"Looks like you and I are on the same page. Our moms are bad." Isla chuckled and wiped her tears as they hid themselves in the Porshe, free from paparazzi.
"Drive." Isla ordered.
"Your mom was a model?"
"Yeah. Just like you. But I once heard Dad saying she left with a man much older than her just for his money. I was a disgrace to her, and I cried when I heard it." Isla felt bad for Dora. She wrapped her gently in her arms.
"You don't deserve this – you're such a sweet girl."
"You know Isla, I really wish you were my mom. We'd be a happy family." Isla's heart skipped a beat on hearing that.
"She wants you to be her mother." Cade's words played in her head and she drew a thin smile.
"I'd love to be your mother, Dora, but your dad keeps making it difficult." Isla thought deeply within herself.
Isla and Dora arrived home disappointedly and Dora had to explain the whole thing to Cade.
"Looks like you both had a bad day. How about a banana milkshake, just to clear your head?"
"Dora, please take a jug of milkshake upstairs to your room. Your dad and I wants to have a little talk." Isla told Dora politely and she left swiftly. When she was out of sight, Isla went to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of alcohol.
"Isla, what are you doing? Will alcohol solve the problem? Will alcohol make your mom love you?" Cade asked rhetorically. Isla didn't respond. She just gulped the content.
"What is wrong with you, Isla? Stop."
"Why?"
"I hate seeing you drink. It pisses me off. It makes me go crazy. I could turn into a beast."
"Then what are you waiting for?" Isla relaxed on the comfy sofa.
"I'm used to Rhea Sinclair and her witchcraft. It only makes me happy that today, I was able to tell her to her face what a bad woman she was, and the video leaked on internet. That's why I'm celebrating with this drink. My heart only aches because you are the fourth man to break my heart, and now its beyond repair. I feel so unlucky." Cade could hear the gulp of alcohol down her throat. She was getting from tipsy to drunk.
Cade sat beside her and cupped her face.
"Isla, stop doing this to yourself. Drinking helps some people get better, but for you its the direct opposite. It makes you feel even more miserable." Her clothes and breath reeked of alcohol, but Cade wasn't going to let go of her.
"Why? Rhea Sinclair insulted me in front of everyone because I'm a sick widow. The guy I like isn't giving in when I try to bring him close. Isn't that enough reason to cry and drink alcohol?" Isla asked drunkenly, with tears.
"You're not a sick widow. Don't call yourself that." Cade whispered. Their faces were only inches apart, and their hearts were pounding. He leaned in and passionately pressed his lips against hers. Cade inhaled the scent of the classic drink and rolled his tongue inside her mouth which was already open for him. The kiss was soft and brief. Cade broke it awkwardly.
"I want more, Cade. I really want more from you. Please."
"You need to take a nap. You look tired.." Cade stuttered. Isla's eyes closed slowly and Cade lifted her in bridal style. He took her upstairs to her room and placed her gently on the bed.
"This girl just enchants me." He blushed and left.
"I don't hate you. I only hate the fact that you always want to be noticed. I hate the fact that you're a celebrity. I hate the fact that you're rich and spoilt. You're perfect just the way you are. You're better off without money or fame." Cade's voice woke Isla up in the evening. She looked around and saw that he wasn't around. She had only been thinking about it.
"Your husband loves you because you're popular. He would never have married you if you were some poor wretched girl."
She rose from bed, took a shower and a hot coffee to clear her head. She checked her schedule and saw that she had an important shoot. While she was doing a light makeup, she sat there lost in thought.
3 YEARS BEFORE
"Babe, we're running late!!" Brian screamed, waiting outside for Isla to finish up.
"I'm almost done, just touching up a little." Few minutes later, Isla came out wearing a red tank top and a brown baggy jeans.
"Why do you look so unprofessional? What are you wearing?" Brian looked disgusted.
"Its casual and cool style. I don't wanna look too expensive."
"C'mon babe! You're a model and you should be recognized as one! Ladies look up to you to choose outfits. Of course you should look expensive and captivating, not cheap and stupid."
"Brian, its not cheap. I wanted to go Bohemian or denim but I thought you wouldn't find that too good for me since you've suddenly become my stylist." Isla said to her husband sarcastically.
"Why do you have those clothes?"
"I..."
"Hush. My love, you don't have to worry too much, okay? We'll go shopping this weekend and I'll change your wardrobe. Your outfits have to be of high quality! You're a masterpiece! You're perfectly made a celebrity and a good example to social media, not a hiphop dancer."
"What am I gonna wear then?" Brian made a phone call, and in five minutes, one of the most expensive newest designs came for Isla. It was a red knee-length dress with ruffles all over.
"This is for you, Isla. Specially made for Isla Sinclair." Isla smiled and took the dress from the delivery guy. When he left, Isla jumped on Brian and screamed.
"Thank you so much, babe!! I love you so much!"
"I love you too, Isla. That's why I'll do everything to make you maintain your fame, wealth and beauty."
"I don't mind. I'll be yours forever." Saying that, Isla kissed him softly on the cheek.
"We're late for the event already. Shall we?"
The door sound shook Isla off balance. She was far away in her thoughts. Her heart tore even more that Brian now lived in her mind. His handsome face, his fragrance, everything was now imagined.
"Come in." Cade entered Isla's room.
"I wanted to tell you that dinner's ready."
"I'll catch dinner elsewhere. I need to be at a shoot right now." Isla said stressed. Cade licked his lips nervously. Isla didn't remember anything.
"Is it good enough for a man to prefer you being a beautiful supermodel with big cars and bodyguards, rather than allow you live the private and simple life you want?" She asked him.
"Are you asking about Brian? Looks like you now realize he loves you for being a 'masterpiece'. I've been admiring this picture." Cade turned his phone screen to Isla. She was shocked. It was a picture of her while she was with Nigel Gerard.
She was wearing a pink plain top, baggy jeans, 80's heels and a brown cap, she tied a pink scarf around her neck, walking from the plane with her suitcase, she looked straight from a Barbie movie.
"I've had this picture ever since it was taken. It shows you being simple. It shows you being the girl you're supposed to be. It shows you being the girl, I want to love. Being seductive and all, doesn't make you captivating, the charm that exists in what really makes you smile, apart from modeling and being a star, is what I fell for. Even if you weren't rich, I'd still choose you over and over."
"If you were poor, helpless and ugly, I would never have looked your way. The rich, pretty and famous Isla Sinclair is my wife, and not the one trying to be what she's not. A childish red riding hood from a fairytale." Those were Brian words to her when she tried to wear simple outfits.
"You're really a masterpiece when you have simplicity." Cade concluded, took his phone and left her room.
"Hugh! Get me a bottle, please." Isla sat tiredly on the first seat she saw after her shoot. One of the workers went to get her a bottle of water. As she gulped it down her throat and poured it all over her head, what she opened her eyes to see horrified her.
"Jake?? What are you doing here, you little pest??" Isla stood up. Her workers stepped back.
"He said he wanted to see you and barged in." The bodyguard tried to explain.
"Don't you know who he is? Why did you let him in?" Isla shouted.
"I'm not here for you. Where is your mother? Get her here!" Jake was furious.
"Rhea Sinclair isn't here. Why do you need to see her?" Isla signalled to everyone to excuse them.
"She has betrayed my trust and I'm here to tell you everything she did." Jake put on a straight face.
"What game are you playing? Tryna win me back?"
"Its not about winning you back. Do you know Brian's killer?" Isla blinked a few times, looking curious.
"Do you know who it is?" She was ready to listen to Jake.
"Rhea Sinclair killed Brian, Isla." Isla felt like her whole world was crashing down right before her. Her own mother, killed the man she loved?
She didn't want to believe it.
"Jake, you're darn crazy. Fine, we all know Rhea Sinclair is a devil but she can't do something that horrible, its not possible."
"I couldn't have come here without proof." Jake played a video of Rhea murdering Brian. Isla's eyes were dim. Her hands and legs felt weak, her head felt light on her. She fell to the ground, unable to move.
Jake called emergency and took Isla to the hospital himself.
"SOMEONE HELP!!" Paparazzi followed them until they were kicked out and harrassed by the nurses.
"NURSES!" The nurses took Isla Sinclair straight to examine her. A doctor followed and the whole hospital was in panic.
Rhea Sinclair walked into the hospital with two bodyguards. She went to Jake and slapped him hard across the face.
"How dare you, bitch?" Jake gritted his teeth.
"I should be the one saying that. What did you do to Isla? What did you tell her? The news said you must have showed her something shocking to make her fall. What was it, huh?" Rhea held on to Jake's collar.
"The truth." She slowly let go.
"What truth?"
"The video I made of you killing her husband." Jake rolled his eyes.
"Are you insane? How dare you show Isla that?" Rhea was angry.
"Because you betrayed me. You promised I'd get a deal too and you just kept quiet about it for almost three years. You deleted my contact and pretended like you've never even met me." Jake gave a reason.
"Ugh." She left with her bodyguards enraged. Shortly after, Cade and Dora rushed into the hospital.
"Who are you two?" An old nurse asked.
"I'm Miss. Isla Sinclair's manager. We saw on TV that she was in your hospital and we came rushing to see her." They were allowed to go further.
"Don't you know who he is?"
"Its Miss. Isla's sexy house manager." Some of the young nurses were busy drooling.
"Doctor! How's Isla? Where's she?"
"Calm down, Mr. Hudson. We took a test for Miss. Isla, and the result says she's temporarily paralyzed due to shock. Her body will respond once she gets over the shock. For now, she'll be on a wheelchair." Cade and Dora looked sad.
"Can we see her?" The doctor nodded and they rushed in. Sasha, Wendy, Lindsay and Julie were already in.
"Welcome." They chorused. Isla was already on a wheelchair, looking as plain and pale as a paper. Cade stared into her eyes which used to be bright. They were dull and dark.
"Who could have done this to Isla?" He thought. Dora ran to her and she could only manage to talk to Dora with a very fake smile.
"Tell us, Isla. What did that monster Jake Hollidae show you that got you in shock?" Wendy went back to the question they were asking. Isla's whole body was stiff. Only her blinks showed that she was very much alive and with them.
"Isla, can you hear us?"
"Brian. He used to be my Mr. Perfect. He sends my whole body on fire whenever he kisses me. We used to be the best couple on the internet. Until he died – and Rhea Sinclair killed him."
"WHAT?" They all chorused, except the child.
"Jake told me and even showed me a video. Rhea Sinclair took life out of my husband all because of what he was holding that day. My RiseUp entry code."
"Brian got a RiseUp entry code all the way from Tokyo just to have connections with their models there. Turns out, Rhea Sinclair is also a member, and my valid code can make me rise even higher than her position. She didn't want that, so she killed Brian, even before the code got to me. She threw the piece of paper in a bonfire." Isla narrated.
"What are you guys doing? Please allow the patient to take her rest." The doctor told them.
"RiseUp has always been my dream. Rhea shattered it, and killed my husband. What kind of a mother does that to her own child?" Isla's phone buzzed near her and Sasha answered the call.
"Mr. Sinclair, its Sasha."
"What about Isla? How is she doing? I heard she was hospitalized."
"She is. The doctor said she's temporarily paralyzed due to shock." Sasha told Mr. Sinclair.
"WHAT?" He exclaimed.