Staying In The Hotel
1109 Words
Star jolted awake at the sound of her name.
“Star!”
Her eyes flew open, her heart lurching in her chest as she instinctively looked around.
“The stars are so pretty!”
A child’s cheerful voice drifted through the evening air.
Star blinked.
A few feet away, a little boy was pointing excitedly toward the night sky, his eyes sparkling as he admired the countless stars above.
For a moment, she simply stared.
Then she let out a small breath.
He wasn't calling for her.
Not at all.
He was talking about the stars in the sky.
Only then did she notice her surroundings.
The sun was gone.
The horizon had surrendered to deep shades of blue and black, and countless stars now glittered above the ocean.
Night had arrived.
“How long was I asleep?” she whispered.
The realization hit her all at once.
She had fallen asleep on the bench.
Somewhere between worrying about her career, remembering her parents, and drowning in her own thoughts, exhaustion had finally claimed her.
“Oh no!”
Panic immediately surged through her.
She sprang to her feet and looked around frantically.
The bustling photoshoot was gone.
The cameras.
The lighting equipment.
The production team.
The actors.
Everyone.
The shoreline that had been crowded and full of life earlier now felt strangely empty.
A painful knot formed in her stomach.
“Ms. M...”
Her eyes darted from one direction to another.
“Where's Ms. M?”
For a brief second, she felt utterly alone.
Just like she had these past few days.
Lost.
Directionless.
Unsure of what came next.
With trembling fingers, she pulled out her phone.
The moment the screen lit up, relief flooded through her.
Missed calls.
Messages.
All from Ms. M.
She immediately opened the text.
Where are you? I can't reach you. Don't worry, I'll talk to Madam Cruz's secretary and try to arrange an appointment for you, okay? Just wait for a text once they approve your request.
Star read the message twice.
Then a third time.
The panic slowly subsided.
A surprising warmth spread through her chest.
Despite everything that had happened...
Despite the scandal.
Despite the canceled contract.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding her future...
Ms. M hadn't abandoned her.
She was still trying.
Still helping.
Still fighting for her.
Star suddenly felt guilty.
Her manager had probably been looking everywhere for her while she slept through the entire afternoon like a child.
A small smile tugged at her lips.
She quickly typed a reply.
Sorry, Ms. M. I accidentally fell asleep on the beach. Thank you so much. I'll wait for their text.
After sending the message, she lowered the phone and stared at the screen for a few more seconds.
Waiting.
Hoping.
Praying.
Maybe the appointment would be approved.
Maybe it wouldn't.
But at least there was still a chance.
A very small chance.
And right now, that tiny glimmer of hope was all she had.
Then her stomach growled.
Loudly.
Embarrassingly.
Star looked down at herself.
“Seriously?”
She couldn't even remember when she had last eaten properly.
The past few days had been a blur.
Sleepless nights.
Anxiety.
Endless overthinking.
Every waking moment had been consumed by thoughts of her career.
What if she never worked again?
What if the network blacklisted her?
What if her father was right?
The questions never stopped.
Neither did the fear.
At some point, she had stopped taking care of herself entirely.
Maybe that was why she had fallen asleep without realizing it.
Maybe her body was simply begging her to rest.
With a tired sigh, she headed back toward the hotel.
The bright lights of the lobby welcomed her the moment she stepped inside.
It felt strangely comforting.
Safe.
For tonight, at least, she didn't have to think about tomorrow.
And thankfully, there was a restaurant inside the hotel.
The prices made her wince a little.
Normally, she would've looked for a cheaper place to eat.
But tonight?
Tonight she was too exhausted to care.
She quietly ordered dinner and ate alone by the window.
As she watched other guests laugh and talk around her, a familiar loneliness crept into her heart.
Families sharing meals.
Friends enjoying each other's company.
Couples smiling across the table.
For a moment, she wondered what her parents were doing right now.
Were they having dinner?
Was her mother thinking about her?
Had her father heard about the scandal?
The thought made her chest ache.
She remembered the day she left home.
The day she chose her dream.
Back then, she had promised herself she would return successful.
She would make her father proud.
She would prove him wrong.
Instead...
Here she was.
Alone.
Her career hanging by a thread.
Her future uncertain.
And for the first time in years, she wasn't sure if she still had the strength to keep fighting.
Star lowered her gaze.
A lump formed in her throat.
She missed home.
More than she wanted to admit.
More than she ever allowed herself to admit.
Perhaps success had kept the loneliness away all these years.
But now that everything was falling apart, the emptiness had returned.
When she finally finished eating, she glanced at the watch on her wrist.
6:50 p.m.
A weary smile appeared on her face.
Then she remembered.
The deluxe suite.
The expensive suite waiting upstairs.
One of the perks she can afford for now.
She softly laughed.
“Might as well enjoy it while I still can.”
There was no point rushing home.
Finding transportation during rush hour would be a nightmare anyway.
Tomorrow morning would be fine.
Tonight she would stay.
Rest.
Think.
And maybe cry if she needed to.
Because the truth was that she was tired.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
Tired of fighting.
Tired of pretending she was okay.
Tired of carrying the weight of expectations, disappointments, and regrets.
As she stepped into the elevator and watched the doors slowly close, her reflection stared back at her from the polished metal walls.
For a moment, she barely recognized herself.
The woman looking back wasn't the confident actress who once believed she could conquer the world.
She looked vulnerable.
Lost.
Afraid.
Yet somewhere beneath all that fear...
A small spark remained.
The same stubborn spark that had pushed a provincial girl to chase an impossible dream.
The same spark that had survived years of rejection.
The same spark that still refused to completely give up.
The elevator continued its ascent.
And as Star leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, she silently prayed that maybe...
Just maybe...
Tomorrow would be kinder than today.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD