"Yeah. I don't understand why Morgan prefers to sacrifice my happiness instead." I sigh sadly.
Morgan wasn't always like this. In the early years after I met her for the first time, she was the most amazing human being I'd ever known.
Things changed as I grew up, and it became worse when she began throwing me into Hollywood. Since then, she’s acted like I’m just her bank account, but until now, I still refused to believe thatfact.
Paul tilts my chin up, a soft smile touching his lips. "Darlin', she's just blinded right now by all of your achievements. I bet she didn’t expect that you would be this famous. I'm sure that deep down in her heart, you're still her precious little girl and that she never stops loving you."
My heart feels warm because of his soothing words, and I suddenly feel like I'm going to nail this photoshoot because my mood has just gotten better.
I hope that what Paul said is the truth, that he didn't just say that just for the sake of comforting me. No matter how badly Morgan treats me, I still want to believe that we haven't lost everything.
"Thanks, Paul." I smile, sighing, and he winks at me.
???
Another day has passed, and just like Oscar suggested, I spend the day relaxing in my spa at home. Balinese instrumental music fills my ear, and I feel like lying down near an exotic beach far away from all of this madness—I can even hear the sound of waves crashing against the shore—while the spa therapist massages my temple.
This feels like heaven. I wonder if I will ever have the chance to go on vacation again without reporters or photographers secretly trailing me.
Maybe it's about time to find a virgin beach on an unknown island so that nobody can find me there.
"Cassie!" Morgan's voice suddenly booms, and I snap my eyes open.
Please, not now.
Morgan barges into my spa, making me abruptly sit up.
"What the hell are you doing now? This is not the time to chill and have an aromatherapy massage," she barks, but then closes her eyes as she inhales the soothing smell.
Right. Even when she doesn't want to admit it, she knows that it does smell good.
She snaps her eyes open again, shooting me a sharp look. "Get up this instant. We're going to Italy soon. Cal Jackson is having a tour there, and we're planning to release the song you collaborated on with him on the stage. You're going to be a surprise guest there and perform your new song together."
My jaw drops. All the relaxing atmosphere suddenly vanishes, and I'm back to hell. What is she talking about? Has Oscar not made it clear to her that I'm not going to release any new single soon?
I know what she's talking about. Cal Jackson is new in the music industry, but he's a rising star. He's expected to win the Best New Artist at the next Grammys, and we've made a song together, which will be on my next album.
But what Morgan said just now is the opposite of what Oscar has told her.
Feeling that I'm not in the mood to continue my spa therapy, I grit my teeth.
"You can go home now, Martha," I say to my therapist, putting my robe on before approaching Morgan. "What are you talking about? Oscar has made it clear that releasing a new song isn't the best decision for now."
"That's what he said, but the director and I know better," she says, surprising me. "Yes, I've talked to him, and he agreed. Oscar will have to obey him. We're lucky that Cal still wants to have you as a surprise guest. The moment your new collaboration song is out, the video will be all over the internet, and we just have to see the audience's reaction. I must say that the song is a masterpiece, Cassie. If we're lucky, if the reaction is good, you will release another single and perform them on AMA."
Now my eyes widen in shock. AMA? That's too soon. It's only a month left, and she expects me to promote two new songs and prepare a performance to kill during that short period?
"It will have to be your best performance in history, Cassie,"she continues. "It has to be an explosion, so we have no reason to delay your next album. In fact, we will accelerate everything. Once it's out, you'll begin your next tour."
"Next tour?" My voice is shaking. "But—I just finished one this year."
My mind is spinning because I still haven't forgotten either that she's forcing me to go to Italy now. For God's sake, I just got back from Spain less than two days ago. I've just recovered from jetlag.
Morgan throws me a cold stare. "Well, you deserve to work hard. After all, your charts are going down because you fucked up with all those controversies."
My eyes burn.
"So, that's all you care about?" I shout. "Do you only care about the profits? Do you only care about money? Have you not thought that there's so much hate directed at me now, people might boo me when I perform and how I feel about that?"
