I stared at her, the disgust bubbling up within my chest threatened to choke me. “What do you want?” I growled as I zipped up my cocktail dress.
“Mr Harris asked that you get to the event half an hour early,” Lucy said.
“Tell him I’ll be there when I get there.”
“I can’t tell him that, Jennifer.”
I glared at her as she resolutely stood her ground. When she finally turned her gaze away, I said, “I can do anything I want. I am the star here, not him and definitely not you.”
Lucy left the room. The useless bitch, I thought to myself, annoyed that she had the gall to tell me what to do. I could hear her calling my manager and telling him that I couldn’t make it early. I smiled to myself, the little mouse was so pathetic.
I took my time putting on my make-up and I teased my hair over and over until I was satisfied with the style. Then I fussed over my perfect dress, molding my curves into it. Finally I was ready. Twenty minutes late, but I guaranteed that my fans won’t mind the wait after they see me.
“Lucy!” I called, no answer. I shrugged and walked out the door. She could have taken a cab for all I care and I would make sure not to approve the reimbursement request. The limousine driver held the door open for me as I sashayed my way through a throng of photographers. When I reached him, he said, “I am so sorry about tonight, Miss Tong.”
I glared before I slid into the car. He shut the door and I was relieved to see the window between us up. Lucy had a bad habit of talking to him and I was glad he didn’t think that I was as cheap as her. I fished out a compact case from my purse and checked my reflections in the mirror.
When I looked up, a tad annoyed that we were not at the theatre yet, I saw that we were outside the city. I pressed the intercom. “Phang or Fong or whoever you are, why are we driving out of the city? The show is at the theatre complex, stupid.”
“I am sorry, ma’am. Mr Harris’s order is to take you to the countryside.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, ma’am. I am just following his instructions.”
“Take me back right now,” I screamed.
“That’s impossible, ma’am. Mr Harris told me not to because he said you will make a scene and embarrass everyone.”
I pressed the button to lower the window between us but the tinted glass wouldn’t budge. I banged against it and screamed profanities into the intercom, still no response. I tried the door but it was locked. I was incensed: I screamed, banged, scratched and then tore my hair.
Finally the car slowed and the door opened. I stepped out, livid and yelling my displeasure. Hands began to grab for me. More screaming and scratching and kicking. This wasn’t the theater, I shouted. I looked up and saw the lower caption of a sign hung above the wide lit entrance which said ‘Psychiatric Institution’. I screeched with rage. I wasn’t crazy, I insisted, nothing was wrong with me. I grappled for the neck of one of the white uniformed orderlies and one of them grasped my waist and lifted me off the ground. I was forced down on a stretcher and strapped down. A numbing pain pinched my arm and I turned my head to look at a man jabbing a needle into my vein.
“No! No! I want my manager. I want a lawyer. Call the police. You have no right to keep me here.” I gasped for breath and swallowed. The stretcher began to roll into the building. My tongue felt thick as I said, “This is a mistake. I am Jenni….”
Harris wore a big smile on his face as he followed Lucy back to the changing room. “You sang wonderful,” he said for the tenth time. “I told you that working for Jennifer will help you learn how to maximize your voice’s potential.”
Lucy beamed. She still couldn’t believe that she had received a standing ovation. “I try. All those coaches and trainers she has are really helpful.”
“Well, they will be taking care of you now,” Harris said.
Lucy’s smile faded as she approached the changing room. She took a deep breath in front of the door, opened it and stepped in.
“Oh,” she started, “She’s not in.”
“Of course not,” he said as he followed her into the room. “She is too stressed out by her popularity. That is why she is in such a bad mood. I sent her away somewhere to recuperate.”
“Will she be okay?”
“Yes, she will. There are a lot of good people keeping an eye on her.”
“But her fans aren’t going to like it.”
“Her fans love her voice, not her. You have a perfect voice, and they have shown you that they love it too.”
Lucy smiled shyly. “Yes, you are right. I will sing in her place for as long as you need me.”
“Thank you, Lucy.” Harris walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.
He caught sight of Adrian, a tabloid paper reporter, lurking in a dim corner and was about to call security but changed his mind. About the corridor, staff streamed up and down in costumes, or carrying costumes or props and a caterer pushed a food cart past him. Harris kept his eyes glued to the screen of his mobile phone as he approached the corner. He could feel the reporter preparing to pounce on him. Just out of reach, he stopped and pretended to talk into the phone.
“Dr Lau Feng? Harris here. How is your patient, Jennifer Tong?” Pause. “Yes, we have had similar episodes. Maybe it is work related stress.” Another pause. “Is the driver alright?… Only shaken. Thank goodness.” A long pause broken only by sporadic grunts. Finally he said, “Thank you, doctor. I will visit in the morning.”
Harris turned and almost bumped into the reporter. Adrian asked, “Is Miss Tong ill, Mr Harris?” Is that why she is not performing tonight?”
“What are you doing here?” Harris demanded. He stopped a staff scurrying past and said, “Call security.” He turned back to face Adrian. “Please leave now. You have not been invited in.”
“I usually am. That is the other strange thing tonight. Why is there no press?”
Harris touched his brow with the tip of his fingers and pressed his other hand onto the reporter’s chest. “Adrian, please. Today is a very bad day for us. We are so lucky that Lucy could take over Jennifer’s role at such short notice.” Two guards stopped in front of them. “Please show Adrian out.” He furrowed his brow and said to the reporter, “Don’t fight them, Adrian. I don’t want you to get blacklisted.”
Adrian nodded and walked away. He had the doctor’s name and it would be easy to find out which hospital he worked in. The next day, the tabloid’s headlines read ‘JTong in Loony Bin’.
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