PARALYZED BY DECEIT

Chapter 1: SHATTERED

Keira's POV

My footsteps trailed as heavy as my spirits through the door; still another audition, yet another failure-for some reason, the old sting of rejection lingered, tears welling up in my eyes, tearing. I now doubted this acting thing and wonder if it was really a good idea for me. My stepsister, Kae, never missed chances to remind me: no way would I ever make it out there in Hollywood.

I entered the house, where my stepmother Nadia looked up from her phone onto me, a smirk spread across her face. Her piercing blue eyes drilled into my very soul, probing around in me for even a glimpse of weakness. "Well, well, well. Look what we have here: the aspiring actress, back again from another audition she surely failed?" Nadia said in a sarcastic tone.

I gave a weak smile, forcing myself not to let Nadia's words get to me. "Hey, I'll get there someday." My voice sounded hollow, even to my ears.

Nadia snorted, the expression crossing her features dismissive. "Someday? You'll be waiting a long time, sweetie. If you are not on set, you should be in the kitchen cooking. That is where you will end up anyway." These words cut even though I was used to her insult by now; I had grown my thick skin around her.

I nodded, feeling the now familiar wave of frustration wash over me. I entered the kitchen, trying to shake off this feeling of incompetence that Nadia had always managed to instill in me. The refrigerator hummed softly and the lights in the kitchen wrapped themselves around me like a warm cocoon, sheltering me for the moment from the tension.

As I started to cook supper, my mind was elsewhere. I remembered how one night, I had overheard my father tell my mother to stop overreacting, that he wasn't the first man to cheat.

".it's just a mistake, Aria. Don't make such a big deal out of it," my father had said in a low, soothing tone.

"A mistake?" my mother's voice had trembled. "You call cheating on me a mistake? How can you do this to me, Beckett?"

I remembered how my mother's face had crumpled, the way her voice had broken. I'd felt a pang of guilt for eavesdropping, but I couldn't help but wonder what had driven my father to cheat.

I shook my head trying to rid myself of those days which I wish I can forget,but then my mind drafted to the night I lost my mother.

It was another night, now, which seemed to hold a promise, right from the beginning. I had landed a small role in some movie and had come home, eager to tell my family the news. And instead, I found my father with a grave face.

"Kaira, love, I have some terrible news," my father had said, shaking. "Your mother.she didn't make it. The car accident.it was too much for her."

I had felt as though my world had been shattered, like everything I knew and loved had been torn from my arms. The night still seemed so raw, so exposed. My eyes welled with tears as the knife chopped rhythmically through vegetables, my thoughts lost in memory.

The sudden sound of Kae's hard voice cut across my reverie. "Kaira! Kaira, where are you?"

In a moment, my gaze focused out again. "I'm in the kitchen, Kae."

My voice remained neutral even while my heart jumped at an outrageous tempo.

Kae rushed into the kitchen, her flashing eyes brimming with annoyance. "What's taking so long? I'm famished!" She plop into a chair and look right to me with all expectation for pampering.

I let out a deep sigh, my stomach churning once more with an all-too-familiar dread. It was going to be one of those nights.

I walked over to Kae, trying to collect myself while my heartbeat was still racing from the memories of the audition. Kae looked up at me with a taunting smile, her eyes glinting with amusement.

"So, how was the audition?" she asked, heavy with sarcasm. She leaned back in her chair, folding her fingers in a steeple as she waited for my answer.

I said nothing, silencing her would deny her the satisfaction of knowing that she was right about me. Earlier on, I learned that answering back to Kae's jibes only prolonged her cruelties. I stood silent, staring into her eyes.

But Kae didn't need a response to continue. She leaned forward, the mocking glint in her eye. "'Sorry, Kaira, but we're going to have to go with another actress for the role,'" Kae said, mimicking a man’s voice.

She paused, her face spreading into a sly smile. "'You just don't have the right look for us.'" The voice was uncanny-she had that condescending tone of the director.

I was both angry and embarrassed, but Kae wasn't done with me yet. She leaned back in her chair, with that mischievous look in her eyes.

"'But why? I thought I did great! I practiced for weeks!'" Kae's voice dropped to a whine, imitating my own perfectly. A high-pitched wail escaped her lips, mimicking my own tears. "Waaahhh, it's not faaaaair!"

I was taken aback. How did Kae know what the director said to me? The words, the intonation, even the mocking imitation of my tears were all just a bit too spot-on. I stared at Kae, my voice barely above a whisper.

"How'd you know?" I asked, squinting, my brain trying to work out how this information came about from Kae.

Kae grinned wider, and she leaned forward over her knees; her eyes flashed bright with mischief. "Oh, Kaira, you are so naive," she said. "Money speaks, sweetie. And I have a lot of it.”

I felt a surge of anger and frustration, but before I could react, our father walked in. His expression was somber, his eyes boring into mine.

"Hi dad," I muttered as I bowed my head.

"Girls, we need to talk," he said. His firm voice sounded firm, yet had a tint of uneasiness in them as he ignored my greeting.