I just felt like I needed to. A spot was successfully bought by mother. All Briar needed to do was diet a little and maintain her beauty. I thought of going up to mother and ask her to get me one too even though I know she would do nothing but give me a degrading lecture about how unsuitable I am. Seeing Briar go on interviews and grow in popularity fuelled my resolve. I needed a way to get into that competition. Desperately. It seemed bleak and unlikely but then I realized an opportunity.

Something was going on between Mother and the chief bodyguard. When I noticed, I thought I could be wrong. And that it is just a coincidence that he had come out from mother’s bedroom looking flushed and fixing his pants. With mother suddenly wearing scarfs around her neck even in the summer heat. Once can be a mis-sighting, two a coincidence. But not three. Mother and Mr Callum were going at it even when dad is around. They’ll go to the garage. Or she would purposefully leave behind an item when shopping and use the excuse of rushing back to get it before the mall closes. Mr Callum would hurriedly accompany her to ensure her ultimate safety. Traces of lipstick on his collar would tell me what had really happened. "This is huge!" Exclaimed Chloe when I told her on her usual Skype call. "Yeah, It is." I numbly respond.

"No. I mean like this could be really, really huge for you."

"How do you mean?"

"If your mom is indeed the stink ass bitch that you say she is, then just begging her to get you a spot in Miss Teens would not work."

"So you are saying that I should. . . .?" I trail off on speaking what I think she might be saying.

"Yes. Exactly." She answers point-blank.

"But I can’t just go up to her and threaten her."

"Of course not. You will need to get evidence first."

I nod severally. Plotting the scenario in my head and weighing the outcome. "It is a great idea. But how will I get my hands on equipments to do that?" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Dummy. A phone is not just for chatting online."

Right after the call, I went to the garage. The only place that I could sneak a phone in and get a video of them is in the enclosed garage. I set out to do just that. But it was getting foiled. I would hide in one of the sedans and wait until they would come to do their forbidden rendezvous with my phone in hand, waiting to get my instrument of blackmail. For some stupid reason, they did not come. They did not even meet at all during that period. I thought of two scenarios. Mother must be on her monthly flow, or they have a lover’s quarrel. Much to my disappointment. They settled whatever it was sooner than I expected. That night I wanted to tear apart anything or anyone when I saw that the time was really late into the night.

With the pageant just barely three weeks

away, I was mad and pissed that I had still not gotten any of what I wanted. Chloe suggested sending me a package of bugging devices. I had been tempted to agree. But I knew it would be intercepted and found out by the bodyguards. I come down from the car and angrily slam the door shut. Just then, I heard voices. A giggle in a familiar voice. And a much rough sounding one speaking in hushed tones. I sighted them coming and I gently open back the door and slid inside. Something was wrong. I could tell from the way they were just looking at the car they normally use instead of rushing in to satisfy their needs. My heart beat accelerated when they began coming towards the sedan I was hiding in. I listened and closely watched them having sex in the car’s backseat. I cautioned myself to not make a single sound despite the cramped, uncomfortable position that I was in. Hiding in the trunk. My hands shook on my phone. My entire body is shaking cause of the loud way my heart is thumping.

I panicked that they might hear it. I blame it on their stupid horniness and pure miracle.

With the evidence in my hands, I ought to go to mother and blackmail her with it. But something else came up in my head. It was difficult before she got that spot for Briar. She must have spent a lot to grease the palm of whoever is in charge. With the pageant in less than three weeks, it was already stone determined. So as who the winner would be. Bringing myself out to mother would then be useless. I reflected and pondered on it a lot and then decided to just let it all go.

I was never really into modeling. I just wanted to do it because Briar is too. There is no happiness in forcing yourself to do things. I have been overlooking the pure happiness I found in painting. So I just decided to chill—not entirely though. Briar competed and won which wasn’t surprising. Nate moved back just before school resumed. I learned makeup and changed my dressing style completely. Learning to embrace myself rather than hide it. It caused a wild frenzy at school. I became the queen bee of queen bees overnight. Oh, and I began ghost blackmailing mom. I pretended to be a stranger who happens to know her dirty secrets. That brought me great amount of cash until I eventually stopped. I can’t say that I singlehandedly transformed myself. I had help from Chloe. Speaking of Chloe, and the surprise she gave me on the very first day school resumed. I was on a call with her and she told me to look behind out of the blue. I did. And guess who was standing a few meters away with total Megan thee stallion energy? Chloe Knightley. The last name was a volts shocker. The handsome brother that she was referring to is Nate. We got past that and became Bff’s along with Miranda. Yeah. She ditched all her friends after Elise got together with Nate. I dated a guy named Knox to get close to Nate because they were friends and it wasn’t too long before I had Nate. I didn’t even have to put on a whole seduction mood. Dude couldn’t resist me. For me, life finally became perfect. My friendship with his sister sort of crashed. Turns out she was gay. And she happened to like me. I told her that I couldn’t be with her in that way. The next, she went back to Florida. I was lonely without her. Miranda was more of a competitor than a friend. Nate Knightley who said he couldn’t fall in love or have anything romantically serious after his ex was all over me. He was the perfect boyfriend. Fate drove a wedge between us when he had to leave for college. I did all I could to get into NYC so I could be with him. I succeeded. There, we continued our love. Or, so I thought. He said he had to urgently go see his dad in New Jersey. I was supportive and thought nothing of it. At the same time, Briar was getting engaged.

Gwen, you can’t imagine how I felt when I went there to see Nate as the one that Briar was getting engaged to. He said that he didn’t tell me because he knew he I would be hurt. My parents had planned it with his Dad. I was left in the dark. Would it have hurt less if I wasn’t?

Mother and Father quickly demanded that we break up. Nate too. I didn’t even say anything when he told me that we should end our relationship. I was just crying. But how could I let go when I love him? He also could not let go. He comes to me, and does not resist when I go to him too. I thought maybe, just maybe we make it work between ourselves. It didn’t. They got married. Seeing that I did not get my happy ending, I played a nice video showing our family’s dirty secrets for all the two hundred and thirty three guests at the after party to see. Including mine too. Mother and Callum’s sex tape were the highlight.

She ruined my happiness. I ruined her reputation. I wish I had Dad’s too. Next was me and Nate’s sex video that I had recorded. I made it look like I hadn’t done it.

I left New Jersey for good and started a life here in New York. Away from all of it. So now you know that I didn’t cut ties with my parents because they wanted me to study business. That was a lie I made up.