Page 17 of Billionaire's Second Chance

He’d yell at me for being jealous and vengeful. But I wasn’t. I was hurt that he would give a role I worked so hard for to someone else. He had made my efforts look shallow and heightened my doubt in myself. Just like that night when he had slept with me and discarded me like I was nothing.

I must have finally fallen asleep on the couch at some point. When I woke up, I massaged my stiff neck and headed to the shower. The cold water didn’t wash off the guilt that had plagued me all night. It stuck to my body like a tick. Getting into my gym gear took forever, and I stood in front of the mirror in my bedroom, staring at my reflection. The woman I saw wasn’t me.

I swallowed my fear, and my shaky fingers scrolled over the phone. With one eye closed, I peeped over the screen with the other squinting eye, afraid to be bombarded by Damon's face all over the socials. Immediately, my fears materialized.

"If you want a role in Damon Alexander's movie, the true audition is in his bedroom,"one article read below my own paparazzi image.

I felt nauseous.

"Lily Rae lands a big role! And it comes hand in hand with landing in Damon Alexander's bed,"another headline jumped at me.

I stood up and started pacing my apartment.

"They deserved this!" I tried to convince myself in the mirror.

One day I'd be seen as a hero. No one else would dare stand up to Damon Alexander and expose him for what he is—a womanizer. An arrogant grump who didn't care for anyone's interest but his own. It was true what they said—if you didn't make it to his bed, you didn't stand a chance in his movie.

Let's see how that works out for you now, Damon!

Lily Rae was just collateral damage. She was paying the price for being dumb enough to believe him. Just like I had been. Hopefully, now she'd see the light and walk away before it became too late for her to save her heart.

I decided to put the phone down and not look at it for a few days until all of this blew over. I'd get my shit together and focus on other auditions. And, most of all, I'd make it a point never to set foot in one of Damon's studios ever again. That chapter was now closed. Everyone had gotten what they deserved.

***

I drove to TrueFit in complete silence, eased from my car, and walked inside. I hoped working out and concentrating on my clients would help me forget about the PR drama I had started.

“Ava!” A loud shriek greeted me as soon as I stepped in.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Lily Rae skipped to meet me, her long brown hair tied in a ponytail behind her.

No! No! No!

“I was starting to think you wouldn’t show up today,” she said. “I already wish I hadn’t shown up either.”

I forced a smile.

“So, where should I begin today?” she asked, leading the way to a treadmill. T

“Treadmill? Dumbbell? Come on,” she nudged me.

“I think you should get a personal trainer,” I offered.

“I know, right? I need to get in the best shape of my life for my next movie," she chuckled and pointed to her belly.

Her voice was shaky. She wasn’t fine.

“Yeah, I understand. That's a lot of pressure," I mumbled, still avoiding her gaze.

Lily kept her fake smile. Until she couldn’t anymore.

Her eyes dropped. It was apparent she couldn’t hold her act together anymore. The blogs had gotten to her. No matter how much she claimed not to care, her puffy eyes couldn’t mask the fact that she had been crying.

“It’s okay, Lily,” I comforted her. “I saw the blogs too.”

“Everyone did,” she frowned.

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