Chapter 3

The next chain of events felt like a scene from a dystopian drama, and I stood there, dumbfounded and weak until two policemen nudged my shoulder and took me away. Edwina had finally won and the two people I called my parents gloated at me as though I was a common stranger.

My heart sank down my stomach and I felt the weight of the words crashing on my shoulder. Ethan had betrayed me, and in the worst way possible.

His last words rang in my ears, the English feeling weird for my analyzing ears until the flashing of camera lights jolted me back to life.

The policemen were leading me through the crowd and the angry jeers erupting from them was something that would keep me up at nights.

My acting career had been totally destroyed.

I would have to pay numerous fines, my properties had been repossessed and all the money in my bank account was flagged as illegal. I can't believe Ethan did this to me, I can't believe I trusted him. The man I married had suddenly turned to a monster, the weight of his betrayal feeling like a slap to my face.

As I walked closer to my car, I saw Ethan standing beside it, a pile of papers in his hands.

The camera flashes had increased now, but I ignored it and moved closer to him, trembling with pain yet still wishing I could put my head on his chest and cry out to him.

"What are these?" I asked, widening my eyes with curiosity as I picked the paper up. "What is happening."

"They are divorce papers Sienna," he answered harshly. "You have to sign them this instant and move out of our house before tomorrow." He removed his hand from his trousers and showed me to ring on his finger.

"I have gotten engaged to Edwina and we will be getting married before the month runs out. I am sorry this has to happen between the two of us, I am sorry for getting entangled with you."

"But, wait," my voice sounded croaky. "I don't deserve any of this from you. I have only ever loved and trusted you with my whole life."

"I never loved you Sienna," Ethan finally said, drawing in a deep breath. "I married you so that I would be able to get closer to Edwina. I have loved her since we were in high school and now that she's agreed to be with me, I no longer have any use for you. "

"What!"

"Please sign the papers before the day runs out," he said dismissively. "You've already garnered enough offenses as it seems. It wouldn't be nice if I sued you to court again."

Then he was out of my sight, walking towards his car, where Edwina waited, arms opened wide to receive him. Her eyes landed on mine, but the hatred in them simmered into my veins and I felt myself shriveling from the inside.

I was alone in life now, no career, no properties, no family, and no husband.

My family hated me. I used to think they were just averse towards me, but after this scenario, I had become convinced.

I grew up having to clean up after Edwina, who was only one year younger than me.

I put my best at everything I did, but my parents still hated me because I did better than Edwina who they projected to the world as the perfect daughter.

I had a passion for acting, but this dream was terminated when my parents, Victor and Grace Brooks refused to send me to college. I was consigned to their company as a cleaner. But I focused on my dream and gathered money to sponsor myself to a small performing arts school.

Approximately one year after my breakthrough, a successful stardom, Edwina dropped out of college and started acting too.

Even though she had no talent and was trying to spite me, my parents supported her and ordered me to stop acting so that she would be able to take my spotlight.

In order to feel protected, I married Ethan Caldwell, my high school sweetheart. But that wasn't all, Edwina became even more determined to take me down.

She reached out to Angela, my manager and together, they plotted against me.

I woke up one morning to a deep fake video of me assaulting my workers and making racist slurs all over the internet. The rumor spread like wildfire and before I could do anything to suppress it, I got sued.

I tried everything I could to stop the false rumors from affecting me, but Flora released a press statement, saying I had indeed assaulted her and that she had been admitted to the hospital.

My lawyer,Mr Johnson tried to gather evidence to defend me with but as it would turn out, the clutches of my enemies were too tight around me.

I signed Ethan's divorce papers and moved to a small condominium in the next city after my hidden hills mansion was confisticated. This apartment was inconducive, but I had no choice but to live there.

Gavin insisted on staying with me, but because I could no longer pay his salary ,I left the city without informing him. All my social media accounts had been barred, and the movie industry blacklisted me. When the trauma from the media became too much, I switched off my phone and tossed it under the carpet.

Every day was full of sorrow, depressive attacks and binge eating, until one Friday night, I decided to step outside and clear my head. After what seemed like ages, I finally stood up from my small bed, opened my windows and finally took a warm bath.

Since the city I moved to wasn't all that civilized, I decided to go to a club. And since no one would recognize me, I went to the club without covering my hair, or any other form of recognition.

As I stepped into the club, the thumping bass and flashing lights enveloped me, a stark contrast to the darkness that had consumed my days. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and sweat. I made my way to the bar, the bartender's eyes locking onto mine as I ordered whiskey.

The hot liquid burned my throat as I took a sip, numbing my senses with drunkeness.

I turned to face the crowd, my eyes scanning the room until they landed on a man standing by the edge of the dance floor. He was tall, with piercing green eyes that seemed to bore into my soul.

I felt a shiver run down my spine as he walked towards me, his movements fluid and confident.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked, his voice low and husky,he was also drunk. He was very, very drunk.

“You can sit anywhere,” I said, turning back to my glasses.

I shook my head, and he slid onto the stool beside me, his eyes never leaving mine. "I'm Max," he said, slurring his words.

We talked for hours, the music and laughter fading into the background as we delved into conversations about life, dreams, and the darkness that haunted us.

Max was a stranger, yet his words resonated deep within me, and I found myself opening up to him in ways I never thought possible.

As the night wore on, our glasses emptied, and our voices grew hoarse, I had gotten really drunk, but in that moment, I couldn't be happier. I felt connected to this stranger, a spark that refused to be extinguished.

I wasn't sure what happened next, or how the remainder of the night wore on, or what exactly had happened to me, but I woke up in a bedroom the next morning, completely naked.

Slowly, my eyes adjusted to the shape a room and I hurriedly sat on my back, stifling the excruciating ache which crept into my head the moment I did so. I had too much to drink and the effects of the alcohol caused my head to feel heavier than the rest of my body.

The walls were painted white, with numerous intricate designs and sculptures. I wrapped the bedsheets around my body and looked at the bed, it was King sized. I was in an hotel room, an expensive kind of hotel.

Slowly, the events of the previous day began flooding into my mind and I remembered the man from the club. Without any further contemplation, I jumped off the bed and started wearing my clothes which had been scattered and strewn about the floor.

I had just begun to live with the trauma of my destroyed reputation and ruined career,I couldn't afford to get on the news again. But as usual, I was unlucky. The bathroom door opened as I was wearing my shoes and the tall man from the previous night walked in.

Oh heavens, why was he still at the hotel, he was supposed to have left. I straightened up immediately, trying to appear confident when the cold look on the man's face sent daggers into my chest.

But then I recognised him immediately, the signature green eyes every woman in the country would gladly die for. He was Maxwell Hollandale, the richest man in the country and the fourth young billionaire in the whole world.

I stumbled backwards, nearly choking on my breath, my eyes threatening to tear out their sockets.

Max scanned me all over, as though I was a rag, livid with anger and fury.

"I can't believe you seduced me," he began, his sharp voice cutting through the silence in the room. "How dare you?"

"Excuse me," I answered, struggling to keep my quivering lips in place. "We were both drunk yesterday and if anyone is to be blamed here, it should be you. You started making passes at me."

"You are truly shameless and manipulating," he growled. "The media was right about you and I don't think I would blame your husband for divorcing you. You literally took advantage of me, you knew who I was, didn't you?."

I opened my mouth to respond, but an invisible lump formed in my throat,as tears gushed out of my eyes. The words sliced through me like a knife.

"Take the money on the dresser and leave," he pointed behind me. "You no longer have a reputation to protect, but my career depends heavily on mine. Don't let me hear a word about this from the press, I don't want to see you around me, do you understand? And one more thing…”