All Chapters of BECOMING CARA: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Sara stared at Claire, who was trembling so violently that the towels in her arms shook. The girl who had milk poured over her head at school was now standing in Henry’s house, looking like a cornered animal."Claire," Sara whispered, her heart breaking. "What are you doing here?"Claire’s breath hitched. "Please, Cara... I didn't know you’d be here. I’m just helping the catering staff. My mother... the hospital bills are so high, and she needs her medicine. I’ll leave! I’ll go out the back way. Just please, don’t tell Mr. Henry. I can’t lose this job."Sara felt a wave of nausea. She realized then why Cara and Maya treated Claire like a footstool at school it wasn't just random cruelty. It was power. They knew Claire was vulnerable, and they used her poverty to keep her silent."It was an accident," Sara said, her voice firm yet gentle. She reached out, but Claire flinched away. Sara pulled back, remembering she was wearing the face of a her sister who used to bully the poor girl . "

Cameras flashed all around Sara. She still wasn’t used to it, but at least she was adjusting. The creepy feeling that someone might be watching her again hadn’t gone away, yet she stayed composed. For the first time, her mother wasn’t by her side. She was alone in the studio.“Good job, Cara,” someone said. “Today you’re doing better… soon you’ll be the Cara we all knew.”Sara sighed. She knew very well that wasn’t going to happen but she would adjust anyway.She went to the changing room and slipped back into her clothes. Afterward, she sat on a wooden bench, watching other models step into the lights for their shoots. Laughter, instructions, camera clicks everything blurred as her thoughts drifted far away.Then a strong voice cut through the noise.“Hey, Cara.”She looked up. A man stood beside her tall, handsome, well-built, the kind of presence that demanded attention without trying. Sara sighed inwardly. Now who is this? she wondered, assuming he was just another model.He sat d

Claire was extremely uneasy imagine sitting with someone who had always bullied you, ordering you to carry her bag and act like her personal assistant, and doing it rudely. She tried to eat, but the food stuck in her throat.Suddenly, Henry arrived. He always seemed to find Sara without trying.“Wow,” he said. “Are you two friends now?”Sara looked at him and simply smiled.Claire then turned to Henry. “I’m sorry, sir. I’ll take my leave.”Before anyone could stop her, she shot away like a rocket.“Sara,” Henry called after her. “Why the sudden change? Last time I checked, you didn’t like her. Now you’re sitting together that’s odd.”Before Sara could respond, Henry added, “Speaking of odd… who was that man you were with at the restaurant yesterday? You both looked happy and comfortable.”“Comfortable…?” Sara scoffed. “Oh he’s the director’s son.”“The director has a son?” Henry asked.“Of course he does!” Henry snapped. “Is that why I called you, looking in your direction, and you d

Margaret stammered, her eyes darting nervously. “Look,” she said, her voice shaking, “it would have been suspicious if she left and you were here. That’s why we used your passport.”John froze. He had no idea what was going on. Slowly, he turned to Sara, confusion written all over his face.“What’s going on, dear?” he asked gently. “What is your mother talking about?”Margaret lowered her head, guilt heavy on her face.Sara finally managed to speak. “Dad… Cara had an accident, and I replaced her for a few days.”John immediately stood up. He began to walk around the room furiously, his hands clenched.“Seriously, Margaret, why?” he snapped. “I thought you missed her! Did you just want to use her? And all this while, why didn’t you call me even once to tell me?”He turned sharply to Sara. She stood up quickly and held his hands.“Dad,” she cried, gripping him tightly. “I know it might seem weird to you, but I had to help my sister. I did this willingly no one forced me. And Dad, this i

Seeing him beg for a long time, she finally nodded.“Yes.”She agreed because she felt sorry for him.Henry was thrilled the moment she said it. Smiling widely, he pulled her into a happy hug.Sara immediately pushed him away. “Hey remember, you’re pursuing me for the first time. Why would you hug me like that?” she asked, frowning.“Oh sorry,” he said quickly. “I was just overwhelmed.”He hesitated, then smiled again. “How about a date tonight?”Sara nodded.She turned and left the rooftop, heading back into class.When she entered, the room was already tense. There was a test coming up. Sara sat down and glanced at Maya.Maya leaned closer and whispered, “Did you solve it yourselves?”Sara nodded calmly.Maya’s eyes widened. “Okay… but we have a test in thirty minutes!”“A test?” Sara echoed softly.Grades mattered to her she was always careful, always prepared. But Cara wasn’t. And neither was Maya.Sara quickly looked around and found her book. She opened it and began searching fo