Alaina's POV
I sat at the bus station till about 7 PM. I then decided to find somewhere to stay. I couldn't go back to that hotel.
The words of the receptionist came flooding back. It was now I understood what she meant. Damn! Easily said, "You know, you could've gotten a better rate if you'd booked online…" Why does that sound like she knew I was broke? Yes, all I had was thirty thousand dollars, fair enough, right?
But now wasn't the time to spend lavishly. I had to be proactive.
"Stepfather." I cursed as I dialled his number. It went straight to voicemail. Damn that man! He only ever gets through if he needs me; he was never here when I needed him.
I will go back home. That was the only way out now. I couldn't keep going to hotels.
I got a cab and slammed the door shut behind me as I entered. I was eager to escape the chaos of the hotel lobby. But as soon as I settled into the seat, the cabbie's leering gaze made my skin crawl. Men would always be men.
"Hey, beautiful, where can I take you today?" he asked, his voice dripping with a sleazy charm that made my stomach turn. I gave him a curt address of my stepfather's house, hoping to avoid any further conversation. He began to drive, but he persisted, his eyes fixed on me in the rearview mirror.
"You know, you're looking mighty fine today, ma'am. Like a diamond in the rough."
I felt a wave of revulsion wash over me. Did he really think I was interested in his cheesy flirting? That was the last thing I needed now. I turned away, gazing out the window, hoping to shut him down.
But he continued to chat, his words dripping with innuendo. "I can tell you're a woman of class. You deserve a man who can treat you right. Like me, for instance."
I rolled my eyes, disgusted. Did he really think I was desperate enough to fall for his lines? What have I not heard from Nicole? So many empty promises and lies. Damn! I reached for my phone, pretending to text, just to avoid engaging with him.
But he wouldn't take the hint. He kept talking, his voice grating on my nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard. I felt trapped, suffocated by his unwanted attention.
Finally, I'd had enough. "Just drive," I snapped, my voice firm. "And keep your eyes on the road."
He looked taken aback, but mercifully, he shut up and focused on driving. I breathed a sigh of relief, grateful to be free from his creepy advances. As we pulled up to my destination, I tossed a few bills at him and bolted out of the cab, eager to escape the suffocating atmosphere.
"Have a nice day, ma'am. Do you live here?" He asked.
I sighed. Some people never learn. "We have a pit bull. You want to hear what it did to a prying neighbour last year?"
The man frowned and he started the ignition. I smiled as he drove away. Crazy man. He thinks I would fall for his charm. The scenario I gave him was kind of true. But it happened to a man who turned to my mum's stalker. The rest was history.
I turned around to look at the house. It was a large, two-story building that loomed before me, its brick facade a warm, honey-coloured brown that seemed to glow in the afternoon sun. The windows sparkled, and the front door, painted a cheerful red, swung open with a welcoming creak.
I pushed open the creaky door, my heart racing with anticipation. The house looked neat to start with. As I reached the lobby, I began to hear groans, or was it moaning?
"Yes, daddy, give it to me. Yes, yes... That was what I heard.
"Moan, baby, moan!" That voice was unmistakably my stepfather's voice.
And when I got to the sitting room, I was met with a sight that made my blood run cold. My stepfather, the man who was supposed to be my guardian and protector, lay sprawled on the living room couch, entwined with a woman I had never seen before in my life.
And they were naked! Damn! "Stepdad!" That was what I called him—as commanded by my mother when she was alive.
I felt a wave of revulsion wash over me, my mind recoiling in horror. This was my home, my sanctuary, and yet it had been reduced to a sordid playground for my stepfather's lust.
My stepfather's eyes flickered open, and he gazed at me with a lazy, unconcerned expression. "Hey, kiddo," he muttered, his voice dripping with indifference. "Come on in."
"Really? Damn!" I turned and fled, my feet pounding up the stairs to my bedroom. I slammed the door shut behind me, as if I could shut out the ugliness I had just witnessed.
"Oh, do all men just want to sleep with anything that is a woman! Even him too, oh great!" I looked around my room; it offered little refuge. It was a mess, clothes and books scattered everywhere, the bed unmade and the windows grimy. I felt a lump form in my throat as I gazed around at the chaos.
I collapsed onto the bed, my body shaking with sobs. I felt so alone, so unwanted, so unloved. My stepfather's betrayal had left me feeling like a stranger in my own home, a mere spectator in the sordid drama that was my life.
I was like that for a while until I took my phone to call Keisha. I had ignored her enough.
I dialled Keisha's number, my heart racing with anticipation. I knew she would try to persuade me to come back to work, but I was resolute. I wouldn't set foot on that set again until Michael was gone.
"Alaina! For God's sake, where are you?" Keisha asked, her voice screaming over the phone. "What is all this about?"
"I should be asking you. I really don't understand what happened today, and I demand explanations. And for your information, I'm not coming back, Keisha," I said, my voice firm and resolute.
There was a pause, and I knew Keisha was taken aback by my defiance. "Alaina, what's going on? You're not coming back; why? You can't just quit in the middle of a project. You will get the role; I'm working towards it."
I took a deep breath, trying to calm the tempest raging within. "I'm not quitting, Keisha. I'm refusing to work with that... that...man who says I'm married to him."
Keisha's tone turned cautious, like she was tiptoeing around a fragile explosive. "Alaina, you need to calm down and talk to me about this. What's going on with you and him?"
I spat out the words, my anger and disgust boiling over like a pot about to overflow. "I don't know. He says we are married and that everything was real. I hope this is all still part of the script because the crew and that man are insane."
Keisha's voice was laced with a hint of warning. "Alaina, be careful what you say. Michael is a powerful man. You don't know him?"
I laughed, a harsh, bitter sound that echoed off the walls of my bedroom. "Oh, I'm shaking in my boots. Was I supposed to know him? And if I do, he can't touch me, Keisha. I'm not afraid of him."
And then Keisha dropped the bombshell. "Alaina, you need to know something. Michael owns the film industry you're working in; he is Michael Alista."
My world stopped. I felt like I had been punched in the gut, my breath knocked out of me. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. That man owned the industry? How could that be? I thought I was working for a reputable company, not some predator's playground. And his name—Micheal Alista. Damn!
Was I actually married to him? Everything was indeed real! Still, I refused to back down. "I don't care, Keisha. I won't work with him. And if that means I'm out of a job, so be it."
Keisha sighed, her voice laced with frustration. "Alaina, please. Just come back to work. We need you."
I shook my head, even though she couldn't see me. "No, Keisha. I won't back down. I won't work with him."
I hung up the phone, the sound of Keisha's protests still echoing in my ear. I collapsed onto my bed, my body exhausted, my mind reeling. I knew I had to keep fighting, but for now, I just wanted to sleep, to escape the horrors of my reality.
"Oh shit! I'm tired."
I brought out my phone and went to my bank app. I sighed in relief as I gazed at it. The $30,000 was still there, untouched.
I leaned back in my bed, my mind racing with thoughts. I was done acting, at least for now. But I knew I couldn't just sit around and do nothing. I needed to plan, to think about my future.
With my bank app still open, I drifted off to sleep; I knew that this was far from over. But, I'd just sleep for now.
Well, that was until...