The day June was coming home from the funeral was the same day that the official cast of The Wrong Cinderella was going to meet officially for the first time. We were going to have a photo shoot!
June and I freaked out together when I found out but because her flight would arrive during the shoot, she couldn't be there with me.
Of course, that didn't stop June. She was determined to make her way to the venue by herself and cheer me on. I loved her.
The morning of said photo shoot was insane. Ms Green had offered me transport but my mom insisted that she take me. She had to sign some paperwork and talk to the producers anyway.
Unfortunately, she woke up late and somehow managed to get us lost.
"Mom, just follow the GPS!" I yelled at her for the billionth time.
"Oh shut it. I know what I'm doing." My mom replied.
I put my head in my hands and groaned. I was late. Four hours late to be exact and it didn't look like we were getting any closer to our destination.
I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket.
It was a text.
Ms G: May where are you?
I sighed and typed a reply.
May: We're lost but I'll be there as soon as my mom decides to follow the GPS
Ms G: I can send a car to come get you. Tell me where you guys are
"Mom where are we? Ms Green-"
"Ah! There it is!" My mom laughed in triumph.
I looked ahead and realised that she was right. We had made it!
The entire front gate was packed with reporters and we couldn't get through. Sighing, I took out my phone again.
May: Reporters are blocking the entrance.
A few minutes later, I spotted Ms Green's petite body storming towards the gate. She barked orders into the security guards' ears and soon, the reporters were cleared away.
They had no interest in me though. They probably didn't know who I was and let's be honest, how many celebrities show up to photo shoots in their mom's beaten up truck?
As we rolled into the venue, I realised that everyone else had arrived in sleek, black SUVs. I didn't care that much to be honest, I had been through too much to be embarrassed of the truck. Besides, it would make finding our car easier as ours was the only red vehicle in the parking lot.
"May!" Ms Green enveloped me in a hug as soon as I climbed out of the car.
"Hey." I greeted back, awkwardly.
"Hello, I'm May's mom. Autumn." My mom introduced herself.
Ms Green beamed at her and hugged her as well. "Of course! I need to take you to Andrea but first, let's get our Sapphire into hair and make-up."
"Oh I'm really sorry for being late. The GPS was giving us some problems." My mom started.
Ms Green laughed and replied but I didn't hear what they were saying. I was just looking around, hoping to see a familiar auburn-haired boy.
After much research and deliberation, June and I had come to the conclusion that Jason had a 93% chance of being part of the cast. The other 7% didn't matter to me.
I felt my heart beat faster at the thought of seeing him again. I immediately calmed myself down. There was still a chance that he wasn't casted and I would never see him again. That brought my mood down really fast.
Ms Green led me past a few trailers and plenty of people running around before stopping outside the largest trailer in the lot. On the door was a big, blue star with my name on it. I inwardly screamed when I saw it.
The scream was more out of fear than excitement but Ms Green didn't notice at all. She opened the door and waved me in. I gulped and went up the couple of steps before entering the trailer.
My heart stopped beating as soon as I saw the interior. On my left was a large full-body length mirror with blue starfish along its edges. In front of the mirror was a big, fluffy chair with a white cushion sitting on top of it. Rows and rows of makeup lined the shelves around the mirror: I felt like I had just stepped into a movie star's dream.
On my right was a large royal blue sofa with a small glass table adorning a clear vase of white roses. In front of the sofa was a rack full of shiny blue, black and white clothes. Everything was spectacular but it was the dress lying on a hanger directly ahead of me that took my breath away.
It was the most beautiful blue gown I had ever seen in my life: it was huge and the colour of the sky on a warm Summer afternoon. My hands itched to hold it and I couldn't wait to put it on: this was Cinderella's gown.
"Wow." I breathed.
"I know, it's amazing, isn't it? First, we'll do your hair and makeup then you are getting into that dress. Since we're running short on time, we'll do the rest of the photo shoot another day. Today, we have to take the teaser shots because they need to be out next week." Ms Green explained.
As she was talking, three women and a tall man entered the trailer, looking more excited than me.
"Oh you must be Sapphire! I'm Jonathan and these are my sisters: Rachel, Jeane and Kayden. We'll be your glam squad." The tall man announced.
He was extremely handsome with his hooded eyes and white hair. He looked ethereal and beautiful. I had to force myself not to stare. Rachel, Jeane and Kayden were just as gorgeous: the three of them had long black hair and had the same hooded eyes as Jonathan.
After the greetings and saying goodbye to my mom and Ms Green, Jonathan and his sisters got to work on me.
"Your hair is gorgeous." Jeane gave me a small smile as she ran her hands through it.
"Thanks. That's basically all I have to work with. I don't know what you are going to do about my face though." I answered.
Jonathan tutted. "And what do you mean by that?"
I shrugged. "My skin isn't perfect and well, it's gonna be hard to try and cover all these spots up."
Rachel and Kayden, who were mixing and sorting the make-up, turned to me.
"Girl please, your skin is beautiful." Rachel commented.
Kayden nodded her head. "For reals. You're authentic, May and that's why Andrea chose you. You're supposed to be the relatable teenage girl so having a spot or two is absolutely normal."
I chewed on my lip. To be honest, I wasn't exactly self-conscious. I was just nervous of letting Andrea down. I didn't want her to see me and think that she made a mistake.
"You are beautiful, May." Jonathan said, giving me a smile in the mirror.
I blushed and nodded. Soon enough, Jonathan and Jeane were styling my hair while Kayden put all sorts of powders and colours and things to my face. Rachel handed Kayden the make-up and filled me in on what had happened in my absence.
"So just so you know, your Prince Charming is gorgeous. He had everyone on set dazzled as soon as he got here. Of course, he couldn't take many pictures because you weren't here yet. Oh and he kept asking if you were here yet: do you two know each other?" She asked.
"What's his name?"
"Something with a J but I forgot now. So anyway Maia aka the Right Cinderella showed up and she was looking for you too but I think it's more because she wants to kill you and not because she likes you. That girl is trouble if you ask me." Rachel went on.
I was slightly confused because I hadn't even met my co-star yet and she already wanted to cause drama.
Rachel continued, filling me in on everyone and everything. I couldn't even keep up. Sometime during the gossip session, Kayden paused and gave me an understanding smile.
Clearly, Rachel was the wordiest of the bunch.
I was done before I knew it and let's just say that those four can perform miracles. My hair was swept up in an elegant curly mess, with only two tendrils let loose to frame my face. Somehow my skin, although there were still red spots visible, looked soft and...pretty. I didn't waste time looking though because I wanted to get into my dress.
Jonathan politely excused himself and let the girls dress me up. The dress felt soft and silky against my skin as I slipped it on. Kayden and Jeane tightened the corset while Rachel got my glass slippers. They were four inches long and definitely not made of glass but I loved them. Apparently these were just for the photo shoot and the real ones would be delivered later on when filming for the movie started.
After adding a huge, sparkly necklace, some dangling earrings and blue and white flowers in my hair, the look was complete.
I stared at myself for a good few minutes, unable to believe that it was me wearing such an amazing dress.
I fingered the delicate lace on the bodice, tracing every detail stitched into it.
The only ball gown I had ever worn was my senior prom dress and that had been a second-hand yellow monstrosity. This gorgeous baby blue masterpiece was a definite step-up.
"Oh. My. Gosh." I heard someone exclaim.
I turned at her voice, surprise mingling with joy as my eyes landed on her.
"You look amazeballs!" My best friend shrieked before squeezing me in a hug.
"June!" I squealed as she let me go.It had been three months since she left for the funeral and I had missed her so much. My summer had been more boring than usual without her to drag me out of bed.I had a theory that her mom prolonged her trip in order to keep us apart. I didn't have any evidence though so I couldn't say anything. Besides, it didn't work either way because June and I talked for at least three hours everyday."What the hell did they do to you? You look stunning!" She replied, gaping at me.I shrugged. "Well thank you and it was these three that made me look this amazing. This is Jeane, Kayden and Rachel."The three of them greeted June as they made a few more adjus
"You'rePrince Charming?" I asked the boy in front of me.He smirked, showing off his perfect white teeth. "You look surprised."I blinked twice. "I am."Before he could respond, Lucas yelled at us to face the cameras. I couldn't believe what was happening. I had told myself not to get my hopes up on Jason being Ace but as I looked at the blue-eyed boy in front of me, I realised that I had actually gotten my hopes up and now, I was disappointed."Jet! May! Snap out of it! Show me love and affection!" Lucas yelled.I awkwardly turned my back to him as he slipped his arm around my waist. I felt my back touch his c
"Move it!" Someone bumped into me, snapping me out of my daze.I turned and noticed immediately who it was. Maia.I rolled my eyes, deciding to let it go."Why does she hate you?" Jet asked me.I was a bit surprised to hear his voice. For a second, I had forgotten that he was with me."Because I'm Sapphire and she isn't. I feel sorry for the little thing. She can't help but waste her time on hating me when I couldn't care less about what she thinks of me." I shrugged.He laughed. Again, I was surprised. His smile was...nice. And he didn't look hideous when he laughed either. I sighed, remembering June's earlier words. Maybe
The Wrong CinderellaChapter 2"I'm still here you know," said the boy beside my so-called Prince Charming.I looked at him and smiled. He was cute but it was obvious who got the most female attention between the two. I stretched out my hand to him. "Hi, I'm Sapphire."His hair looked black in the dim light, a contrast to his companion's blonde curls. "I'm Archer and by the way, I don't think my friend over here will be telling you his name any time soon."I glanced back at theblue-eyedboy. "Oh really?"He ju
It was Saturday morning, the day after Jason asked me out and I was feeling on top of the world. The previous day had been amazing: Jason stayed over and hung out with June and I the entire afternoon. After June lectured Jason on how to handle me and my mood swings (I don't know what she was talking about), I devoured my donuts and named my teddy bear Key, after Sapphire's stylist and not after some Korean guy June is also obsessed with.I had barely gotten any sleep but somehow, I was full of energy."Why are you so happy?" June asked as she shoved a camera into my face.I ignored her (and her camera) and grabbed a bottle of milk from the fridge. I was adding the milk to my cereal when my phone buzzed. I picked it up, ignoring June's whines and smiled at the text.
Sometimes it's difficult to imagine what being in love is like. As a fan girl, I had probably fantasized about my dream guy hundreds of times and yet, I hadn't been able to recognise him when I first met him. It wasn't until he planned something with my best friend that I realised that the cute-but-sexy, sensitive-but-strong, shy-but-confident guy I had read about was standing right in front of me. And he was better than I had ever imagined."Can I have some?" Jason asked, pointing at the ice cream cone in my hand.I shook my head and resumed eating the chocoberry flavoured goodness. Despite the fact that Autumn had finally settled in with its chilly wind, I suggested that we get ice cream.Jason was more than happy to oblige. So there we were, wrapped up in sweaters and in my case, a
As Jonathan, Jeane, Rachel and Kayden glammed me up for the first scenes that we would be shooting, I went through my lines one more time with June."Why are we doing this again?" June asked for the hundredth time.I sighed. "To make sure I remember everything! I don't want to forget."She rolled her eyes. "But we already went through it a thousand times! Even I know your lines by now and I have the worst memory in the history of humankind."Jonathan chuckled as he braided a portion of my hair. Jeane, who normally didn't say much, smiled as well, as she handed Jonathan an elastic band.Rachel and Kayden, my makeup geniuses, were sitting on the couch, arguing which colour lipstick wou
Lights. Camera. Action.Sapphire. Not May.Lights. Camera. Action.Be Sapphire.Deep breath.Lights.You got this.Camera.Take a huge sip of water.Action.Focus, May!Cut.Wrong lines. (Again!)Action.
Jeremy Lee, born Lee Yihuang, was a 54-year-old billionaire who owned Lee Productions, the biggest movie and reality TV production house where the most famous Asian stars were born and bred. Jeremy Lee had five children: all girls. Ming was unfortunate enough to be the smartest, prettiest and youngest of the group, which meant that her dad kept a special eye on her.Which was probably awful considering Mr Lee was notorious for his dictator-like way of running things. Sources claimed that his own employees nicknamed him as Kim Jongun's stepbrother. Thankfully, it was just a nickname and not the truth because I don't think I would've agreed to meet him otherwise.In just two hours, June and I had dug up everything we possibly could on Ming's father. If I wanted to convince Mr Lee to invest in the movie then I needed all the help and knowl
It felt like ages since I had last kissed him even though technically, it had only been two days. The thrill and slight nervousness that I felt during our first kiss was still there. I somehow knew as we kissed that it wouldn't be the last time. I loved him way too much to let him go. And judging by the way he forcefully kissed me back, he felt the same way.I barely registered the fact that the car had stopped or that the driver climbed out. All I could think of was him. Jason. I somehow found myself straddling his lap, my lips still connected to his. I barely cared about the fact that I was wearing a dress or that we were extremely exposed. The kiss was intimate but nowhere close to the burning heat that would entice us to remove our clothes. It was an intimate form of desperation, of pure need and adoration.He pulled away first. I s
I don't know why I did it.I didn'twantto rush home and pack my bags as quickly as I could while hoping that the plane hadn't left yet.I didn'twantto write a quick letter to my mother explaining where I was going.I didn'twantto call June and have her drop me off at the airport without asking any questions.I didn'twantto rush into the airport and barely make it onto a plane that was about to leave for Hong Kong.I didn'twantto feel relieved as I sat in the business class section of the plane, hoping and praying that I could find Jason.
It all happened so fast. Our first meeting, our first date and our first kiss: it all happened in the space of two weeks. And on top of it all: two near-death experiences in two days. I fell in love too quickly and when my heart broke, it happened so fast that I could barely feel it.At first, I was angry. I wanted to beat him up for lying to me; I wanted to see Ming face to face so that I could scream at her for taking away the only boy I had ever loved. I was angry at everyone: Jason, Ming, Jet and even myself.Then, after the initial shock wore off, I felt wounded: my heart felt as if it had shattered into billions of pieces and the only one who could fix me was him. I wanted to call him and beg him to come back and tell me that it was all a dream. I was willing to forgive him; I wanted to forget everything. I just neededhi
Love destroys.At first, I didn't believe Jonathan's words. It wasn't until a few weeks later that I realized he had been right. Love had the potential to destroy and I suffered the effects first-hand.My relationship with Jason was pretty much public when everything started to fall apart. It was a Friday evening and we were finally about to shoot the Ball scene. Jonathan, Jeane, Kayden and Rachel had dressed me up in my royal blue showstopper and the iconic glass slippers. My feet felt amazing in the surprisingly comfortable shoes.I was sitting in the limo, waiting for my cue. The director yelled "action!" and the scene began. I tilted the phone in my hands slightly and scrolled through the fake Instagram account that Ms Green and her minions had created for Sapphire.
The mind is a very powerful tool. It can be used to shape the most beautiful stories, the most sinful of fantasies and the scariest of nightmares. The mind is capable of destroying even the sturdiest of towers but it is also capable of building up the most resilient people.Grief, just like the mind, is a beauty disguised as a demon. When welcomed and nurtured, it leaves peacefully, offering its host the gift of closure and solace.But when ignored and left to its own devices, grief can turn even the sweetest memory into a bitter nightmare.Years later, whenThe Wrong Cinderellawas behind me, my psychologist would teach me all these things.But right then, I was seventeen and oblivious to the fact that I hadn't all
"I love you."I grinned.My heart strained against my chest, nearly combusting with joy. He finally admitted it. So why did he look so sad?He looked down at me, his blue eyes swimming in tears."I love you too." I said, trying to stop his tears from falling.He shook his head, his straight black hair sticking onto his wet cheeks.My heart broke to see him like that: so miserable, so vulnerable, so unlike the man I loved.
We walked into the building with our hands intertwined. Ms Green met us at the door, her sickly sweet smile in it's usual place."You're here!" She exclaimed, as if it wasn't obvious.I noticed the way she stared at our joined hands. I squeezed Jason's hand tighter and forced a smile of my own."Yes. June said you wanted to see us." I replied.Her eyes snapped towards my face. "Oh yes, please come in, Andrea is waiting for you."I felt my stomach churn. Why did Andrea want to see us? The multiple possibilities filled me with dread.Jason seemed to sense my nervousness as he flashed me an encouraging smile.
"May! May! Maaaaaaaaaaay!"I rolled my eyes and entered the hospital room. Jason was sitting on the bed when I walked in. He smiled as soon as he saw the bag in my hand."You're finally here!" He sounded like an excited little boy.I couldn't help but smile. "You didn't have to call my name while I walked down the corridor though.""I couldn't wait. What did you bring me?" He asked.I walked towards him and dumped the shopping bag in his lap. He opened it as I sat on the chair beside the bed.He gasped loudly as he took out the countless bags of sweets and chips. "May. I. Love. You." He breathed, staring at the contents of the bag.