Blindspot

Chapter 1

The Suphannahong Film Award ceremony is packed with famous Thailand celebrities, each dressed to the nines in their glamorous outfits. Rebecca Patricia Armstrong was amongst one of those celebrities who is attending her first Suphannahong Film Award along with her newly married husband and fellow co-star Nop. Although they had both starred in the same film, Rebecca is attending for her first nomination for best actress whereas he was her guest for the ceremony.
Like Rebecca's career, her romance with Nop was a whirlwind affair that quickly escalated from dating to marriage in the span of three months during the production of the film. To their fans, it was the perfect on screen and off screen fairy tale love story, unbeknownst to them, fairy tales hide a lot of the ugliness of reality and soon or later, one would have to wake up and face it.
"Nop, is there any lipstick on my teeth?"
"Hm? No." Nop replied without really looking, he was more concerned at presenting the best angle of his face to the photographers. Rebecca felt disappointed and dejected from Nop's lackluster reply, but she kept it to herself. Sometimes, she wondered where that sweet man went when they were first dating to this self absorbed husband standing before her. At worst moments, she had doubts and a small inkling of regret at getting married so quickly, and wondered whether she had married too young (she was 22 years old). Rebecca quickly swiped her tongue on her teeth hoping that there was no lipstick on her teeth like Nop said and smiled towards the photographers on the red carpet.

"Rebecca! Look here!"

"Look over here!"

"Do a twirl for us!"

"Rebecca, can you move away from Nop for a solo shot?"

The photographers shouted in the crowd and their flashing lights were blinding but Rebecca was used to it. She complied with their wishes and stepped away from Nop which brought all of the attention to her rather than Nop. Nop was not happy but he was able to put a quick smile and quickly stepped back to Rebecca in pretense of a caring husband. He gripped Rebecca's elbow tightly and smiled, "Honey, that's enough pictures. Let's go to our seats."

"But..." Rebecca wanted to protest that they still have time but she didn't want to argue in front of everybody, especially to the fans and the paparazzi so she followed Nop obediently inside the theatre to their assigned seats. Once they were seated, Rebecca started getting fidgety having nothing to do except wait for the ceremony to start so she asked, "Nop, may I please have my phone?"

"Why would I have your phone?" Nop replied incredulously.

"I asked you to hold on to it when we were in the car! My phone doesn't fit in the clutch."

"You should have brought a different clutch then. I don't have it."

"So...you just left it in the car?"

Nop shrugged and said, "why don't you call Winnie to get it for you?" Winnie is Rebecca's long time friend and manager who has been with Rebecca since she first debuted into Thailand entertainment industry.

"May I borrow your phone?" Rebecca asked.

"I'll call her for you." Nop offered because he really did not want Rebecca to use his phone or know his passcode for his phone, "she's not answering. She's probably in the parking lot with bad reception. Why don't you go down there."

"Fine." She replied and got up from her seat to proceed to the theatre exit. She didn't really need her phone but she wanted an escape from her husband and their awkward silence next to each other. She passed by the security, the fans, and production crew in less time than she thought and into the service elevator by herself with barely any interaction. She pressed the button to the parkade and listened to the soothing elevator music as the carriage moved downwards to the basement.