Day Forty-Three…
~~*****~~
It was now Abigail's turn to perform. Dave escorted her to backstage. Before she started, the lights in the venue dimmed. One spotlight focused on the stage.
Everyone was looking at the front, waiting for the next performance. The dimming of the lights in the venue caught the attention of the guests.
It seemed that the next performance was a special one. Other performers didn't have to dim the lights but this one felt so different.
The artists started murmuring to each other. They were trying to guess who was going to appear at the center stage.
"Is the ultimate love team going to perform now?"
"Are they doing a duet?"
"I'm so excited to see them perform."
"Hmm. Johnson is the most handsome actor. I like to see him dancing instead of singing."
"I want to see Angelica! Our goddess of beauty in Star Corp!"
The cheers resounded in the venue when the instrumental started to play.
"Wait. I think… Angelica and Johnson are not yet performing. They are still sitting at Table Five!" One actress noticed their presence. They were sitting near their table.
Meanwhile, Richard approached Alexander, the Dragon Lord. He whispered something to him.
"Abigail Scarlett is the next performer."
Alexander was piqued with interest when he heard that. He had been waiting for her appearance.
Richard smiled faintly, tossing a look at the stage. Abigail was still standing backstage together with Dave. An audio staff gave the microphone to Abigail.
Abigail felt a little bit nervous. She would be facing lots of people. Aside from that, several cameras would be capturing this performance and it would be shown on national television and online platforms.
'Sh*t! I'm not used to being in the spotlight…' Abigail murmured to herself, tightening her grip around the microphone.
Abigail couldn't help but search for someone. It did not take long before her eyes caught Nathan's figure. He was standing just a few steps away from them.
Abigail was no longer paying attention to Dave. Her gaze was directed at Nathan. He was smiling at her and he raised his fist as if he was encouraging Abigail. 'Fighting!'
Abigail suddenly felt at ease upon seeing him. Her nervousness slowly dissipated into thin air. Now she was ready to perform.
Nathan waved his hand, telling Abigail that he would be watching her. Soon, Nathan disappeared from her sight.
"Abi! You can do this!" Dave pulled her into a quick hug.
Abigail just nodded her head and smiled at him. She started to approach the stage, conditioning herself. She focused on the instrumental music, listening attentively.
*Author's Note: Song Lyrics credit to the artist and composer. You can listen to this song while reading this chapter Girl On Fire by Alicia Keys.*
[ She's just a girl and she's on fire ]
[ Hotter than a fantasy, lonely like a highway ]
[ She's living in a world and it's on fire ]
[ Filled with catastrophe, but she knows she can fly away ]
Singing the first stanza of the song, the venue fell into a deafening silence. The artists who heard that voice before turned to each other with questioning gazes. Others gasped when they recognized her.
"Wait… her voice. It sounds familiar."
"Oh my Gosh! Look at the stage. Is that Abigail Scarlet?"
"What is she doing here?"
"I mean… how come she is here?"
The majority of her fellow actresses were wondering why Abigail showed up tonight. They didn't see her name in the list of attendees.
[ Oh, oh oh oh oh ]
[ She got both feet on the ground ]
[ And she's burning it down ]
[ Oh, oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh ]
[ She got her head in the clouds ]
[ And she's not backing down ]
The song was like a mirror of her. Abigail was on fire tonight. The start of her performance was like a bomb to everyone who didn't expect to see her.
There was someone who got affected a lot by Abigail's presence– Nadia Patel. She was surprised to see Abigail. Richard never mentioned anything to her… about this performance… Abigail Scarlett's performance! She felt betrayed since Richard hid this from her.
Though everyone had different opinions and feelings about Abigail's presence, Abigail just focused on her performance, internalizing the lyrics and message of the song, her voice reaching the high notes.
[ This girl is on fire ]
[ This girl is on fire ]
[ She's walking on fire ]
[ This girl is on fire ]
Abigail searched for someone in the crowd and her gaze met Nathan. She became more confident with her performance when she saw him.
[ Looks like a girl, but she's a flame ]
[ So bright, she can burn your eyes ]
[ Better look the other way ]
[ You can try, but you'll never forget her name ]
[ She's on top of the world ]
[ Hottest of the hottest girls, say ]
As she sang those lyrics, there were four men whose eyes were only fixed on her– Nathan, Dave, Alexander, and Richard. They all had the gleam of admiration in their eyes as they watched her. But Abigail's eyes were directed only at Nathan.
[ Oh, oh oh oh oh ]
[ We got our feet on the ground ]
[ And we're burning it down ]
[ Oh, oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh ]
[ Got our head in the clouds ]
[ And we're not coming down ]
The VIPs were also enjoying her performance. Her powerful voice matched her fierce appearance yet stunning and elegant. Abigail nailed her performance as she was carried away by the song lyrics and the passion she could see in Nathan's eyes.
[ This girl is on fire (fire, fire) ]
[ This girl is on fire (fire) ]
[ She's walking on fire (fire, fire) ]
[ This girl is on fire (fire) ]
She was almost at the end of her song but the people in the venue were still immersed in her performance. No one could look away from the stage.
[ Everybody stares as she goes by ]
[ 'Cause they can see the flame that's in her eyes ]
'She's indeed a flame… and I feel like I am a moth to the flame,' Nathan thought to himself. He could no longer deny the irresistible attraction he had for her.
Seeing how the other men were feasting on Abigail and admiring her, Nathan had the urge to pull her down the stage and hide her from those sinful and lustful eyes.
[ Watch her as she's lighting up the night ]
[ Nobody knows that she's a lonely girl ]
[ And it's a lonely world ]
[ But she gon' let it burn, baby, burn, baby ]
Abigail's performance finally ended. She stood there, waiting for everyone's reaction. She thought they didn't like the performance since the place was engulfed with deafening silence.
The hosts even forgot to say their lines. They just stared at Abigail with amazement.
Seeing Abigail's awkwardness on the stage, Nathan and Dave both clapped their hands, breaking the silence. Then another round of applause followed them.
Richard and Alexander stood up and clapped their hands as well while Ana and Santra began shouting Abigail's name.
Ana: "Abi! Abi! ABI!"
Santra: "ABIGAIL SCARLETT IS BACK!"
They didn't know why the song had changed but they didn't care anymore. Her performance was breathtaking, awesome, and wonderful! It shook the whole venue.
"That's our Abi. Beautiful, Smart, and Talented!" Santra continued cheering on her. She screamed like a mad woman.
A few seconds later, Richard climbed on the stage, joining Abigail. He had to make this important announcement.
"Lights on, please!" Richard's command brought the staff back to the present. They were mesmerized by Abigail's performance that they hadn't realized that it was already finished. They were hoping for more.
Some even appreciated Abigail's beauty more when the bright lights on the venue returned. Abigail was one of the most beautiful faces in the entertainment industry today. She had proven that she was not only a pretty face. She was also talented in both singing and acting!
This was the reason why Richard gave her a big break. She worked hard for this. She deserved all of these. Other artists couldn't help but feel jealous of her. They gave her an alias as the CEO's favorite and the CEO's mistress.
"Ladies and Gentlemen… please give her another round of applause! I'm so proud and glad to witness this amazing performance from our one and only Abigail Scarlett!"
Another cheer and applause reverberated in the venue. Richard continued his announcement.
"As you all know… Miss Scarlett has disappeared from the public for more than a month. And now, we are announcing her COMEBACK!" Richard declared to everyone. He grabbed Abigail's hand which made Nathan and Dave frown deeply. Both men were aware of the rumors involving Richard and Abigail.
Aside from two men, another person was unhappy to see Richard holding Abigail's hand. Nadia narrowed her eyes as she frowned deeply. Fortunately, Abigail simply let go of Richard's hand.
Amara, who noticed Nadia's dark expression, leaned on her and whispered. "So here she is. Your rival. Don't worry. I got your back. I'll give her a lesson later!"
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