Chapter 4
Before I could bolt, the managers boxed me in.
Grace crouched and flashed her candy-coated smile. "Hey, princess, wanna be famous? Pretty dresses, sparkly diamonds, millions of followers. I can make you the biggest little star in the world."
Grace was famous in the entertainment world for her sweet smile and ruthless ways.
I gave her the same sugary grin right back. "If it's that awesome, why aren't you on billboards? Don't like sparkles?"
Grace's smile froze. For the first time, a little kid actually shut her up.
My dad's agent, Mike, laughed. "She's sharp. Do you think she's as clueless as her mom?"
He squatted to my level. "Look, honey, brains skipped a generation in your house. Your folks are never hitting the A-list. Ride the wave now, cash the checks, and skip homework forever."
His words stung, but I didn't fall for it. "If you can be a star without good grades, then why does Dad get called illiterate? And why did the production team replace him?"
Mike couldn't exactly call my dad stupid to my face, so he just swallowed his frustration.
Both agents were left speechless, but my parents just looked at me with obvious resentment.
Back then, they groveled for extra work. I napped on a reality show, and the offers rained down.
They were seasick with envy, and still stuck sailing in my spotlight.
Just as things were getting tense, my grandparents suddenly banged on the door, bringing my little brother Samuel with them.
"Jack, Helen, we brought our darling boy to see you," my grandma called out.
Of course, they were referring to Samuel, their favorite grandson.
As soon as the door opened, a chubby five-year-old boy came barreling in like a little tornado, crashing straight into my parents' arms.
"Mom, Dad, Grandma said you're taking me on TV. Really? That's awesome. I'm gonna show everyone at school who's the real boss," Samuel yelled, practically bouncing with excitement.
As soon as he blurted that out, my parents didn't know what to do.
Ever since people found out they had a son, their reputation as doting parents to their daughter was hanging by a thread.
If they brought Samuel onto the variety show now, it'd be obvious to everyone that they actually preferred sons over daughters, no matter how hard they tried to hide it.
They exchanged a look, and in that moment, they both knew what the other was thinking.
My mom didn't want to hurt Samuel's feelings, so she shot my dad a look, telling him to handle it.
"Sweetheart, it's not that I don't want to take you. I'm just trying to protect you by keeping you off TV," my dad said.
My mom chimed in, "Yeah, that's right. We don't want you to have to work so hard. How about I give you another ten grand for your allowance, okay?"
I stood off to the side and scoffed.
They didn't want their precious son to go through any hardship, so they pushed me out into the spotlight to be their tool.
In my previous life, Samuel had my parents backing him from day one. He refused to take any trashy roles, and every part he picked had to be wholesome and uplifting.
But just like Mom and Dad, he was wallpaper. No matter how many serious dramas he did as the second male lead, he never managed to break out.
It wasn't until the truth came out that he was my little brother that he finally blew up overnight.
With Mom and Dad cheering him on, Samuel even used me as his stepping stone for publicity.
People online couldn't stop gushing about him, saying he never tried to ride my fame and kept our sibling status under wraps for years while acting. Everyone thought he was some stand-up guy who was above all that showbiz hype.
But the truth? He only got those roles because of me. He blew millions on PR, and it all went up in smoke.
This time, I'd be the one to make his dream come true.
"Mom, but Samuel really wants to be on TV. You say you love him so much, but you can't even do this one tiny thing for him?" I said, sounding all sweet and innocent.
I stood off to the side, watching Samuel with a soft, affectionate gaze.
I even held onto my grandparents' hands, asking them to help persuade Mom and Dad.