Anna finished her coffee, her once sparkling eyes now dull and exhausted due to last night's events.
"Anna, we don't live our lives for other men, but for ourselves. Why waste this opportunity because of a scumbag? Besides... didn't we promise each other that we would become the stars of the entertainment industry together? If you leave now, I'll be heartbroken," Mia said as she held onto Anna's arm and tried to persuade her.
Although Mia appeared to be persuading Anna on the surface, she had ulterior motives.
She needed Anna to stay so that she could use her as a pawn to kick out those good trainers.
With her current abilities, Mia knew that she couldn't compete with those who had better conditions than her. However, Anna was different; not only was she an excellent singer but also a great dancer with outstanding qualities - making her an ideal pawn.
Mia became worried when Anna didn't respond to any of her persuasion. Had Anna already made up her mind about leaving?
"How can you just leave?" Mia asked anxiously. "You can ignore Bryce's existence completely! As long as we establish ourselves in the entertainment industry and show him what he missed out on by losing such an exceptional woman like you, it will strike a heavy blow to him."
Anna sighed bitterly and replied, "How can I ignore him when we work at the same company? Leaving is my only choice right now."
Besides, not only do I have to deal with Bryce, the scumbag, but also need to avoid Jimmy, the devilish bastard, at all costs.
Mia became increasingly anxious when Anna remained unmoved by all of these persuasions.
How can I lose such a valuable pawn? Thinking of that, Mia continued, "Anna, the public has been talking about your selection behind your back; they say it's because Bryce and Jimmy are secretly promoting you! Don't you want to change their perception of you? Don't you want them see your true potential?"
Anna looked pained at this reminder; she knew these rumors, but she couldn't possibly silence everyone's mouths.
As Anna hesitated, her phone rang in her pocket. Seeing that it was her mother calling, Anna felt uneasy and immediately answered the call.
"Anna, your father heard that you were selected and is very happy. Is it true that as long as you make it to the end, you can get a hefty bonus? I'm planning to use this amount of money to take your dad for a thorough checkup at the hospital. So you must work hard and get this bonus," said Anna's mother.
Her mother's words echoed clearly in Anna's ears.
After hesitating for a while, she opened her lips slightly. "Mom, I have decided to quit this practice session... I've decided to leave J. S. Entertainment."
Anna told Mrs. Miller about her decision.
"What? You want to quit? How can you quit? If you quit now, we won't get the money! Your father won't be able to afford his treatment fees anymore! And those loan sharks have been chasing after your brother all along! If we don't pay them back soon enough they will never let us live peacefully again! You cannot quit!" Mrs. Miller's emotions were getting out of control as she shouted through the phone.
As expected, in her mother's eyes, she was just a tool for earning money.
At this moment, Anna felt an intense pain in her heart.
Realizing how cruel she sounded earlier on, Mrs. Miller's voice rang again. "Anna, your father loves you most dearly; he wants nothing but success for you so he can proudly tell everyone how great his daughter is compared with his son who's just a gambler... You are your father's pride and joy... if you give up now, he will be disappointed... and if he refuses treatment due to disappointment, then everything will be lost."
Images of when she was younger flashed before Anna's eyes; memories of being held by her dad while listening intently as he told stories filled with love and care came flooding back into mind...
Thinking about his hopeful gaze towards her made Anna feel like someone had cut deep into heart...
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