Behind The Spotlight Chapter 179
Jennifer's career was getting better now that Season 3 of The Singing Voice was underway. The show maintained a steady rating of 9 million viewers per episode, which was considered extremely high for a variety program. The show was profitable, and the fact that other countries had bought the rights to create their own versions of The Singing Voice proved that it was successful both commercially and culturally.
Even a famous TV network in France was interested in producing a French version of The Singing Voice. They invited Princess Chantal to be the host, but the singer had to decline due to her busy schedule.
That night, Jennifer and her parents ate dinner in a quiet and warm atmosphere.
"Jennifer, next year, visit us more. You rarely come home. We appreciate all the financial support you've given us, but I would rather see you than receive money," Jennifer's mom said sincerely, longing evident in her voice.
"Mom, we talk on the phone almost every day." Jennifer gave a bitter smile. She admitted that she had been too busy with work.
"I know, but I still want to see you."
"Thank you, Mom. I'll try my best, I promise."
Jennifer's father nodded and listened most of the time. He was always there for Jennifer, ready to support her.
"Jennifer, you don't have to avoid us," her father muttered as he ate a slice of turkey.
"Dad...?" Jennifer asked weakly, caught off guard.
"It's not your fault. It's no one's fault. You don't have to blame yourself anymore."
"Anthony!" Jennifer's mother raised her voice and glared at her husband. She couldn't believe he would say something like that so suddenly.
"M-Mom, it's alright." Jennifer stopped her mother before things escalated.
"... Thank you, Dad." Jennifer lowered her head as tears fell onto her plate, mixing with the gravy.
"Anthony, look at what you did!"
"Mom, I'm alright. You don't have to blame Dad." Jennifer tried to ease the situation as she wiped her tears and forced a smile.
"Dad... thank you, sniff, sniff. Thank you."
Jennifer sobbed as her mother stood up, approached her, and comforted her, gently stroking her hair. Jennifer wasn't crying because she was sad. Instead, she felt as though she had finally been freed from years of guilt.
"You don't have to avoid us. You're our daughter. We love you," her father said as he patted her back. His words only made Jennifer cry harder as her shoulders trembled.
The guilt had been eating her. Ever since the day her brother died, she couldn't look her parents in the eyes without feeling overwhelming guilt. She blamed herself. Afraid to confront those feelings, she distanced herself from her parents and befriended bad influences just to escape reality. Even now, after so many years, the guilt had never truly left her.
She knew her father had mustered immense courage to say those words. All of them had been pretending that everything was fine, afraid that one wrong sentence might destroy what they had painstakingly rebuilt. It had taken years for her father to speak up because he, too, feared reopening old wounds.
Because of this, even Jennifer's mother couldn't hold back her tears. She hugged her daughter tightly, comforting her with trembling hands.
Back when Jennifer was in early middle school, her brother had prepared a birthday gift for her. He bought a beautiful bracelet for his little sister, excited to see her smile. But he never returned that day. He never came home.
When the family learned what had happened, they found him dead on the street, still clutching the intact shopping bag. He had died in a car accident, and the driver was under the influence of alcohol.
When Jennifer learned the truth, she was terrified and blamed herself for her brother's death. She was young and unable to think rationally.
From that moment on, Jennifer changed. She avoided her parents as much as possible, afraid that they blamed her for their son's death. Things only began to improve when Jennifer grew older and matured emotionally.
The family of three cried together. Even Jennifer's father wiped away his tears. The knot in his chest finally loosened, it had taken him years to say those words. He felt pathetic for letting his daughter suffer in silence for so long.
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...
The following year, when Collin met Jennifer for the first time in 2000, he noticed that her swearing had significantly toned down. At the very least, she no longer spoke like a sailor. She might still say something offensive now and then, but nothing that made Collin frown in disapproval.
Collin didn't know the reason behind Jennifer's change, but he was happy for her. He could tell that Jennifer was finally free.
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...
December 31, 1999. Exactly one hour before the New Year, Collin was invited to a party hosted by Princess Chantal. The singer had also invited Collin's other clients, but it seemed that only Collin attended due to scheduling conflicts.
Everyone had their own lives, and most likely spent the holidays with their loved ones.
Princess Chantal had purchased a mansion worth $10 million. Among all of Collin's clients, she was the fastest earner. The fact that she could buy such a property in a year was proof of her explosive success.
"... I thought this was a formal party."
When Collin stepped into the mansion, the first thing he saw was a group of young people in swimsuits, holding wine glasses and laughing loudly.
He had heard that Princess Chantal had befriended a wealthy woman around her age, the daughter of a billionaire. This woman was also the biggest reason Princess Chantal had recently adopted a Californian Valley Girl accent.
'... What is happening here? I met Chantal two weeks ago. Even though she's changed, she's not the type to host this kind of party.'
Collin adjusted his suit. He felt completely out of place as he walked in. Despite having received an invitation, he briefly wondered if he had come to the wrong address.
Fortunately, he spotted someone familiar in the crowd.
"Lawrence! You showed up?" Collin exclaimed in surprise. Lawrence was the last person he expected to see there, especially given the issues he had been dealing with recently.
"I received an invitation, so I decided to relax..." Lawrence replied.
"How's your life these days? Is everything going well?" Collin was aware of Lawrence's situation and knew that his relationship with Emma was improving.
"Well, I guess everything's fine. Director Summerbelt and the psychiatrist gave me tips on how I can help Emma learn empathy step by step."
At first, Lawrence found it difficult to adjust. But once he started treating it like a role, he gradually settled into being a loving husband.
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