NONE OF THEM UTTERED A WORD throughout the drive to Mallory's house. This silence was unexpected, especially after how much they'd bonded today. But Mallory sensed that he was ashamed that the paparazzi had caught him with her. She bet he would have been smiling if they caught him red-handed with some gorgeous magazine model, or perhaps even Diana!

But not to make sudden judgments though, she asked, "Jason, are you okay?"

"Are you seriously asking me that question?" He shot her a look that made her want to bounce right out of the car.

Mallory sighed. "Look—"

"No you look," he spat. "What do you think we are? We're nothing Mallory Trent, so don't create some shady idea about what happened back there in your mind. I had a primary job to keep you from the spotlight, and I failed, all because of you and your stupid desire to go to the mall."

Unbelievable. He was blaming her for what had happened. But the most hurtful part of it all was that she was nothing to him but an object that was meant to be looked after. A task. For a minute back there, Mallory thought she'd made an actual friend in Jason. He was all nice then, but now—

"Listen I'll pay you to keep your mouth shut about this night," he said, the intended bite in tone all glaring.

Mouth quivering, eyes filling, Mallory yelled, "you know what, you can keep your filthy money. I wasn't intending to remember anyway. You're just a selfish prick."

For a minute, Jason looked like he was in shock.

Mallory wiped tears from her eyes and jumped out of the car, making sure to slam the door on his face.

Mallory faced the entrance of her house. She leaned her head on the door, certain that her dad would be sitting on the recliner, awaiting her with a sourpuss look etched onto his face. She just wasn't in the right state of mind to face that. But she never would be. They hadn't fought like that before.

God help me.

She pushed the door open, darkness welcoming her. At least that was better than having her father welcome her.

Cutting her hopes shut, a sudden light jutted from the blues, imbuing the darkness with a luminous white that took Mallory aback.

"You're home."

The familiarity ringing in the gravelly voice unnerved her.

Grudgingly, she slowly turned towards the man she wished so desperately to avoid after such a long, exhausting day. And there Cole was, cross-legged in his chair, spinning it around with an exuberance resembling that of a child thrilling the experiencing of his favourite ride. A dark shadow cast itself underneath Cole's baggy eyes.

Mallory strode towards him. "Dad, I didn't expect you to be up so late."

"I didn't expect anything you did today Mal." Cole retorted, springing up from his recliner with an agility that betrayed his age. "Where were you?"

Yes, that was the question, the one that whirred in her head like a turbulent, ferocious storm, stealing her peace along with her sanity. What would she tell him? That she ran away with a selfish Starlight star called Jason?  She'd attempted crafting the answer to the question for hours but to no avail. None of the answers was plausible, and at this point, all she could come up with was—

"I was over at a friend's house," Mallory said, biting her lips, it was self-punishment for spewing out such folly at a time when wisdom was required. Mallory herself was aware of the fact that she had no friends, her highly reclusive personality shunned them all away. And if she knew that herself, how much more her father who's knowledge of her far surpassed her own knowledge of herself?

Cole made a throaty laugh, one full of more pain than humour. "Now you're lying? I never raised you to be a liar Mal. Who was the guy who had his hands all over you?"

Mallory gulped. He knew. Did news spread that fast? "He's a star."

His face drooped with disappointment. "You defied me." His voice grew louder with every word. Mallory had never heard such anger manifest itself in her father's voice—not until now.

"I-I—"

"I specifically told you not to go there," Cole said, his eyes almost popping of his sockets, blood rushing to his face. Panic surged for Mallory, terror rising to her throat. Cole's anger was unwarranted, resorting to insanity.

But the terror Mallory felt morphed into great fury. It hadn't occurred to her until now that her father was revolting her dreams, rebelling against all she'd ever wanted. All he said when she was younger, that she would be a star, all those statements, were nothing but lies, mere statements born out of obligation rather than true love. /Her father didn't love her, he only cared about his cynical self!

Anger sprouted from Mallory. "I can't believe you dad! Going to the Starlight was always my dream. My dream dad, you remember? Why are you so against it!"

Cole wagged his finger at Mallory's. "Don't you dare raise your voice at me, young lady. When did you get so insolent? What lies have they feed you at that organization?"

"You didn't even bother to ask me about the auditions."

"I don't care about the auditions. My concern is you. You, Mal. I don't care if you become a star or not. That means nothing if you're lacking in character!"

Mallory stood there, incredulous. What audacity Cole had to tell her he was concerned about her. What more lies did his untamable tongue have to spew? It was quite obvious that the only reason Cole didn't want her to make a commitment to the Starlight Academy was because he wanted her to move to New York with him after he married Susan.

Mallory neared him. "You don't care about me! So don't even for a minute act like you do. The only reason you don't want me to go to the starlight is just so you want to marry that—that whore!. But I'm sorry dad, I'm sorry I'm not the daughter you expected me to turn out to be. I'm sorry I'm not going to follow your selfish orders and watch my dreams fade to nothing. I'm sorry okay!"

Cole glared at her, his mouth agape in incredulity at all Mallory just said. Mallory swerved towards the stairwell, storming towards her room, but soon halted at the sound of her father's boisterous voice. "No," Cole began. "I'm sorry Mal. I'm sorry I tried to save you from the same fate as your mother. I'm sorry for trying to save you from the same industry caused your mother's death. And you know what I'm sorry for adopting you. I wouldn't have if I knew I would cause you this much pain."

Mallory stopped at that and turned to her father. Her heart shattered to smithereens when she sighted his sourpuss look.  the tears down his face,  the tremble rippling through his old and lanky body. He was visibly hurt but right now she couldn't tell who was hurt more, him or her.

"You're sorry for adopting me?" Mallory's voice quivered as she stifled upcoming tears. "Then I'm sorry for being born."

Cole's mouth parted but nothing came from it. He advanced towards her but could only make it a step before his face turned pallid. Cole dropped to his knees and clenched his chest, spittle pooling at the side of his mouth the moment he dropped to the floor. Fear put a leash around her when Cole's eyes shut close. It hauled her towards his helpless body.

"Dad!" Mallory yelled for her father, but it was as useless as speaking to the dead. He didn't move But he was alive, Mallory could feel his pulse, feel the warmth of his body, the slight tremor of his index finger. She shook him again, but he remained unresponsive, practically dead.

No, not dead. He wasn't dead. Cole couldn't be dead

Mallory rummaged through her brain for what to do, but fear had a way of stifling reason. When she sighted the telephone laying idly on the center table, she crawled towards it and dialled the first number that appeared in the phone's call history.

It rang...and rang...and rang.

Pick up. Pick up.

"Hello," A groggy voice answered on the other end, familiar.

Susan. But her animosity towards her was non-existent now, unfueled, tamed by the predicament she was in now.

"It's Mallory. My dad's—" she stopped.

Silence. "Your dad's what?"

Mallory paused, trying to gain control of the tears threatening to burst out of her eyes, but it was of no use. "My dad's...I don't know. He slumped and I'm scared. I'm really scared." Tears poured out of her eyes like an abundant waterfall.

"What?" The drawl fled from Susan's voice. "I'd be right there."

And about half an hour later she was, along with other paramedics, the boisterous whirrings of ambulances making Mallory even more scared. A wave of trepidation swept past Mallory as she saw her father's body being hauled into the ambulance, lifeless, pale. A lump rose to her throat, and no matter how hard she tried to push it down her it remained there, as though the lump was the result of the guilt overwhelming her, guilt that she'd been the one who pushed Cole to his limit today.

Susan strode to Mallory. She was in her pyjamas, her disheveled hair conveying the reckless alacrity she used to get here. Maybe Susan did really love Cole, maybe Mallory was too focused on the bad side of Susan. There were really good sides to her. "Get some rest," Susan said, a genuine sympathy in her voice. "He'll be okay, I promise."

But that night, sleep didn't come to Mallory, but fear, anxiety and ruthless despondency. How could sleep when she knew that if her father had died today, it would've been all her fault?