She Traded Me For A Fraud

The day before the Paragon Guild audition, I found out the selection was already over. My mind went blank as I picked up the acceptance list my mentor had thrown at my feet.

Under the slot for the Principal Romantic Lead, the name "Lucas Ward" stared back at me in bold letters. My phone buzzed, group chat notifications lighting up the screen:

[Congrats, Lucas! Getting into the Paragon Theater is huge! You're buying drinks tonight!]

[They only took one lead this year, and you snagged it. Incredible!]

[Hey, where’s our resident award-winner? Why is he so quiet all of a sudden?]