I Spiked His Drink, He Drank It Anyway Chapter 07
I pulled myself free from Stellan’s arms.
His eyes fell to my bare finger.
“From now on, would you wear your wedding ring?”
The comments immediately started flying.
[LOL. There he goes again, trying to make Iris jealous.]
[He doesn’t actually want Tamsin wearing the ring.]
[Side character better not be dumb enough to actually wear it.]
[Same with that hug just now—all for the female lead’s benefit.]
I casually made up an excuse. “I lost it.”
Stellan didn’t press the issue.
Before I knew it, performance day arrived.
An uneasy feeling settled deep in my chest.
The comments appeared right on cue.
[Here it comes. According to the original plot, the side character’s stage accident happens today.]
[The harness rigging snaps while she’s suspended in the air. She falls off the stage and ends up in a permanent coma.]
—
[Once she’s a vegetable, the leads can finally be together out in the open.]
[No more sneaking around after this.]
Sitting in the dressing room, I broke out in a cold sweat.
Iris noticed immediately.
“Tamsin, what’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?”
“A little.”
My mind spinning, I went to talk to the director about canceling my performance.
He looked conflicted.
“The audience is already seated. We can’t cancel now.”
“Can you try to get through it?”
I was still wavering.
Seeing how pale I looked, he softened.
“If you really can’t do it, don’t force yourself.”
“We can have your understudy go on instead.”
“Think about it. Are you sure you don’t want to switch?”
The comments immediately objected.
—
[Don’t tell me she’s going to back out at the last second.]
[If she bails, the understudy will end up taking the hit for her.]
[This is her fate. She might dodge it today, but what about next time?]
[Don’t drag someone else into it.]
I took a deep breath.
“No. I can do it.”
The manager patted my shoulder.
“Good luck.”
Before going on, I had the stage crew double-check the harness rigging.
The comments remained merciless.
[It’s no use. This is the side character’s fate.]
[The rigging might be fine now, but it’ll fail when the plot says it should.]
[She was always just a side character in this story.]
[The sooner she exits stage left, the better.]
Waiting in the wings, my palms were slick with sweat.
Iris noticed my nerves and took my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.
—
“Don’t be nervous. You’ve nailed every rehearsal. You’ll do great.”
She thought I was only worried about the performance.
Then she wrapped me in a warm hug.
“Besides, I’ve got your back.”
The emcee was already announcing Moonfall. We were up next.
“Thank you.”
I drew a slow breath.
If I couldn’t avoid this, then I’d face it head-on.
This was my fate. I couldn’t let someone else take that fall for me.
Iris and I descended from above the stage on the harness rigging to a burst of applause.
Right away, I spotted Stellan sitting in the VIP section. He actually showed up.
He’d asked me for tickets before. Said he wanted to watch me perform.
I’d politely turned him down. I never expected him to buy his own ticket.
The comments scoffed.
[He’s here for Iris.]
—
[Please, she doesn’t actually think he came for her, does she?]
[Enjoy your last performance.]
[You’ll never have another one.]
[Am I the only one who feels bad for her?]
[She knew something might happen today, but she still refused to let her understudy take the risk.]
[Gotta admit, that earned my respect.]
By then, I’d fully pulled myself together.
I danced as if this would be my final performance.
If I was destined to fall today, then I’d give everything I had.
I wanted my last moment onstage to shine brightly enough to honor every drop of sweat and every year I’d devoted to dance.
I lost myself in the music. Every movement flowed freely through the air.
The applause grew louder and louder. Cheers echoed through the theater.
The comments began to change.
[The side character’s skills are incredible.]
[I’m honestly moved.]
—
[Onstage, she shines just as brightly as the female lead.]
[She’s glowing. Absolutely radiant.]
[Did anyone notice? The male lead hasn’t taken his eyes off the side character.]
[No way. The female lead’s right beside her. Maybe he’s looking at Iris instead.]
[There’s a new ring in the male lead’s pocket. Think it’s meant for the female lead?]
[I think it’s for the side character.]
[I’m so nervous. It’s about to happen.]
[I can barely breathe.]
On the final move, the rigging operator miscalculated. I plunged.
The audience gasped. Stellan shot to his feet.
Iris reacted in a flash—she lunged toward me and wrapped her arms around me.
Together, we floated down in a flawless finish.
The audience let out a collective sigh of relief.
“So that fall was part of the choreography.”
The comments erupted once more.
—
[The female lead actually saved the side character? I never saw that coming.]
[Iris is such a sweetheart.]
[Pure instinct. And honestly? If Iris had been the one falling, I bet Tamsin would’ve done the exact same thing.]
[Girls supporting girls. I love this.]
[Wait. Aren’t they supposed to be rivals?]
[You’re shipping this too? Seriously?]
[So, does this mean the side character survived her fate?]
[Looks like it.]
[The female lead’s act of kindness rewrote the side character’s fate.]
As the applause thundered through the theater, I gripped Iris’s hand—still trembling.
“Iris, thank you.”
Her hand was shaking too.
“You scared me to death. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
Backstage, I caught sight of Stellan weaving through the crowd, heading straight for us.
I walked with Iris toward the dressing room.
—
Just before we reached it, I stopped.
“I’m going to the restroom.”
“Okay.” She gave a nod.
One minute before Stellan reached the dressing room, I stepped into the restroom.
The comments instantly caught on.
[Wait, is the side character giving Iris a chance to be alone with him?]
[She knows he’s coming backstage, and she still walked away. She’s trying to create an opportunity for the leads.]
[Iris did save her. Maybe she’s finally ready to let go.]
They were right.
I was ready to let go.
To end this fake marriage and give Stellan back to Iris.