[Edward POV]
"How did you think of putting the VCR image composition whenever he's playing a character? I love it," Enid commented as we were watching the series.
"Again, I have nothing to do with the show except for acting," I replied to Enid with a chuckle.
As the memory-loss patient didn't know how to actually be a psychopath, he used the movies he watched—American Psycho, Silence of the Lambs, Saw, etc.—as references to play a terrifying character in order to scare off the bad guys coming at him.
The characters also helped him challenge his position as the black sheep in the company. The first four episodes were quite fun; they showed how his belief that he was a psychopath changed his life for the better.
However, the guilt of murdering someone kept gnawing at him. He started to ponder if he was actually a psychopath, even second-guessing whether the diary was his.
We arrived at a mirror scene where the main character Travis spoke with his reflection. (Like Homelander)
{Normal Travis: Why!?? Why can't you just let me go! Why can't I be happy–WHY!?!!
His expression was heartbreaking, tears slightly formed in his eyes.
Travis Reflection: Do you think you deserved happiness? You're just a psychopathic serial killer, do you really think that those people you just found will still smile if they know who you are?
The reflection was cold and logical, his words made the real Travis had a mental breakdown.}
"Sorry– Sorry." Enid suddenly stood up from the seat and walked towards me, grabbing the control tablet from my hand.
"I want to see it again." She said shyly all while taking control of the screening.
"I agreed with her!" Jacob raised his hand. "By the way, Edward. Is that really you? I know you can act, but not to this level." Elsa asked sarcastically, but her face showed that she was impressed.
"I'm always at this level." I joked around with Elsa.
The series continued. While the internal reflection was going on, the actual psychopath became obsessed with Travis, thinking they were birds of a feather—a predator, too.
Emma's character began to piece together the clues and realized that there was a serial killer in town, but she lacked evidence. Then, she witnessed a few unusual interactions surrounding the main character, in which he was at the center of a couple of incidents.
The VP of the stock brokerage was kidnapped and almost killed, and he claimed that the main character was the killer.
But the case was dismissed when it was revealed that he coerced his employee into accusing the main character of sexual assault to get him fired and sent to jail, thereby protecting his mistake from being uncovered—the pharmaceutical stock fraud that had started the whole thing.
There were even some homoerotic elements that made Enid squeal incessantly. When the psychopath villain realized he had lost his memory and was in possession of his diary, he decided to plant a few fake pieces of evidence, leading the main character to go to jail.
It turned into a spectacle, and it was revealed that he had killed over 20 people. However, before that happened, the main character began to remember his past, revealing that the actual psychopath—the director in the brokerage—was the true villain, but no one would believe him.
During the crucial part of the story, Emma's acting started to go downhill. She couldn't portray the conflicted character in a believable way and suddenly cut her hair short like a boy. Her acting range, especially during the pivotal moment of her father's death, was so jarring that it actually pulled the audience out of the story.
"Heh." Finneas accidentally laughed at her wooden acting. Emma noticed it and excused herself from the theater.
Maggie looked at me and urged, "Edward! Follow her."
"Why should I? I want to finish this!" I protested, slightly taken aback.
"Go!" Maggie yelled. "Go, or I will tell Grandma what you did in Japan." She threatened.
"Fine." I sighed and walked out of the theater, punching Finneas in the bicep as I passed him.
"Ow." He winced.
Enid said, "You deserved it. We were all holding back our laughter, but you cackled out loud."
"I let out a low 'heh,' not a 'HA! HA! HA!'" Finneas defended himself.
"That's worse," Enid argued.
Emma walked away to the backyard and sat at the outdoor table, watching the rain pour.
"Hey, you alright?" I asked perfunctorily as I approached her.
"Is that a sincere concern, or are you just doing this because someone asked you to?" Emma's gaze turned sharp as she awaited my answer.
I furrowed my brow and said coldly, "Of course it's because someone asked me to. I don't care about you enough to care about how you're feeling."
"See! You're really rude!" Emma exclaimed, her face aghast. "When we first met, you were nice and polite. You joked around a lot. But you've changed since I cut my hair."
With an edge in her voice, she added, "Or were you just lashing out because I wouldn't sleep with you?"
"If you think I ever flirted with you or found you attractive, then you're more delusional than I thought," I replied calmly.
"Then what is it? That's the only explanation I can think of!" Emma stood up, moving closer until she had to look up to meet my gaze.
"It's the lack of respect you show the people around you," I stated, my tone icy.
She gasped, defending herself, "I'm fair to everyone! You might think otherwise, but that's your opinion!"
"Fair? Really? You've taken advantage of everyone you work with, and it's not just my opinion—it's the truth. You're entitled and condescending, thinking the world owes you something because you played a popular character."
Emma flinched at my words, her eyes widening. "I'm not like that! Why do you hate me so much? What have I ever done to you?"
"It's not about hate—it's about calling out the truth. You've used your status to coerce those around you while wearing an innocent facade. You might be unaware of it, but it was disgusting to look at."
I moved closer, my expression hardening. "Life should have been smooth sailing after Harry Potter, yet now people see through your mediocre abilities and question if you deserve any of it. 'Oh, she's just lucky to be cast as a kid,' they think. "
Tears glistened in Emma's eyes as she clenched her fists. "Are you done attacking me? Does this make you feel better?"
"No, I'm not done, and it has nothing to do with feeling better," I shot back. "You called yourself fair, but if you truly believed that, you'd consider the actress who was supposed to be the lead."
Emma flinched again, "It was my manager—" She couldn't find any arguments for that. The actress who's supposed to be the lead took a job as a side character– the villain's secretary, and she performed incredibly well in her role.
"No. I don't blame you for fighting for roles; that's how the industry works. But to claim you were fair is laughable. You could have tried harder with your acting, but instead, you took the easy way out, running away when things got tough. You've disrespected the crew and yourself."
I turned, ready to leave, and said, "My people will send you back to your hotel. Let's hope we never meet again, Miss Watson."
As I walked away, I knew she would fade into obscurity in a few years, unable to grasp the mistakes she'd made. I wouldn't waste my time trying to help someone who didn't want to be helped.
The funny thing is, if she had an ounce of effort put into her work, I would've helped her.
Emma burst into tears and stomped toward the door. I returned to the theater room, only to bump into the others in the hallway. They were peeking at the argument, too slow to hide after it was over.
"Um, we didn't hear anything," Maggie said, looking away, not daring to meet my gaze as I stared at them.
Maggie felt conflicted inside. She wanted me to have a good relationship with Emma since she believed Emma was a nice person. But after hearing the argument, she stopped pressing the issue.
Maggie was crystal clear about my attitude when I was working on a studio set. After three years in the industry and achieving fame of her own, she understood why I was so upset.
The work culture at Entertain Studio couldn't be compared to other studios. The company strived to get the best stories out there, requiring everyone to produce their best work.
In the last three years, I had fired over ten people—even the lead actor in a story—because they were intentionally difficult to work with. I wouldn't hesitate to restart a project if it meant removing the "tumor" from the production.
"That was brutal," Enid whispered as she sat down. "I hope Edward would never go off on me like that."
Jenna added, "I hope he would get me off—" She was cut off before finishing her sentence as the series resumed playing.
There was an air of awkwardness in the theater, but it didn't take long for the atmosphere to become lively again.
We watched as Travis broke out of prison and faced off against the psychopath inside an escape room. He used the camera in the room to tear off the mask the psychopath hid behind, revealing his true self—even confessing to being the owner of the diary by allowing the psychopath to stab him.
But in a twist, Travis managed to convince Emma before everything was set up and received a bulletproof vest from her, which stopped the knife. The villain was caught and sentenced to life in prison.
In the end, Travis wrote about his experiences in a book and became a bestselling author. His book was titled Psychopath Diary. That's how the story concluded.
[A/N: A K-drama titled Psychopath Diary, but set in England in this universe.]
"Ahh! I'm so tired!" Jenna yawned as the credits rolled. "Edward, can I just sleep here tonight?" She turned in her seat and asked.
I laughed and replied, "Wasn't that your plan—yours and everyone else's? Just go to sleep now, or you'll suffer at school tomorrow."
"There's no school tomorrow," Enid chimed in cheerfully, which confused me.
"Why?"
"Because we're not going," Jacob snickered.
"Then you can't stay. I don't want your parents blaming me or painting me as a bad influence," I said, furrowing my brow decisively.
"What the hell are you talking about? It's too late for that if you don't want to be seen as a bad influence," Jenna teased. "By the way, Enid and I are sleeping in your room tonight."
I rolled my eyes. "The maid will bring you back to your own rooms."
Finneas pulled me aside and told me the truth as everyone left the room. Principal Brown had shut down the school for an urgent pest control mission. The rats had chewed through a lot of the wires, leaving the school in pretty bad shape.
"I donate a lot to the school each year. Yet the rats caused it to shut down? Where did all that money go?" I muttered in disbelief.
"That's the problem. They probably used your donation to buy more snacks, and the rats came as a result," Finneas joked.
I wanted to retort, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it might be the truth.
We didn't go straight to sleep; instead, we hung out by the indoor pool. Jacob and Elsa went missing for two and a half minutes and returned looking disheveled.
"God. I hope they clean up after themselves," I muttered with concern. Jacob wanted to give me a high five, but I wouldn't touch his hand until he washed it first.
The next day arrived, and I had to leave the house early in the morning. By the time I drove out of the parking garage in my blue Maserati, no one was awake. As I entered the company building, the employees smiled brightly upon seeing me.
I rode the lift directly to the CEO's floor and entered the office. I placed my foot on the table and leaned back in the chair, enjoying the feeling for a brief moment before realizing I needed to start my work.
After a few hours with my nose buried deep in files, I sighed and said, "I should get a secretary."
Renaldo was Pepper's secretary, so the position was vacant since both had gone to Maine for the summer. Having a secretary was crucial for a CEO; it would make my work much easier and serve as a symbol of authority.
There was currently a recruitment interview being held in the marketing department for an entry-level position at Entertain Studio, so I decided to stop by.
"Mr. Newgate!" A mid-level manager hastily stood up from his desk when I entered the marketing department.
"Ah, Steven. I'm here to observe the interview. You can relax," I greeted him casually.
"Of course! Anything you say, sir. If there's anything you need from me, just let me know."
"Oh—right. I do have something. Could you ask someone to pick up the report for the new series? I haven't checked the reviews yet," I requested, taken aback by his enthusiasm.
"I'll do it right now!" The mid-level manager quickly dashed out of the department. Fortunately, the analysis department was on the same floor, so he didn't have far to go. Moments later, he returned with the analysis department manager, both of them looking a bit sweaty.
Although one of the actors received mixed reviews, the show did exceptionally well on Netflix. Within a day, all ten episodes had accumulated 50 million views each, which meant fans finished a ten-hour-long show in just one day.
Numerous articles were published, many praising the series. As I anticipated, a few criticized Emma's acting, but I didn't care about that.
"Shocking Twists and Psyche Unraveled: Psychopath Diary Keeps Viewers on the Edge of Their Seats"
"From Confrontation to Redemption: How Psychopath Diary Redefines the Thriller Genre Across Ten Gripping Episodes"
"Emma Watson's Bold Performance Under Fire: Is Psychopath Diary a Signature Success or a Misstep in Her Career?"
"Thriller Meets Emotion: Psychopath Diary Captivates Fans with Its Unpredictable Plot and Complex Characters"
"Psychopath Diary Breaks Streaming Records: Analyzing Its Rise to 50 Million Views in Just One Day"
Liu Park, the analysis department manager, excitedly reported, "We have officially surpassed the 400 million subscriber mark on Netflix. The top ten most popular shows today are:
Black Mirror
The Big Bang Theory
Breaking Bad
Diner (Hudgens)
Community
Modern Family
Psychopath Diary
Atlanta
House of Cards
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina."
Liu flipped through his document. "Psychopath Diary managed to climb to the seventh spot in just one day. If the viewing trend continues, it could easily reach the number one spot within a week."
"That's just the series list. What about movies? Who's in the top five right now?" I asked.
I swung by the analysis department and then visited the script department to talk with some showrunners and offer direction.
Not finding anything of interest in the marketing department, I returned to my office. It was almost lunchtime when a visitor entered, bringing food.
"Our CEO has been working hard! Have you had lunch yet?" Vanessa said cheerily as she placed a takeout bag on my desk.
"What's this?" I asked.
"Some tacos!"
I stared at her in disbelief and said, "Did you choose tacos because of my Latin heritage? Were you stereotyping me, Hudgens?"
"WHAT?! NOO!!" She was taken aback and immediately defended herself. "The restaurant has a lot of good reviews! I just thought you'd like it!"
I laughed out loud before replying, "I'm just joking. Tacos are fine. I like tacos."
"Jerk," she muttered under her breath, but a smile crept across her face. We took a seat at the coffee table and enjoyed lunch together.
"By the way, did you see the articles about you?" Vanessa asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "All of them were talking about your series."
"I've seen them," I replied nonchalantly. "But I didn't see you at the premiere last night at my place. Do you have any excuses to defend yourself?"
Vanessa hesitated, stammering, "I—I wanted to go, but—you know…"
"Ah, you must mean when I asked you out. So you were cautious about coming to my house in case you couldn't control your urges and push me onto the bed."
Vanessa snorted and said, "Yes. I'm a sexual deviant who can't contain myself around pretty boys."
"Glad to hear you admit it," I joked. "But about us… You don't have to worry about that anymore."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Vanessa's heart skipped a beat as an ominous feeling lingered in her chest.
"Yeah. Since I'm already a CEO, I have to follow the rules. No dating employees, especially talent."
"W—what? When did that rule come into effect?" she asked, alarm flashing in her eyes.
"Quite a while ago." I flashed a mock sad look and continued, "It's too bad. We could've been great together."
"Wait a damn second! Are you serious?" Vanessa asked in shock.
I shrugged. "I am. I asked you out before becoming your boss to work around the employee dating rule since I was still considered talent back then. Now, I can't ask you out with so much red tape and HR intervention."
Vanessa's face turned slightly pale as she mumbled, "So…that was my final chance?"
"Right now, even having lunch with you in public spaces is complicated. I have to protect my talent's reputation. I don't want people to badmouth you," I said, placing my hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her.
Of course, I was actually joking. I had learned from Maggie that the reason Vanessa had rejected me wasn't my age, but because she wanted revenge for having pined over me for the last few years.
She wanted to revel in the feeling of being chased after, and wanted me to lose my mind over her. But with this, I destroyed all of her plans.
While I smirked secretly, Vanessa suddenly stood up and walked toward me.
"What are you—" Before I could finish my question, she grabbed my collar, pulled me closer, and kissed me on the lips.
She paused slightly, staring intently into my eyes and said, "We started dating five days ago! Before all the promotional events! So—"
I cut her off by pulling her close and kissing her back.