Behind The Spotlight Chapter 198
"They piss me off!" Arnold slammed his fists against the table.
"Who? Your classmates in high school?"
"Not just them, your classmates too!" Arnold's voice rose.
"Why? We're in different school years."
The three batches had a high school reunion two days ago. Students who were part of those batches were invited, an event meant to reconnect old friendships. Collin decided not to attend because he had an idea who he was going to meet.
"I can't believe they easily fell for the lies of that bitch!" Arnold was seething as he recalled what happened.
At first, everything was going well. He was talking and having fun with his high school friends, laughing like they were young again. However, he soon noticed that some of them had hidden intentions.
Arnold was one of the students who had achieved a successful career in terms of wealth and influence, and he didn't shy away from bragging about it. He held a respectable status in Hollywood, and his words could affect the industry, at least to some extent.
Because of that, many of his classmates were eager to talk to him, circling him like moths to a flame. They were hoping they could become famous through him.
Again, who didn't want to be famous? It was human nature.
Everyone wanted to be rich and famous, and Arnold had the capability to make that happen, at least in their eyes. Naturally, many of his classmates asked him to introduce them to movies and TV shows, which Arnold politely declined.
Acting was not that simple. Some people believed being an actor wasn't that hard, but they were wrong. There were thousands of people in Hollywood alone who dreamed of becoming successful actors, only to fail and be crushed by reality.
To begin with, most of his classmates were ugly or washed up. To be precise, they didn't glow up well, they had a glow-down. The reality of adulthood had left them depressed and haggard.
Despite their requests, Arnold successfully evaded their intentions while maintaining a pleasant demeanor. He was shameless anyway, so people's opinions of him didn't matter. He attended the reunion simply because he wanted to see his friends and reconnect for nostalgia. Despite being an adult, he missed the life of a carefree student who didn't give a fuck about the world, a simpler time.
Unfortunately, everyone had grown older and become adults. They had to work hard to earn money.
"I know that's sad, but why are you so mad?" Collin finally asked.
"Let me finish my story first. Belle was there."
"..."
Collin's expression turned cold when he heard that name, as old wounds resurfaced.
"She's the reason I'm so mad! I'm also mad at the people who believe her lies!"
Arnold had no intention of talking to Belle, even though they had been friends back when she was still dating Collin. He knew her true colors, and it disgusted him.
He avoided even looking at the bitch. He deliberately distanced himself from her. Unfortunately, Arnold started hearing some stories.
"They were badmouthing you! That bitch was spouting lies!" Arnold snapped.
"Please don't tell me you defended my name."
"Of course I did!"
Collin sighed when he heard that answer. He was already done with Belle and didn't care about anything she said.
However, he also understood Arnold's personality, and he was grateful to have such a loyal friend.
"I confronted Belle and asked her why she was spreading lies. You know what she said? She said, 'I don't know what you're talking about,' then proceeded to cry. But she never convinced me. Her fake tears were so obvious. I've been in the acting industry long enough to know she was acting." Arnold scoffed.
Unfortunately, her tears convinced most people, especially the women who sympathized with her. Belle's situation wasn't good. She was poor and living a hard life with two children, the perfect setup for pity.
"They talked badly about you. Belle said you're a narcissist and an abuser!"
Collin simply listened with a bitter smile.
For the record, Collin never abused Belle physically or verbally. He never hurt her. He never even raised his voice at her, not once.
He loved her throughout their entire relationship until he discovered that the baby in her womb wasn't his. A devastating truth. At that time, they were already engaged, and the wedding was approaching.
It took Collin a long time to move on from that painful saga.
"How can she say that? Can she even explain how you're a narcissist and an abuser? I bet she can't. She's just making excuses to turn you into the bad guy while she plays the victim." Arnold sneered.
"Victim my ass."
She probably lied because she didn't want people to know that she cheated on Collin and got pregnant by another man. Her excuse was that "Collin is the bad guy, so I found love with a different man."
A twisted narrative.
Arnold was so furious that he left the reunion early. As much as he wanted to protect Collin, he knew Belle had already clouded people's minds. The damage was already done. In the first place, Collin and Arnold rarely visited their hometown, while Belle had all the time in the world to spread lies.
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about it anymore. I'm already done with Belle. I expected this, and I don't care. I'm going to live my life." Collin said firmly.
He knew Belle well enough. She had a sharp mouth and had destroyed the reputations of many women back when they were together. She knew how to lie and convince people. Collin's instincts had been screaming at him back then, but he ignored the red flags. He was simply in love and failed to see the red flag waving right in front of him.
"That's great to hear." Arnold nodded.
"Let's talk about your director. Congratulations. It seems season one of Unnatural is doing well." Collin changed the topic to lighten the mood.
"Well, thanks." Arnold smiled slightly, deciding to forget about the unpleasant reunion.
"The first episode was a hit because of Lawrence's cameo, but the next episode also received a good response. After that, Unnatural maintained a steady viewership of sixteen million per broadcast."
Arnold was pleased. His three clients were thriving. Jolyne and Brody had become famous, while Tom was directing Unnatural. Overall, he had a solid lineup that matched his status as an executive of ANT.
In fact, he had received several offers from rival agencies trying to poach him. However, Arnold had no intention of jumping ship. Money alone wasn't enough to convince him, unless they offered a significant amount of company shares, though that would be excessive even for him.
Since Unnatural was well-received by audiences, the network would likely not axe the show for another season. That meant the cast and crew were safe for at least two more years. Madison Morgan, in particular, was happy about that. Her career had been rocky in recent years after getting fired from My Innocent High School Love.
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[Thank you for reading this novel.]