Faded Echoes || LINGORM ✓

CHAPTER 19

Orm returned to the set after processing her conversation with her manager, her mood noticeably shifting. A surge of energy coursed through her, and she was suddenly in the perfect headspace to tackle the next scene. The transformation didn't go unnoticed. Crew members exchanged confused glances, unsure of what caused the abrupt change. Only her manager, who had been privy to the conversation, was unfazed.

At almost past eleven, though, the shoot wrapped up, and Orm let out a sparkling energy. The clock ticked well past eleven, but she powered through with a remarkable enthusiasm that she displayed.

"Hospital again?" her manager's voice cut into the air. She jumped up slightly in surprise. Her manager chuckled. "It's almost eleven; do you want me to drive you?"

Orm's lips curved into a grin at the manager's words. "Even if I wanted to, no. I need you to go home and rest. You've been running on fumes."

"It's my job, Orm."

"I know, but let's think of this as a reward for all the support you've given me." Orm raised an eyebrow, providing a playful smile. "Besides, I'm just going to grab food and deliver it to her. I didn't cook dinner."

"I thought you liked the effort?"

"It is effort," Orm retorted with a smirk. "But I'll make it extra effort tomorrow-my schedule's light."

Her manager gave a small nod. "Right. Anyway, message me when you're home, okay?"

Orm agreed and packed up her gear. She left the set, and by the time she arrived home, the night had fallen deep into the stillness of midnight. Her car slid into the driveway, and she headed for the bedroom, bypassing the rest of the house.

Inside the cozy warmth of her shower, Orm let her exhausted body soak in warm water, loosening the tension of her muscles. Her phone buzzed in her hand as she mindlessly scrolled through her social media, primarily the X app with the most engagement from her fans. She found herself lost reading through their posts, reposting the tweets, and reading through their tweets. The night went on, and hours slipped by without even realizing it, until the clock struck one before she knew it.

She finished her evening routine and put on her black bathrobe and headed directly to her bed. The drowsiness brought by the long day swept over her, taking her into deep, much-needed rest.

The next day, Orm walked into the hospital with a quiet but resolute air. She had a paper bag in hand, ready to deliver food to the person who had been on her mind. She was greeted by Nurse Ja, who offered her a soft smile.

"Dr. Kwong isn't here yet," the nurse reported. "But don't worry; I'll make sure she gets it later."

Orm nodded vaguely. "Did she have dinner last night?"

"Yes, she went out with her friends," confirmed Nurse Ja.

Orm furrowed her brow a little. "Will she be home early today?"

"I think so," Nurse Ja said. "I heard Mrs. Dew is coming later."

The name of Mrs. Dew hit Orm like a wave. Her stomach tensed, but she covered this feeling with an expressionless mask and smiled at the nurse, handing over the paper bag. She waved goodbye, her head spinning with thoughts that were like conflicting storms inside her.

The prospect of running into Mrs. Dew after all these years made Orm go nervous. She had been almost like a member of Ling's family-almost especially to Milk, Ling's little sister. She had cut them off from all walks of life the day she ended things with Ling because she thought severing ties would be the best way to let her go. The past always had a way of lingering, though, and the hurt she carried wasn't so easily erased.

As she stood there, her mind was racing. She knew she could not keep avoiding them, especially now. And somehow, she knew that she would have to face Ling's family sooner or later.

"Orm, are you listening?" Her mother's voice brought her back to the present.

Orm blinked and glanced over at her mother, Mae Koy, who watched her closely with a worried expression. "Sorry, Mom. What did you say?"

"Do you have any work tonight?"

Orm stretched out across the long sofa. Her head lolled against the armrest of the couch. "My manager just sent me my updated schedule. A couple of things had shifted, but everything is okay now. I have to spend the night here."

Mae Koy got up from her seat to sit beside Orm. "You need at least a twenty-four-hour off, Orm. You look exhausted. Can't you take a leave for a week, dear?"

Orm frowned a little. "You know how demanding my schedule is, Mom."

"I just worry about you," Mae Koy said soothingly, but her voice cracked with concern.

Orm nestled back into her mother's side as if trying to find comfort within her arms again after the whole month of isolation and mounting pressures of her tight schedule. It was already grueling with all those stressors; it was like another layer of grueling with what happened with her and Ling last month.

Her mother watched her, the look sharp as steel in unspoken comprehension.

"Orm," Mae Koy's voice was soft, yet hard with demand. "How are you and... Ling?"

Orm hugged her mother tightly. "We're not good, Mom. She's angry with me, and I don't blame her," Orm's voice broke as a bitter smile curled at the edges of her lips. "But I am trying. I'm trying to make things right so that I can finally explain everything. Everything that happened five years ago for ending everything."

Mae Koy spoke softly. "It is not that easy, Orm. But do not give up just because she is angry or refuses to talk to you."

"I won't, Mom," Orm said quietly, pulling tight.

The two of them sat silently in the morning. The warmth of her mother's body was enough for her to pull on her that long. There was something unbreakable about Mae Koy and the posture she maintained. This helped Orm breathe, unthinkingly, for the first time in months. Whatever was in the future, there was her mother to be with, always as she had been.