They Laughed Hard While I Was Dying

"Ah–"

The pain hit so hard I lost my voice for a moment.

The skin on my face had split. Warm liquid ran down my jaw.

The chemicals were still working through my system.

My breathing turned uneven.

My awareness started breaking apart.

"Logan, have you lost your mind?!"

Mia turned around, her expression changing instantly.

She rushed over. When she saw the blood on my face, she froze.

"You... what happened to you?"

She reached out instinctively, then stopped herself.

"Logan, I'll take you to the hospital."

She grabbed her keys. For the first time, panic appeared on her face.

Aaron immediately stepped in front of her.

Quickly, he hid the bloody glass shard behind his back, his tone turning casual again.

"Relax.

"He's just too deep into the act.

"Look at the amount of blood. Nothing important got hit."

He pointed at the empty bottle on the floor and laughed.

"He was faking a seizure a minute ago. Now he's putting on some self-harm performance.

"You don't seriously believe him, do you?"

He continued, pointing at the intact bottle nearby.

"Mia, look. The bottle isn't even broken. The blood on his face is fake. Productions use realistic stage blood all the time."

Mia looked carefully. The moment her eyes landed on the unbroken bottle, the last trace of hesitation disappeared from her face.

Her expression turned cold.

"Don't be mad. I know how to wake him up."

Aaron dragged me into the back kitchen.

He shoved my head straight into a wine vat.

The 'blood' on my face washed away in the liquor. The alcohol hit the wound, and the pain nearly stopped my breathing.

The high-proof alcohol flooded my airway, triggering violent coughing and making the seizure worse. My heartbeat spiraled out of control.

I struggled desperately inside the vat, my body slowly slipping out of control.

"Heh. A second ago you looked like you were dying. Now you've got plenty of energy."

Aaron sneered from above.

The next second, he forced my head back under the liquor.

"Wake up a little more. Wouldn't want you acting up again later and upsetting Mia."

Through blurred vision, I saw Mia turn her face away in disgust.

My heartbeat became more and more chaotic. Fear overwhelmed my thoughts. I clawed at the edge of the vat, trying to beg for help.

However, the alcohol had burned my throat so badly I could barely make a sound.

"Ugh..."

A mouthful of bloody foam slipped from my lips as I forced the words out.

"Aaron... my father... is your hospital director... you can't do this..."

Aaron let out a mocking laugh.

"Too much alcohol made you delusional? Now you're making up fake identities?

"You're just an actor. Don't take yourself so seriously.

"Our hospital director belongs to the Ford family. Real upper-class circles. You think you can compare?

"If you're really a Ford, I'll let you use my head as a soccer ball."

The room burst into laughter.

Mia's face darkened. Her voice turned cold.

"Logan, enough. Keep this up and I'm really breaking up with you."

My consciousness started fading. My limbs turned cold. Darkness crept into my vision.

With difficulty, I turned toward a blurry figure near the doorway.

Using the last of my strength, I forced out:

"Help... me..."

Aaron burst out laughing.

"Who's going to save you? Your fans?"

The crowd laughed as they shoved me back into the liquor again.

The suffocation, the alcohol, and the seizure crashing together dragged my consciousness down rapidly.

Just before I blacked out completely…

The private room door slammed open.

A voice exploded through the room, heavy with suppressed rage.

"You people have a death wish!"