Everythi numb to me. I didn't know why this was happening all ain. I had thought that that woman was behind me. Heck, I had almost fotten that there was a time when I used to call someone else 'Mum' who wasn't named Kathy.

  In the meanwhile, the media were having a field day, with every news el across the UK showing the same damning interview all the time.

  "I'm here with Car Armitage, the biological mother of oroy Armitage," a female reporter said. "We all know Troy from films like [The Sixth Sense], [Billy Elliot], and [Harry Potter]. Car, please tell us something about you."

  "I am not the best mother," Car, earing a navy blue cardigan and looked much healthier tha Troy remembered, said slowly. "Even I know that, but I was unwell when Troy lived with me st. I love my little tyke more than anything in the world, but ever since I lost my husband, Troy's father, I went into depression. I lost the will to live, and I found so things that I shouldn't have. But I'm much better now, and my probation is over. My therapist believes that it will do me a lot of good if I get Troy ba my life. For some time, I did my utmost to not even see how my son was doing, because I was overe with guilt iving him up. But he has bee so big now, that it is impossible to not see him when I look at the news or any media."

  "And has his newfound fame affected your decision to try reciliation with him?" the reporter pressed.

  "Yes," Car agreed. "I looked up my son and what he has been doing for the st few years. He has racked up quite a bit of awards from what I could see, but there were things that worried me greatly. Most damning of all, his first film. You may not know this because the film wasn't released in the UK, but it is called [Sex Education]. I somehow mao get a VHS copy of it, and I alled to see my son a such filth. The worst part is that the film was written and directed by Steve Kloves, Troy's adoptive father, who is now produg [Harry Potter]. Who writes a film about sex that is tered around a child in their care? A pedophile, that's who!"

  "That's a very serious accusation!" the reporter said pointedly. "Are you saying that Steve Kloves…" She didn't finish the question.

  "No," Car shook her head. "I don't know enough to ent on that, but a writer writes what he wants to see or feel. Just ask Steve Kloves what was going through his head when he wrote my son in all those horrible ses. I 't in good sce let my son be near such a man."

  "What about Troy's adoptive mother, Kathy Kloves?"

  Car scoffed out loud, "That bitch was a co-writer and producer of [Sex Education]. She and Steve Kloves made hundreds of millions out of [Sex Education] and [Harry Potter]. They are earning this money all because of Troy. What were they before Troy came into their lives? Some lowly writers, barely making ends meet. They are nothing but money-hungry dogs who profit off of my son. I will not have it any longer."

  That was as far as I could see the interview before I smashed the telly with a bat in frustration. I khat I wasn't the only one feeling agitated over the situation when none of my parents rebuked me for my as.

  That fug interview uprooted the normalcy out of my life. If the reporters and paparazzi were annoying me earlier, now they were dht hostile. The shooting of [Harry Potter] had bee a nightmare because of the media circus and the impending court summons.

  Yes, court summons. The bitch hadn't just given an interview, but she had filed a case for my custody in the family court as well. In fact, she had giveerview right after filing the case.

  As much as I wao take a break from shooting, I couldn't. My airtight tract made sure of that. While my father may be the producer of the film, Warner had made sure I couldn't use his undue influeo affect the shooting of the film. Everyone o was treating me differently, giving me looks of sympathy or even pity. I hated it. But I couldn't do anything there.

  The only recourse avaible to me was hiring the best barrister that money could buy in London to hahe case against my family.

  "Don't worry, Steve, Kathy," Keith Langford reassured us. "I have my full team on this case, and they will scrape through the entire history of that woman. From the looks of it, she is just grasping at straws and came after you only when Troy was he third highest-earning actor of the year in the whole world. Given that she willingly signed over Troy's custody to you both, most likely her case would be thrown out of the window like old trash. She doesn't have any legal rights over Troy anymore."

  That was a little reassuring to hear.

  "But we have to take care of the PR side of things as well," Mum pointed out. "She has brought so much bad press for Troy and our family. How is our tersuit going?"

  "For defamation?" Keith asked for firmation. "I have filed it. Don't worry, by the time I'm doh her, she will be so far deep ihat she will have to file for bankruptcy to stay afloat."

  "Does she even have any moo her name?" I asked Keith. "Last I remembered, she had used up most of my father's life insurance money."

  Keith shrugged, "I 't know for sure unless she files for bankruptcy. She is not a pany or I could have found out easily."

  Keith had protested a little about me attending this meeting, but I made it clear to both my parents and him that I o be there because I could provide valuable information about my egg donor that they could use against her in court.

  "Don't worry, Troy," Keith reassured me. "You go on with your life as if nothing is different about it. It will take time for the court date to arrive. You shouldn't stop w because of that."

  It wasn't as simple as that. Mine wasn't some desk job where I had to type on a puter all day long. I had to portray the emotions of a different character in front of cameras and make it believable. That would be so difficult to do when my life has just been upended.

  "He's right, Troy," Mum said soothingly. "As much as I'd prefer you to stay with me at home, you o show a strong front. Maybe, we even send a message to Car through a statement?"

  "That would be unwise," Keith interjected. "Judges don't like it when the court's authority is sidelined in favor of a media trial."

  "But she started it!" I let out in frustration.

  Keith raised his hands to pacify me, "I know, and she would be punished for it by the judge presiding over the case. But we have to show that we are better than her. So no talking to the media. At all."

  Mum looked troubled by the news, "What about the BAFTAs? They are scheduled for the week and Troy is nominated for [Billy Elliot]."

  "I'm not attending it," I announced before anyone could argue over anything. "Talk to Universal, ahem that I have a mental breakdown or something." Seeing their look of silent acceptany request, I asked my parents the question that was bugging me, "On that topic, what is Warner's rea to this news?"

  Mum shared a look with Dad before saying, "Nothing you o worry about."

  "Tell me," I insisted. "Please. I o know what that woman is costing me and my career."

  After what felt like ay, she slowly said, "Let's just say that the third movie in the series is no longer in the picture until after the sed film has been released and is a major hit."

  I sat there dumbfounded, not knowing how to respond. [Harry Potter] was everything to me. If I lose the role, I'll kill her. Damn the sequences.

  (Break)

  Emma Watson didn't know how to behave around Troy anymore. Ever since his parents were being sued by his birth mother, Troy had been behaving abnormally. Usually, he required the least amount of retakes in his ses and was most eager to help anyone around the set. However, since shooting had resumed the day after the news broke out, Troy had bee the worst performer o. Not just that, he was quick to anger and s anyone who so much as looked at him the wrong way. Later, when he had calmed down, he would apologize to whomever he s that day, but that didn't stop people from walking on eggshells around him.

  "Don't worry about it too much, love," Rosie, Emma's dedicated makeup artist, said when Emma asked her opinion about it. "That's a norm for these big Hollywood heroes. We crew members know this and have learo work around them. Sure, he's going through a rough pat his life, but that gives him nht to shout at someohis is what happens when you achieve too much too soon at this age. Make sure you don't follow this trend."

  Emma didn't tradict Rosie's statement, but deep down she khat Troy was not like this. Just a week before the whole i, she had asked Troy for help with her math homework, and he had spent three hours with her going through every question she had trouble with. She had spent a great deal of time with Troy while shooting the first film, and this was the first time he was not an absolute gentleman.

  Jamie was also a little nervous around Troy, and food reason, but Emma knew how close the two boys were. So she did ohing that most of the crew and other cast members of the film were avoiding. She walked straight up to Troy's trailer and walked in directly without knog. And while she was at it, she dragged poor Jamie alongside her as well.

  Troy quickly turned away from the telly that he was watg just moments ago, ging the el to some music el. Emma couldn't see what Troy was watg earlier, but it didn't matter much to her.

  "Emma! Jamie!" Troy called out in slight anger. "Don't you have basio knock before entering someone's private room?"

  Jamie freed his hand from Emma's grasp and took a hesitant step back. He looked as if he was about to apologize, but the younger girl beat him to it.

  "Don't you have basio treat others detly?" Emma shot back.

  Troy looked exasperated for a moment, "Is it about Scott? I apologized to him, didn't I?"

  "It's not just about Scott!" Emma shouted, quite opposite to her calm demeanor. "It's also about Ricky, Derek, John, Summer, and Alice. These are all the people that you have aggravated i week alone. Do you know everyone o is scared to talk to you nowadays? Including Chris, Jamie, everyone."

  Troy turo his male friend and asked, "Is it true, Jamie?"

  Jamie looked uain as he gnced down at his feet. "I don't bme you. I know it's difficult right now, so I thought… I mean… I know you'll be better in a few days. So…"

  "See!" Emma said pointedly. "He's not even fortable telling you the truth. And the three of us used to share everything. Don't do this, Troy."

  "You won't uand," Troy shook his head, dismissing her cim. "You don't know what I'm going through right now."

  "And whose fault is that, huh? You don't talk to anyone. How would I know what yoing through if you won't tell me?"

  Troy didn't say anything for a few moments, just kept staring at a fident Emma and a hesitant Jamie. Finally, after a minute or so, he picked up the telly remote from the couch he was sitting on earlier and switched the el back to what was being pyed before.

  "–do you think, Anita?" a male news anchor asked a female.

  "I don't know about you, Richard," Anita was saying, "but I 't help but agree with Car Armitage. Having been iertai industry as long as I have, I would never let a child under my care work in a film, let alone a film about sex. To those of you who may not know this, I used to be a writer before I started w here, and Car is absolutely correct, we usually write about things we want to see or witness. At least I did."

  "But we believe anything from a mother who abused her child, gave up his custody, and is now baly after he has earned some big bucks in this st year?" Richard shot back.

  "I'm not saying that Car is a perfect mother, or that Troy should return to her. But no one deny that Steve and Kathy Kloves have exploited Troy Armitage's childhood to make millions off of him."

  At this point, Troy muted the television.

  "This is what I have to deal with," he said emphatically. "Dad hasn't talked to me in days out of some sort of misguided guilt or something. Every day, people's perception is getting more and more ive. Those people you mentioned earlier, ead every one of them are of simir thinking—that my parents exploited me. I just know the looks they give me whehink I'm not looking. The entire media of Britain is right outside the doors of the studio, waiting for me to step out. I have bee a joke to people. And if that wasn't enough, Warner has halted the pre-produ of the third film because of this… sdal. Anything else you wanna know, dear Emma? Jamie?"

  The sarcasm in Troy's voice was bitingly cold, yet that didn't deter Emma from taking the step. She stepped as close to Troy as possible and engulfed him in a tight hug.

  "I'm sorry, Troy," she whispered softly while rubbing his back slowly. "I'm so sorry. I 't help you, but I'll listen to whatever you have to say. Shout at me, curse me, take it all out on me. I won't judge you, but leave everyone else be. I don't want you to damage your reputation because of this. The crew members are talking, and I don't like what I'm hearing about my best friend."

  Jamie, not shying away from the unfortable topic this time, stepped forward, pced a hand on the younger boy's shoulder, and said, "Me too. Lay it oher of us. We are the Golden Triht?"

  Emma was not expeg Troy to start g in her arms. The initial soft sobs turned into bawling as the two young friends hugged for dear life. She didn't even realize when Jamie joihem in a three-way hug. None of them said anything, just kept rubbing his back softly as Troy wept.

  (Bonus Se)

  Mal was under a lot of pressure for the night. He rodug the biggest film award show on this side of the Atntid he had made arras for everything, from areseo the time allotted for each winner for their speech. Everything nned meticulously, only for him to find out at the st moment that BAFTA and Oscar wiroy Armitage, would not be able to attend the ceremony owing to the sdal he and his family were going through right now.

  He didn't like it, but he uood. It must be hard for a kid to gh so much. So Mal did what any petent producer would do: he arranged for someone else to present the award Troy was meant to. In the eventuality that Troy won this year as well, Mal had sent a message for Julie Walters, Troy's co-star in Billy Elliot, to collect the award for him.

  And everythi without a hitch. He just had to trim a few speeches here and there for the TV broadcast when the award winners went beyond their time limit, but overall everythi perfectly.

  Or so he had thought.

  He didn't know what was happening until he was smmed into a wall, and a man with a reddening face was standing in front of him. A maedly reized as Russell Crowe, this year's winner for Best Actor BAFTA.

  "I don't give a fuck who you are," Crowe shouted in Mal's face. "Who oh had the fug audacity to take out the Best Actor's speech? You fug piece of shit, I'll make sure you never work in Hollywood. I'll make your fug life miserable for the rest of your days. I'll…"

  Russell Crowe went on a tirade, but Mal was barely listening to him. He khis sycho in front of him. Who else behaves so childishly for cutting your victory speech short? All he could think of at the moment was to save himself from this madman.

  In the end, Russell Crowe didn't hit Mal as he was expeg, but he did kick a few chairs around the room before exiting.

  Mal took a breath of relief as soon as he was alone again.

  ______________________________

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