Always, Arlo [Published]

Chapter 12

Chaos

"Why does she get to do it when she's just been signed when i've been begging for that position for months?" The blonde says bitterly, and I take into notice that this is the same woman Marlin went out with that day at the melt.

She looks a little different from that day though, recognizing her wasn't exactly easy but I remember my pain from that night vividly enough to recall the little memory I have of her. My body tenses up and everyone's staring between her and I.

"Daphne, What's your issue?" Arlo says in a stern tone, his eyes narrowing down on her. The girl–Daphne stares at him with anger riling up, Her face tints red with her eyebrows indenting. Minji turns around and puts her arms on her hips, shaking her head in disbelief. "Daphne what the fuck? Can't you see this is not the time." Minji scolds, and daphne rolls her eyes.

I see what Minji meant last night when she mentioned something about try hards in this company, she might've even been shading Daphne in her statement. It wasn't even my first day in this occupation yet I somehow have gotten people mad at me for the opportunities i've received. Great.

My body goes rigid at the thought of working with her, she's already threatened by me and it'll only be a matter of time before Marlin involves himself in this dilemma, and then shit really would go down. Looking at her brings back the painful feelings I felt that night, the pain of seeing your ex lover with a new woman days after your separation.

She's also everything a model should be, everything I considered model worthy. A tall lengthy blonde with a slim body and nice proportions, gorgeous face and blue eyes. It dawned on me that Marlin had only been hot models or bimbos after our split and the self consciousness began to rile up within me.

I tense my jaw to help suppress the emotions bubbling in my chest. It doesn't make me feel better, in fact I feel worse. All these eyes on me but it's a contrast from the expressions from earlier, the positive eyes are giving me a pitiful expression which makes me feel so small inside. Daphne stares me down as Arlo is scolding her and I turn around and make my exit sheepishly in the mist of the heated moment I could hear Minji and Noor calling after me, but I ignore them and rush out the photoshoot room and dash down the hall.

Despite my blatant ignoring of their calls, they follow me anyways.

"Wait, Valentina!" Minji calls out and when she reaches me she grabs my arm, I pause and bite my bottom lip tensely trying to stop myself from feeling any negative emotions. I take a deep breath inwards and I turn around to face Noor and Minji. They both don't give me those pitiful expressions which makes me relieved, they look equally as upset as I am about what just happened.

"I'm sorry about her, shes an asshole and the rest of us are always walking on eggshells around her. Don't let her tear away your moment, okay doll?" Noor reassures me as she holds my arm and rubs circles with her thumb comfortingly.