"Isn't she with you? Why should I worry?"
I retorted and hung up, then resumed chatting with a few friends on the forum.
They all thought I could get back into the industry. With my talent, I could keep up with the trends.
I made up my mind to start living for myself.
Not long after.
I heard the door open, probably Joanna coming back, but I didn't bother to check and continued chatting with my friends.
One of my friends, John Miller, worked at a top gaming company and wanted to invite me to be a lead artist.
So when he heard I was back, he immediately got me an interview opportunity with his boss.
I readily agreed and decided to go for the interview the next day.
The next day.
I didn't get up to make breakfast for Joanna as usual. I slept until past nine, made myself a sandwich, and had some milk and juice.
In the past, I had to cater to Joanna's taste, making different dishes to please her.
Sometimes, she would say she wanted something the night before, but when I made it the next day, she didn't want it and asked for something else.
She even asked me to make a portion for Liam.
It felt like I was their nanny, always at their beck and call.
Compared to that, not having to get up at six to please Joanna and having no worries now was incredibly comfortable.
Even the sunlight outside felt much brighter.
After arriving at the company.
With my friend's introduction, I met the general manager and had a long conversation.
Then, I presented my award-winning works and previous game scene and character illustrations.
The general manager was very impressed and asked me to design a game character poster within three days.
If I passed this test, I could join the company directly.
I nodded in agreement, cherishing this opportunity and planning to work hard for the next three days. After all, applicants for top gaming companies were as numerous as cattle.
Since I had turned off my phone for the interview, I only remembered to turn it back on after leaving the company. Immediately, I saw a message reminder from Joanna half an hour ago.
But when I clicked on it, the message had been retracted.
At that moment, someone in the classmates' group chat tagged me.
I clicked in and saw that Joanna, who rarely showed up, was unusually active in the group chat today, constantly interacting with Liam and posting photos she took of him.
Some photos were quite intimate.