Mistress (Camren)

Chapter 23

Lauren's POV

Life couldn't have been more perfect right now. I felt better than I ever had in my whole entire existence. It was a better high than before. I was high on life!

"You feeling alright?" Demi asked me during Ty's album release party in the club.

The gang was all here in support of him. Normani and Ally showed up as well since we were also here for the celebration of "Boom Boom," Dinah's new collab with RedOne, Daddy Yankee and French Montana. It was cute how the couple could celebrate both projects together and bring all of us here.

"Of course," I nodded, assuring her that although there were drugs and alcohol flooding the place, I was a-okay. I wasn't going to throw away only three months of sobriety. It took so much hard work and dedication to get to where I was and I still had lengths to go. Not giving up now.

"There's baby girl!" Ashley came up to hug me from behind.

"Hi, baby!" I turned around to crush her in a tight squeeze hug.

"The song's amazing, Lo," Gerald complimented.

"Thaaanks!" I grinned from ear to ear. My song with Ty, "In Your Phone" was doing well for a song that was a non-single and only about two and a half minutes long. But I know his fans and my Laurenizers were in love with the track, streaming the hell out of it. I couldn't believe it but they were still supporting me after I'd been such a disgusting prick. They still cared and I couldn't have been more grateful.

I thought my career would never bounce back. I thought I was over since so many people hated me. Especially my label. But luckily I had friends like Ty, the girls and even Demi who were still there right by my side, helping me get through and working with me on the best music I could make.

Republic Records eventually talked with me and thankfully seen my progress on a better path. We made some agreements and I wasn't on any sort of probation with them anymore. My contract was safe.

But with Mickey and all the other assholes who followed him around, we were done. I fired them as soon as I could which they surely didn't like as they saw me happy and healthy without them. I was just done being their slave and forced to do things that were ruining my life. All for money. Money for those awful men. My addiction to drugs had a lot to do with them and they should've been held responsible for the most part. I ruined myself but they had a big part in it.

There weren't going to be people around me like that anymore. Never again.

"You look so gorgeous, Ash," I smiled at her beauty down to the sexy platinum blonde hair. But her whole being inside and out was flawless. After all these years of knowing of her and I was still blown away.

"Me? You've never looked more beautiful, my love," she cupped my left cheek and kissed the other side. "And I'm incredibly proud of how far you've come," she beamed, giving me a look that made me almost break down in tears.

The first time I saw Ashley after rehab, I did break down a sobbing mess. I cried with her for about two hours, telling her everything. Everything that I'd done, felt, seen and believed not even just through treatment but before. All of my pain, struggling and suffering through craving drugs that were killing me. It was the worst time of my life and if it hadn't been for some miracle and then rehab, I would've been dead right now. So, I laid it all out to her and she knew everything in full understanding and acceptance.

I couldn't have been blessed with a better best friend than Ashley Frangipane. Even though we didn't have a romantic type of relationship, I still felt in my heart that we were still in a way like soulmates.