Paige sang for Zachary while he stood in awe, mesmerized by her performance. As she sang, she became so immersed that she closed her eyes and continued to pour her heart out.
Zachary walked over to the bed, sat down, and kept his gaze fixed on her. When she finished singing, he exclaimed, "Wow! That was phenomenal.""Thank you, sir," Paige replied with a smile."I'm curious, how did you become such a talented singer? Don't worry, you can share it with me," he added, noticing her hesitation.Paige sighed and began her story, "Well, my mom was a gifted singer too. When she was young, her dream was to become a pop artist and her voice was perfect.However, her father, who was a billionaire, wanted her to take over the family business instead since she was his only child. She had to make a difficult choice between her passion and her responsibilities.Eventually, she took over my grandfather's company: Blanco Industries, but she never gave up singing. She recorded songs for herself but never performed publicly. After marrying my dad and realizing that the business wasn't her true passion, she put him in charge and pursued singing in her free time. When she had me, she discovered that I also had a sweet voice, and she was thrilled by it.We used to sing together, and she promised that she would make me a big star someday. She wanted me to live her dream since she never had the chance to do so. However, when I was ten years old, she fell ill and passed away."Paige's voice trembled with emotion as she continued, "My dad loved me too, or so I thought. But a few weeks after my mom's death, he came home with Beverly, my stepmom. To my shock, he had been cheating on my mom while she was alive, and Beverly's daughter, Candy, turned out to be his child.When she realized I loved singing, Candy became jealous of me and started singing as well. Her mom pushed her to compete with me, even though she couldn't sing as well as I could.She always claimed to be better than me. Whenever I received invitations to sing at birthday parties, not for money but for fun, she would make a fuss about it, and I would lose the opportunity. It became the norm for Candy to always get the best. She set me up so many times, planting my dad's and her mom's belongings among my things to make me appear guilty.Even when we attended the same high school, she would steal from people around me without my knowledge, and I would be blamed for it. Everyone turned against me, my life became miserable and I lost all my friends. But I always held onto the hope that one day I would become a star and fulfill my dream of becoming a musician."Paige's voice quivered as she recalled her struggles, "Unfortunately, my dad eventually grew to despise me. When I finished high school, he refused to support my further education, despite it also being my mom's dream for me. I reminded him of her wishes, and he made a deal with me. He said if I served as a maid during his marriage anniversary, he would enroll me in a music academy to develop my singing skills and boost my career.I reluctantly agreed, knowing that his wife must have influenced his decision. I endured the humiliation of being called a maid, but I held onto hope. Then, as expected, Candy once again framed me by placing her mom's expensive bracelet worth millions in my pocket. I was falsely accused of theft, and this time my dad kicked me out of the house, warning me never to set foot near it again." "What? Having experienced something similar, when I learned that you lived with your stepmom, I expected that you must have had some unpleasant experiences. But this is just... what?" Zach couldn't believe his ears.Paige smiled, "The song...the song my sister was singing earlier on the TV, I wrote it.""What?""Yeah, it is one of the songs I wrote a few years ago. I used to sing it back then, but Candy stole it. I was supposed to go for that audition a week ago, but thanks to her, I ended up not making it. She went, instead with my song, and got a spot to be among the Spark Girls.""The Spark Girls?" Zach asked."Yeah, they've been given the opportunity to showcase their talent. In the end, one or two of them will be picked and made into stars by their agency. That was my dream, but Candy stole it from me." Paige explained.Zachary smiled, "Wow, that's interesting. And to think that her voice is nothing to write home about. I mean, a lot of people sing like that. It's basic. On the contrary, your voice is unique, I've never heard anyone sing that way.""Thank you very much, sir," Paige said. "Just hearing you say this alone is amazing. Back then, when I would sing at home, my stepmom would say I was disturbing the peace of the neighborhood, and that my voice was awful, and she would shut me up.Meanwhile, Candy would always sing, and she would praise her and tell her that she had the best voice in the world."Zachary scoffed, "I'm going to ask you a question, Paige.""Go ahead, sir," she replied."Do you want to be a star?" Zachary asked."Me? Paige thought she hadn't heard him well. "Sir, are you asking me if I want to be a star?""Yes," Zachary said. "I can make you a star, Paige. All you need to do is follow my rules.""What are your rules, sir?" She asked."Be obedient, hardworking, and focused. If you agree to these rules, I'll enroll you in the Royal Academy of Music. I will make you a star."Tears fell from Paige's eyes. She said, "Thank you, thank you very much, sir."She wanted to go on her knees, but Zachary got up and said, "No, don't do that." As he stood closer to her. She looked up at him. She was a tall girl, but in front of him, she became short.With his towering height and commanding presence, Paige couldn't make eye contact with him for long and quickly looked down.He said, "Those girls you mentioned, I know someone who might have an idea about them. And I also know that their performance is tonight: there's a show where they're supposed to perform.""That's correct, sir," she replied."What do you say? Would you like to perform with them?" He asked.Paige stared at him in surprise, "Sir, but there are already four in number."Zachary smiled, "Give me a second."Taking out his phone, he called someone and said, "There's a girl; someone close to me. I want her to be among the Spark Girls who are performing in tonight's show."The person on the other end said, "They are already complete, sir.""I don't care. Either you take one of them out or you add her to the group." Zach said."We'll add her to the group, sir," the person replied."Good. Her name is Paige, and she has a unique voice. I'll be there as well to grace the occasion.""You.... You're....co...coming, sir?" the man asked, stammering. He was surprised."Of course, I'm coming. When someone who belongs to me will be there, why wouldn't I?"Paige felt as though everything happening in front of her was a figment of her imagination.When the call ended, Zach made another call and said, "Jessica, come to my villa right away.""Your villa?" Jessica worked with the brand that delivered most of the clothes Zach wore."I'll be right there, sir," she said.In the next twenty minutes, Jessica pulled up in front of the villa and hurried inside. It was the first time Zach had personally asked her to come to his Villa.She met Zach who was sitting across from a flabbergasted Paige."Take her shopping and get very good clothes for her, because in the next few weeks, she should be in the spotlight as a pop artist," Zach ordered the moment his eyes fell on Jessica."Sure, I'll do that, sir," Jessica replied without hesitation.Turning to look at Paige, Zach asked, "Are you ready to perform tonight?""Tonight? Of course, yes, sir. There are so many songs I've written over the years, and I have them all at my fingertips. I can sing even in my sleep." Paige replied excitedlyZach laughed. "Well, I love that. Get ready because you'll be performing tonight."For Paige, everything seemed to be happening so fast. Just this morning, she was being called a thief and kicked out of her house. And now, she was going to be performing on a show tonight. She pinched herself to be sure she wasn't dreaming, and Jessica, who was staring at her, smiled, "Come on, let's go change your wardrobe.""Thank you very much, Sir," Paige said, wiping the joyous tears which had formed in her eyes."Don't worry about that. Just get ready to perform." Zach said.As Paige walked out, Zach stared at her, recalling his old days. His story seemed similar to hers as he had also been given a chance by someone he never expected. While they went shopping, Jessica asked Paige, "Are you related to Mr. Zach? I mean, he did say you're someone who belonged to him."Paige didn't know Jessica's relationship with Zach, so she didn't want to speak too much. She only said, "He's just helping me.""Come on, Mr. Zach doesn't help people just like that. I mean, everyone knows who he i
Paige stared at the people in the audience, observing the different expressions on their faces. Some felt pity for her, some laughed at her, while others booed and gestured with their thumbs down. As tears streamed down her face, the other girls continued to sing, and no one waited for her. After Candy; the fourth person, finished singing, the first girl resumed. Paige's microphone had already been rolled away from where she stood. Unable to bear the shame any longer, she turned around and ran away from the stage. Candy smiled, feeling victorious, and said inwardly, "Now let me see how you will be among the top two."Paige did not stop running until she reached outside. Fearing that people might notice her and start pointing fingers at her, she searched for a quiet and hidden spot, finding solace leaning on a pillar. She covered her face with her hands and continued to cry, recalling how she had assured Mr. Zachary that she would not fail him. She felt even more disappointed in he
Seeing that Paige was still crying, Zachary dipped his hand into his pocket, took out his handkerchief, and offered it to her. She stared at his hand, hesitating to take it from him, but he said, "Go ahead, take it.""Thank you, sir," she replied as she accepted the handkerchief and wiped her tears.When she was done wiping, Zach said, "If you break down so easily, how can you get to the top? How can you become a star if it's so easy to turn you into a crying vegetable? And what's up with your dress?""Well, I... I think someone cut off the rope," Paige sniffled."It's your fault," Zachary said, "it's no one else's fault but yours."Paige was surprised; she could not understand how it was her fault that someone plotted against her.Zachary saw the look on her face and knew that she did not understand his words, so he began to explain. "You should know that people try to one-up each other at events like this. That's how the world of showbiz is. So you should always be prepared. I look
As Paige entered the room, two of the girls turned to stare at her and began to laugh.Candy was the one who laughed the loudest; she folded her arms and said, "Aww, her eyes are puffy. Has the crybaby been crying tonight?""You were the one who sabotaged my dress, weren't you?" Paige asked Candy.Candy shook her head and retorted, "Wait, you're not satisfied with being a failure; now you're going to embarrass yourself here by accusing me of things I know nothing about?"The other girls in the room joined in laughing, and one even said to Candy, "Come on, why are you entertaining her? Don't bother with her, Candy; she's beneath us. From the very start, she wasn't supposed to be among us. We worked hard to get to this stage, and only God knows who she slept with in order to sneak in. But she has learned her place, so you shouldn't waste your breath on her."Paige stared at all of them without saying another word, holding her clothes tightly to herself. She remembered what Zachary had sa
Zach didn't want to believe that Paige was a thief. Although the information he had gathered showed she had been accused of theft many times by her family, he knew how families like that worked, so he didn't want to hold on to that. However, the look on her face at this point left him unsure of what to believe.It wasn't possible for her to be the one who stole from him because the CCTV footage of last night had been wiped off.The first thing he did was to check the CCTV room when he realized his jade necklace was missing. It was the only thing he had left of his mother, the only thing that reminded him of her. The fact that the footage had been wiped off showed that whoever stole from him was someone who knew his house perfectly.Paige had just turned eighteen and was the youngest person in his house. So how could she have stolen that bracelet when she didn't really know how everything worked in the house?Seeing that Paige was quiet, he became worried as he desperately hoped that
One hour later, Paige stopped crying and thought about what the future held for her. No matter how she thought about it, someone must have set her up.The jade necklace could not have miraculously ended up in her room since she knew that she never took it. It had to be one of the maids.Who else could it be? The one person she held as a suspect was the housekeeper. She was the only one who hated her enough to plot something so big.However, she couldn't point her finger at her because she had no evidence. It would seem as though she was trying to push the blame for her crime onto someone innocent.What hurt her the most was the way Zachary had stared at her as though she was a thief. He had shown trust in her just a few minutes ago, but now everything was ruined.She tried to focus her mind on other things because she didn't want to keep crying. She suddenly remembered that the judges of the event she performed at the previous night had said they'd send a reply to her the next day.Sh
After Paige left, Candy went back into the house with her parents. Her mom said, "Just imagine, this Paige. She's so fearless. How dare she come here and try to speak at the top of her voice? This is what I've been going through in her hands."Anthony shook his head, "I can't believe how insolent she is. It's a good thing I threw her out. If I hadn't stopped by to pick up something, I wouldn't have known that she could speak so disrespectfully.""That's how she is, Dad," Candy replied. "But, um, Dad, did you see that Paige also performed at the Spark girls' show? I mean, for some reason, she was suddenly among the Spark Girls. Normally, spark girls are only four, and one is picked out as the best at the end. But she came out of nowhere, and for the first time, the Spark Girls were five. Dad, I don't want Paige to beat me."Her mom scoffed, "How will she beat you? You're more beautiful and more talented. You'll surely win over her.""I know that when it comes to talent, I'm much better
After leaving the police station, Paige went back to Zach's home. She remained in the room, thinking about everything Matilda had told her. In the end, she told herself not to pay attention to such nonsense. It was probably an excuse to justify her wrongs.When Zach got back home, he went straight to his room without stopping to ask Paige about her meeting with Matilda.When it was morning, Paige woke up and checked her mail. She knew that the information from Spark Entertainment Agency would arrive on that day, but she didn't know the time. However, she decided to still check her mail, and when she did, she saw that a mail had been sent, citing her as one of the candidates who had been selected.She got up and screamed, jumping for joy. "I can't believe it, I can't believe this," she exclaimed.She wanted to hurry to Zach to tell him the good news she had received, but she realized that she hadn't taken her bath. So she rushed to the bathroom, took her bath, brushed her teeth, and p