Chapter 5
Madeline looked at her back and was relieved when she didn’t see those two burly men. She was afraid they would follow her, but at least their Boss didn’t seem to be the pushy type.
It wasn’t her first time dealing with that kind of problem. She was popular four years ago, and the invitation to go on a yacht with those powerful men wasn’t uncommon.
’But I guess I have to get used to this again. Because I’m selling the image of a shameless slut. Those creepy men will get pushier in the future,’ Madeline thought as she went down the elevator and walked out of the studio through the backdoor.
She didn’t want to go through the main lobby because she might encounter reporters or even just the audience from the previous shows.
They would be shocked to see her in regular baggy apparel. She was selling the image, after all. So she couldn’t ruin their awful fantasy about her.
She went to her car, put the suitcase in the trunk, and sat inside her car for a while, trying to let everything seep in.
She tried to recollect herself, sorting out what she should do next.
First, she had to go to the hospital to complete payment for her Mom’s current treatment as a late-stage cancer patient. She also wanted to check on her mother, who had been weakening each day.
Second, she had to buy groceries in Walmart, then go home to check on her brother’s studies, and then she could finally rest.
"Alright, let’s do this, Maddy," Madeline told herself as she drove her mother’s modest, old car.