Chapter 213 - 16 Guilty Of Misplaced Love

Marek Marczak looked at Andrzej Nowicki with such intensity that Andrzej, although he rarely felt fear, felt shivers down his back.

"Dominik is already involved in this," announced the owner of the agency. "He's up to his ears in it."

"Don't fuck..." Andrzej wanted to interrupt him, but when Marczak decided to speak, he was unstoppable.

"Nowicki, I have made many mistakes in my life. Not like your little perjury in your school years. Serious mistakes, ones that can destroy the life of me and many others. Probably a few have been already destroyed.. But if I fall now, it's not just me that will fall. Also Dominik..."

Andrzej did not understand the world in which Marczak used to turn very well, but it suddenly occurred to him that if the courts and the press started to talk about Marczak, his romance with Dominik Śliwiński would sooner or later come to light. And when that happens...

Hell, it was bad, it was very bad.

If it turns out that Marczak was selling his actors and actresses, people will surely question each of his stars. They will look for the truth or an empty sensation and start writing... 'Did Śliwiński get this role by providing sexual services?' 'Did Dominik Śliwiński sell himself to become a star?' 'A gay actor provided sexual services in exchange for a role in the film - secret past of Dominik Śliwiński...'

Jesus Christ!

Andrzej, who worked for a specific kind of magazine, knew perfectly well what vultures and hyenas eat. They will eat Dominik's reputation in the blink of an eye without even letting him say a word in his defense. He will be guilty, judged, and convicted only because he has had the misfortune for a certain period of his life to love the wrong man. He will be convicted and… executed!

There is no fault in him. On the contrary, Dominic himself is a victim in his own way and has suffered so much from misplaced love! Why would he suffer something like this now? Dominik had done nothing wrong, absolutely nothing, except that he had fallen in love with a man he thought was good.

At that moment, Dominik's family appeared in front of Andrzej's eyes. Zygmunt Śliwiński, who so boldly accepted that his son was gay. Helena Śliwińska, who had difficulties with acceptance, but her love for her son triumphed over everything else in her. Olek, who loved and admired his older brother so much that he almost adored him. Their good, tolerant sister… All these people, more or less willingly, accepted Dominik's sexual orientation. But how will they feel when a family member is called a whore?

This must be prevented! He has to stop the whole situation from escalating. He has to help Marczak to cover up this whole scandal...

Andrzej felt horrified as he realized what he had just thought. Wanting to save Dominik, he wanted to become Marczak's partner in covering up his crimes. But what more could he do to save the man he loves? After all, he did not mean Śliwiński's career, which will surely collapse. He wanted to save the heart of a sensitive young actor who would become the target of unimaginably cruel and humiliating public gossip.

Andrzej looked at Marczak. At that moment, he felt terrible. He felt so bad that, without looking, he reached for the glass and drank all its contents.

"So you understand," smirked Marczak - the perpetrator of the whole misfortune - filling Nowicki's glass.

"How... how can we get out of this?" the photographer asked. The warmth of the wine poured over his body, giving him a tiny bit of relaxation, but not darkening his mind. "Do you have any idea?"

"Dominik is a sweet and naive boy," said Marczak, adjusting the skirts of his bathrobe and covering his knee. "He believes that I should show some remnants of conscience and report to the police. Probably even testify against high-ranking people. But I can't do that."

"But you can threaten who needs..."

Marek Marczak shook his head.

"Since Dominik abandoned me, I have not played at this type of party. I haven't been collecting materials for anyone for a year. As you know, portfolios changed again a few months ago. I have no material for new people. I have no one to shake a finger at."

Marek Marczak withdrew from dirty business? He did it after Dominik abandoned him? What's that supposed to mean? Does that mean that...

"You love him, don't you? You really love Dominik." Andrzej was surprised he said the words, but was even more surprised to discover this bizarre truth.

Marczak repeatedly assured that she loved Śliwiński, but his behavior contradicted it. Meanwhile, now it turned out that deeds were also behind it. After all, not everyone changes their life for the better just because a former lover thinks it was not very good.

"Of course I love him. I've always loved him. I loved him as much as my heart would allow. That's why I let him go... to you. Don't be sad, Andrzej, I love you too. A bit different, maybe a little less than Dominik, but you probably understand that he has been in my heart a bit longer, so he has the right of priority."

"So how are you going to save him?" Nowicki ignored Marczak's love confession.

"I'm not going to do anything," explained Marczak. "I will sit by and drink good wine and watch the situation unfold."

"But…"

"Dominik" said Marek shortly, looking Andrzej straight in the eyes, "he will save himself."

***

It was not easy for Dominik to focus, but he remembered the promise made to Marczak's secretary and started baking the pie. Since it was summer, he didn't want to do anything heavy. He still had forest blueberries in the refrigerator, so he decided to make a blueberry shortcake, exactly as he had made for the program. It was simple and quick to prepare, and he did it almost automatically.

It was only while kneading the dough that the actor realized that he was just going to bake the cake he made for the program in which Marek dipped his fingers.

Śliwiński's hands froze in mid-movement, but the actor quickly pulled himself together. After all, he will not give up baking shortcrust for the rest of his life just because it reminds him of Marczak.

The cake was already in the oven and all the dishes were washed and cleaned and suddenly Dominik had nothing to do. And when he had nothing to do, unpleasant thoughts began to run through his head. So he took the cloth and began wiping off the imaginary dust.

Dust had to be imaginary, because Śliwiński was cleaning practically every day. How could he not do it when Dominik was dying of boredom while sitting at home in the absence of Andrzej, who was working? There was even a time when he almost, almost got into watching soap operas, but their plot was so pointlessly confusing that every time he tried to understand it, his head started to hurt. Then Dominik decided that he would never, ever star in a series that has more than twenty-six episodes.

Twenty-six, um, there was a ten-episode series on the coffee table in his living room, and Dominik thought it was way too long for him anyway.

But now was not the time to think about any movies or series. Now was the time to focus on the problem that Marek Marczak presented himself, who did not want to get out of his life.

And on Adrian Amon and other unfortunate, naive actors like him who fell into Marczak's hands.

***

Nowicki looked at Marczak without understanding anything. In fact, he was afraid to understand anything. If he suddenly began to follow the course of this man's thoughts, it would mean that he can think like a demoralized hedonist without moral scruples and respect for another human being. It was definitely not a nice prospect.

"How?" Andrzej asked, actually having a void in his head. "How is Dominik going to save himself?"

"Being yourself, of course."

"Marczak, I have no patience for your games today," hissed the photographer.

"Nowicki, please don't pretend to be stupider than you are. Please think."

Think, think… How is Dominik going to save himself from this dreadful situation that could cost him so much more than his career?

Unless Marczak thinks about...