Stardom: Born to be Idol

Chapter Two

Chapter Two: Background Singer

The announcement still haunted me, echoing in my head like a cruel joke. I felt a surge of anger, frustration, and betrayal. How could they do this to me? After all the hard work I had put in, they just tossed me aside like a piece of trash. I had no say in the matter. The decision was final and irreversible. No matter how much I pleaded or protested, they wouldn't listen. They had already chosen the members.

And to make matters worse, I was broke. I desperately needed the money. Mark, my stepfather, was a useless drunk who wasted all of my savings on gambling and booze. He constantly harassed me for cash, threatening to kick me out of the house if I didn't pay up. I had to get away from him, from this hellhole.

I looked out the window, watching the rain pour down like tears. The sky was dark and gloomy, mirroring my mood. Every raindrop that fell was like a shattered hope, a broken dream. I sighed deeply as I picked up the spoon and took a bite of the pork katsu that I had ordered at the company's cafeteria. I was sitting here alone at the very back, near the window, away from the crowd. I tried to savor the rare moment of peace, but it was short-lived. A girl snatched my food from the table and flung it across the room. I gasped in shock and looked up at her. She towered over me like a goddess, her platinum blonde hair cascading down her shoulders. Her cheeks were rosy with a hint of blush, and her skin was flawless and fair. Her eyes sparkled like sapphires, reflecting the light of the sun. She was the chairman's choice, and I knew I stood no chance against her. She was the epitome of beauty, and I was just a shadow in her presence. She was Priscilla.

"What's wrong with you?" I stood up and yelled at her, feeling the sauce dripping from my clothes. I grabbed a paper napkin and tried to wipe it off, but it was useless. The sauce had stained my hoodie, ruining it. It was my favorite, a gift from my mom. I was about to protest, to demand an apology, but it was too late. She slapped me hard across the face, sending me tumbling to the floor. My cheek burned and throbbed with pain.

"YOU BITCH!" She shrieks at me, grabbing a fistful of my hair and pulling me down to the floor again when I tried to stand up. The company's cafeteria erupts in gasps and whispers as Priscilla unleashes her fury on me. "You think you're better than me?! You humiliated me in front of everyone with your stupid scene!!" She spits in my face, her eyes blazing with hatred. I try to shield myself from her blows, but she is too fast and furious. "Die, you fat bitch! You're nothing compared to me! Just disappear! I hate being compared to someone who's as ugly as you!" She kicks me in the stomach, making me cough up blood. The people who are eating around us watch with morbid curiosity, but none of them lift a finger to help me. They probably think I deserve this, or they are too afraid of Priscilla's wrath.

How could she blame me for what the chairman said? I felt a twinge of compassion when he compared us, knowing how humiliating it must have been for her. Despite her constant bullying, I could relate to her pain in that moment. But then she turned on me, spewing venom and insults, as if I had orchestrated the whole thing. All my sympathy vanished, replaced by a boiling rage. I was sick of her, sick of her fat-shaming, sick of being treated like dirt, sick of being overlooked and dismissed! I felt a surge of adrenaline pumping through my veins and I clenched my fist, acting on impulse. I swung it hard and hit her right in the face.

I got up and saw her sprawled on the floor, holding her nose and screaming in agony. Oh shit, I think I just broke her nose. I wanted to go over and see if she was okay, but the security guards came in and dragged her away to the infirmary. I stood there, stunned and horrified, wondering what I had done.