Hayden
A loud slap landed on my face, forceful enough to make me stumble back a few steps. Gasps fell from the lips of the crew members who were preparing for the first scene we were about to shoot for the movie.
"What the hell?" I hissed, glaring at the woman who just charged towards me a few seconds ago like a wild animal.
The woman was no other than Patricia Woods, the hottest actress every director in Hollywood wanted to work with, daughter of the most influential producer in history Quincy Woods, and sister of Liam Woods who owned the biggest entertainment company in the states.
I looked at her dazed, too shocked to pay attention to the hot sting on my face. Why the hell did she slap me? And why was she even here on the scene? She was not on the cast list.
"Why did you slap me?" I voiced out my confusion to the woman who was now scowling at me with her arms crossing over her ample chest. From the corner of my eye, I saw people snickering and raising their phones. Just great.
"For seducing my husband, you homewrecker," she spat, squaring her shoulders first and then smoothed out the nonexistent wrinkles in her Dior dress.
"What?" I was even more confused. Was she out of her mind? Last I checked, she was still single. As if to confirm my memory, the onlookers started whispering to each other.
"You are not even married," I pointed out.
She let out a loud snort. "Kyle and I got married two years ago in Las Vegas. We just didn't announce it to the public. But people who matter to us know. I can show you our marriage certificate if you like," she said in a cold and haughty tone.
My boyfriend Kyle? The Kyle who confessed his love to me when shooting a movie with me a year ago? My heart sank to my stomach at her words.
"Kyle Reyes?" I asked weakly, my hands starting to tremble.
"Yeah, and you had no shame sending him your nude pictures," Patricia shrieked, pointing an accusing finger at me. The whispers surrounding us grew louder.
"No, no, no, it is not true. He is not married. He told me he was single when he asked me to be his girlfriend," I denied, panic kicking in. This couldn't be true.
"Then why weren't you with him on any social occasions if you are his girlfriend?" The question caught me. My palms started to sweat.
"So you don't deny seducing my husband and acting like a homewrecker?" she questioned, cocking an eyebrow.
"What is going on here? Why is nobody working?" Director Peter Johnson's stern voice boomed behind us.
"Peter, you are right on time," Patricia turned, plastering a sickly sweet smile on her face.
She went on to repeat what she just said to my face, while I stood frozen on the spot digesting the information she just disclosed.
"If you insist on casting her, I will make sure no one dares to distribute your movie," Patricia whispered with gritted teeth.
"What she did is disgusting. I won't allow anyone's frivolous behavior to impact my movie. I prepared for this movie for goddamn six years. You have my word, Patricia." Peter said, resting his hand on her shoulder to appease her.
Wait, what were they negotiating? I stared at them in horror.
"You are fired, Hayden Ramirez," Peter announced in a loud voice, disgust written all over his face. The crew gasped in unison and more people started to raise their phones.
No, I couldn't let them treat me like disposable garbage just because I was not well connected in this industry. The initial shock and daze finally gave way to the will to fight.
"No, we signed a contract. You cannot just fire me randomly." I countered.
"Check your contract carefully next time you sign one. This is a clause stipulating you shouldn't bring any scandal to the movie." Peter snorted.
"But you haven't listened to my side of the story," I yelled in frustration. "Please let me explain," I begged, too afraid to lose this job. I needed it to pay back my brother's gambling debts.
"I don't give a damn about your story," he sneered, snapping his fingers to the guards. "Accompany Miss Ramirez to the parking lot."
"Please…" I was dragged roughly by two buff guards before I could finish my words. I tried to wriggle myself free from their hold, but they were just too big to budge. All the while, people just kept filming me with their phones.
Looking over my shoulder, I caught a devious and victorious smile appearing on Patricia's face.
"You bastards," I cursed after the two guards pushed me down hard on the ground in the parking lot. They snickered and swaggered off.
I rose to my feet and climbed into my second-hand Honda. I just sat there and let reality sink in. What Patricia said couldn't be true, right? I was in no way a homewrecker, right?
Tears started to roll down my cheeks. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. Focus and think, I told myself.
Kyle and I met during the audition a year and a half ago for the movie he directed. I played a supporting role in the movie, and we started to warm up to each other and grow feelings.
He professed his love to me during the shooting and I happily accepted him as my boyfriend. Or more specifically, a secret boyfriend. He said he didn't want other people to think that I got the role because he was the director, or to think he helped me get other roles in the future, considering himself being an established director in the industry.
And I bought it, desperately wanting to prove to others that I earned everything by myself. All the time, I never saw him wear a ring nor did he tell me anything about his marriage.
Was everything a lie? A lie to get into my pants? I fumbled for my phone and hit the buttons furiously. I needed to hear it from his mouth.
But my calls kept being transferred to his voicemail. After trying to call him 30 times and praying he would pick up the phone every time, I gave up and tossed my phone in the passenger seat.
Burying my face in my hands, I let out a silent cry. "It is not true," I kept chanting to myself. I loved him with all my heart. I thought he could be the one.
The sudden vibration of my phone jolted me from my chanting, and I quickly clicked the phone without looking at the caller ID.
"Hayden, get your ass in my office," my agent Lee's voice sounded from the other end. He sounded annoyed.
"Oh, hi Lee. I'll be there in 30 minutes," I said in disappointment.
"Are you waiting for another person's call?" he asked.
"No, see you there." I hung up and started my car.
"What the hell were you thinking? Dating Kyle Reyes? He is a notorious playboy and changes women like changing clothes." Lee yelled at me the minute I stepped into his office.
"Well, good afternoon to you," I cringed at his wrath, taking the seat across from him.
He gave me a stern look and unlocked his phone. He put the phone down on the desk and hit the play button. A five-minute video recording of the heated exchange between me and Patricia started to play. The video was titled "C-list Star Got Slapped and Fired on Scene for Seducing Patricia Woods' Husband with Nude Pictures".
I cringed even further into the seat. Even in events like this, the media had to rub the fact that I was just a nameless actress in my face.
"Do you want to kill your career early? Because if I know you are this suicidal, I wouldn't work with you in the beginning. I buttered up lots of asses to get you auditions, Hayden! Why the hell did you get involved with a married man?" Lee barked at me, his face red with anger.
"Will you listen to me first?" I yelled, losing my temper too for being ill-treated by several people in a short time frame. With an exasperated expression on his face, he waved his hand to gesture to me to speak.
"I think Kyle lied to me about him being single," I said, tears welling up in my eyes.
"You think?" he said in a sarcastic tone.
His face softened seeing my tears. Sliding the tissue box to me, he heaved a sigh. "They just announced their marriage on Instagram half an hour ago, saying that they tied the knot two years ago."
"What? He is not answering my calls." I choked, wiping my tears with the tissue.
"Of course, he won't. He is distancing himself from you to pacify Patricia and her angry father and brother. He is saving his own ass. They could put an end to his career."
"And yours also," he added.
"No, they cannot just do that to me. I am the victim. Kyle lied to me." I waved my hands in frustration. I'd worked my ass off to get where I was today. Even though I was still a "C-list" actress, I couldn't just let them ruin my career.
"Didn't Patricia just get you fired for the project you have prepared for so long?" Lee pointed out. I was rendered speechless.
A social media alert popped up on Lee's phone and grabbed my attention instantly. Hands shaking, I tapped the notification.
Director Kyle Reyes claimed that actress Hayden Ramirez came on him first and tried to use her body and him to get more roles…
I didn't have the heart to continue reading. "He is lying. Why is he doing this to me?" I cried. Lee grabbed the phone from me and read the notification.
"Like I said. He is trying to save his own ass. He must have made a deal with Patricia. The video and the announcements are a pre-planned PR campaign to erase you from the movie industry. From what I know, Patricia is very spoiled and vengeful. She always gets what she wants because her family pretty much owns Hollywood." Lee said in defeat.
"Is there anything I can do? Can I just publish an announcement to refute them?" I asked helplessly.
"It's not like that hasn't crossed my mind," Lee sighed. "But Hayden, first, you don't have a PR team and you cannot afford one because it is extremely expensive. I know the shit amount of debt your brother got you into; Second, I already called my media friends and they said they've been given orders not to publish any article that tells your side of the story. Guess you really pissed Patricia off because she obviously went all out against you."
"What?" I let out a frustrated cry. "How about…how about I clear my name using my own social media account?"
"No, I don't recommend you piss Patricia off further," Lee shook his head. "You have no idea what she will do next. She is too powerful in this industry. You probably will never be able to act again if you call out to her or Kyle openly."
"But I cannot just let her and Kyle ruin my reputation with lies." I clenched my jaw.
"I know. As your agent, I won't give up on you. We've stuck together for six years. You have great potential, Hayden. You've already got several important indie movie awards at the age of 24. I've worked long enough in this industry to recognize talent. I have confidence in you. Don't ruin your career because of impulsion. Lay low for a while. This is a snobbish industry that forgets things quickly. When you grow stronger, the world will listen to you with all ears."
I hated to admit it, but I knew Lee was right. I love acting and I want to continue to do that. Acting has been my dream since I was five-year-old. I don't want to ruin my future in this industry.
"Thank you, Lee," I said with sincerity.
Nodding his head, he continued, "Find a place to lay low for a while and dodge the paparazzi. When the coast becomes clearer, I will let you know. I'll keep sending your resumes to directors and explaining to them in private."
I left Lee with a heavy heart. Sitting in my car with hunched shoulders, I began to think about where to stay for a while. There would be no time for the paparazzi to find where I lived currently. You have to give them the credit for their nosiness.
My phone vibrated next to me on the passenger seat. I peered at the screen, hoping it was Kyle, hoping to get an explanation from him. But it was my brother Taylor.
"Sis, I may get into trouble." his low and hoarse voice sounded on the other end.
"Again???" I groaned frustratedly. Not now, not when trouble was knocking on my door. I simply didn't have enough energy to deal with his problem right now.
"You may want to go into hiding," he said.
"How much do you owe them this time?" I asked nervously, waiting for the daunting number my brother was about to tell me.
"This time they want my head."
"And yours. Sorry, sis," he added.
"What did you do?" I asked in a frenzy. I'm definitely going to punch his face the next time I see him.
But he just hung up on me.
So, it turned out I had no other option but to lay low.