Chapter 164 Claire deserved to be trampled by karma!
He had already given the order. What else could the others say?
Everyone in the industry knew Kleber Meirelles' legendary temper. Questioning him was professional suicide. When he lost his patience, he spared no one, whether an intern or an executive producer.
The room remained in absolute and obedient silence.
Satisfied that his team knew their place, Kleber turned to Caroline, who still seemed to be in a trance.
“Go back to the reception desk and wait for instructions from the legal department,” he said in a serious tone, but with a glimmer of expectation in his eyes. “Do a good job, girl. Don't disappoint me.”
In the hotel hallway.
As soon as Caroline walked through the double doors, leaving the audition room, Tania rushed toward her like a rocket.
“So? How did it go? Tell me!” Tania grabbed her shoulders, her eyes wide with anxiety.
Caroline looked a little dazed, as if she were floating, but a radiant smile began to form on her lips, and the excitement in her voice was uncontrollable.
“Try to guess.”
“Did you get it?!” Tania shouted, reading the answer in the sparkle of her friend's eyes.
Caroline laughed and nodded vigorously.
“Um! I did it! Director Meirelles said it's decided. The role of the third lead is mine. He didn't even let me audition, he just hired me!”
“AAAAAH! That's amazing!” Tania let out a high-pitched scream and hugged Caroline so tightly that she almost lifted her off the ground. “Honey, your time has come!” You're going to be famous! I knew it, I knew you would make it! He'd have to be blind to pass you up!
“If he chose you on the spot, without even thinking twice, it proves he saw your potential. That's wonderful! My baby is going to be a star! Oh, I'm so proud of you!”
Tania was genuinely elated.
To her, it was divine justice. Caroline was born to shine in the entertainment industry, but she had always been overshadowed and sabotaged. She wasn't even considered a “real” actress until now.
Meanwhile, Claire—that viper who was inferior to Caroline in talent, character, and beauty—paraded around like a top-tier celebrity.
It was revolting.
Her friend was infinitely superior. If Caroline had had a tenth of Claire's resources, she would already be the queen of acting.
How could a despicable mistress, who stole her sister's fiancé, live so well? Claire deserved to be trampled by karma!
Caroline returned the hug, feeling her eyes water. She was so moved that her voice broke.
“Um, I'm very happy too. Tania... thank you.” She hugged her friend. “Thank you for everything. It was thanks to you that I came here. If you hadn't pushed me, I would never have made it.”
Caroline took a deep breath, feeling the weight of her gratitude.
“I must have saved the entire galaxy in my past life to deserve a friend like you.”
Sometimes Caroline wondered what she had done to be so lucky in that regard.
Her foster “sister,” Claire, was a monster. But Tania... Tania was worth ten sisters.
It seemed that God hadn't been entirely cruel to her.
He took away Edward, the trashy boyfriend, and put up barriers like Claire and the terrible stepmother. But in return, He gave her guardian angels.
Sara, Tania... and Nicholas.
These people filled the voids in her heart. With them by her side, life could still be wonderful. As for the rest? She could just ignore them as if they were background noise.
“Honey, why are you being so formal with me?” Tania laughed, wiping away a fake tear. “We're almost married! Didn't we have a prior agreement? When you became successful and filthy rich, you would have to support me as if I were your ‘mistress,’ remember?”
Tania winked playfully.
"So, you could say I'm doing this out of pure self-interest. Honey, I can't wait for you to become a millionaire. That way, I can fulfill my lifelong dream: to be a happy leech who doesn't have to work, just spend her famous friend's money!
Tania didn't expect her casual joke to become almost a prophecy.
“No problem!” Caroline laughed, playing along enthusiastically. “Just wait. When I get rich, I'll support you for the rest of your life! I'll give you the house, the car, and all the handbags you want. You'll be my spoiled sugar baby.”
“Hahaha! Those are the most romantic words I've ever heard!” Tania sighed dramatically. “If you didn't already have a Prince Charming, I'd say let's run away together and live out this forbidden love.”
“But... it's okay that you have your Prince. We can continue our affair in secret, without him knowing.”
The two laughed, relieving the accumulated tension.
The euphoria gave way to a practical plan. Caroline wanted to celebrate.
“Let's have lunch,” Caroline decided. “I'll pay. Let's go to that revolving restaurant at the top of the tower.”
Tania's eyes widened. The average cost at that place was at least $350 per person. It was a luxury they rarely allowed themselves.
“Really? The fancy restaurant?” Tania was thrilled. “Wow, the future star is already spending like one!”
As they walked hand in hand toward the hotel exit under the midday sun, Tania commented thoughtfully,
“You know what? Oh, you should call Prince Charming first to give him the news.”
Tania looked at Caroline with a mischievous smile.
“I feel like your luck has changed dramatically since you started dating Prince Charming, Mr. Wolf. Before, it was nothing but misfortune. Now, look at you! Getting roles, receiving gifts... He's your lucky charm.”
“Don't you think you should give him a gift too, as a way of saying thank you?”
Caroline stopped abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk.
She looked at Tania and blinked, tapping her forehead.
“Oh, right! He knew I was at the audition. I was so excited that I forgot to tell him the good news.”
Speak of the devil—or rather, the Prince.
Caroline's cell phone vibrated in her palm the second she closed her mouth.
She looked at the screen and a silly smile appeared. It was a message from Nicholas.
Nicholas: \[Is your audition over yet?\]
“Hahaha!” Tania laughed, peeking at the screen. "We were just talking about him and he sent a message right away. Do you guys have telepathy or did he install a tracker on you?
Tania nudged Caroline's shoulder lightly.
“Call Prince Charming! Let's all have lunch together. I haven't seen that man in days. It's a crime against humanity to go a day without admiring that face sculpted by the gods.”
Caroline rolled her eyes. “... Hmph!”
She thought about how she and Tania had spent more than a month without seeing each other during college break. At that time, Tania didn't complain about missing her even once.
But now, after just a few days without seeing her friend's husband, she was already suffering from withdrawal?
What a fine example of a “best friend”!