Chapter 107: Jenna’s Story II

Jenna’s voice nearly cracked on the last word.

She swallowed and forced herself forward, crossing the office toward the two leather armchairs. For a second, she hesitated between them. Choosing a chair shouldn’t have felt like a decision worth thinking about, but with Mr. Aruj watching her, even that seemed strangely important.

She finally took the left one.

The leather gave a quiet creak beneath her as she settled in. When she looked up, Mr. Aruj was still watching her.

Her eyes immediately wanted to slide away.

She stopped them.

Eye contact.

That was what people always said about business meetings. Look confident. Don’t fidget. Don’t act intimidated. She had repeated those little rules to herself before walking into the room, as if memorizing them could somehow make her look like someone who belonged in places like this.

Right now, it felt less like a business meeting and more like standing in front of a wild animal and pretending you weren’t afraid.

Fine.

She could do that.

Mr. Aruj stared at her.

So did she.

A few seconds passed.

Then a few more.

For Jenna, they stretched into something much longer. Her shoulders slowly tightened, and she found herself wishing he would just say whatever he had called her here to say.

Finally, a faint chuckle escaped him.

"Oh. Forgive my staring."

"There’s no problem," Jenna replied quickly.

Mr. Aruj nodded and shuffled through several files on his desk before leaning forward.

"So, I’m sure you already know why you’re here."

"Yes." Jenna straightened. "You asked to see me about my idol audition."

"Yes. It is about that."

She waited.

That was clearly not the end of the explanation.

"So?"

"I reviewed all the audition videos personally," he said. "And I have to say... yours was very poor."

Jenna blinked.

"I’m sorry. What?"

"I said it was very poor."

The words landed harder the second time. Her stomach tightened, and for one ridiculous second she wondered if he had mistaken her audition video for someone else’s. That had to be it. There was no way he could have watched it and simply decided she was that bad.

"I don’t understand."

"Your receptionist called me in and said you had news for me," Jenna continued, her confusion turning into disbelief. "I thought—"

"Yes. We do have news."

He said it so calmly that something inside her sank.

"I’m telling you the news."

For a moment, Jenna couldn’t even find a response.

The head of VJ had called her here just to reject her?

After everything?

She drew in a slow breath.

"I can change," she said. "It was only a trial. I’ve gotten a lot better."

Mr. Aruj shook his head.

"Really?"

"I’m not kidding. I actually have."

"Jenna."

His voice stopped her.

"Please."

She leaned forward, fingers tightening against her knees.

"I’ve always dreamed of being an idol. You don’t understand. I’ve wanted this for years."

She stopped when she saw his expression.

There was no sympathy in it.

That hurt more than she expected.

"I really need this," she whispered. "Please. I just need another chance."

Mr. Aruj sighed.

"VJ has a specific policy. We don’t give second chances."

Jenna’s heart dropped.

Then he continued.

"But after reading your files personally, and after a few considerations from a close partner of mine, I determined that you do have a good enough reason to be here."

She looked up.

Hope stirred before she could stop it.

"I can understand why you want this. Maybe being an idol really is your dream. Who knows?" He shrugged. "But you don’t have the talent for it, let’s be frank."

That sentence hurt the most.

Still, she listened.

"But I’m ready to hand you a contract."

Jenna stared at him.

"Even though you didn’t apply for the VJ model category, I’m willing to skip you through the audition process and give you a full-time contract, with almost the same pay as an idol."

Her mouth parted.

"See? That sounds like good news, doesn’t it?"

He gave her a playful smile.

"Almost the same pay?" she repeated.

The money had always been part of the dream. Not the whole dream, but enough of it to matter. So why would he offer her that much if he thought she was useless as an idol?

"I don’t understand. Why?"

"You could start as a regular model. Appear on our covers, work with our photographers, build your profile. You just need to pose, look good, and learn the job."

Jenna remained silent.

"And if you succeed," he added, "I could personally fight for a transfer into the idol department."

Her eyebrows lifted.

"Many idols start that way. It doesn’t always begin with flowers and peaches. Sometimes you start slowly."

It didn’t sound completely terrible.

Actually, it sounded almost perfect. Maybe this was why he had called her in personally. Maybe the poor audition wasn’t the end of anything. It was just a door she had to enter through differently.

She could earn money. She could stay inside VJ. And she would still have another chance at becoming an idol.

The rejection still stung, but this offer gave her somewhere to go.

Jenna smiled.

"That sounds fantastic."

"Yeah?"

"Yes." She nodded quickly. "How do I get started?"

"It’s simple."

Mr. Aruj picked up the documents on his desk and gestured toward them.

"All you have to do is sign. I’ve already filled out the other paperwork."

Jenna reached for the papers.

"Okay, then. I guess I should sign."

The pen stopped between her fingers. She stared at the signature line for a moment, suddenly aware of how easily her entire future seemed to have been reduced to ink on a few sheets of paper.

"Of course."

She picked up the pen again.

Then he spoke.

"There is one thing."

Jenna paused.

"What’s that?"

"Before you get involved with anything else..."

His smile changed.

"...you have to suck my cock."

The pen stopped between her fingers.

For several seconds, Jenna simply stared at him.

"I’m sorry... what?"

Mr. Aruj leaned back.

"Come on. I’m helping you out. The management team rejected you immediately, but I put my own standing as an executive behind this offer."

He spread his hands.

"All I’m asking is that you help me out too. That’s not so bad, is it?"

Jenna stared at him.

"I have a boyfriend."

The words came out automatically.

Adrian.

His face appeared in her mind, and suddenly she couldn’t find anything else to say.

Mr. Aruj only smiled.

Something inside her snapped.

Jenna stood.

Before she could think better of it, she spat directly in his face.

"Go fuck yourself."

The office went silent.

Mr. Aruj slowly wiped his cheek.

"What you just did is assault, Jenna."

His voice had lost its playful edge.

"If you leave this room, I can assure you that you will never have a chance of becoming an idol again. I’ll make sure of it. Assaulting an executive is social suicide."

Jenna’s eyes burned.

"All you have to do is one job," he said, smiling again.

She turned away.

"Once you walk through that door, the offer is gone."

Jenna opened the door.

She didn’t look back.

The corridor was silent.

Only after she reached the elevator did the tears finally spill.

She covered her mouth and tried to hold them in, but the first sob escaped anyway.

By the time she reached the place where Adrian and Rose were waiting, she was barely holding herself together.

The phone lay between them.

Jenna sat with a cloth pulled lightly across her chest, her eyes red and swollen.

Adrian remained completely still.

He hadn’t said anything.

He didn’t need to.

"What..." Jenna sniffled. "What am I going to do now, Adrian?"

Her voice broke.

"I always wanted to be an idol."

She wiped her eyes.

"But now I ruined it. I overreacted. If what he said is true, I can never become one again."

Rose immediately shook her head.

"Jenna, stop. Nothing bad is going to happen to you."

"How do you know?"

Adrian finally spoke.

"Because you didn’t do anything wrong."

Jenna went quiet.

"All you did was keep your morals," he said. "And they dared to treat you like that?"

His gaze lowered to the phone.

Rose’s name was still there.

Then another name came to mind.

Daniel.

The assassin company that had approached Rose. The company Jenna had somehow become involved with. The same web that had already begun tightening around them.

Had Daniel played a part in this?

Adrian’s fingers slowly curled.

He could feel the anger rising.

"I feel like killing every single one of them," he said quietly. "I feel like beating every one of those assholes to a pulp."

Jenna stared at him.

Then Adrian smiled.

"But I’m not going to do that."

He raised his eyes.

"If none of them wants to make you an idol, then Jenna..." His voice became completely steady. "... I’m going to make you the biggest idol in the whole fucking world."

The entire room went silent.