It was Monday, and Tatiana gushed over her son’s school outfit. She said sweet words to him, assuring him that he would love the school.
After dropping her son off at school, Tatiana kissed his cheek and bid him goodbye. She entered her car and zoomed off after making sure he was safely inside.
Unknown to her, Paisley spotted her from a distance. She was in her car with her son, Landon.
Tatiana had just dropped a kid around the age of her son at the school her son also attended. With a rough guess, the boy was around the age of five. Nathan had betrayed her six years ago.
Could it be that the boy was Nathan’s son? Impossible!
Getting home, Tatiana took out her laptop and continued her research. Catelyn had told her something strange about Maya.
Though she tried to ignore the strange feeling, she couldn’t help her curiosity. She scrolled down Mason’s page and saw how lovely their couple pictures were.
Just last week, Mason claimed to have gifted his wife an expensive car. Nothing seemed weird, but still…
Jolene came in with a long look on her face.
“How long are you going to be like this?” Tatiana asked.
“As long as you don’t tell me what’s between you and Mr. King. I thought we promised not to keep things from each other,” Jolene pouted, crossing her arms below her breast.
“Can you handle it?” Tatiana inquired with a playful smile.
“You guys are dating?” Jolene guessed, and her face lit up.
“No,” Tatiana scoffed. Dating Mr. King would cause a big uproar, especially since he was engaged to an international model. The closest woman to Cassius according to her research.
“Definitely not. He is engaged, remember,” Tatiana added, a pang of hurt striking her heart.
“Yeah. Is he your friend? No, it can’t be. I literally know everything about you and I’ve never seen him in the picture. That’s why it’s driving me crazy since yesterday,” Jolene took a deep breath. “Wait!”
Tatiana watched as a frown settled on Jolene’s face, seemingly catching on.
Jolene laughed at her thought. “What an insane guess that just popped in right now.”
Tatiana raised a brow at her, and Jolene’s face dropped in shock.
“No way. Mr. King is the man you had a night with, and he is… Dylan’s father?” She mumbled, feeling the air around her choking.
“You’re right,” Tatiana responded, and Jolene remained frozen for five minutes.
“I need some water.” She took a cup of water and gulped it down at once. “Argh, I feel so hot. Mr. King is Dylan’s father!! I’m freaking out!”
Tatiana laughed. What a drama queen!
—
Just as Tatiana had predicted, her scandal began to fade away, replaced by the news of Cassius King’s engagement. The story was trending everywhere, and Tatiana couldn’t help but sigh when she saw it.
She needed to inform Cassius about Dylan, if only for Dylan’s sake.
While in the car, her phone buzzed, and she furrowed her brows upon seeing an unknown number.
“Hello?” she answered.
“Where are you?” The voice belonged to Cassius. How had he gotten her number?
“I’m on my way to an audition. Is there a problem?” Tatiana asked, while Jolene, who overheard the conversation, wore a knowing smile.
“I’ll text you an address once you’re done. Be there, Little Rebel,” he ordered before ending the call.
“Who does he think he is?” Tatiana mumbled. He hadn’t even given her a chance to agree or disagree.
“A date?” Jolene smirked.
“No. I already told you about the deal I made with him. He probably found something out,” Tatiana shrugged, looking out the window and concealing her hidden smile.
Jolene smiled, her eyes lighting up as she discovered something.
“I found something odd about Mason.”
Tatiana’s expression turned serious. “What is it?”
“Mason had a scandal two years ago, where he was accused of being addicted to gambling. There was even a picture as evidence, but he denied it all,” Jolene replied, and Tatiana pondered on it for a moment.
—
Tatiana noticed other artists waiting for the audition, their skeptical gazes fixed on her.
“Why is she here? Isn’t that Tatiana?”
“Yes, it is. How could she show up? I would hide in shame if I were her, especially after what happened to her sister.”
“The Wallingtons have no shame.”
While Tatiana remained calm, Jolene seethed with anger. If looks could kill, those idiots would be six feet underground.
“Save your strength, Jojo. They don’t deserve it,” Tatiana said, slipping on her boots.
“They think they’re better? Tsk,” Jolene scoffed, crossing her arms.
Once again, the gossip resurfaced about Tatiana’s attire. Unlike the others, who were dressed elegantly, Tatiana wore a simple dress with a small tear on the shoulder of her polo.
Others assumed she hadn’t noticed, but they were mistaken.
Soon, one of the candidates who had just finished auditioning rushed out in tears.
“What? Wasn’t she one of the best among us?”
“Why is she crying?”
“I heard the director called for his senior. I heard he is strict and bad-mouths every artist who makes a mistake.”
As fear trembled through the others, Tatiana remained composed.
“Next!” a voice thundered inside. The next lady gathered herself and stepped in. Within five minutes, she was sent out in tears, further shattering everyone’s hope.
“Next!”
The woman in line before Tatiana glanced at her.
“You go ahead first. I don’t think I’m ready.”
“Next!” the director roared again, and Tatiana stepped in confidently.
The senior director’s gaze alone could make anyone shrink, which explained why the others kept failing. Tatiana had dealt with many directors before, so handling this one wasn’t an issue.
Initially, the senior director was irritated that he had to call her twice, but upon seeing her, his expression softened.
Mostly, he had been rejecting artists not because of their acting, but because they failed to dress the part.
The character in the script was a wealthy assassin disguised as a poor woman to achieve her goal.
The senior director’s gaze flickered with interest. Tatiana seemed familiar, but he couldn’t place from where. The director who had accepted her smiled slightly.
Tatiana received her cue and began her audition. As she performed, the senior director noticed the tear on her shoulder and smiled.
She had truly brought the character to life.
Soon, the door opened, and the senior director stepped out, his gaze fixed on the remaining artists.
“Go home now. We’ve found the woman we’ll cast,” he simply stated before leaving. The others peeked and saw Tatiana signing the contract.
“She?!”
“What in the world!”
“I underestimated her. Why didn’t I say something positive? She could have been my tutor!”
“How did she do it?”
Jolene smiled, knowing Tatiana wouldn’t disappoint. They would reach the top in no time.
Once Tatiana had finished changing and was ready to leave, an uproar erupted from the hall. Paisley had arrived.
Everyone recognized Paisley as a famous actress in the industry, and they would kneel to get her autograph.
Tatiana rolled her eyes, knowing Paisley was here for her. She attempted to walk past her, but Paisley spoke up.
“How embarrassing for you to work on such a low-quality project. I must say, Tatiana, you’re quite pitiful.”
Remaining calm, Tatiana tried to leave again but paused when Paisley spoke once more.
“The boy you dropped off at Golden School, who was he?”
Paisley had seen Dylan? Tatiana turned to look at her, and Paisley got her answer. The boy was Tatiana’s son!
“I was about to drop off my son, the one I had with Nathan, and then I saw you. I’m just curious,” Paisley smiled, stepping closer to Tatiana.
“Was that your son, Tatiana? Who’s the father?” Her voice was low for only Tatiana to hear.
“Your shamelessness knows no bounds,” Tatiana scoffed and turned to leave, but…
“He’s a bastard, isn’t he?”
In an instant, anger surged through Tatiana, her eyes reddening with rage. Did Paisley just call Dylan a bastard?
“Oh, you’re dead, bitch,” Jolene thought.
Paisley knew how Tatiana had always struggled to control her anger, especially in public.
“What did you just say?” Tatiana glanced back, her tone icy.
“He’s a bastard.”
That was it!
Tatiana swiftly delivered three sharp slaps to Paisley’s face. Paisley tried to dodge the next one, but Tatiana swept her feet off the ground, causing Paisley to fall heavily and hit her head.
Blood oozed from Paisley’s lips and nose instantly.
Gasps filled the air.
Tatiana didn’t stop there. Her anger remained unsatisfied. Her blood was boiling, and all she wanted to do was teach the bitch how to use her lips.
She grabbed Paisley by the hair and forcefully dragged her, heading straight to the restroom.
“Let me go, bitch!” Paisley yelled, but Tatiana didn’t stop. Insult her all you want, but not her Dylan.
Hell would break loose!
Getting into one of the toilets, Tatiana sighted a lady just coming out from one. Perfect.
“Wait, I haven’t…” The woman tried to say.
Tatiana dragged Paisley in and didn’t waste a moment, shoving Paisley’s head into the toilet…
The lady who just came out completed her words in shock.
“Flush.”