Indeed, Anthony's relentless slander had pushed Hugo to the edge of rage. At this moment, he could not stay calm. His face flushed red as he shot back, "They cornered me completely, making it impossible to leave, even threatening everyone's safety. I was simply leaving politely! Just because I didn't cater to their wishes, you call me a diva? That night, I was even denied dinner, and I was trapped and left with bruises all over. Wasn't there a single person to speak up for me?"
Anthony's accusations were completely unreasonable. Hugo hadn't signed autographs for the fans — perhaps that could be considered diva behavior but being surrounded by over a hundred people with no way to turn or exit safely made leaving entirely justified.
This not only angered Hugo, but it also began eroding the last traces of Joseph's remaining patience. The journalist in front of them was simply infuriating! Joseph knew he needed to stay calm and prevent the situation from escalating, but he was not only Hugo's manager — he was his friend. Hearing Anthony's clumsy and malicious accusations ignited his fury.
Anthony, however, ignored Hugo's attempt at explanation. He didn't retreat; instead, he pressed forward and continued, "There are also rumors that 'Sunburn' wasn't your spontaneous creation, but a pre-written song by other writers, which, with Oprah's cooperation, was presented on the show under your name."
"Shut up!" Hugo's anger finally exploded. He had kept reminding himself not to act rashly, and both Joseph and Uma had been urging him to stay composed, but enough was enough. Anthony's first two slanders were already bad enough; now he was attacking Hugo's integrity. For Hugo, and for any creator, this was an immense insult — a direct desecration of their talent and effort. This was intolerable.
Hugo's fists clenched and radiated energy.
This time, he didn't retreat. Instead, he stepped forward, confronting Anthony head-on. Joseph's remaining rational mind screamed, Stop Hugo, but his brain was consumed by fire. As Hugo's manager and friend, Joseph knew how much Hugo had changed over the past year. Anthony's accusations sought to erase all of Hugo's hard work, reducing him to the version of himself from a year ago and labeling him a petty plagiarist — unforgivable.
Thinking back on Hugo's past year, Joseph recalled the hardships: the pain and weakness of rehab, the focus and effort during auditions, the dedication on set, the positivity and optimism in daily life. Joseph had witnessed all of it. He knew how hard Hugo had worked to reach this point, yet Anthony's slander tried to negate it all. Joseph could no longer remain calm. His hands, which had tried to restrain Hugo, now relaxed, and he clenched his fists toward Anthony in solidarity.
"Do you have any proof? Can you show that I plagiarized? I don't think you can but I can!" Hugo's voice, restrained yet seething like a wounded beast, rose as he stepped forward, forcing Anthony to take a step back. But Anthony's camera still pressed against Hugo's chest, refusing to yield. Hugo continued, voice escalating, "I have 150 audience members who were present at the recording as witnesses. I have the entire 'Oprah Winfrey Show' crew to testify. I have my original manuscript to prove it. And you? You say I plagiarized do you have any evidence or witnesses?"
Uma, surprisingly, began to calm down. She didn't know much about Hugo's creative process and didn't fully understand the source of his anger. But the Hugo in front of her was not the cheerful, polite, and gentle young man she knew — he was a fully enraged beast, radiating flames of fury.
Standing behind him, Uma instinctively followed step by step, wanting to calm Hugo but unable to speak. She looked toward Joseph for help, but he, too, was consumed by anger. Uma stood behind Hugo, helpless.
At this moment, anyone telling Hugo to calm down would likely get a punch. After the continuous provocations, Hugo's anger had reached a breaking point. The accusation of plagiarism struck directly at his bottom line — utterly unacceptable. Whether it was diva behavior or plagiarism, both were attacks on Hugo's character.
Anthony, despite retreating slightly under Hugo's pressure, did not back down. His deep-set eyes showed no fear, and his camera pressed even more insistently against Hugo's chin. His voice rose again, ignoring Hugo's confrontation, "There are rumors that Uma is with you just to use you, to leverage you for more performance opportunities…"
"How dare you!" Hugo gritted his teeth, barely able to speak. Compared to some random person spouting nonsense, he had absolute trust in those around him. He would not doubt Uma because of someone's lies. Love required trust; without it, love ceases to exist.
Uma could no longer remain calm either. She stepped forward to Hugo's left side, her beautiful face contorted in fury. How could she stand by while Anthony made such accusations? She glared viciously at him. "Rumors? Where did you hear these rumors? Do you dare have these people confront us directly?"
Hugo, using the last of his reason, restrained Uma and focused his gaze on Anthony like a vulture zeroing in on prey. "No, there's no need for confrontation. When did outsiders get the right to judge our affairs? Do I have to prove my personal feelings to anyone? Do others know better than I do what happens between us? Ridiculous! How dare you make such baseless slander!"
Uma froze at Hugo's words. She just stood there, looking at him. Amid the fury in his voice, she felt a strange calm descend. It was as if, after months of dating, she was seeing Hugo for the first time. His complete trust in her was so heavy it left her dumbfounded — she couldn't even respond effectively.
This wasn't a romantic vow, nor sweet words whispered in the dark, yet it struck with far more intensity than any of that could. Uma couldn't respond. She remained silent, her eyes locked onto Hugo's face, unmoving. Her gaze, however, was impossibly complex, layered with countless emotions she couldn't name.
"Hahaha! Are you sure? Really sure?" Anthony laughed, as though mocking Hugo's naivety and foolishness.
"Yes. I'm sure!" Hugo didn't waver. He didn't look at Uma, because at this moment his mind could only focus entirely on dealing with the insufferable journalist in front of him. "I don't owe you an explanation, but I can tell you this: if you continue slandering me, I will make you understand what 'certainty' really means!"
"So you didn't think your win tonight was guaranteed? You didn't ignore the fans' enthusiasm like a diva? You didn't plagiarize…" Anthony pressed on despite Hugo's resolve, shoving his camera toward Hugo. This time, he aimed not just for Hugo's chest but pressed hard against his jaw, forcefully lifting upward.
Anthony was trying to crush the last shred of Hugo's reason and he succeeded.
Hugo felt the hard camera collide with his jaw, bone and flesh protesting with sharp pain. Blow after blow tested his limits. He stepped forward, using his height to dominate Anthony, his once-sunny amber eyes now raging like a storm, deepening to a rich brown, brimming with an almost palpable force that made onlookers shiver.
Yet Anthony didn't stop. He knew Hugo was at the brink. All he needed to do was add fuel to the fire. "You are a diva! You plagiarized! You're a shameless, pathetic scoundrel! A narcissist who takes credit for others' work! A fool women use as a stepping stone! You—"
"Slap!" Words had no effect. The last thread of Hugo's restraint snapped. He grabbed Anthony's camera, stopping it from pressing against his jaw. Every muscle coiled, Hugo exerted a surge of explosive strength, overpowering Anthony. He wrenched the camera from his hands and smashed it against the wall, the sharp crack resonating like the camera itself was crying out.
Hugo seized Anthony by the collar, bent forward, and glared into his eyes. Slowly, deliberately, he said, "I said, you will not insult me!"
"Plagiarism!" Anthony shouted, fearless even under threat.
"Bang!" Hugo's fury shattered all reason, erupting uncontrollably. Joseph, equally consumed by rage, could no longer act as a manager. He was Hugo's friend. No one could stay calm when a vile, despicable man insulted someone they cared about. Joseph's mind raced with one truth: he had a responsibility to protect Hugo. Without hesitation, he raised his fists.
Uma watched as fists flew. The entire scene descended into chaos.
...
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