Fifteen minutes later, Katy left her room and saw a dining table neatly arranged with plates. A smile naturally formed on her face as she walked up to her mother, who was still busy in the kitchen and helped her out.
Seeing her daughter being so cooperative this morning, Katy's mother also smiled a little and gave her some tasks. Like this, the mother-daughter duo made their breakfast and ate it together on the dining table.
"I'm sorry I won't be able to attend your graduation ceremony," Katy's mother said apologetically when they had finished their breakfast.
"What's there to be sorry for, Mom? I know that our economic condition is a little strained because of my acting school's fees and you need to keep our shop open to earn enough," Katy said as she observed her mother's pursed lips and continued.
"Besides, once I make it big in the industry, you'll never have to worry about such small things ever again so don't feel bad alright? You're the person I'm most thankful to,"
An emotional smile appeared on her mother's face as she grabbed Katy's hand, which was resting on the table and said while stroking it with her thumb, "If you feel that things are not going your way, then don't push yourself too much, alright? We can always work together in your father's shop and continue living."
"Got it, Mom," Katy smiled with gratitude in her heart at her mother's gesture.
'You don't need to worry about me anymore, Mom. I'll make sure to give you a life filled with luxury and comfort,' Katy thought in her mind, and soon got up from the seat after grabbing the plates.
"Just keep them on the basin, your dress would get spoiled otherwise," Katy's mother reminded her, and Katy did as she was told and went to do some last-minute checks in her room.
"Alright, Mom, I'll be going then,"
A while later, Katy bid her mom goodbye and left the apartment. It was nine in the morning, and the graduation ceremony would start at half past ten.
The Yuber Taxi, which she had booked on her phone, soon arrived in front of her building, and she left for the ceremony.
'Victor, I won't give you the opportunity to ruin my life this time,' Katy thought to herself while glancing out of the taxi's window.
At 10:15 AM, Katy got out of the taxi and was standing right outside the premises of her acting school.
A light sound of classical music, which was coming from inside, rang in her ears as her eyes went towards the main gate.
'Baroque Acting School'
The name of the acting school was neatly written on top of the grand entrance gate.
Around the premises, many people in elegant clothes were gathered and catching up with each other.
Several others were entering the school's premises through the gate with their friends in an excited and cheerful mood.
Seeing this lofty campus in front of her, Katy slightly pursed her lips as she was once again reminded of the struggles her mother had gone through to pay back her tuition fees.
Her string of thoughts was however, stopped by a sudden call from her side.
"Katy! Here!"
A cheery voice attracted Katy's attention as she noticed a person in a pale green dress waving her hand towards her from a distance.
An intense shock appeared in Katy's eyes, which soon changed to a delightful and emotional smile when she noticed the other person and moved towards her.
"Samantha! You're looking gorgeous in that one-shoulder dress," Katy genuinely complimented her friend while controlling her urge to tightly hug her, as she didn't want to spoil Samantha's dress.
Samantha was the only genuine friend Katy had made in this acting school and she cherished each and every moment she had spent with her in the acting school.
"You don't say! Look at that striking Skater dress you're wearing! Gosh, you look so lively and energetic in it," Samantha praised her with a smile.
"Hmph! What's so great about cheap dresses?" A voice came from behind the two of them, and they soon saw a woman who was dressed in a luxuriant white dress which had a gold-plated brooch towards the chest.
"You still carried that dirty mouth of yours to today's occasion, didn't you, Gwen? Well, it's alright since it would be easier for the guests now to find a place to dispose of their trash," Samantha replied without a second thought.
"You!" Gwen glared at Samantha with fury, but controlled her reaction. With a flick of her hair, she replied, "It's only natural for the poor to despise the rich, so I can understand how the two of you feel.
Don't worry, though, if I'm in a good mood, then I'll help you two get some roles as background characters in my films."
"It's alright, we would rather not act in films that are going to flop," Samantha snorted and grabbed Katy's hand the next moment, "Let's go, Katy, if we stay close to trash for long, we too will start smelling like it."
With that said, Samantha pulled Katy's hand, and the two walked towards the entrance.
A scowl instantly formed on Gwen's face when she heard Samantha's words, but before she could counter back, the duo were already moving away.
"Wait!" Gwen called from the back, but Samantha completely ignored her and kept walking along with Katy.
"Don't mind that bitch too much. She's just jealous that you're ranked higher than her in the year rankings," Samantha comforted Katy while they were moving towards the entrance gate.
"I'm alright, Samantha, thanks for your help," Katy replied gratefully.
"What are you thanking me for, stupid? Aren't we best friends?" Samantha answered with a chuckle and flicked Katy's forehead with her index finger.
"Ah!" Katy grimaced a little while rubbing her forehead, but a warm feeling welled up in her heart.
Samantha didn't care about her expression at all and just stated, "The next time you thank me, it will be much harder, you understand?"
Katy smiled at those familiar words and replied, "I understand, ma'am. Shall we go inside now?"
"Yes, we may," Samantha acted her part well and replied loftily as the two of them soon gave in to a poorly suppressed laughter before finally entering the gates.
The sound of music that was coming from the auditorium inside heightened as they closed in.
On the way the two of them greeted several familiar faces and finally made their way to the auditorium where the ceremony was going to be held.
"There's an empty row!" Samantha pointed towards a corner delightfully, and the two of them soon got their seats and started talking with each other to pass the time.
Five minutes later, the crowd started gathering inside the auditorium, and the event was about to start. After a few entertainment events, the top 10 graduates will be invited on the stage for a cash prize. Katy's name was also among them.
"I just can't wait to see you up on the stage," Samantha said with excitement while tightly clutching her smartphone in her hand.
"You should have worked harder as well, then I would also be excited to take your photos on the stage," Katy commented.
"You know that I want to be a writer, so what's the point of trying my best here? Once my parents have given up on this dream of making me an actress, I'll finally be able to venture into my writing career.
Do your best in the entertainment industry until then, because my first book is going to be about your journey, you understand?" Samantha snickered while saying.
"Regarding this, I have a suggestion to make…" Katy was about to continue when the music suddenly amplified, signalling the start of the event. Samantha, as a result, was unable to hear Katy's earlier words properly.
"What?!" Samantha tried to ask again under the sound of music, but Katy instead signalled to her that they'll talk later.
'It's better to talk it out with her when we are alone,' Katy thought in her mind. This time, she would never let Samantha's life end in tragedy.