The Devil's Good Girl
Chapter 138: Human error

Chapter 138: Human error

[Later that night...]

"And that wraps up tonight’s entertainment scoop. This is Marianne, your trusted host for your daily dose of celebrity buzz and entertainment highlights. Happy weekend everyone!"

Marianne smiled beautifully at the camera after delivering her ending spiel for her segment. She maintained the smile until the camera moved to the main news anchors, who were also doing their ending spiel to wrap up today’s work.

When they got the signal, a round of faint applause erupted in the studio.

"Good work, everyone!" said the director. "That’s a wrap!"

Everyone went by their next tasks or plans for the rest of the night. The news anchors were obviously not there to stay and help clean up the studio. Hence, Marianne just went by to her usual routine. She headed straight to her dressing room, greeting everyone on the way for a good job.

"Marianne."

Marianne stopped before her dressing room, turning her head to see her assistant. She squinted her eyes a bit, waiting for the assistant to tell her what was the matter. When the latter answered, deep lines immediately appeared on her forehead.

"He’s inside?" she asked quietly, and the assistant nodded.

"I see." Marianne offered a meek smile. "I’ll come out in a bit."

"Alright."

With that being said, Marianne faced the door. She let out a deep exhale before reaching for the knob, opening the door without a second hesitation. When the door opened, a visitor was waiting for her inside, just like what her assistant told her.

"Marcus," she called, closing the door behind her. "What a surprise. After last time, I thought it’d take more weeks before we start talking again."

Marcus slowly snapped his eyes at the mirror in front of him, catching Marianne casually marching in. She didn’t seem to be surprised like she claimed, standing right next to him to fix her stuff on the long vanity mirror.

"You’re alright," he pointed out, making her cast him a sidelong glance.

"Why shouldn’t I be?" she remarked. "It’s not the first time someone was mean to me. Michael, for instance, tests my limits every time. What you said sounds kind compared to him."

"That’s not what I’m saying," he said, leaning back against the folding chair leisurely. "Don’t get your hopes up. I’m not here to apologize. I’m just checking on you."

Marianne, on the other hand, glanced at him again. "Check on me? That’s so kind of you, but I’m fine. As you can see, I’ve been covering the entertainment segment in one of the biggest news networks in the country. All I’m waiting for is a permanent contract."

"I heard the walls in these studios were thin," Marcus humored. "I hope no one heard you say that."

"Everyone thinks I deserve it." She shrugged. "And ever since I took charge of it, the rating about the segment has continuously grown."

"Now, that’s the Marianne I know." Marcus rocked his head in satisfaction. "Anyway, have you heard what happened? Vincent had an accident and was hospitalized."

This time, Marianne froze, which caused Marcus to partially squint his eyes. When she recovered, she simply shook her head and continued putting her things in her bag.

"You knew?" he pointed out, only to hear her say, "Valerie told me."

Marcus furrowed his brows. "Valerie told you, and you don’t plan on visiting him?"

"Marcus." Marianne dropped her bag and faced him. "Did you come here to see if I would rush to him with hopes I’d nurse him back to health?"

His answer was an indifferent shrug, making her huff sharply.

"I’ve thought about what you said," she confessed, swallowing the irritating lump in her throat. "At first, it made me angry because you sounded like you’re just a jerk. But then, I realized you were right."

Marianne forced a smile at him and nodded. "I should take my relationship with Vincent as it is. It was fun while it lasted. Although I feel bad about Fil, she’s actually a good friend. I don’t want to lose her just because I expected more from Vincent. It’s not worth it."

"Oh?" Marcus arched a brow, rocking his head in surprise. "Okay."

"Okay?" Marianne frowned. "That’s your only reaction?"

"What did you expect from me? Congratulate you for wanting to keep a friendship even after your betrayal?"

"She doesn’t have to know." She rolled her eyes. "People make mistakes and what I did is a mere human error."

Marcus laughed out loud as he pushed himself up. "You’re funny," he said, turning around and walking toward the door.

"Gosh." she hissed, rolling her eyes as she didn’t think much thought about Marcus’s visit. It wasn’t like this was the first time he visited her unannounced. Moreover, she believed he came to check if she knew about Vincent’s accident.

But just as Marcus reached the door, he stopped and looked back. "Anne," he called, waiting for her to raise her gaze on the mirror. "Many times, we convince ourselves to do the right thing. Why? Because it’s the right thing to do. However, do you know why we always fail to do what people consider the right thing?"

"It’s because we try to correct it even before getting any consequences. And even if we get caught, we get away from it," he continued. "It’s the thrill that pushes us to do the forbidden. You loved the thrill of messing with your friend by sleeping with her fiance, but the thought of seeing what kind of reaction Fil would have excites you more."

"You say I was right, but for me, I think I was wrong," he added with a smirk. "Maybe you didn’t fall for Vincent as you and I believed you did. But rather, sleeping with Vincent is just one of your ways to remove the threat."

Marcus briefly raised a brow. "I’m just guessing, I could be wrong. But I still root for you in this decision you made. One more thing, if you want to succeed, don’t meet him even if he rings your doorbell. You’ll end up fucking."

With that being said, Marcus resumed in his stride and left Marianne all alone. Marianne stood frozen in the same spot, staring at the door coldly.

"What nonsense is he talking about?" she murmured, turning around to finish arranging her things. But just as she was about to close the bag, she paused. Marianne reached for the little lighthouse keychain attached to the zipper.

"That’s not true," she whispered, rubbing the lighthouse keychain — which was the first gift she received from Fil — with her thumb. "He’s just trying to get into my head."

Was he? Or was it the truth?

The source of this c𝓸ntent is fr(e)𝒆NovelFire