Even though she knew it was not her fault, it didn’t make her feel less culpable.
Holding pressure to her bleeding lip, she met the gaze of the stranger staring back at her. Her eyes were bloodshot. One was swollen and already turning into coalescing shades of blue and purple. A handprint-shaped bruise darkened the column of her throat, still tender from where he had gripped her. She needed to ice her face before the swelling got worse.
A part of her whispered that if she had only stopped to question why someone wanted to meet with her alone, maybe shecould have prevented it. Gia sniffed, refusing to let the tears fall again. There was no way her makeup could cover up this mess. Even her best concealer couldn’t handle the job. She’d have to wear a scarf or a turtleneck. Thankfully, autumn was around the corner.
She was probably going to have to cancel the next few weeks of public appearances. She wouldn’t be caught dead in this state. At least she didn’t have any photo shoots planned. She couldn’t bear another gossip magazine headline.Again.
Her vanity persisted, even now. She hated it about herself, but old habits were hard to kill.
Just like her, apparently.
Shaking her head, she shoved those thoughts back into the dark corners of her mind, imagining herself grabbing the menacing presence by the throat and locking it inside a cage. She envisioned herself placing a muzzle over the poisonous mouth to silence the voice that only whispered lies and pain. Then, finally, she imagined locking it in a cage and bolting the door shut.
It was a mental exercise she’d learned to help her through a potential mental breakdown. Sometimes it was effective, but other times… she’d lose.
Even so, her reflection remained bleak. Dull. Empty.
This life had taken so much from her. How much more could she endure before it claimed what was left of her weary soul? Hadn’t she given enough?
Living felt like performance art. Pretending to be fine, to be someone enviable. She’d become the poster girl for making it, despite the odds stacked high against her. She’d made a name for herself, coming from nothing and becoming the hottest commodity in an industry known for breaking even the most resilient person.
After all, everyone was watching her. Waiting for her to fall.
Yet here she was. Still standing. Barely.
But fame was a lie. Nothing about her life was glamorous anymore.
Gia splashed warm water onto her face, and it helped clear her head.
She had some calls to make. Her lawyer. Her assistant. It was time for some damage control. The paparazzi would catch wind of what had happened soon enough. She needed to get ahead of it and strategize how to salvage the career she’d worked so hard for. First things first, she should call Jerry, her agent.
He’d be furious with her for losing him a life-changing paycheck. He was expecting a phone call from her telling him she’d sealed the deal. Signed her name on the dotted line like he sent her there to do. Except he sent her into the lion’s den, and she ended up fighting for her life. Literally.
Hands tugged at her clothes.
No! Fight back!
Somehow, she knew he wouldn’t care what had happened to her. He’d probably tell her it was all part of the business, because a paycheck was all she was to him. His cash cow. Someone whose worth was measured only in the amount of revenue he could cash out on.
She’d been a naive teenager when she’d signed a contract to work with him. One she was bound to for the foreseeable future. It hardly mattered, but as the years passed, it became harder to ignore how detrimental Jerry was to her life. To her survival.
She had once seen Jerry as a father figure. It was laughable now. He only cared about money—about what she could earn him. His praise came only when she booked the jobs he wanted. Early on, she’d taken his disappointment personally, exerting herself more and more to please him. Skipped meals. Lived at the gym. Smiled at the right people.
A shrill sound reverberated. It was her phone shrieking again from the bedroom. Based on the ringtone, it was Jerry, as if she’d summoned the devil himself. His ears must have been burning.
She didn’t make a move to answer it.
When the phone stopped ringing, she almost breathed a sigh of relief. The reprieve was short-lasting, as Jerry called again. Hewas like a bulldog with these things and he wouldn’t stop until she answered. The longer she waited, the worse his temper got.
Her phone rang again. She tucked the toxic thoughts neatly into their box–for now–and dragged herself back toward the bed. This time, she picked it up.
“Hi…” The word barely escaped her lips before she pulled the phone away.
“What the fuck, Gia? Do you even realize what you just did?” His grating voice made her wince. “You really fucked up this time! You lost the biggest opportunity of your career! You’re done! You’ll never work in Hollywood again!”
His words were as sharp as a knife. Every word out of his mouth was like a blow against her fragile psyche. She sank onto the plush mattress. The best money could buy, but it offered little comfort to her now.
“Your career is over! You hear me? Over! You’re yesterday’s news!” She dropped the phone. Her hands were numb. “Was it worth it, Gia? I have to clean this shit up because of you! You ungrateful bitch!”
