Ch. 3111..3120

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3111

Laundry Excuse

Even Megan’s face — something she was proud of — had been criticized by Herman as overly sultry. He had forced her to undergo eyelid surgery in Koandria. Even then, her fans had criticized her for looking like she had a stroke.

Come to think of it, Mia must have instigated that decision too.

It’s been a while since she had to exert herself physically. As she had not needed to do physical labor in the city, Megan spent more than half a day working on her task. By the time she reached home, it was already dusk. “Stupid girl, why did you take so long with the wood!” Garret screamed from the door. “No dinner for you! What are you looking at? Go feed the pigs!”

Megan gazed inside the house. Under the warm yellow light, Mia flashed her skincare mask at her, looking very pleased with herself.

Megan felt dissatisfied but was in no position to be petty. Her hunger had cleared her mind as she reaffirmed the purpose of her second life — vengeance.

The following day was the same. After chopping firewood and watching the sheep, Megan had her dinner — a bowl of soup so watery that the bottom of the bowl could be seen. In the house, only Garret and Mia talked and laughed, all the appearances of a jolly family.

“Mom, does this look good on me?”

“My girl, you would look good even in a potato sack. I promise you that the rich man from the city would like you when he comes tomorrow.” Garret spoke as if Mia already belonged in the city.

“Mia, when you become the wife of somebody important, please remember to bring me along to share your joy.”

The house was silent for a long time. Megan sat underneath the stove for warmth as she sipped her soup.

It’s tomorrow, is it? She did not expect the day to come this soon. Mia isn’t going to get away this time.

Though Megan had followed the filming crew into the city, she actually worked beneath Mia, who had her do odd jobs and run errands. Mia went on to become the star of the commercial, with each role increasing her fame even more than before. Megan wasn’t going to let that happen this time.

The following day, Megan rose early but did not expect Garret and Mia to have awakened earlier than her. Clad in her new red dress with a freshly tied braid, Mia appeared very excited. However, her expression turned sour the moment Megan emerged.

“Mom, we can’t let Megan out today. It would be embarrassing for us.” Mia had casually shattered Megan’s dreams in her past life like that too.

“Don’t leave the house today. Stay indoors and work on your embroidery,” Garret ordered. She could not allow Megan to steal attention away from Mia.

“Yes.” Megan did not openly disobey. She knew the crew would arrive in the afternoon. It wouldn’t do to pick a fight with Garret at that moment.

As expected, Mia arrived back at noon. “Mom, nobody came to the village!” she sulked. “She lucked out on not having to work in the morning. Megan, go fetch my almonds!”

Mia was the spoiled child of Garret, who got whatever she wanted. After Megan brought Mia her almonds, the latter’s temper grew worse. She flung bits of it at Megan.

This was the opportunity Megan had been waiting for. Faking a look of desire, she whined, “Mom, I want new clothes too. Mia’s old clothes…”

“What! You dare ask for new clothes?” Mia jumped to her feet as she stared at her sister, not daring to believe how Megan had suddenly become so brazen.

Garret did not respond as Mia headed into one of the rooms and procured the green jacket she had worn the day before. “I would have forgotten if you didn’t mention it, Megan. This hasn’t been washed.”

The meal on the stove was almost ready, so Garret was too occupied to object to anything. She simply said, “Wash your sister’s clothes. We’ll talk then.”

Megan’s plan ran like clockwork as she finally got her chance to slip away. She walked past with the basin of Garret’s and Mia’s laundry as the delicious smell of lunch wafted past her nostrils.

It was in the middle of autumn, hence the freezing weather. The river from the mountain cascaded gently down to the village. Megan began washing the clothes, perfectly embodying the stereotype of a simple village girl. She distinctly heard the sound of a car stopping.

Not long after, there were footsteps leading towards her. Megan had accurately predicted that the river was the exact location which the crew had intended to shoot.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3112

Please Disown Me

Mia had not expected to have handed the long-awaited opportunity to destroy the person she had hated with such ease.

Megan straightened up after squatting down for a long time. As she stretched her waist and mopped her brow with the back of her hand, she heard the click of a camera shutter.

“Oh my, this young lady…”

Megan’s nose twitched at the sound of that remark.

In her previous life, this exact remark by Felix the director had led to the events of Megan leaving the village the first time. She did not expect it to be verbatim this time.

Felix caught sight of her doing laundry by the river in an instant.

Megan had a low ponytail, out of which strands of hair dangled messily all over the side of her face. Her dark complexion was characteristic of a toiling villager from the mountains. She had pretty features, but the darkness of her skin prevented them from truly shining.

Felix gazed at Megan with a satisfied smile. She is exactly what I’m looking for to be the female lead of this commercial!

The village chief had noticed Felix’s gaze, and he hurriedly blocked Megan from view. “Mr. Woods, that girl won’t do. Why don’t you take a look at my…”

Before he could finish his sentence, however, Felix had already walked up to Megan. “Young lady, what is your name?”

Megan had long seen his question coming. “Megan Rockford,” she answered plainly.

“That’s a lovely name. Young lady, I’m shooting a short commercial. Would you be interested in staying to watch?”

“Shooting a commercial? What’s that? Can I join?” Megan giggled shyly and faked a look of confusion, with Mia’s jacket still clutched in her hands.

“Mr. Woods, this girl looks promising.”

“Yes.”

Felix and the photographer were discussing the photo they had shot of Megan earlier. She knew that half of her plan had already succeeded by playing the part of an innocent village girl to perfection.

Soon, the other girls from the village gathered by the river. Garret soon arrived, and with a howl of fury, she snatched the jacket out of Megan’s hands. “Come home now!” she shouted.

Mia had a look of disdain on her face as she squeezed her way through the crowd and stood before Felix.

As Megan finished speaking, Garret yanked her around to hide her from Felix’s sight. “Mr. Woods, don’t bother yourself with her,” Garret laughed apologetically. “She’s neither good-looking nor cultured. Why don’t you consider my younger daughter? Mia, come over here!”

With a wave of her hand, Mia ran over with a wide smile on her face. Her fair skin was especially pleasing to look at; she drew the attention of the city boys who found themselves unable to look away.

“No, she won’t do!” Felix shook his head.

At the sound of his words, the smile on Mia’s face froze as her temper rose. She glared fiercely at Megan through teary eyes and kicked her sister on the thigh viciously in full view of everybody around her.

Megan staggered backward convincingly as she gazed up at Felix with a look of sorrow.

“Yes! That’s exactly the feel I’m looking for! We’ve found her!” The crowd was shocked by Felix’s proclamation. Mia was pretty and demure with an innocent air about her. Megan on the other hand, notwithstanding her reputation for bad luck, was dark and repulsive to look at.

The village chief hastened to change Felix’s mind. Taking advantage of the interruption, Garret dragged Megan away to the riverbank. “Don’t even think of shooting the commercial. You’d better come home with me now. If you dare to take this away from Mia, I will disown you!” Garret threatened menacingly.

Then how would I be able to leave? In her previous life, Megan had missed out on being cast for this role, which enabled Mia to get ahead of her in a career in showbusiness. Megan had fought tooth and nail for years, but she had never managed to surpass her sister’s success.

Felix had told her in her previous life that if he had been aware of her existence back when they were casting, they definitely would not have chosen Mia.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3113

Body Double

That was why Megan worked so hard to take advantage of this opportunity.

After the threat to Megan, Garret shot her a fierce glare and turned away. The fan-favorite Mia glared at her sister when Felix took her side in telling Garret off. Her stare seemed to say “If you’re going to fight with me over this, I’m going to give you hell for it.”

Indeed, Mia was capable of such an act. Was it not due to her contribution that had resulted in Megan’s death in her previous life?

Garret was not going to condone something that made Megan happy. Her grip on the woman grew tighter; she meant to drag Megan home when nobody was watching.

“Mom, you’re hurting me.” Megan waited until the director called for silence to cry out.

At once, every head turned to look at them. Garret, however, was still determined. “My apologies for this silly girl bothering you,” she said with a warning glare at Megan.

Felix suddenly remembered Megan being a fine first choice. “Young lady,” he called. “Why don’t you join us as well?”

Mia was angry, while Megan felt suddenly in control of the whole situation. “Sir, are you referring to me?” she asked Felix innocently.

The crowd, who still bore some residual fear, slowly dispersed. Megan walked toward them with Mia’s soaked jacket in her hand, but it was soon snatched away by Garret.

“Yes, you! Young lady, your role in this commercial would be to splash water onto your sister. It’s not difficult.”

“Yes, yes. I can do that.”

Mia’s face turned an ugly shade of green at Megan’s involvement in the commercial. She did not expect her final opportunity for stardom to be robbed from her just like that.

However, Mia couldn’t help but notice Megan not appearing happy at being selected as one would expect. Rather, she looked as if she was waiting for something. In Megan’s previous life, she had indeed been chosen by Felix. However, she did not make it into the final cut.

Felix dismissed the other girls. At that moment, a man clad in a smart suit emerged from the crew. “Mr. Woods, we prefer this other girl.” He pointed at Mia.

Mia’s face lit up once again. “Mr. Woods, I can do better than my sister,” she said in her coyest voice, a tactic which had never failed her.

The man in the suit, an investor, fixed his greedy eyes onto Mia’s body. He gulped at the sight of Mia’s beautiful face.

The other members of the crew felt differently about Mia, especially Felix. To them, Megan’s maturity was much preferable and pleasant than Mia’s beauty.

When they were having their make-up done, Mia kept ordering the make-up artist to do things her way, without a trace of the humility a village girl ought to have. On the other hand, Megan closed her eyes and surrendered herself to the make-up artist’s judgment. The entire process went smooth and swift for Megan.

Felix glanced at Mia bossing the make-up artist around and shook his head. The star of the commercial he had in mind was Megan, but the investor had chosen Mia against his wishes. Rather than let a talent like Megan go to waste, he had opted to cast them both. In that way, he managed to appease the investor, and at the same time, achieve his artistic ideal.

The crew began setting up in accordance with Felix’s instructions.

“Come! The two of you, stand in the water. I want you to splash water onto each other!” The crew quickly led Megan and Mia to the riverbank. Megan dived right in, while the latter hesitated. She glared fiercely at Megan; she was worried that Megan would ruin her freshly done make-up.

Whatever it was, Mia was here to be in the commercial. If she didn’t follow orders, she wouldn’t be in the shoot at all.

Megan could tell exactly what Mia was thinking. In a fit of inspiration, Megan called out, “Mia, if you’re afraid of getting dirty, you could ask for a body double,” she said with a playful laugh. “I’ve heard that movie stars often had body doubles!”

At that suggestion, Mia’s eyes lit up. Of course I would use a body double. I’m the female lead, after all! She spun around. “Mr. Woods,” she called out loudly. “If I’m going to be splashing around in the water, I’m afraid my make-up will be ruined. Let my body double do it!”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3114

The Only Way

She isn’t even fit to be the female lead, and now she’s demanding body doubles? The resentment Felix had been suppressing all day exploded at that instant.

“Then why did you apply such a thick layer? Don’t you know that the theme of this commercial is about the simplicity of village life? Remove it immediately!”

Mia’s eyes welled with tears upon being spoken to in this manner. She spun around and glared fiercely at Megan, who feigned a confused expression.

The make-up artist chuckled. Mia had been adamant about wanting to apply eyeliner and blush, even going as far as to ask for lipstick. She had the bossiness of movie stars with none of their fame. The make-up artist had let Mia get her way, and sure enough, the woman was reprimanded for it immediately.

The shooting of the commercial was delayed for Mia to remove her make-up.

Felix personally came up to the riverbank to deliver instructions. “When the two of you are splashing,” he said. “Just splash around each other. You don’t want to catch a cold and delay the shooting process even further.”

The girls nodded, and the shooting finally commenced.

“Action!” Immediately, Mia splashed so hard that Megan’s face was soaked. It was a good thing that her make-up was light; the water did nothing to alter her look.

Mia laughed in delight as she kept throwing handful after handful of water onto Megan.

She wanted nothing more than for Megan to fall sick. Or even better still, to fall down the river and be swept away. Mia was convinced that Megan had pulled some invisible strings on the body double incident to get Felix to humiliate her in front of everybody. In retaliation, Mia leaped at the chance of getting Megan sick.

The crew, who were on set, were able to see through Mia’s intentions. They were all in showbusiness, after all. Any fondness they had of Mia’s appearance disappeared completely.

The shooting schedule had to be delayed to the second day due to the delays Mia had caused.

Megan was soaked by the time the scene was shot. She felt chilled to the bone as she stood on the riverbank, but she still patiently smiled and said goodbye to the crew members.

As the shoot wrapped up for the day, Felix kept Megan for a brief chat on behalf of the investor. He informed her that the investor had agreed to sign them both.

Megan knew she had succeeded. “Me and Mia both?” she asked. In her previous life, Starling Media had only signed Mia. Megan was only able to leave the village as Mia’s assistant.

Alas, Megan’s efforts were not wasted. Due to Mia’s own antics, things began to look different from her previous life.

“What? She’s going to sign a contract too?” Mia exclaimed angrily.

Mia had held a grudge against her sister for as long as she could remember. Because Megan did better in school than Mia, Mia made an effort to suppress her at every turn but was still unsatisfied until she had brought total misery onto Megan. Mia was deeply uncomfortable by the fact that she was still unable to free herself from her sister’s shadow right when she was about to head into the big city.

“Mr. Woods, how could she sign a contract? Look at her!”

No one answered her. Mia’s true colors were on full display to everyone that day.

After a brief pause, the investor left under the pretense of having matters to attend to on the following day. Before he did, he summoned Mia over to have a private little chat with him.

Megan had arrived back at home when she suddenly recalled Felix’s words to her before she departed earlier.

“Megan, show business is not as glamorous as you think. It wouldn’t be such a bad thing if you didn’t get in.”

Megan shook her head stubbornly. In her previous life, she had suffered indignity in the hands of Mia and still did not have a happy ending. This time around, to carry out the vengeance she needed, getting into show business was the only way.

“Mr. Woods, I would like to see the outside world,” said Megan with a determined glint in her eyes. Beneath the determination and innocence of a village girl was a bloodlust for revenge.

Felix had sighed and said, “So long as you don’t lose yourself. Remember, show business is not a good path to take,” he reminded her once more.

His advice, though well-intentioned, only served to further strengthen Megan’s resolve. “Mr. Woods, I’ll be there tomorrow.”

Garret was already waiting at the door. With her daughter still yet to return, she pulled Megan by the arm, which the woman had anticipated. “The investor said Mia has potential and would like to discuss the signing of her contract with her, which would take a little longer.”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3115

House Arrest

True enough, Garret’s fury turned into delight with Megan’s report. “I knew this would happen.”

“Go feed the pigs. You’ve already delayed doing so an entire day,” she added with a glare at Megan.

The kitchen utensils were spotlessly clean, indicating an absence of dinner that night.

Megan had overestimated Mia’s resilience. In her previous life, she had stooped to run errands for Mia was because she posed no threat. This time, however, they were both on equal footing as Megan had managed to get herself signed on too.

Megan’s constitution was frail. Between starving the entire day to being submerged in the freezing river, she awoke the next day feeling feverish.

That wouldn’t stop her from exacting her revenge, though.

Megan forced herself up to brush her teeth. She came to the washroom and pushed open the broken door like she always did, but it did not budge.

Megan surmised that she was perhaps weak from her fever. She pushed harder still but the door remained as firmly shut as ever.

Damn it! How did this happen?

Megan gave the door a shake and immediately heard the rattle of a chain. It must be Garret and Mia’s doing.

Mia’s laughter came from beyond the door. “Stop struggling, Megan. The investor told me yesterday that he plans to sign me alone. You being there will make no difference. Don’t waste your energy. I will apply for a leave on your behalf!”

“Hmph, little b*tch! Cursed child!” came Garret’s voice. “The one day I don’t watch over you, you try to steal Mia’s birthright. I’m warning you now. Don’t even think about it! I will be sitting outside this door today. We’ll see how you get past me!” Megan heard the sound of a wooden stool being dropped to the floor, followed by Garret’s grunt as she sat down.

Megan slid to the floor, hitting her head helplessly. Am I going to be suppressed by them again, even in this new life? No, definitely not!

The sun was already high in the sky. Everyone who had been standing in the scorching heat already felt irritable, especially the investor. He had been sipping water incessantly and complained about the heat despite constantly being fanned.

“Damn it! Felix, you take over from here. If Megan isn’t here by the time the production crew leaves, it counts as a breach of contract, and we won’t be signing her! Let’s go!” the investor yelled and left in a huff.

Felix squinted into the distance and held on to the belief that Megan would make it. He had never misjudged a character before.

Under normal circumstances, the director would hurriedly complete the project and wrap up the shoot at the risk of incurring the investor’s wrath. Unexpectedly, the entire production crew waited.

Mia felt desperate. She clenched her teeth at the thought of Megan’s audacity for wanting to be a movie star. Impossible!

“Mr. Woods, my sister told me yesterday that filming is such a tiring and difficult affair. She much prefers staying home to farm, so she had decided not to come,” Mia said as she smiled sweetly and fluttered her eyelashes. She was confident in her ability to influence men.

Tiring and difficult? Felix frowned, not believing a word of it. He did not think Megan was a young lady who was afraid of a little tiredness and difficulty. On the other hand, Mia appeared to be cute and innocent, but she was capable of great deviousness as she had so amply demonstrated.

Perhaps she had felt guilty about coming up with a bold lie that Mia did not dare meet Felix’s eyes. In her experience, the investor was easier to converse with. He had mentioned that he was affiliated with Starling Media.

Mia paced in search of a spot to wait for shooting to begin. As she was doing so, she envisioned her rise to stardom in show business. With my looks and brains, I will be a huge star.

At that thought, Mia was so convinced of her beauty that she felt like even the production crew were beneath her.

Felix ignored Mia and kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

As the sun dropped lower and lower down the mountain, the crew showed signs of impatience, especially Mia. “Mr. Woods, when are we going to begin?”

“We’ll begin when Megan shows up.”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3116

Not Her Fault

Mia rolled her eyes in exasperation. With a pout, she strode over to the shade for a sip of water, all the while cursing Megan in her heart. This b*tch isn’t even as beautiful as me. How could she be a star?

If Megan costs me my rise to stardom today, I will make sure that being locked up in her room will be the least of her worries!

The crew, though patient, felt extremely irritated at that point. The atmosphere simmered with dissatisfaction, but nobody dared to voice their displeasure. If Felix did not want to start, anyone to suggest otherwise will be in for a sound telling off.

Mia was irritated with how calm Felix seemed. He even lit a cigarette and blew rings languidly. She stomped over to face Felix, mustering her most demure voice as she spoke, “Mr. Woods, my sister does not enjoy shooting commercials. Please don’t trouble the crew any longer.”

After another half an hour, Mia was beyond herself. The old women of the village had spread the tales about what went on in Garret’s household, to the extent that it became common knowledge. The crew did not attempt to speak up for Mia.

“Since Megan is not here, we won’t be shooting this commercial,” Felix stated finally.

Mia’s face fell at his words. “Mr. Woods, I can do the shoot by myself,” she said desperately, close to tears. Nobody could fathom how much she hated her sister at that point.

“You?” Felix retorted with disdain, hardly sparing a glance in her direction. “If it wasn’t for the investor, Megan would be the only star in this commercial!”

This retort was so harsh that a more assertive person than Mia would have been blushing furiously. Felix rubbed it in further. “Since we won’t be filming today, everybody pack up. We’re leaving.” The man then got into his car.

Mia panicked. She wasn’t going to let Megan ruin her acting career. “Mr. Woods, I just recalled,” said Mia, thinking fast. “I think my sister can make it. I’ll go home and bring her along.” She ran toward her home as soon as the words were out of her mouth.

Felix studied her diminishing figure thoughtfully. “Taylor, follow them and see what’s going on,” he said quietly to his apprentice.

“Mia, you’re home!” Garret cried. “Your sister burned down the house!” She bounded over to Mia. Taylor’s appearance was welcomed; they were now afforded a glimpse of the type of trouble Megan was worth.

Mia was shocked by her mother’s news. It was fine if Megan had burned down her own room, but Mia had new cotton quilts and many beautiful dresses in hers. She felt fit to strangle Megan to death if those had been burned.

Mia rushed to her room in a panic and saw that it was crowded with relatives. She shoved her way through impatiently, only to realize that there was no trace of any burn marks to be found anywhere.

The only thing discernible was a scorch mark at the bottom of the broken door. How does this count as burning down the house? It isn’t even enough to light a cigarette!

At this moment, the distant relatives animatedly discussed the affairs of Garret and her family.

Megan heard their voices and found an opportunity. “Mom, hurry up and let me out. The production crew is still waiting for me!” she shouted.

The relatives heard her and pieced together the whole story quickly. Garret was biased against Megan, her stepdaughter. To ensure that her biological daughter got the role, she had locked Megan up. The crowd erupted indignantly as accusations of Garret torturing her stepdaughter flew.

The most fearsome thing in the village was the savage tongues of the womenfolk. Upon hearing them, Garret smiled awkwardly at her accusers. When she turned around, she found herself face to face with a furious Mia.

Mia noticed Taylor had a disgusted look on his face, thus she flexed her acting skills and said, “Megan, I told you to go to bed earlier last night, but you didn’t want to. Look at you now! You’ve overslept and kept the production crew waiting!” She then turned to Garret. “Mom, let her out, will you? She didn’t do it on purpose.”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3117

Last Night At The Village

With that cunningly phrased exclamation, Mia had turned the situation around to make it seem like it was Megan’s fault. Megan, on the other hand, did not expect Mia to return, much less have Garret free her. Garret opened the door most reluctantly, and Megan caught sight of Taylor standing behind Mia.

She understood the situation at a glance. Felix must have sensed that Megan was in trouble, and had dispatched Taylor to investigate the matter.

“Megan, if you didn’t want to be a part of the commercial, you could have mentioned it! You kept the whole crew waiting, not to mention delaying the whole schedule.” Mia’s speech gave the impression that she was thoughtful and kind, and at the same time, she was painting a picture of incompetence to depict Megan.

Garret chuckled to herself. It’s a good thing that my daughter is a sharp one, or I would have to endure the gossip on the street!

Beads of sweat started to form on Megan’s brow, but there were more pressing matters at hand. She rejected Taylor’s coat when he handed it to her. “Thank you, but I don’t need it. Let’s head over to the shoot. Mr. Woods must be waiting anxiously.”

She led the way out of the door and went to the location of the shoot with Taylor.

Mia was outraged. She had hated her sister since the day they met. Megan was supposed to be subservient to Mia, who had never considered her a threat. With this surprising turn of events, Megan suddenly became Mia’s competitor for the role of her dreams.

At the thought of members of the crew favoring Megan over herself, Mia wanted nothing more than to knock her sister’s brains out.

“Young lady, are you sure you can do this?” Felix asked with concern when he caught sight of Megan’s pale face when they arrived on set.

“Yes, I can. I would like to express my deepest apologies to everyone for being late today,” Megan said guiltily as she glanced at the crew, who were most sympathetic.

“Alright then. Let’s not waste any more time. Go get your make-up done.” Felix clapped Megan on the shoulder to her gratitude.

In both her previous and present lives, the man had always been courteous and kind with her. In her previous life, it pained Megan greatly to have heard that he had plagiarized the works of other directors. As a result, he had been treated as an outcast within the industry. Half a month later, Felix had committed suicide by overdosing on prescription drugs.

The situation all looked and smelled fishy, but Megan could not quite put her finger on it.

Megan had her make-up done with great haste. The make-up artist had a very good impression of her as she was polite and soft-spoken from the day before. She had even given Megan some of her own medicine to combat her fever.

“It’s done. Have a look,” the make-up artist said after a couple of minutes.

“Thank you for the trouble.” Her skills were superb. Megan did not even look like she had a raging fever.

Mia was prepared to joke about how Megan’s deathly pale face would never make it on camera as the latter got ready. Her jealous rage was something to behold when Megan emerged looking pretty and rosy-cheeked enough to disguise her illness. “I want my make-up done like that,” Mia pointed a quivering finger at Megan and demanded. However, the make-up artist pretended not to hear her.

To avoid a repeat of the incident from the day before, Felix gave strict orders before the shooting commenced. “Due to the constraints of time, everything must be filmed today. If we fail to meet the deadline, this commercial will be a flop.”

Mia did not dare carry out the schemes she had planned to sabotage Megan. Instead, she was accommodating and played her part well for fear of jeopardizing her own career.

The beauty of the scene and the general enthusiasm motivated everybody to perform at their best. To meet the demands of the investor, Felix devoted plenty of screen time to Mia. After half a day of intense shooting, all the details were finally worked out.

“Okay, that’s a wrap!” Felix announced, causing the crew to heave a sigh of relief.

“Two of you will be coming with me to the city tonight,” Felix said, addressing the girls. “We have an hour to go. Go home and pack your belongings.” He had Taylor follow them back and help them with their luggage.

Megan gazed at Felix with gratitude. She knew the man was subtly protecting her from whatever horrors Garret and Mia had planned for her. Though she did not have the means of repaying him at the moment, Megan kept his kindness to heart and vowed to repay him in the future.

Garret had already packed Mia’s things for her when the party arrived home. She had two large sackfuls along with three smaller bags.

“You don’t have to bring your bedding,” Taylor said as he peered into one of the bags. He was not in the mood for hauling all of Mia’s bags all night long.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3118

into The City

Megan did not have much to pack as her wardrobe was a measly collection of hand-me-downs. She emerged from her bedroom with all of her things in a single knapsack. Before they left, she cast one last look at the cottage she had called home for the past dozen years. Though she had always wanted nothing more than to leave, she felt her heart twinge when she realized she was never coming back.

At long last, they were ready to depart.

Megan glanced at Mia’s bags and the money Garret had given her. Compared to her own single knapsack, it was a pitiful sight.

Taylor could not contain his astonishment. “Just this?” he asked in disbelief as he held up her bag.

Megan nodded in acknowledgment with a smile, acting as though it was a normal thing for village girls to do.

Mia rolled her eyes at Megan and Taylor. She took a step over the threshold but was halted by Garret’s yells. Glancing back, she found herself face to face with her tearful mother. “When you get to the city,” she sniffled, “be sure to call me all the time!”

Mia did not attempt to hide her disdain for the pathetic sight of her mother. You’ve embarrassed me enough when you packed so much sh*t for me to bring, and now you’re being so clingy. When is this going to end?

“I know,” she said impatiently as she tried to brush Garret’s hands off of hers. “Go back now. We must get moving, or we’ll be behind schedule again!”

Megan felt saddened by the sight of Garret being so loving toward her own daughter. If her mother had not died, she might not be living in such a wretched state.

Mia wrenched herself free from Garret’s clutches and went up the car. Wiping her tears, Garret turned around as Megan passed and stuffed some money into her hands reluctantly. “Take care of your sister in the city!”

“Hmm.” Megan nodded coldly. As the car moved further away, Megan glanced back and saw Garret still wiping her tears. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for her stepmother.

In her previous life, Garret had fallen ill a couple of months after the girls left for the city. It was later diagnosed to be cancer. However, Mia had dodged all her mother’s attempts to contact her.

It was only on her deathbed that she sought out Megan, who had taken pity on her. She took her stepmother for medical treatments until her dying day, less than half a month later. Garret never saw Mia again.

It wasn’t surprising, judging by Mia’s character. She had been at the peak of her career; it would have been embarrassing for her to be seen with a poor village woman as a mother. Mia had wanted nothing to do with Garrett, even wishing that she would die without involving her.

If Mia was capable of treating her birth mother this way, it came as no surprise that she would later attempt to murder her stepsister. Megan clenched her fists as she swore an oath to herself. Herman and Mia will suffer as much as Megan was capable of.

It was a bumpy ride. The rugged scenery of the mountains gave way to a bustling metropolis. Mia stared all around her in wonder as she had seen cities only on television before.

Megan was much less impressed — it was an extremely common sight for her. However, it served to trigger bitter memories from her past life.

The events that had led up to her first death haunted her in her dreams. Even the conversation between Herman and Mia was seared into her subconscious.

There was one other remark that had been made by Mia that Megan could not understand.

“Mr. Wilson only wants Megan to die…”

Megan racked her brains to search for her memories of her previous life. She could not recall ever hearing the name Wilson. Megan had never heard Herman mention such a name either.

Who is Mr. Wilson, and why did he want me dead? Megan was certain that she had not wronged anybody in her previous life.

When she signed her contract, her existence felt lowly; she felt as if she had only been born to serve Mia. She could only watch as her sister became an overnight celebrity after her appearance in Felix’s commercial. The agency that represented them bumped her up, and Mia soon surpassed the fame of Jacinta, the most popular actress during that time.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3119

Visiting Starling Media

In her moment of frustration, Megan met Herman. Throughout her tough situations, he had stuck by her side and comforted her endlessly. At first, she had thought that he was the man of her dreams. Yet, he turned out to be the monster that dragged her to the depths of hell.

For Herman’s sake, she’d went out of her way to drink alcohol and sleep with him. Despite her best efforts, Megan lost Herman’s affection and was left with a feeling of disgust towards herself. Furthermore, Mia and Herman had even seized the opportunity to inflict greater harm on her.

Now that she had a second chance, she wouldn’t allow them to trample all over her. I certainly won’t let them do as they please too!

“Megan, what happened to you?”

When Megan snapped out of her daze, she noticed that everyone in the car was staring at her.

Although Mia’s excitement made people restless, the stark contrast of Mia’s bright behavior highlighted Megan’s gloomy attitude. An ominous presence hung over Megan. Her mature presence did not seem like one of a seventeen year-old.

“Megan, don’t you think that this place is beautiful?” Mia asked with a genuine smile. In this foreign place, Megan was the only person she was remotely familiar with. As a result, she treated Megan with more affection.

Megan merely smiled in response as she glanced out of the window to observed the scenery.

Finally, the car came to a halt. After exiting the car, Taylor led Megan and Mia to the rental home. Mia couldn’t help but feel displeased when she stepped into the house. All the famous stars whom I’ve seen on television live in huge and luxurious villas. Why am I staying in a measly rental home?

Megan swept a gaze around the house. There were two rooms completed with a living room. Additionally, the space was clean and well-equipped with all the necessary household appliances; it was a far cry from their shabby home back in the village. Besides, they were not famous stars yet. A house of this size was much more than she’d expected.

Taylor helped the two of them to unload their luggage and was about to leave. Before he left, he informed them of their schedule for the next day. “There will be someone to pick the two of you tomorrow. Goodbye.”

“Alright, thank you so much.” Whilst Mia continued to grumble about the house, Megan did not forget to extend her gratitude to Taylor. Her humble actions warmed his heart.

The next day, the sound of rapid banging on the door echoed loudly around the house. Megan had awoken from her slumber before the knocking began. However, she made no move to open the door. After all, she already had a hunch about the person outside the door.

As expected, Mia was roused from her slumber by the insistent knocking. Groggily, Mia opened the door as she cursed under her breath. “Who is it? It’s so early in the morning…”

“I am your manager! You can call me Luna.” The woman right outside the door was none other than Luna herself. She was a veteran in the showbiz industry from Starling Media and an extremely experienced manager.

Luna had caught wind of Mia’s endless grumbles before the door was even open. When the door swung open, Luna was stunned by Mia’s alluring beauty. However, Mia’s rude words left Luna with a negative impression.

Luna’s mood soured as her brows furrowed; she cast a look of doubt towards Mia.

Right at that moment, Megan emerged from her room. Calmly, she made her way towards Luna and greeted her politely. “Good morning Ms. Luna. My name is Megan.”

Megan locked gazes with Luna. Megan had an intense and profound gleam in her eyes. Her bright gaze felt as if she could read every emotion like an open book. Unconsciously, Luna averted her eyes. “Let’s go. I’ll bring the both of you to the company and explain the situation,” Luna instructed.

When they arrived at Starling Media, Megan took a stroll around the familiar compound. The familiar rooms of Starling Media held painful memories of her past. On the other hand, Luna paused to drop by a dressing room. Inside, several girls were getting prepared. An equal look of shock flashed across their faces when they caught sight of Mia.

Mia’s extraordinary looks made her stand out like an elegant swan amongst a group of ducklings. It was no wonder that they were stunned by her beauty.

On the other hand, Mia made no move to conceal her pride as they stared at her with admiration. Instead, she lifted her chin up with pride and basked in their shocked stares.

Right at that moment, a black and luxurious limousine pulled up at the entrance of the company. The door opened to reveal Jacinta, the famous celebrity from Starling Media. Three assistants trailed dutifully after her as she walked. Her extravagant appearance was a shock to the onlookers.

“I’m afraid that I’ll never be able to achieve such a high status even in my past life,” Megan murmured to herself.

Mia couldn’t help but laugh coldly when she heard Megan mumbling to herself. In her eyes, Jacinta was a lowly nobody. My goal is to become an international superstar renowned all over the globe! One day, Starling Media will be mine!

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 3120

Work

Now that Jacinta had arrived, Luna shifted her attention to Jacinta immediately. Quickly, Luna instructed Megan and Mia to wait for her as she accompanied Jacinta.

Whilst waiting, Mia eavesdropped on the conversation between a group of girls beside her. They were in the midst of a discussion regarding the low salary they received from the commercials they’d done.

One of the girls complained that she’d only received ten thousand. On the other hand, Mia was utterly astonished at the immense amount of money. Initially, she thought that the two thousand that she obtained from Felix and Megan was already a huge amount. However…

It seems like I can reach even greater heights!

Mia’s greediness grew as she mulled over the money. “Luna, when can I begin shooting commercials?” she asked eagerly when Luna returned.

Luna’s eyes darkened as she turned to address Mia. Under Mia’s hopeful gaze, Luna handed her a stack of papers. “Coincidentally, there are a few companies looking to collaborate with us. Why don’t you try them out?”

“Wow! I can work right away!” Mia exclaimed in delight. Little did she know, the lists Luna had given her contained unwanted collaborations. The list had been discarded by the women in the dressing room, as the pay offered by these jobs was significantly lower. Luna decided to hand it over to Mia since everyone was unwilling to work with those corporations.

Luna frowned upon Mia’s blatant greed. Immediately, she disliked Mia due to her crude personality. Thus, Luna decided to teach Mia a lesson by giving her the list.

Although Megan saw through Luna’s plans, she did not reveal her schemes. “Ms. Luna, do you have anything arranged for me?” she asked.

Luna was only reminded of Megan’s presence after she spoke up. Carefully, she scrutinized Megan. Megan had a blandly ordinary face and tan skin. Luna couldn’t help but shake her head in hopelessness. Luna couldn’t assign any tasks for Megan due to her looks.

Despite Mia’s unknown background, she had stunningly good looks. On the other hand, Megan was a different story. “Why don’t you follow me first?” Luna uttered after a brief moment of contemplation. With that, she turned on her heel and left.

Mia stared at the list clutched in her hands with excitement. In the midst of her joy, she turned to Megan with a mocking smirk. “I told you not to come, yet you still insisted. Look at you now; you don’t have a job. How are you going to live without a job? You wouldn’t even have enough money for food in the future! Haha!”

Yet, Megan ignored Mia’s jeers. From afar, she caught sight of an someone she detested — Jacinta’s personal manager, Dominic.

Isn’t he being too personal? Regardless of the importance, every matter regarding Jacinta would be carefully inspected by Dominic and required his approval.

Why can’t I escape the misfortunes of my past life? Megan couldn’t help but despair as she looked at Dominic.

“Luna, have you found a suitable assistant for Jacinta yet?” Dominic stormed over and questioned. His sharp gaze fixated on Mia as he talked; it felt as if he was a hawk scrutinizing its prey. “Are they the new artists who just signed with the company? Luna, you already have Jacinta. It would be difficult for you to handle these newbies.”

Foolishly, Mia assumed that Dominic was being concerned for their sake. Dominic also had striking features. Quickly, she put on a seductive gaze in an attempt to gain his favor.

It wasn’t the first time Jacinta had expressed her disapproval towards Luna for taking in new artists. Yet, Megan chose not to comment any further.

“Ah, pass this on to Jacinta. Tomorrow…” Luna explained. Trying to find a new assistant for Jacinta was a daunting task.

All of a sudden, Luna recalled that Megan was right behind her. Since Megan is jobless right now, she might receive some exposure if she’s seen with Jacinta. After all, Megan is a new artist whom I handpicked myself. Jacinta wouldn’t be unsatisfied with my choice.

Seeing how Luna paused in the middle of her conversation, Megan understood her intentions immediately. Even in this life, I can’t break free from Jacinta.

“You are Megan, right? Are you quick on your feet?” Luna hastily tried her best to prevent Megan from speaking up.

Naturally, Mia picked up on Dominic’s reason for approaching Luna. “Luna, although my sister is untalented in acting, she can do any rough work that is demanded of her!” Mia added with enthusiasm.

Upon hearing Mia’s words, Dominic’s face darkened. It took Mia a brief moment before she realized that she’d landed herself in hot water. Instead of gaining their favor, Dominic’s scowl deepened as he glared at her. Even Luna gave Mia a look of disapproval. Under their sharp gazes, Mia backed away awkwardly.