced by frustration and a lingering sense of helplessness. The industry was proving to be just as ruthless as I had feared, but I couldn't let this setback stop.
Feeling low and frustrated, I sat on my bed, unsure of what to do next. The thought of using one of my own songs for my debut crept into my mind, but I quickly dismissed it. If they can take these two songs, what's stopping them from taking another? Especially if it's even better. I felt stuck, powerless to control my own career.
My thoughts spiraled until my phone buzzed with a message. I looked at the screen, and Noah's name popped up.
"Hey, are you asleep?"
I picked up the phone, hesitating for a second before typing back. "No, not yet."
His reply came almost instantly. "How was your day?"
I stared at the screen, debating how much to tell him. Finally, I typed: "Good at the start, but at the end of the day, quite bad."
Three question marks appeared in response.
Taking a deep breath, I continued: "Well, today I chose two songs for my debut, and I was really happy about it. But I just got a call from my agent, and she told me those two songs were given to someone else in the company."
Even though I didn't like sharing my struggles with Noah, over the past two years, he had become my confidant. It had become second nature to share little snippets of my life with him—happy or sad. This situation was no different.
A few moments later, his reply came. "Really? I never thought the company would do such a thing. Let me make a call to the president of the company."
I could almost feel his anger through the text. Panicking, I hurriedly typed back. "No, don't! I'll see what they say tomorrow. You promised not to reveal anything about me to anyone. If I can't solve this simple problem myself, how am I going to survive in this industry?"
There was a pause before his next message. "Just know I'm here. If there's anything you feel isn't right, message me, and I'll make sure everything goes according to your wishes."
His words brought a small smile to my lips. Noah, who often seemed cold and business-minded to the outside world, had these small, warm gestures that made me feel like I could lean on him.
I typed back. "Thanks for the support. I won't disappoint you."
Setting the phone aside, I felt a bit lighter. Noah's words reminded me that I wasn't alone. No matter how tough things got, knowing he was there gave me a sense of calm.