REBORN AS THE CEO’s DIVA

The last thing Sophia heard before the pills dragged her down and finally closing her eyes was her boyfriend’s laugh. “She actually thought her fans would save her, what a dumb b***h. She was only ever good for one thing, and she’s not even that pretty.” Then he placed his hands on her best friend’s waist. A camera clicked sharply on her face. They both laughed mockingly at her. “The headlines tomorrow will read “disgraced popular movie star, Sophia was found dead on the floor, overdose of pills is suspected to be the cause.” Sophia was later buried on Wednesday but none of her coworkers from silver screen Entertainment showed up. ———— Chatter noises could be heard, flashing lights could be seen, and the stink of cheap alcohol could be smelt. Zoey chocked on air. Her lungs burned so bad. Her chest, God. Her chest hurt like someone had ripped it open and poured acid in it. “No, no, no,” she’s waking up! Get her out of the floor before someone sees!” A hand pulled her arm, and the hand’s nails dug deep into her flesh. The voice that woke her, was familiar. She knew that voice. It was Mia, her best friend in her past life. The one who had held her hair back after the abortion he had forced her into. The one who had sold the story to several blogs for $3000. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open. She still remembered that hotel, that night, that very carpet. The night before The breach scandal broke, five years ago. The night she had signed her life away to Silver Screen media because he said it was the only way they’d stay together forever. Then there she was, she was 22 again. And he, Adrian, was standing across the room, watching Mia slap her face as if she were a stray dog that pissed the rug. “Stop being dramatic, Zoey. You drank too much, Again.” Adrian didn’t even spare a single glance at her, he was too busy watching Mia’s mouth. “Sign the contract tomorrow and we’ll talk, then we’ll see whether you’re still interesting.” In her past life, she’d have sobbed, begged, knelt and even signed the contract straight up. The trash contract she signed in her past life cost her everything, every single award, every brand deal, every shred of dignity, then lastly, it cost her life. This life? Was not going to be anything like that. Zoey looked down at her hands. There were no scars, no track marks from the sleeping pills, no sign of shivering from the antidepressants they’d fed her until she couldn’t remember her lines. Then she suddenly looked up and smiled, because this moment felt like breakthrough. “No.” Mia’s hand froze mid air. “What did you just say?” Zoey stood up very slowly with her utmost aura. Her 5’8 frame suddenly took up the whole room. The red dress they had forced her into, “s*x sells, Zoey, stop being a miss goody goody,” felt like a shield now. “I said no.” Her voice didn’t shake a bit. It’s obvious it hasn’t shaken in five years, since she died. “I’m not signing with Silver screen, I’m not drinking your beer, and Adrian?” She turned her head and looked at her ex fiancé dead in the eye with disgust. The man she’d loved for seven years. The man who betrayed her and leaked her nudes when she got the lead role over Mia. “You’re about to become very, very uninteresting.” The room went quiet and Adrian broke the silence with his laughter, a thin one. “You ungrateful little…” The hotel room door suddenly slammed open. Cold air cut through the perfume and sweat that filled the room. The kind of cold that comes with money, no just money, old money that commands respect and doesn’t need to shout. Everyone looked towards the door, he filled the doorway like he owned the building. Maybe he did, who knows? He was putting on a black shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbow. Scars could be seen across his right knucklebone. Ethan Cole, the CEO of Cole Entertainment. The man who had never looked at her once in her past life. Not when she won best actress, not when she begged him desperately for a meeting. He wasn’t even supposed to be here, because he was never at these lowlife parties. He examined the room with his eyes, and his eyes finally landed on her. His voice was quiet, it doesn’t need to be loud because he screamed aura. “You’re Zoey, right?” The girl they said is ‘too difficult’ to cast.” In her past life, she would have cried, begged, denied. But in this life, she tilted her chin up so high, to show him how confident she was. “Was. Past tense.” Something flickered in his face. Maybe interest, maybe warning, Zoey wasn’t sure. He stepped inside and shut the door behind him. “Silver screen is about to lose a contract, I’m here to collect what’s mine…” Adrian went white, it sounded so shocking to him. “Mr Cole, she’s…” “Not yours anymore.”