𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 ✓

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"I MEAN, I think your husband is pretty handsome," Lauren spoke, a smirk plastered over her face, "almost too handsome. Like he fell from heaven or something."

"Uh-huh," Mal replied nonchalantly, not taking her eyes off her phone screen. She could only silently roll her eyes at how desperate Lauren sounded, but remained quiet whatsoever.

"Anyways- what are you doing?" Lauren asked, peaking over the girl's shoulder to see what she was doing. Mal turned the screen away from Lauren, slightly annoyed.

"It's literally not your business." She retorted, visibly rolling her eyes.

Lauren smirked.

"Are you scared I'm going to get that role so you're looking for other jobs? Or are you scared I'm going to seduce your husband so you're checking to see if you have any chances with other men?"

She lightly giggled at her own words. Mal huffed her cheeks and crossed her arms close to her chest, hugging herself.

"The better actress you are, the better chance you have at getting that role. It doesn't really matter if you got it anyway, after all, me and my husband are too busy planning our performance for the Grammy's."

Lauren sent her a bitter smile.

"Of course you are. Cause you can get everything because of who your mothers are. Not like you're talented or anything, God forbids. Your husband is not talented either," she retorted, her voice bitter with hatred, "he's only a slut. And a bully."

She smirked and chuckled to herself.

"No wonder you got married to him."

At that moment, Mal stood up in frustration, stomping her feet on the porcelain floor.

"My husband is not a slut!"

Lauren chuckled darkly.

"Oh, but he is. And a bully too. A snake one for sure."

Mal pounded her fist against the table angrily before grabbing her phone from the table beside her.

"Whatever, Lauren. Keep saying shit like that and you're getting punched, you hear me? My husband is anything but a snake," Mal glanced at her up and down, an evil smirk appearing on her beautiful face, "if anything, you're the snake. And people will find that out soon enough."

She sent her one last death glare before hurrying out of sight, towards the directors sitting on a nearby table.

"Oh, good!" One of the directors began with a smile. "We're done taking our decision. Lauren, you can come over here too."

Lauren rolled her eyes and approached the table as well.

"I'm sorry to inform you this but..." the director began with a sad smile, glancing at Lauren's bitter expression, "Lauren, you didn't get the role. And before you say anything, it's not your acting."

"Yes, we just preferred someone from Middle-Eastern countries to play the role. Since Mal is from Egypt, and portrayed the character perfectly well in the audition," he sent the girl a smile of pride," Mal, you got the role."

Mal smiled gratefully and shook the director's hand. Lauren stared at the connected hands darkly, then scoffed.

"So you give her the role because you're scared of her mothers?! How is this fair?"

The director's smile dropped.

"Lauren, I assure you, we felt no pressure taking that decision. We knew Mal has a good heart and would have been happy for you if we picked you-"

"-blah, blah, blah! Bullshit! You get everything you want just because your darn mother is the president of this darn country!" She yelled, stomping her feet, "It doesn't matter if we worked hard for it!"

"Hey-" Mal interrupted. "I worked hard for it too!"

Lauren scoffed again.

"Yeah, right. You're going to regret it, Mal, so much. I promise!"

Mal sighed and looked away from the other girl, confused feelings of anger and guilt rising in her chest.

She had no idea what she was guilty for, because she did work hard for that role. And she had no idea what she was angry for, except that she knew that Lauren deserved it for hating on her husband without knowing him, and calling him names she had seen on the internet before.

"And you can go tell your slutty husband that he's going to mess up that performance at the Grammy's anyway! So might as well spare himself and you the embarrassment of failing!"

"Oh, he won't," Mal replied quietly with a tone of smugness and pride, "because I know he's talented enough. You don't have to worry about that."

Lauren scoffed for the third time, her hands turning into balls of anger.

"You're going to see how much of a slut he really is. I promise I will show you that."

That was the last thing she said before she stormed out of the room, and soon enough, out of the building.

Mal stared at where she once stood in blinding anger, her vision turning red.

How dare she?

How dare she call her sweet, young husband a slut?

She didn't know him even.

No one knew him.

She turned to give an apologetic smile at the two directors, and when they returned with sympathetic smiles of their own, she turned to hurry out of the place.

To the place she called home.

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