"So, you did realize that the fire was so intense!" I looked pointedly at Bart.
"Nora, can't you stop with your sarcasm? Karen and I are just like brother and sister. I don't understand why you're always so paranoid about our relationship. You even slapped her right after she got out of the fire. She didn’t even hold it against you, so what more do you want?"
"You're right. I used to be paranoid. I'm always the one who misunderstands the two of you. Well, I did hit her and she called me a dog in her social media post. I’d say we’re even."
I threw a screenshot of Karen’s post at his face. "If I’m not wrong, she probably blocked you from seeing this post, didn’t she?"
After he saw the photograph, Bart looked at me with an awkward gaze. "Ugh, Karen is still childish. I'll talk to her about it later. Don't hold it against her; she doesn’t mean any harm."
He did it again. As usual, he told me to not hold this matter against her. I had heard these words hundreds of times and yet I was always the one who got hurt, the one who got overlooked.
Before, I might have argued with him until the skies fell, but now, after everything I’ve been through, I was not as disappointed as I used to be. Instead, all I felt was fatigue. Maybe facing death had changed something in me.
In fact, Karen was not wrong. In Bart's heart, his god-sister would always come first. My life could not even compare to a single tear from Karen.
At lunch, my assistant, Rachel Thomas, called me excitedly, "Nora, I've got great news for you!"
Seeing her so flustered, I asked, "Rachel, what’s the matter?"
“There is a novel being adapted into a web series and I sent your headshots and info to the investors and director. They want you to audition next Saturday!” Rachel explained with excitement.
My heart skipped a beat. An audition? It had been so long since I last auditioned. That’s right, I was a small sporting actor, not even in the ranks of D-listers. When I first graduated, I had big dreams of becoming a star. However, reality and dreams were worlds apart, separated not only by timing and luck but also by hard work and perseverance.