- 2.
Ethan always had a strong sense of pride. Having him sign with our company was about
protection, not control. I didn’t want him
exposed to the industry’s toxicity. We kept our relationship a secret, shielding him from the
prying eyes of the media. And still, he wasn’t
satisfied.
Before he left that day, he threw down the
gauntlet. “Don’t think I don’t know what you did.
<
8:07
You’ll pay for this.”
844
Robert took the fall for me. I was the one who asked him to investigate Chloe. Single,
orphaned, barely educated, she’d clawed her way into the industry using her looks. I wanted to dig up dirt on her. Robert said there was nothing. How could her past be so squeaky clean? Then I noticed the steady stream of high–profile projects she’d landed since her debut. It was clear: some powerful figure was backing her. What kind of shady deal had she
made?
I was furious, but I couldn’t change the rules. of the game. There were only so many A–list projects, and actors were bound to work
together. Ethan and Chloe met on the set of
“Young Detective Miller.” Now they were at the
same agency. A few more projects together, a
baby, a forced marriage…I couldn’t let that
happen.
<
Luckily, Stellar Entertainment wasn’t
impenetrable. Robert’s approach wasn’t
working, so I took matters into my own hands. I
contacted another shareholder, Simon Davis, a
longtime fan who’d had a crush on me back in
the day. Twenty years later, he’d put on a few…
pounds. He was no match for my still–ripped
Robert. But I needed a favor, so I played the game, calling him “Mr. Davis” and flattering him relentlessly. He agreed to get me a spot on
“Actors on Set,” a reality show designed to boost Ethan and Chloe’s profiles. I would be a mentor, guiding young actors.
I arrived at the studio. Right on cue, there was Chloe, holding court. Five stylists fussed over her, and she still wasn’t satisfied. She snapped at the assistant director, smacking the script
out of her hand and into her face. “Don’t waste
my time. Get the best makeup artist in the
industry, Maureen, or I’m not going on.”
Was she insane? This was an acting show. No
<
amount of makeup could hide her atrocious
skills. She should have been studying the script.
But Chloe seemed determined to make a scene.
“If you can’t get Maureen, get rid of the has-
been. She’s too old to be embarrassing herself
like this.” She shot me a withering look,
focusing on the lower half of my face.
I realized I’d made a fashion faux pas. We were
wearing the same shade of lipstick. Everyone
knew about the film festival incident, and they
all understood her jab.
I ignored her and went to my makeup station to
review the script. In the mirror, I saw Chloe’s
tantrum escalating. “Just so everyone knows,
Ethan and I have been together for a while. He
even bought shares in Stellar Entertainment for
- me. He’s a shareholder now.” She preened. “He
said it was an engagement present. We’re
getting married soon.”
This was pure science fiction. First of all, I
would never let that woman into my family.
Even if Ethan was completely brainwashed and
wanted to marry her against everyone’s wishes,
he couldn’t. I had stashed our family’s marriage
license in a high–security vault. No one could
access it without my fingerprint.
“Congratulations, Chloe! We knew Ethan was
special about you.”
“Ethan is handsome, talented, and rich! You’re
living the dream!” The clueless bystanders
fawned over her.
She sniffed haughtily and pressured the AD
again. “This show belongs to Stellar, and Stellar
will be mine soon. I shouldn’t have to spell it
out for you.”
The AD, in her glasses, plain T–shirt, and
sneakers, was clearly a recent graduate. She
took the abuse without a word. “Ms. Ray is also
a guest on the show. We can adjust the
schedule so you’re not in the same group.”
<
“Nice try.” Chloe glared at the AD, then at me.
“Either she goes, or you go.”
