Chapter 4

SIENNA'S POV

I walked down the street, my shoes grinding against the gravel-like ground .

The scent of lavender flowers hit me as the cold breeze blew. I shivered a bit as I rubbed my nose , my stomach churning with distaste. For some weird reason, I stopped liking the scent of lavender after my best friend betrayed me.

Just by recalling the fact that she betrayed me, my thoughts trailed back to the image I saw on the television. She spent the past few years preparing herself to become an actress ? My veins bulged out , my eyes stinging with tears .

She didn't just betray me…once , she kept doing it. Makes me wonder if ….if she ever saw me as a friend for once, for once in her life.

I sighed , letting the cool evening breeze whisper serenity to me. Well, she was just an actress right ? It's not like she wanted to pull me down and take over my spot. Besides, I got the biggest role. Starring as Cecilia Hartwell would significantly boost my popularity and help me break through Asia to other continents.

My phone vibrated , it was a notification. I scoffed, it must be the internet buzzing again …about me .

What was it going to be this time ? She fired her entire PR team ? Claire was going to take over ? Or perhaps, the fact that she was ungrateful and her humble manager found a much grateful actress. I sneered , ridiculous !

I ignored the beep , the internet could go to hell. I, Sienna Blaze doesn't care!

My phone rang, “ it better be important” I hissed, pulling the phone out of my big sized pocket.

“ You ungrateful child, why..why did you take so long to answer my call?” My mom's voice cut through…cold.

Ungrateful?I have been hearing that my entire life.

“ I answered your call, a lot of people would be excited to hear my voice…mom” I dragged out , totally unimpressed.

What was she going to say this time ? Keep calling me ungrateful ? Ask for money like she normally does ? Complaining about how unfilial my brother and I have been ? It wasn't going to be new …was it ?

“ You ….” She bit back . “ Those crazy debtors are on our neck again , send some money to pay them off” she said…shamelessly.

I sneered , debtors ? I always send them enough money to last for an entire year yet they keep asking for more ?

“ I don't have any money with me, you would have to endure the debtors ... .craziness "I said, sighing as I folded my right hand under my bosom and held onto the phone with the other hand .

I turned around, walking back to the apartment, I had walked quite a distance and if I trailed a little farther , I might get lost.

“ I'm your mother, if you don't send me some money , I will go and complain to the media , let me see if you can show your face then!” She barked .

My hand tightened around my phone , my tongue curling with disgust.

“you are indeed my mother” I spat through gritted teeth.

“ You .. you will send me the money. Your brother has been busy driving down the entire city …how can you both be so useless?”

My lips tugged up, a self deprecating smile plastered on my face. Useless ? Yet she always called for money ? No matter what I do , no matter how hard I tried –she would never acknowledge it.

To her , I would forever be a useless daughter and my brother would forever be a tout.

“ How much do you want ?” I asked, my voice flat .

She went silent , obviously thinking of the amount to request.

“ Fine, fine , just send a million dollars, we would …uhm. .. raise the rest ourselves” she said, hiding the excitement bubbling within her voice .

“ Okay” I merely said , my voice distant and immediately disconnected the call.

I opened my bank app and there her account was, among my beneficiaries . She had asked for so much that I had to save her as a beneficiary. Easy to get her account number….

Every single time she called , she always ended with the fact that she wanted some money to pay for rent, settle debtors , invest in a ridiculous business , buy new clothes, build a good house and after that, she never calls again. Not until she wants another money to sort out some ridiculous problem.

A single tear dropped onto the phone without me realising it. Indeed, nobody – nobody actually likes me ..no one ! I'm so useless , so worthless that even my parents don't care if I live or die .

I typed the amount and immediately sent the money to her account .

Thirty seconds ….

A minute …

Five minutes……no calls ? No thank you calls?

I smiled bitterly, as expected. The useless daughter has to do this to be less useless. Want to be thanked? I expect too much!

My thoughts drifted to what happened seven years ago. My parents couldn't afford my school fees or …support my vision. To them , my brother and I were the most inferior of all the kids in the world.

My grinding shoes on the gravel floor overlapped with that of the grinding engine from seven years ago. The grinding and chiming of the engine echoed throughout the penthouse .

My brother knelt down before my father pleading to be spared after he rode the only bicycle my father had to support his business to rot.

I stood there with nothing but a slate, my head lowered , “ dad …I was chased out of the school” I said after going closer to him .

He stood up , his expression darkening. “ You …what do you want me to do ? You want to be an actress ? You ? An …actress , that's ridiculous!” He barked and grabbed onto my shoulder . My tiny frame trembling from the impact , my gaze met his cold gaze and he bent to meet my height, his words cold and sharp .

“ Pursue a more realistic goal, be a shop owner , or help your mother tend to the chickens, you don't look like an actress! ” he barked and pushed me towards her.

Tears rolled down my cheeks, “ but I want …to ..be an actress” I said, my face red with grievance but my words only added to his anger.

I snapped out of my thoughts , a bitter smile spreading across my face . Guess who proved them wrong ? Me ! I showed them I could fight for my own future. I showed them that the only realistic thing was my dream.

I sighed with tiredness as I got to the door, pushing it open. I stumbled to the chair and slumped on it.

My phone beeped, notifications…

I merely tapped on a single one and the next second …my pupils dilated , my heart sinking to the pit of my stomach…

“ Hollywood disaster queen snatched the role of Cecilia Hartwell from Claire Jackson, how far would she go ?”

A hashtag followed ..

#hollywoodqueenstealsroles”

My eyes darkened, my hands trembled a bit as I immediately dialed Louis, PR team leader. The call connected almost instantly…

“ Tell me, who tried to diss my role !”