Selene~
He didn't respond.
I sent him countless texts but he simply read them and didn't respond.
Someone had seen us that day, and had recorded it. And Luca had the video.
If that footage got out, I didn't even want to think of what would happen to me. With my whole reputation as a junkie sex addict, this would only strengthen their opinions.
I thought the worst of it had already happened when the tape leaked, I had nothing else to lose. I was sorely mistaken.
Not now, this couldn't happen now. The media had still not caught wind of the news that I was the main lead, thanks to production's effort in keeping it a secret. If this video comes out right when I'm about to make a comeback, it wouldn't just affect the movie, it could ruin me and my chances for future projects.
And he knew this.
He was also part of "She Who Lives," so why was he doing this? If the movie flops, it wouldn't affect him like it would affect me. He probably had other projects lined up for him but not me. This was a lifeline for me.
I stared at my screen, but it stared at me back, in its blank state. There was no message, nothing. No follow up message to indicate that he was threatening me.
What did he want from me? I had no money, no influence. I had nothing.
A few hours later, my phone lit up with a text from Luca.
Luca: "How about dinner? Just the two of us? Just like old times."
I shut my eyes and swallowed whatever words I had, then I replied.
Me: "Where?"
The reply came quickly.
Luca: "In the woods."
Well, that was not creepy at all.
Me: "Time?"
Luca: "Midnight. Don't be late."
Every horror film I had watched screamed at me not to go. Last time I was out late, an animal in the form of a human had almost bitten my neck off. This felt like a trap.
And yet, I was going. I didn't have the luxury to make a choice. The woods wasn't an actual forest full of tall trees, it was a location, the one we used to frequent back in those days.
It was also where that incident took place. I closed my eyes, the occurrences of that night was vague and as a result, all I knew about it was the video that had circulated at the time.
Midnight came and I dreadfully looked at my clock. I couldn't bring myself to go. I just couldn't.
Minutes after midnight, my phone rang. I didn't pick.
Over and over, it rang but I didn't pick up my phone. I had no idea whether it was actually Luca who was calling me.
The thought of being there alone with Luca made me feel sick and my fingers couldn't stop trembling. I kept imagining every possible scenario that would happen if I went and none of them ended well for me.
My mind kept going back to that damn video. What if he sent it out? The same way he sent out the tape?
I stared at my phone which was placed on my bed stand, I didn't take it, I just stared at it, as if it could possibly give me all the answers I was looking for.
With trembling fingers, I reached out for my phone, determined to tell him off but to my surprise, the missed calls had been from Cassidy.
She also texted me.
Cass: Selene, baby. You did it. They've released an official statement that you're the lead in "She Who Lives." I'm so proud of you. Congratulations.
For a moment, I couldn't move. My eyes blurred as I read her text over and over again.
They acknowledge me. They chose to acknowledge me and bring the news to light. It didn't feel real. I hadn't imagined that they'd ever release a statement. I imagined that they'd keep it a secret until the first episode aired.
I quickly went on the entertainment page and lo and behold, my news was the first to pop up. The news read:
"Former actress Selene Grey Returns, Cast as Lead in 'She Who Lives.'"
A lot of people obviously had mixed feelings, with a good number of them insulting me and making reference to my past. Some of the comments struck a bit deeper than others. Some like:
"Did she sleep her way into this too?"
"She'll probably OD before pilot airs."
"Can she even still act?"
"Gonna watch this to see how badly she flops."
Each comment was like a jab to my chest but I kept reading, but unlike before, I was quite happy to see how many people were so interested in my life.
Tears fell from my face and I screamed into my pillow. For a moment, I forgot all about Luca and his threats… until I didn't.
I grabbed my phone and without thinking, I called him.
It rang twice before he picked up.
"Selene," he said, his voice was smooth and calm. The way he called my name reminded me of moments that I'd rather forget.
"What do you want from me, Luca?"
He sighed. "You're everywhere right now. You should be celebrating."
A pause.
"And you should be on your way."
He knew I wasn't coming. It was as evident in his voice and yet, he had said that. I hated how calm he sounded, how calm he walways was. How it seemed like nothing ever seemed to rattle him or shake him out of place. He was always composed and I hated it.
"Are you not coming, Selene?" he asked.
I swallowed. What was he expecting me to say? He knew damn well that I wasn't going to come. What I didn't understand, however, was why he was doing any of these. He made it quite clear that we were no longer the same people we used to be, and now this.
"What do you want from me, Luca?" my voice was already shaking more than I had hoped.
"I just want to see you, Selene. Just want to talk."
He was unbelievable. He was completely unbelievable.
"You abandoned me."
It just slipped out. I had not meant to say it so easily like that.
He kept quiet. I hadn't expected anything from him anyways, but I was still waiting for a response. Deep down, I wanted him to give me a reason. We used to be so close then all of a sudden, he ghosted me. My career took a fall but his shined brighter than ever.
"You still don't remember what happened that night, do you?" his voice was still calm.
And I was about to lose it.
"It's better you stay that way."
Then he hung up.
I stared at my screen in a blank state. I didn't know how to react, he was being just like himself, always keeping me in the dark. He had always been like that.
I didn't sleep, I couldn't. I just lay there on my bed with my phone in hand and as if to mock the dread that I was feeling, my phone vibrated in my hands.
I stared at it, it was a post.
Titled, "Your favorite star strikes again."
I had an idea what it was about. Or rather, I knew what it was about but I still opened it anyways. I just couldn't stop myself and much to my surprise, it was exactly what I was expecting and not at the same time.
I assumed it would be a leaked video of me and I was right, only, it wasn't the video with Chad. The settings was familiar, I recognized it instantly. It was a video of that room, of that night, but this was new.
Completely new.
The caption above the video read: "Never before seen footage of Selene Grey. Just how deep did her spiral go?"
I froze.
I didn't dare to continue the video. I immediately paused it, and instead, I went to the comments.
"New pov?"
"She probably posted this for attention."
"Didn't she just land a role in a movie? Why give someone like this a second chance?"
"You're disgusting. Go jump off a cliff."
I threw my phone in my bed, I couldn't bear to read any more. It didn't matter if I finished watching it or not, nothing on that video would make me remember what happened that night and everyone who seemed to be present were dead set on leaving the past in the past.
Someone had leaked this video just moments after my announcement for a comeback was made and perhaps, I was wrong for wanting to go back to the entertainment industry.
Perhaps, I should've kept living like I did, out of sight and out of mind.
Luca really did this to me, but at least it proved something. He was the one who leaked the video of that night.
But why leak another video, why not leak the one he sent to me? An element of surprise?
I didn't even want to think about it.