Early in the morning, Rose and I stood outside the Starlet company building, the cold air doing little to ease the bubble of anxiety in my stomach. Rose's words from last night played on a loop in my mind. "I don't think they'll do anything, but without trying, we can't lose hope." I repeated that to myself like a mantra, trying to reassure both of us.
"Let's see what explanation they're going to give us," I said softly, glancing at Rose.
Her face was red with anger, her hands clenched into fists. Rose wasn't just my agent; she was a struggling one. If I made a name for myself, her name would rise in the entertainment industry as well. Losing these songs wasn't just a blow to me—it could potentially impact her career too. If not for myself, I won't let this injustice go for her sake, I thought resolutely.
We walked into the lobby, determination in our steps, and headed straight to Manager Mia's office. I knocked firmly on the door, and we heard a polite "Come in."
Opening the door, we stepped inside. Manager Mia looked up and smiled politely. "Lyla, it's you. Please, come in." She gestured for us to take a seat, her tone pleasant, but her facial expression said it all. Whatever she was about to say, I knew I wasn't going to like it.
I exchanged a glance with Rose as we sat down, both of us bracing ourselves for the explanation that was sure to test our patience.
"Lyla, your agent might have informed you about the situation with the songs," Manager Mia said, her face apologetic as she folded her hands on the desk. "I'm really sorry for the inconvenience the company has caused you, but the higher-ups decided to give those two songs to another artist. I tried reasoning with them, but the orders came directly from the president."
Her words struck me like a blow. The president? I thought, my mind reeling.
"Yes, if not for him, I wouldn't have let this happen to you," she continued, her tone genuine. "I've seen your dedication to music. A debut song is crucial for any rising artist, and I understand how much it means. But... I'm sorry, Lyla. I couldn't stop it."
Whatever small hope I had left crumbled in that moment.
"Then what about my debut song?" I asked, my voice laced with confusion and disappointment.
"You can select from the remaining songs left," she said hesitantly, her tone awkward and strained.
"Yeah, from the leftovers—the songs no one else wanted because of their poor quality," Rose snapped, not bothering to hide her sarcasm.
Manager Mia flinched but said nothing. Rose wasn't done. Her frustration spilled over as she spoke with ruthless honesty. "And even if Lyla does choose from those, what's the guarantee they won't be snatched away again? Do you have an answer for that?"
Rose's eyes burned with anger, and her voice rose. "Manager Mia, you know Lyla already composed the melody for one of those songs, adjusted the background music, and was ready to put the whole thing together. Do you have any idea how much effort it takes to finalize a melody, create a cohesive sound, and pour your soul into something, only to be told it's gone because some privileged artist decided they wanted it?"
Manager Mia's eyes widened in surprise. "You created the melody for the song?" she asked, looking at me with a mixture of guilt and regret.
"Yes," I said quietly, my voice filled with restrained emotion.
"I... I didn't know that," Manager Mia said, her hands trembling slightly. "I'm really, really sorry, Lyla. I had no idea how much you had already invested in this. If I had known earlier... I still don't think I could've stopped it, but I would have fought harder for you. I feel terrible. Truly."
Her words carried a weight of helplessness, but they did little to ease the ache of injustice I felt. I clenched my fists under the table, trying to steady my emotions. Rose's anger was loud and clear, "Miss Mia, I don't know why company particularly took Lyla's songs , and honestly, I don't want to dwell on it," Rose said, her tone firm and unwavering. "But as I said, you're quite clear that the songs left are not good enough for Lyla. Since the company took the songs we worked on, they need to compensate us with songs of equal quality."
As my agent, it was Rose's job to advocate for me, and she wasn't holding back.
Miss Mia gave us a troubled look. "Rose, try to understand. If there were better songs available, do you think I would've let them take yours?"
"So, you expect us to settle for those third-rate songs and make her debut with music that we all know won't help her build any good reputation?" Rose's words were direct and cutting, but she had a point. She was determined to make the company take responsibility for what they had done.
Miss Mia sighed deeply, clearly caught between us and the higher-ups. "How about this? Give me some time. I'll speak to the higher-ups again. Given the fact that Lyla already composed one of the songs, I'll inform them of her hard work and dedication. I'll push to either get that song back or demand a quality replacement—either a good song from our reserves or one written specifically for her."
I could see the genuine effort in Miss Mia's expression. She seemed to truly want to help, despite the constraints she was under. Making things harder for her wouldn't do us any good. A wise person knows when to step back and allow others to handle the situation.
"Alright," I said, my tone calm but firm. "Since you're insisting, we'll wait. But I hope that whatever decision the company makes won't disappoint us."
Miss Mia gave me a small, relieved smile. "I promise to do my best, Lyla."
Rose didn't look entirely convinced but nodded, we both walked out from the office curious about the person who took our songs.