Arriving home, she opened the door and called out, "Grandpa!"

In the room, an old man was busy fixing a broken clock by the table, his back to her. At the sound of her voice, he turned, put on his glasses, and looked at her. His face lit up with a smile. "Hey, have you been playing in the mud again, Marlowe?"

"No," Marlowe responded. She removed her wet shoes and dried her wet hair with a towel hanging near the door. “Actually, I accidentally fell into the sea," she explained.

She didn't want her grandfather to worry, so she chose not to tell him about the stranger she had saved.

Her grandfather simply nodded. He knew Marlowe often visited the seaside and always came back unharmed.

He turned back to his task. “There's food in the pot. Go change into something dry and eat," he suggested without looking up.

Marlowe nodded, changed into dry clothes, and made her way to the kitchen to eat.

She sat down and started eating without really paying attention to her food; her thoughts were on the man she had just saved.

He appeared to have injuries. Would he be fine?

They were not on a deserted island. There were fishing boats around.

If the man waved one down, the people on the boat would surely help him. And with fishermen nearby, he would be alright.

Marlowe tried to convince herself, but a nagging worry taunted her.

Just then, an elderly woman from the neighboring house came over to chat. Spotting Marlowe, she greeted her with a smile. “Oh, you're back. What have you been up to lately? Are you really working in show business now?"

Marlowe really didn't feel like chatting. She focused on her meal instead. Noticing her disinterest, the old woman approached and said, “I think chasing the dream of stardom is a stretch for a young girl like you. You should just find someone to settle down with while you're still young."

Upon hearing that, Marlowe's grandfather, Granger Bates, who had been fixing a watch, set his tools aside and looked at the old woman.

“Marlowe can marry whenever she chooses. She's still young. She can pursue her dreams. If she wants to be a big star and that makes her happy, let her do that. We shouldn't interfere too much in her life."

The elderly woman merely offered an awkward smile.

In response, Marlowe grinned at the woman and said, “When I become a big star, you'll be the first one I sign an autograph for."

The old woman gave a forced smile, shook her head, and left without another word.

Once she was gone, Marlowe held Granger's arm, smiling brightly.