Chapter 33
Star sat cross-legged on her plush bed, the neon glow from her gaming setup illuminating her room. She was engrossed in her favorite first-person shooter game, the sound of gunfire and explosions mixing with the upbeat music blasting from her wireless headphones. Her fingers moved deftly across the controller, a smirk forming on her lips as she took down yet another opponent.
"Boom, headshot!" she cheered, leaning back triumphantly. But before she could relish her victory, everything powered down in an instant. The screen went black, the music cut off, and the hum of her gaming console silenced.
"What gives?" Star groaned, her tone laced with frustration as she pulled off her headphones and looked around her now eerily quiet room. She was about to check the power when her eyes landed on a figure sitting on the leather sofa near the window.
Her mother, Emma, sat elegantly with her legs crossed, exuding the icy confidence she was known for. Her sharp gaze was locked on Star, and the room felt colder under her scrutiny. The maid, who had been dusting the shelves earlier, quietly exited the room, leaving the two of them alone.
Emma's lips curved into a cold, calculated smile. "You're certainly not making any headway in the right direction, doll," she said, her tone dripping with condescension.
Star bristled at the nickname, her irritation bubbling over. "Don't call me that!" she snapped, sitting up straighter.
Emma's expression didn't change. "You haven't done anything worth the name we gave you. I don't see any hope in you, doll, so you'd better prepare yourself. In two years, I'm disowning you unless you make a significant change."
Star's jaw dropped. Her mother's words hit her like a truck, the weight of them settling heavily in her chest. She blinked, as if trying to process what she'd just heard. "How could you even say such a thing?" she demanded, her voice shaking with disbelief.
Emma stood gracefully, her presence towering despite the physical distance between them. "I've always been logical, Star. And the truth is, you're a liability. I refuse to let my inheritance fall into the hands of someone so... incompetent."
Star's heart pounded in her chest, her stomach twisting into knots. She opened her mouth to argue, but Emma continued, her voice as cold as ever.
"While you've been playing games, wasting money, and whoring yourself out for attention, I've already adopted the perfect child to replace you. I'm done playing with dolls. So get ready to leave in two years." Emma's sharp heels clicked against the hardwood floor as she walked to the door. She paused briefly, looking over her shoulder. "Your father doesn't care either way. Maybe you can sell yourself to him if you're desperate enough." With that, she left the room, leaving Star alone in a deafening silence.