The moment Aster stepped into the audition building, he felt it.
Not nerves. Not excitement.
A tightening in his chest.
Like something sour lingering under sweet perfume.
The hallways were sleek and modern, every inch of the casting floor polished to perfection. Voices murmured through glass walls. Assistants walked quickly with tablets in hand. Somewhere, a manager laughed too loudly. Everything was exactly as it should be.
But he knew.
He knew something was about to go wrong.
And it did—ten minutes later, just as he walked into the waiting room for Audition Room 3.
He saw them.
Evan.
And beside him, Lianne.
His former manager and former wife.
The two people who, in his past life, destroyed everything.
They hadn't done it yet. Not in this timeline. To them, he was still Aster—the clueless, trusting rising star they could slowly manipulate. But he remembered everything.
They did it together.
They ruined his career.
They stole his savings.
They let his brother suffer until it was too late.
And now, here they were.
As if nothing happened.
Evan noticed him first, standing up with a relieved smile that twisted Aster's stomach. "Aster! There you are—I've been calling you. You changed your number?"
Aster paused. Smiled.
"No," he said calmly. "I just stopped answering yours."
Evan blinked, clearly not expecting that.
Lianne stood as well, clutching her handbag to her chest, her eyes wide and soft. "We were worried, Aster. You haven't replied to any of our messages. I thought... maybe you were mad at me."
Aster turned to her, polite but cold. "Why would I be mad? You haven't done anything," he smiled coldly. "Right?"
Her eyes flickered. "What?"
He stepped forward slowly, voice mild. "You're here for the extra casting?"
Evan nodded quickly. "I brought Lianne—thought she could use some exposure. And I've been trying to arrange a proper contract discussion for you. That new company I told you about—"
"The one in that cramped building with unpaid bills?" Aster replied smoothly. "No, thank you."
Evan's face twitched. "I know it's not a five-star agency, but I'm trying hard. You're my top talent. I've been fighting for you."
Aster tilted his head, smile sharpening. "Fighting for me. Right."
He remembered how Evan had smiled the same way while selling him out. How Lianne had held his hand at the hospital while carrying another man's child. How they used his name to scam sponsors—and ran off together once the truth came out.
He could still feel the cold of that empty apartment after they left.
He took a breath.
This time, he wouldn't play dumb.
"I didn't realize you two were still working so closely," he said softly. "You make a good pair."
Lianne blinked. "We're just friends. You know that."
"Do I?"
Her voice caught.
Evan stepped forward, voice rising. "Look, I don't know what's going on with you, but it's unfair to treat ME like this after everything I'VE done for you. I was your manager from the start—"
"And I'm grateful," Aster interrupted, voice smooth as glass. "Grateful enough to let you go."
Lianne's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"
He looked at her for a long moment. The way her hand curled protectively over her chest, like she was preparing for her same performance all over again.
He remembered the lies. The fake confession. The press scandal. The shame.
And worst of all—
How much he believed her.
Never again.
He gave her a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"I meant what I said," he said. "I hope the audition goes well. But don't wait for my calls anymore."
The assistant director popped out from the audition room. "Aster? You're next."
He turned, adjusting his posture.
Lianne reached for his sleeve. "Wait—"
He stepped out of reach without blinking.
And walked inside.
The audition room was bright and cold and silent.
Perfect.
He let himself breathe for the first time in twenty minutes.
Then he stepped into the mark. Lifted his chin.
And began.
The scene was raw—vulnerability dressed in anger, a character betrayed by people he once trusted. It wasn't hard to draw from.
He didn't act. He just remembered.
His voice cracked at the right lines. His eyes burned at the right silence. And when the last words dropped into the air, no one spoke for several seconds.
The casting director finally cleared her throat.
"Thank you," she said softly. "That was... powerful. And seems genuine."
He nodded once, calm again.
Outside, he passed Evan and Lianne without a glance.
They didn't call after him this time but he can feel Evan's anger brewing.
Jace met him in the lobby, holding a takeaway coffee. He handed it over like a reward.
"So? How'd it go?" Jace asked. Referring to his conversation with his former "manager" cum "friend"
Aster took a sip. "Good."
"You looked calm."
"I was... angry, actually."
Jace tilted his head. "Want to talk about it?"
"No," Aster said. "I want to work."
And he meant it.
In the car, as the city blurred past the windows, Aster watched the skyline in silence.
This time, he hadn't broken.
This time, he walked away first.
This time... the curtain was rising on his terms.