llow cab finally stopped for her. She collapsed into the backseat, her teeth chatte
l paid the driver with her last twenty-dollar bill. She grabbed her we
is it?" Clara Bowen'
ed, her voice breaking
ed the heavy glass door open and dragged he
d pajamas. When she saw Christal's mud-stained coa
adbolt. She grabbed a thick towel and st
emanded, her eyes wide with pan
oke down. Between violent, gasping sobs, she told Clara everything. The fake audition, the
ily to hell. When she heard what Ethan said, she marc
al to change, then pushed her onto a chair right next to the clanking
staring into the brown liquid. "I need money
d violently on the table. The screen li
, reaching out to
he hit the speaker button, ready
orporate. "I'm calling to inform you that your contrac
stopped b
yelled. "You c
nformed us of your moral scandal. Every brand deal and audition you had lined up is canceled.
ne wen
fingers. It shattered on the floor, h
stematically cutting off her oxygen. He was
w them. I work backstage at the Broadway theater. I can get you a
ightly. She swore to herself she would work un
constant fear. By day, she hauled heavy wooden set pieces in the dark theater backstage, her muscles
econd email would arrive hours later, canceling it. An
of the month, Christal walked out the
fr
f the alley was a s
ing in the shadows. She watched as Ethan's assistant steppe
white envelope. The manager peeked insi
ed her, claiming they were "overstaffed." When she asked for her week
She looked at her reflection in a shop window. Dar
sitting at the kitchen table, staring at h
oze all of them. They said it's for suspicious activity, bu
's heart
only person who helped her. He was going to make
t crushing her chest. She coul
out her phone and unblocked Ethan's number. Her
d on the f
wo more days," Ethan's low, arrogant
ide of her cheek unt
d, her voice dead. "I'll go to the
g laugh echoed
clock. Wear the dress I send. And Chris
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