Chapter 3: She was kind

She was like an angel sent to earth. She was selfless in her actions, would not brag about them and did them with a sincerity rarely found. Whenever anyone was in need of help, she would reach out her hand before the question could be asked. She expressed understanding when others would frown upon someone. She forgave when people did her wrong, even when others wanted her to fight. No matter how unfair the situation, how rude the people or ignorant the behavior, she always faced it with a smile and an empathy for others. Not one bad word or mean remark would leave her lips. She was kind to everyone, lifting the spirits with her words and actions. She was what everyone wished they could be. Nothing could strain her enough to lose her cool.

She anxiously sneaked a look around the corner. Nothing. A sigh escaped her lips. She must have finally managed to lose the group of young man following her for the last few blocks. Had she known they would keep following her, she would not have stopped to give in to their request of a photo. She leaned against the wall. It was a lie. She knew that if she had refused, they would have slaughtered her online, calling her stuck up and inconsiderate towards her fans. So, what could she do. She had seen it happen to others. A single word or even a wrong tone could cost you your career and everything you had worked for. Thus, ‘No’ was not an option. With one deep breath, she collected herself and decided to continue on home. However, she didn’t make it far. After a few steps, she noticed footsteps behind her. One glance over her shoulder made it clear that they had not given up. She was starting to get anxious. Inside the pocket of her jacket, she was fumbling with her phone to speed dial her manager to pick her up. “Hey!”, one of the man behind her called. She held her breath for a second, finally managing to call her manager as she gathered from the beeping in her right earphone. Then she turned with a soft smile, hiding her shaking hands in her pockets. “Oh! It looks like we had the same direction!” She gave a laugh, hoping they wouldn’t notice it was fake. The voice of her manager rang from her headset, only audible to her, clearly immediately grasping the situation: ‘I got your location. I will be there in a second.’ “We’re going to a party. Why don’t you join us?”, the man, at least a head taller than her, grinned. “That’s so nice of you, but…” She could see him furrow his brows and was frantically racking her head for a decent excuse. “…I have a training session to get to.” Some of the men gave amused huffs. “We could train with you instead.”, the same man from before retorted. She gave a weak chuckle, feeling the disgust burn in her throat. Before any more remarks could be made, a black car pulled up next to her and through the window she could see her manager. “Sorry, my manager is here. I really have to go now. Have fun at the party.” She waved at them with a smile, getting in. The disappointment was visible on their faces, but no one tried to stop her. “Thank you.”, her voice was a mere whisper as they drove off, the shaking of her body now no longer controllable. “I told you the locating app was necessary.”, were her manager’s only words, his gaze indifferent. She bit down a sob. What a cruel world.