I was too lost in my thoughts, wondering what she meant. I stared at my salad and then down to my flat tummy, suddenly losing my appetite.
???
Age 16
Music was my escape. Every time my mood was sour, I allowed myself to be lost in music. I always loved listening to it, but what surprised me was how I loved singing.
YouTube did affect me a lot. There were a lot of talented people posting their content there. I never had a vocal coach, but I listened to a lot of artists and people who inspired me.
Learning how to play an instrument had been my dream. It must have been fun to be able to sing while playing an instrument. But it was impossible for me to buy a piano, so I'd wanted to own a guitar at least.
In school, a lot of guys approached me. And yes, I dated some of them. Somehow, knowing that someone else adored me eased my pain.
It was flattering—they made me feel beautiful and wanted outside my home, in which Morgan always made me feel like an ugly hulk.
There was this guy named Matt who gave me a guitar as my sixteenth birthday present.
He was my second boyfriend and he was the one whom I gave my virginity to.
One fine morning, I was singing in my bathroom. After I finished taking a shower, I wrapped myself in a towel and stepped back into my room, only to find Morgan in front of me, almost making me jump.
She was sitting on my bed, her arms crossed on her chest.
"You scared me." I panted, touching my chest, still recovering from the startle.
Morgan eyed me with an empty look. "Did you just sing in the bathroom? Whose song was that?"
I couldn't be more embarrassed. Did she just hear it all? My face flushed.
"Yeah, I did. Mariah Carey. Why?" I asked, my voice small. I expected her to mock me for singing so badly.
She shook her head, standing up. "Never mind. It's good." With that said, she headed to the door, leaving me openmouthed.
That was the first time in years that she said something good about me. When she touched the doorknob, she turned her head toward me.
"Might be useful when you fail to impress the modelling agency." She stepped out of my room and closed the door with a soft thud, leaving me even more dumbfounded.
I'd never thought that Morgan was planning to make me become a model, and I surely never expected that she also planned to throw me intoHollywood.
6
________
CASSIE
Present
Tears fill my eyes as those scenes in the past flash back in my mind. I can't believe that I've let Morgan control my life.
Yes, I love singing, making music and sharing it to the world, but all this time, she's been treating me like I'm not a human.
I don't think that I'll survive a month with what she's planning to do to me now. Perhaps, I'll collapse before I can perform at AMA, or even if I survive AMA, I'll probably die during my next tour.
Clenching my jaw, I get up from the floor, take off my robe and change into my clothes. I storm out of my spa and call Peter, heading toward my room to grab my bag.
When he picks up, I hiss, "Tell Lucas Klein that I'm coming to his office right now. And get my chopper ready."
I can only hear Peter blurt out, “Right away,” because I immediately hang up on him to call Mike.
