The Billionaire's Pet

You Tricked Me

Lotus sneered as she turned away. With a dismissive shrug she said, “What are you even talking about? Why shouldn’t I do what exactly? Could you be a little clearer? I know all you senior actresses talk the same.”

“Why did you barge in this movie? You were barely even considered in the movie. I’ve been preparing myself for this role for months. I took kickboxing classes, and learned the traditional dances and songs just for this movie! And now everything is gone. This has ruined my reputation in the entertainment circle-”

“So what can I do?”

“What do you mean by that?” shouted Natasha Wayleigh. “You have successfully ruined my career, and-”

Lotus put her hand up, cutting her off. She pressed a bell to call her agent into the room. When the agent came in she said, “Where is that folder that I had asked you to keep ready?” 

The agent, as small as she was, swiftly ran back to her desk, pulled out a folder from her black leather suitcase and ran in to give it over to Lotus. 

Natasha Wayleigh who still stood, flustered and waiting was going through a turmoil. She couldn’t help thinking what was it that was going through the mind of the woman sitting opposite her. She was known to be one of the most brutal actresses in the industry.  

“Check the contents in this,” said Natasha Wayleigh as she extended the folder towards Natasha Wayleigh.

Natasha Wayleigh complied, silently folding the Manila paper open. Once she saw the things inside, her hands started trembling. These were pictures of her while she was on vacation. And she hadn’t been alone then either, the director of the movie was there. They were together, on a nude beach. She was sitting nude in the lap of the paunch-bellied director. He was very clearly rubbing oil on her back in one photo, but in another one he was rubbing oil in between her thighs as she sat there with legs spread. Natasha Wayleigh’s lips quivered. “How dare you fall to such dirty tricks Lotus? Have you no morals? No shame?” 

Lotus scoffed, “That director is married with two kids. Whose morals are you talking about?” 

“You can’t do this to me. I am getting this role in this movie!” shouted Natasha Wayleigh ignoring her reproach. 

“Really?” Lotus giggled. “You think so highly of yourself.” She stared at Natasha Wayleigh. Her tone shifted, becoming serious as she continued, “This is the entertainment industry. I had to make the best decision for myself.” Then she glanced at her agent, who quivered under her gaze, motioning at the young girl. “Give me the next set of documents.” 

The agent handed her the next folder quickly. 

Lotus extended the next set of documents to her but as soon as she was taking it from her hand, she said, “Are you sure you want to see its contents too? I am warning you not to.” 

The director was just one of the men she had spent steamy nights with, she was thinking that there must have been more blackmail material in that folder. With these worries in mind, she said, “You are downright the most wicked woman I have ever seen. How dare you check upon my personal life?” 

Natasha Wayleigh moved her hand forward, her curiosity killing her. “Yes!” she said and pulled the folder from her hand roughly. But when she opened the documents, she was aghast at the contents.

“You need to rescind your endorsement of Yan Enterprise’s new diamond jewelry line. Decline any of their other offers. That’s the ad that I’ve set my eyes on for a long time. If you don’t, I will issue all of these to the media and social accounts,” said Lotus feeling satisfied. She remembered how Natasha Wayleigh had somehow convinced Zhu Tao, a male actor she had liked and helped to come up as a struggling actor during his initial days when he was still a nobody, to cheat on her. In fact, he was the lead actor of the movie ‘The Revenge’ and Lotus had every intention of getting him kicked out too. 

“You- You tricked me into opening the second folder!” 

“Are you a child that you got tricked by me? Don’t you have brains?” replied Lotus with a smirk. 

Natasha Wayleigh remembered how she had convinced the director. She had to immediately offer to spend the night with him when she’d noticed him zeroed in on Lotus. She had gone all out. Even going so far as to cut her fee in half, just so that she was sure she would get the role. Natasha Wayleigh was desperate to get one good movie because her career was suffering a lot and it was at its low. At the age of thirty-four, she wasn’t getting any more movies offers. This was her one last attempt to save herself, and her career. 

“Didn’t you try to sabotage my chances by snatching my role away from me?” said Lotus with a smirk on her face. When the movie was in its development phase, Producer and Writer Sonny Vales had approached her then only to act in the movie. She was still in the final stages of her previous movie but she had agreed and hadn’t taken any other movie because the Producer had signed her immediately and that is why she didn’t take any new projects. She had gone ahead to block her dates for the new movie. 

Natasha Wayleigh flared in anger. “No!” she refuted. “I never stepped on your toes. You’re young. Only twenty-five and very successful. Why would I do that?”  

Lotus scoffed inwardly at her empty words. She said, “And now you’re lying. At least own up to what you did!” 

“How dare you? Do you really think that I’m going to leave you? That I’m going to let you bully me? I’m going to make sure you regret this- ” spat Natasha Wayleigh pounding the table in front of her. 

“Oof! Drop the act Natasha Wayleigh. There are no cameras here,” said Lotus. “It looks good on the screen, but not in real life.” She tilted her head, continuing, “Look at all the photos I just handed over. I have many more. After all, you’ve been so colorful with your life. Just think. What would the entertainment world say if they saw these? There’s also the new girl you’ve been grooming too. What’s her name – Shiela? She debuted in a movie recently, right? Her acting skills have been praised so much. Don’t you think that your protégée will take your place since that’s what you’re touting her as? None of the directors would take you. In fact, they’d replace her with you.” 

“You-!” yelled Natasha Wayleigh as she pounded her fist on the table. “You were removed from the movie, and now you are showing your beastly face.” 

“Sorry Natasha Wayleigh. You worked hard. Honestly, it’s all about the profession we are into,” said Lotus smiling a little.

Lotus continued, “You took advantage of the fact that I was quiet and didn’t have any backing. Nor do I have a sugar daddy. Unlike you, I didn’t turn to dirty tricks to get the role. It was given to me because I earned it. Because my abilities are so much better than yours. So, this was the only way I could take back what was mine… made you taste the medicine you were preparing for me...”