CHAPTER THREE – DREAM VS. REALITY
885 Words
The casting office smelled faintly of coffee and nerves. Fluorescent lights hummed overhead, and the waiting room held girls who all looked vaguely like her, blond, beautiful, wide-eyed. Each one clutched headshots, portfolios, and hope like weapons.
Lila Monroe sat on the edge of her chair, legs crossed tightly, a thin folder in her lap. She’d borrowed the dress from Chloe, a pale blue slip that hugged her curves and made her eyes brighter than the Nevada sky. She’d done her hair herself, sleek waves that looked glamorous if you didn’t lean in too close and see the split ends.
This was it. Another audition. Another chance.
She had barely slept, but she’d practiced her lines until her voice cracked. She wasn’t just going to say them, she was going to live them, breathe them, own the room.
Across from her, Vanessa Scott was laughing into her phone, her father’s money written in every polished nail and a smug smile. She tossed Lila a glance and smirked.
“Well, well,” Vanessa drawled. Didn’t think they let cocktail girls into auditions. Shouldn’t you be balancing trays somewhere?”
Lila’s fingers tightened on her folder. “Careful, Vanessa. Mocking me before I blow you out of the water might look bad for you.”
The other girls chuckled under their breath. Vanessa’s smile stiffened.
Before she could reply, the casting assistant appeared. “Vanessa Scott?”
Vanessa rose gracefully, giving Lila a deliberate wink before strutting through the double doors.
Lila exhaled, pressing her palms against her knees. She could do this. She would do this.
Minutes ticked by. One by one, girls went in and came out, faces betraying excitement or defeat. Finally, her name was called.
Lila stood, spine straight, heart pounding.
The audition room was large, bright, and intimidating. A long table sat at the far end, lined with three casting directors and one executive producer scrolling on his phone, barely looking up. Cameras were set up to record.
“Name?” one director asked without glancing up.
“Lila Monroe,” she said, steady despite the tremor in her chest.
“Whenever you’re ready.”
Lila stepped into the spotlight and let the words spill. She wasn’t Lila anymore. She was the character of a girl desperate for freedom, caught between duty and dreams. Her voice carried, trembling with emotion at the perfect moments. She felt it, deep in her bones, and she gave it everything she had.
When she finished, there was silence. For a heartbeat, she thought she’d won them. Then, the producer finally looked up.
“Thank you,” he said flatly. “We’ll be in touch.”
Dismissed.
She gathered her folder, forcing herself to walk calmly out. The second she hit the hallway, her chest caved in. She wanted to scream. To ask why her best wasn’t enough.
Vanessa was lounging against the wall, her phone in her hand. She smirked. “So? How’d you do? Oh, never mind. I already know.”
Lila brushed past her. “Enjoy your daddy buying your future. At least I earned my rejection.”
Vanessa’s laugh followed her down the hall.
Outside, the sun was blinding. Lila pulled her phone from her purse, ready to text Chloe, when she saw the notification.
Breaking News: Billionaire Heir Ares Leonidas Spotted with Mystery Blonde.
Her stomach dropped.
She clicked the link, and there was her picture. The moment from the casino, frozen forever. Ares towering over her, his hand steadying her arm, their eyes locked as if no one else existed.
The caption screamed: Who is she? Waitress? Actress? Secret Lover?
Her pulse raced.
Oh no.
By the time she made it home, Chloe was already waiting in the apartment, waving her phone like it was a golden ticket.
“Lila!” Chloe shrieked. “Do you know who this is? Do you know who you are in this picture?”
“Yes,” Lila muttered, tossing her purse aside. “I was there.”
Chloe grabbed her shoulders. “No, no, you don’t get it! You’re everywhere! Twitter, i********:, gossip sites—they’re all talking about you! You are the girl in the photo with Ares Leonidas. The Ares Leonidas.”
“I don’t want to be the girl in the photo,” Lila said through clenched teeth. I want to get a role. I want”
“You don’t get it.” Chloe’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “This is it, babe. This is your role. You’re already famous. You’ve just got to play the part.”
Lila sank onto the couch, head in her hands. Famous? No, she didn’t want to be famous for this. For being some billionaire’s rumored fling. She wanted to be famous for her talent, her art, her fight.
Her phone buzzed again. Another notification. Another article. Her face is everywhere.
Her mother’s voice floated from the bedroom, weak but curious. “Sweetheart, is that you on the news?”
Lila closed her eyes.
This wasn’t how she wanted the world to see her. But she couldn’t stop it now. The photo was out, the rumors alive.
And somewhere in the glittering high-rise of New York, or maybe Vegas, Ares Leonidas was seeing her face too.
And maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t forgetting it.
- Writer
