Chapter 13: Differential Treatment
Chapter 13: Differential Treatment
Hearing the noise at the staircase, both Audrey and Eric turned their heads to look.
Seeing that it was Abner, they were a bit puzzled. Why was he coming down at this hour?
Audrey greeted her elder brother, and in her peripheral vision, she noticed Eric sitting next to her. An incredible thought popped into her mind.
[Could eldest brother be hungry too? What should we do? Does he eat noodles?
Abner was tempted to massage his temples.
"I\'m going to the gym for a workout," Abner said. Then, he was stunned. Why did he take the initiative to explain?
Eric rolled his eyes silently. "No one asked you. You flatter yourself."
Audrey looked at Eric.
[Why is he so sharp-tongued? Elder brother truly has determination, working out this late at night. No wonder he\'s in such good shape.]
Abner: ...
Eric was speechless.
The differential treatment was so obvious. To think that he even helped her review the script.
Eric tossed the script he was holding to Audrey. "Read it yourself. I\'m going to bed."
Audrey caught the script, assuming he was genuinely tired. She smiled and said, "Sure thing, thanks for your help, Second Brother. Goodnight."
Eric snorted and left.
A slight smile appeared at the corner of Abner\'s lips.
Walking toward him, Eric saw this scene and his eyes were filled with disbelief. He had forgotten what Abner\'s smile looked like.
The smile on Abner\'s face was fleeting, quickly reverting back to his usual cool expression.
However, Audrey didn\'t miss that smile. Her heart was already screaming.
[Ah, ah, ah, eldest brother looks even more handsome when he smiles. He\'s the most handsome man I\'ve ever seen.]
Abner didn\'t know whether to laugh or cry.
By now, Eric had gone upstairs, leaving only Audrey with sparkling eyes as she gazed at Abner.
Abner gently pursed his lips and asked Audrey, "Why aren\'t you asleep yet?"
Audrey replied, "I was just looking at the script with Second Brother. I\'m about to go to sleep."
Abner\'s expression paused. "Script?"
Only then did Audrey remember that her brother wasn\'t around yesterday. He probably didn\'t know that she was going to be an actress.
She quickly explained, "I\'ve signed with a talent agency to become an actress."
This was unexpected to Abner, considering not long ago Audrey had been insistent on working at a company.
He nodded at Audrey, not saying anything else.
Audrey felt a bit disappointed. She had hoped to hear her elder brother say, "Work hard."
Abner noticed the emotions on her face, pondered for a moment, and said, "Since you\'ve signed the contract, then work hard."
Audrey\'s eyes brightened, and she immediately straightened her posture. "Of course, Eldest Brother. I will definitely work hard."
A hint of a smile flickered in Abner\'s eyes.
That night, Audrey slept well. But by the time she washed up and came downstairs, only Anthea was left in the house.
Anthea called her over for breakfast.
Audrey sat down at the dining table. "Uncle Gary and the others aren\'t having breakfast?"
Anthea replied, "They\'ve already had breakfast and left for the company."
She paused and continued, "Audrey, do you have any plans for today?"
Audrey responded, "Daniel mentioned that the company has assigned an assistant for me. I need to go to the office. Is there something you need, Mom?"
Anthea smiled, "No, I was just afraid you\'d be bored at home. I was wondering if you\'d like to accompany me to the beauty salon?"
Audrey was quite interested. "I should be able to return by the afternoon. How about we go in the afternoon?"
Anthea nodded eagerly. "Sure, let\'s go in the afternoon. You can go to the office first, and I\'ll wait for you at home. We can head out together when you\'re back."
She hadn\'t held much hope for this invitation, considering she had asked Audrey before, but Audrey had declined, seeming more inclined to spend time with her close friend.
Following dinner, Audrey was chauffeured to the company in the family car.
The company was quite reputable in the industry, housing many first and second-tier celebrities.
Interestingly, the male lead in the novel was also represented by this agency initially, but later, the male lead in the novel ventured out to establish his own studio.
Upon arriving at the company, Audrey went straight to her agent Daniel\'s office.
Daniel examined her carefully upon seeing her. Then he spoke without beating around the bush, "The role you\'re cast for demands a high level of physique. Your current condition falls short."
Is discussing work right off the bat really necessary?
Audrey felt a bit helpless, but she could sense that Daniel was genuinely serious and responsible. She replied, "I understand. I\'ll control my diet and intensify my workouts."
Daniel was satisfied with her attitude and nodded. "Alright, let\'s go. I\'ll introduce you to your new assistant."