Chapter 77 - Leaving the Dream

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The tension in the air felt heavy after the playing of the demo ended. Everyone in the boardroom, including Sheldon Avon, Arnold, the head music producer, a songwriter and a publicist remained silent. The rings of smoke from Sheldon's puffing from his cigar and his other hand tapping on the table as he leaned back against his leather swivel chair only exacerbated the taut atmosphere.

Ariel coughed at the repulsive woody cigar smoke that fogged up the room despite the ventilators working full speed. The full-height windows showed a breath-taking view of the city skyline and the walls of the boardroom were filled with awards and plaques with vinyls on the wall from Avon's collection of best-selling artists. Leon's awards filled the majority of the walls.

Ariel loved the song after hearing it. It was the first Leon Waltz song that she really liked and she could hear the depths of his heart in this song. Yet, she could tell from the disappointing faces of the Avon Music team that they were not impressed. Ariel was already feeling uncomfortable by the intimidating presence of Sheldon Avon, whom she finally met in person for the first time after hearing mentions of his name here and there when she was Leon's chef. But she knew she had to be there for Leon who refused to take his hand away from hers since entering the office. Ariel felt like the odd one out since she was the only person who was not part of Avon Music nor have any professional experience in music. She knew from Leon's occasional squeezes that he was really nervous, and all she could do was to be his support.

Sheldon let out a peal of throaty laughter with erupted puffs of smoke, yet his stern eyes showed that he was not finding it funny. It was that kind of laugh that Leon knew straight away that his demo was rejected. Ariel felt that tight squeeze once again.

"Do you think you're still a teen who first walked in here?" Sheldon said sarcastically. "Your last album may have charted well, all thanks to your scandal and your negative publicity, but it still failed to reach our sales target. Your multiple absences mean performance cancellations, and cancellations mean no money coming in. The album would've been of much greater value if you're dead, which in this case you're not. You've ruined your image for this woman. Now, you're giving us material that is equally subpar with cheap lyrics that complain how miserable we make your life out to be."

"What did you just say?" Ariel seethed. She couldn't believe what she just heard from this insensitive jerk that she felt like bashing him, but Leon squeezed her hand as if he was calming her down rather than the other way round.

"Mind your own business," Arnold told her off. She tightened her jaw.

"Have you forgotten that you're a brand?" Sheldon continued speaking to Leon.

"Well, if you guys did not re-edit so many of my demos, then this album would've done better. Blame it on the songwriters, not me," Leon's argument spurned a defensive look from the songwriter who said, "Must I remind you that if we did not cancel our partnership with Mia Marlene last year, perhaps your album could've exceeded expectations?"

"I agree, if it were not for a certain someone," Arnold hinted with a disapproving look at Ariel.

Ariel narrowed her eyes at him and squeezed Leon's hand, resisting the temptation to rearrange his face.

"With or without Mia Marlene, it wouldn't make much of a difference. There are new singers and bands that I'm coming up against, including those from South Korea and -"

"Jake Miliano's not Korean, yet he can top the charts," the head music producer interrupted.

Leon blew out his cheeks. He scanned the pictures of Jake Miliano which crept a wall space he occupied, a sign that he was no longer Sheldon's favourite cash cow. Even Jake's first teen awards plaque hung right next to Leon's teen plaque.

"Jake's young, impressionable and he'll do whatever bidding you want him to do. Whereas I'm a veteran and I deserve to explore a different angle to my music instead of doing the same damn thing since the beginning," Leon countered.

"Deserve?" Sheldon sat upright in his seat. "We've given you more than you deserve. Don't you remember how generous I've been with your last negotiation? I'm afraid I'll need to take over the reins seeing how disappointing your recent performance is. After all, it's part of the agreement in our last negotiation," He flashed that eery whitish smile to Leon. "Arnold."

Arnold took out the contract with new terms from a black folder and placed it before Leon and he flipped through its pages.

While Leon read, Sheldon continued, "You want to remain at the top? So do I and we best know how."

Leon tightened his lips with furrowed brows as he read each clause, including giving complete artistic control to Avon Music, surrendering a bigger share of the profit pie and allowing Avon to have a greater say in the decisions of his personal life! In exchange, they would loan him a higher advance for his next album release, despite him managing to pay off his label's advances in the last contract. He would be back in debt!

"Is this some kind of conservatorship? I ain't Britney Spears!" he tossed the contract across the table to Sheldon.

"It's business. Whatever you do in your personal life does affect your public image. This year, our PR team has worked tirelessly overtime just to rectify so many of your poor life decisions. Have you any idea the gravity it has towards pulling down your popularity?" reasoned the publicist. "Now, we've got lots of media outlets hungry for your updates after a period of lacklustre interest in you and we can use this to our advantage. We can come out with something sensational, maybe something surrounding your kidnapping experience."

Ariel gasped in disgust. Were these people crazy?

"I'm not signin'," said Leon.

"Well, that's the only way, my friend. You know you're in good hands," Arnold took the contract from the table, flipped to the last page and placed it before Leon.

Leon raised a brow, "Good hands?"

Arnold slid a pen into his right hand, "Sign it, my friend, we got ya. It'll all be good." He patted his shoulders.

Ariel was worried. All she could do was look at Leon staring at the signatory box. She could feel his anxiety rising with each click from the plunger of the pen being pressed repeatedly by his right thumb. Minutes felt like hours. So many thoughts raced through his mind.

"Go on," Sheldon puffed out a perfectly oval-shaped smoke ring. "Get your life back on track."

Leon stopped pressing the plunger. He placed the pen over the box and said, "I'm not going to be your slave anymore."

Sheldon raised his left eyebrow, "Slave? Don't forget, I created you! Without me, you'd think you'll be this rich and successful?"

For the first time, Leon no longer felt afraid of Sheldon. He rose from his seat and looked him directly in the eye, "You still don't get it, do you? That's why, I quit!"

Ariel couldn't believe her ears. The Avon Music team exchanged glances before breaking into giggles of disbelief.

"Quit?" Sheldon sniggered and shook his head. "You can't. You won't. You need me."

"Oh, I can and I will and I don't need you!"

"Calm down now, my friend," Arnold tried to pull him back into his seat. "We can re-negotiate."

"Friend?" Leon yanked his arm away from his pull. "Since when are you really my friend? Since when did any of you really care for me or for my welfare?"

"Hey, I visited you in the hospital and rehab!" Arnold got upset.

"Yes, you did. But our conversations would point back to work and what I should do for Avon! I almost lost my life - thrice!" Leon burned with anger at the whole team. He looked at Sheldon, "And you're right! I'm of greater value dead than I'm alive, at least for you! But you know what? The woman next to me whom you despise saved my life more than once, while you did absolutely nothing!" Leon took Ariel by her hand and she stood up with him.

He faced Arnold, "And I won't have you insult the woman I love in front of me ever again, especially if you still consider yourself my "friend"!"

"You're overreacting," Arnold dismissed with a shake of his head.

"Is it worth it, Leon? To walk away from everything you worked hard for? Just for a girl?" Sheldon said unapologetically and puffed out another ring of smoke before putting out his cigar in the ashtray.

"I rather walk away than thrive in your toxicity," Leon replied.

"You're nothing without me."

Ariel couldn't take it anymore. "More like you're nothing without Leon," she pointed at Leon's multiple award plaques on the wall with her chin.

The smirk from Sheldon's face evaporated.

"I like Leon's new demo. I believe in him. He'll still be successful with or without you," she said confidently.

Leon flashed a proud smirk at Sheldon, squeezing Ariel's hand to which she returned his squeeze.

"Dude, you're making a BIG mistake," Arnold rose from his seat.

"We own all the copyright to your music, you know that," reminded Sheldon.

"I don't care. Most of the songs are never really my own anyway."

"You'll come back," Sheldon flashed his white teeth with a confident grin. "I know you will."

"Try me."

With his head held high, Leon and Ariel left the boardroom. He refused to look back even when Arnold cried out his name from the door, "Leon! Leon! Leon Waltz, come back here!"

"Arnold, let him be. He'll come round," Sheldon lit up a new cigar. "Now, what's next?"

"Jake Milliano," said the head music producer.

"Ah yes, Jake," Sheldon beamed.

Once outside Avon Music's building, Leon took one last look at the steel and glass skyscraper with the gigantic Avon Music logo spanned across it. It felt surreal that he was no longer part of the label he had been with for almost half his life.

Ariel could tell from the look on his face that Leon seemed lost and what looked like tears glossing over his blue eyes. She stroked his back, "It's gonna be alright."

Leon drew out a long sigh before suddenly bursting into laughter.

"What's so funny? Thought you were upset?" Ariel tilted her head in puzzlement.

"I'm not upset, that's why I find it so funny," he couldn't stop laughing.

Ariel laughed along with him, for she knew first-hand how he was feeling. It was hard to believe that they left their lucrative careers on the same day and none of them felt any regret. Leon looked so refreshed and happy, an expression she never saw, not even at the penthouse.

"Leon Waltz? Are you Leon Waltz?" asked a young male voice.

They turned to see a tall, handsome teenage boy with dark hair and tanned skin adorned in an oversized sweatshirt, a yellow cap, tight jeans and bright fanciful sneakers with six bodyguards with him.

"Oh my gosh, it's you!" He grabbed Leon's hand and shook it as his teen eyes sparkled and his boyish smile widened to see his idol in person for the first time.

"You're Jake Miliano," Leon instantly recognised him.

"Yes, I'm Jake Miliano! I can't...I can't believe I get to see you in person, finally!" he was obviously star-stuck. "You're someone I looked up to for the longest time and if it weren't for you, I won't be where I am today."

"That's nice to know," Leon said slowly.

Jake's eyes popped when he saw Ariel standing nearby, "Ariel Lee!" He shook her hand. "I love your food from Hinata and I gotta say, the tempura-battered California sushi roll is my favourite!"

"Why, thank you. I'm glad you love it," Ariel smiled. It still felt odd that famous people would be star-struck with her because she still considered herself an ordinary person.

"I look forward to seeing you more, Leon, now that we're on the same label. Perhaps we can work on new material together?" suggested Jake.

"Hmm...we'll see," Leon did not want to disclose that he just quit Avon. "Anyway, you're here to meet the grand boss?"

Jake's smile dissipated and he gave an uncomfortable sigh, "Yeah.."

Leon felt for a moment he was looking at his younger self and empathised with him. Jake disliked Sheldon as much he did. Most of the artists signed onto Avon Music never liked him anyway. He knew Jake was not going to have it easy down the road.

"I gotta get going, better not be late for the meeting. But before I do, can I take a picture with you?" Jake slid out his phone.

"Sure," Leon posed next to Jake and smiled together at his camera.

"One more," Jake gestured Ariel to come in and flashed his happy grin while standing in between them. He also took a picture of just himself and Ariel together.

"Man, I really should learn a thing or two from you," Jake said to Leon.

"Well," said Leon. "If there's a thing or two to learn from me, it's these: Be true to yourself and don't be like me."

Jake was taken aback by his words.

"Anyway, we need to head off," said Leon.

"Where to?" asked Jake.

Leon looked at Ariel and put his arm around her shoulders, "Somewhere where we can fly." He kissed her lips and they both waved goodbye to him before driving off.

"Wonder what he means?" Jake muttered to himself and shrugged, and made his way into Avon Music's building.

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