CHAPTER 40: BROOKE’S INFORMATION GATHERER

A Few Hours Earlier.

"Miss Brooke, I don’t understand, what do you need these for?" Hannah raised a brow at the list of items Brooke had asked her to prepare.

Brooke in response explained how her mother had called and tried to blackmail her into seeing her. Hannah for the first time learned that Brooke was a married woman, and that her family treated her like crap.

"That mom sounds disgusting! How could she act like that with her child?"

Brooke was past dancing to her mother’s tune and wanted her to get a taste of her own medicine.

"If I want to get back at them, I’ll need someone inside to help. And while I hate to rely on anyone of them, Serena is the easiest to manipulate." Brooke explained.

Hannah didn’t fully get why Brooke wanted worn out clothes and a cheap wheelchair, but she decided to trust her.

"Alright, you can leave it to me!" She announced, then set out to gather everything on the list.

Present

"Brooke, why do you have that recording? What are you planning to do here?" Her mother’s tone mellowed.

Brooke was stunned that Serena was capable of not shouting at her.

"I want you to act like you normally do at home, like the selfish woman you are. But at the same time, you will work for me, as my information gatherer." Brooke announced brimming with boldness.

She gasped, "That is..."

"You’re willing to take that risk?" Brooke’s voice was laced with taunting, her eyes glinting with triumph. "If I release this recording, your picture-perfect life will fade away."

Her gaze pinned Serena, transfixed by fear. "Luther will turn on you for ruining Cassie’s career. He’ll divorce you, and everything you’ve grown accustomed to will vanish."

Brooke’s smile twisted into a cruel curve. "The imported designer wear you worship will disappear one by one. The bags, clothes, jewelry – all gone. Can you handle that happening?, Serena? Can you survive on the streets again?" She asked painting a painful picture in Serena’s head!

Her eyes rounded, "No! I can’t do it!" She confessed in a bitter whimper.

"Then you’ll do whatever I ask you to, and I promise your husband won’t find out."

Serena nodded, "I’m willing to do anything, just please don’t release that recording." She begged.

Luther already saw her as incompetent, if her blunder were to ruin things now, he would never forgive her.

Content, Brooke made her first demand. "I want you to get me some of Cassie’s clothes, at least two or three, not enough to rouse her suspicions."

"Clothes? But why?" Serena interrogated.

Brooke sent her an icy glare, "Don’t ask me any questions, just do as I say, that’s all you need to do."

Serena balled her fists under the table. ’This bitch! She’s gotten so cocky now, has she forgotten who the hell she’s talking to?’ she inwardly raised her nose. ’Humph! She must be so desperate for beautiful clothes that she went this extra mile. A leopard never changes it’s spots.’

Forcing a smile, Serena asked, "And Ethan? Aren’t you going to sign the divorce papers?"

Brooke signalled the man behind her, and he wheeled her away from the table.

"Hey! Come back! I’m asking you something-" But her words fell to the wind, as Brooke didn’t stop once.

"That bitch!" Serena slammed her palm onto the table in anger. "Why can’t I catch a break?!" She pinched her temples. First it was Cassie, then Ethan and now even Brooke was threatening her?

"But still, there’s something different about that girl, she would never have talked to me like that in the past. What could’ve happened to make her that way?" Serena thought, staring into space.

********

"So tell me Sadie, do these terms look favorable to you?" The president of pocket change productions asked, with his hands stretched out on the table, next to the printed copy of the revised contract documents.

Sadie wriggled her toes in excitement, the money was just enough to cover the interest of what she owed Luther, with little to spare.

She hadn’t expected the president of a no name production company to offer such an amount for someone such as herself.

"If you don’t mind me asking, why do you want someone like me for this role?" Sadie asked, her hands sweaty.

She was just Cassie’s shadow, she had no real presence of her own if Cassie wasn’t around.

President Lucas confidently replied, "You like acting, don’t you?"

She blinked twice, "Don’t all actors like acting?" She asked, a bit confused.

Lucas shook his head, "There’s a difference between liking being an actor, and liking acting. Whereas the former focuses on the fixation with the glamorous life that follows an actor. There are people like you, who have a deep obsession with bringing characters to life."

Sadie shook her head, "No, you’re mistaken. All the roles I’ve ever played barely had any lines. You must be confusing me with someone else."

How could someone as insignificant as her ever pull off something so egoistical?

Lucas didn’t back down. "I saw you perform, before you joined your current agency. You were in a play, for a small theatre that closed up afterwards."

Sadie gasped, "How did..." She had only taken that job because she needed the extra money for survival, right after her brother ran away.

She didn’t take it seriously at first, it wasn’t like anything good would come out of it when the theatre would close down soon.

And the guests were no more than twenty people, and the script was plain garbage.

But she was the leading role, and somehow it made her happy, happy enough to be the only one to take it seriously.

Lucas tried again, "All the other casting might’ve been selected by my team, but I specially sought you out. Seeing your acting made me start up pocket change to begin with." He revealed, leaving Sadie too stunned to speak.

Someone had seen her acting and was that impressed?

"No, you-" she stopped herself when she looked at his determined eyes, she could tell that this man wasn’t joking.

"A-Are you sure? Do you really want someone like me?" Hope simmered in her eyes, this really was her final shot at showing off her acting.

Lucas nodded firmly. He stretched his hand out to her. "Sadie, come make a hit movie with me." He offered.

Sadie reached forward and shook his hand, "Yes!"