In a time where people would save your contact with your name, only to not pick up your phone when you're calling them, find someone who will always make it a priority to pick up your phone.

****************

Today Kayden's best friend, Vanessa had got married to Dmitri and here she was, getting ready for the reception party. She had always thought that the love story her two best friends shared, she too would have that.

She always believed that she would be shooting a film with her co-star and initially they would start to go out, just for the fun of it, and then in no time, there would be spunk in the air. He would sweep her off her feet and the tingles that she would get when he would look at her would electrify her with every glance he threw her way.

And even if their personalities were poles apart, she would be the one that he would want to know everything about. Even if he was opposed to her, she was the one to who he was going to be attracted, and what started, just for fun would eventually turn out to be the end game for her.

But her best friend's love story was one of those opposites attract one but Kayden wanted her guy to be similar to her to some extent. Because the number one thing that she wanted in a relationship was to be understood because she hadn't been understood in her past relationships. She'd always known the good-bye because of misunderstandings.

No one took the time to know her.

She realized that once again she got stuck in her head. This day was not about her, it was about her best friend and she needed to be there for her. She needed to go to the reception party on time and not waste time getting stuck in her head. She did this a lot nowadays.

She looked at herself in the mirror and realized that her stylist, like always, had done an amazing job. She sparkled in a bodycon, golden sequin dress which was off-shoulder on the right side. The dress ended at her mid-thigh. Her chest-length brown hair was neatly straightened in a center partition. Since she was feeling brave and sexy, she decided to go for dark red-brownish lipstick. Her long earrings were going to kill her today but nothing a girl can't handle. She was feeling sexy today, a pair of earrings couldn't bring her down. Her makeup was neither too dark nor too light, just the right amount. Her eye makeup had golden sparkly eye shadow which elevated her eyes just the way she wanted. All in all, she looked fabulous, all thanks to her stylist. Of course and her mom for giving her, her amazing genes. Her dad, not so much in the looks department. She got kindness from her dad.

She soon arrived at the venue with her bodyguard, Van. Van was more than a bodyguard to her now. He was family. He had taken so much care of her she couldn't even thank him enough. He would tell her to stop drinking too much when she was hurt by Sam. Whenever Sam stood her up, he would always come to pick her up. Even after his work hours were over. He didn't owe it to her to leave his family behind in the middle of the night but he always came no matter how late she called him.

He always picked up her phone. And this is something she values above everything else in a time where people would save your contact with your name, only to not pick up your phone when you're calling them.

She entered the hotel lobby to see it flooded by who's who of the industry. All these people used to be her friends, but once she got cast in marvel films and gave back to back hits for Martin Scorsese and he announced that she was his favorite actress to date as he would not have been able to achieve so much success in his films if she hadn't acted in them and put so much belief in the complicated stories that he wanted to tell when no other actress trusted his gut, everybody in Hollywood turned against her openly.

It's one thing when your enemies attack you openly, but it's a whole new level of shitty when friends turn against you.

They hated her because they couldn't be like her or envied her because they wanted to be like her and, trying to become like her, is no piece of cake.

Talented ones aren't insecure and hardworking one's know that they built it all from scratch so it's going to last forever.

If hard work, talent, and humility were the key to achieving superstardom, then her army of fans ready to protect her at any cost and her strong work ethic was going to be the formula to sustain superstardom.

And with the way she was going, she was here to stay and slay. She made that fact known very clearly. She wasn't going to be treated as an outsider anymore. She was in the game and here for the long haul.

She greeted a few of her colleagues whom she still respected and ignored the ones who had the time to throw dirty glances her way but didn't have the time to utter a hello even for the sake of being cordial. Screw them.

Since this was a reception party she found the bride and groom amidst a huge group of people and loads of photographers all huddled around them to capture every moment, look, body mannerism, every hand-holding moment, every kiss. These photographers wanted to nail photography down to perfection. Vanessa might give them a couple of million extra and Kayden would give them a contract for her wedding. They deserve it. She thought to herself if she was going to be married someday. Because of the way she was going, even her mother believed, she wasn't going to find anybody, and would always stay single.

" Your eyes are gleaming baby," said Kayden, smiling at her best friend as she hugged her. Dmitri was looking like a lovesick puppy. The love he had for Vanessa was shining brightly through his eyes. He probably couldn't still believe that he was able to call Vanessa his wife.

"Yes hun, I am so happy. This is the best day of my life. He makes me so happy Kay," Vanessa replied

"Congratulations. My favorite co-star ever!" Kayden pulled Dmitri into a hug and he laughed at her excitement. Vanessa didn't want to be left out of the hug, she screamed an awww, "group hug guys. Take me in."

Kayden pulled her in and they hugged their emotions out. She already knew it was going to be a fun and emotional night and she was here for it.

She let the bridegroom dance and she looked at the room and saw some of her contemporary artists sitting at the table. They waved at her so she decided to join them. She sat next to Alexa parks.

Alexa park was a newcomer in the industry but with a nepotistic background but she was talented, there was no doubt so good roles fell into her lap.

Kayden went to the gym along with her. They'd been going to the same gym for the past 2 years so she knew her well. People at the gym called them best friends. So Kayden went along with it. If somebody considered her a best friend she wasn't rude enough to reject a friendship. What kind of a person does that? There had been a rumor circulating about her in the inside circle of the Industry but she didn't believe it.

The day she had read the first article, she had dismissed it by saying that this was mere speculation. Some weightless words of spineless journalists spilled to them by this so-called insider who normally was the best friend screwing you behind your back. She had told herself that she would believe it the day she saw it herself.

She greeted everybody with a smile and then they started with the chit chat. Discussing everybody's personal lives like they were some form of high command and they were entitled to pass their opinion on every little and the biggest thing that happens in their small little Hollywood. As their life was only Hollywood and if somebody asked them to give their views on climate change, they'll be like-

oh but the weather's fine, it always snows, rains, sunrise, sunset everything occurs on time, that's all we know, rest the department of climatology will tell hehe, we're just actresses. This is out of our capacity to answer, hehe, more fake giggles.

Their dumb wit brings them to their favorite question which Kayden knew was just about to be asked,

"So ladies who out of you is still single, spill the beans," Kate( another actress) questioned everybody in general.

After all, if this question isn't asked, what kind of a lady chit chat was happening?

Oh Lord, here it starts. This was the reason she didn't want to join this gossip mill.

Everybody gave their replies and when it was her turn, she chugged down the shot of alcohol, whatever was placed in front of her. They all were looking at her expectantly so she replied," It's just the sexy single life for me."

Having said that, she got up from the table.

"The DJ is starting guys. Better put these hips to good use before I become an oldie. Have been toning these hips to either get laid or dance at these occasions. Now's the time to show off, follow me."

As she was on her way towards the dance floor, the smile that she had on her lips quickly faded.

Because she was looking directly at Sam fucking Hardin.

But thankfully, the intimidating and awkward eye contact and his ugly presence both were whisked away by his ass of a best friend, Arthur Picasta who was one of the reasons behind their break up. Okay, he wasn't a reason, but he was an instigating factor. That too a pretty strong one.

The worst thing is he was also a big-shot Hollywood director and he would never cast Kayden in his film now, but whatever. Even when Sam and she were together, he still never offered her a film. He always pretended around her and she took note of it.

It's not like if he won't work with her, she would be out of a job. Huh.

Sam and his bestie can very sweetly fuck off. Kayden doesn't need a stupid arrogant director to build her career, and he definitely can't break it too.

But right now she surely was glad that he grabbed that asshole away from her.

She was hoping Sam wouldn't show up here since he was also Vanessa's ex but when Vanessa and he broke up, at that time Kayden was just starting her career.

She caught his eye as she was playing a smaller role in the film in which he was playing the lead. Initially, it was a little bit of flirting here and there, and then they started dating.

Then in one film, Vanessa was cast as the lead actress and Kayden was the supporting actress. They bonded over their night shoots in Paris and ate biscotti tacolls in Prague. Sam visited her on set in Prague but since Vanessa had already moved on so she didn't care. Sometimes the four of them would hang out together when Dmitri would also join them on their off days.

Vanessa and Kayden were having a party on the dance floor. They had been dancing for what felt like two hours and she was dehydrated, out of breath, and super sweaty so she needed a pause.

She murmured into Vanessa's ear that she was going to drink water and then she'll be back but she saw something out of the corner of her eye which made her heart fall to her stomach. She had heard the rumors and chose to believe them only on the day she saw it through her own eyes.

Well, this is that day. Her wishes were heard very soon.

Sam Hardin and Alexa Parks were huddled in the corner of the hall in a fierce lip lock.

The way he used to kiss Kayden.

..and he had his hands on her waist.

Like his hands used to hold Kay tightly in her place so that she wouldn't slip out of his fingers. How his fingers used to warm up her skin wherever he touched her.

and she had her hands in his silky hair.

Like she used to grab onto his hair when he would tell her it relaxed him. He would tell her to calm him down or pull them hard when they were making love and it would turn him into a beast and he would ravage her like she was his because at that moment she was his.

Guess somebody was going to have a wild night and somebody was going to turn a beast for someone else and ravage her.

Like he did to her.

She knew how she was feeling but she didn't want to deal with the harsh words her brain was yelling at her shattering her fickle heart.

Somebody else was going to have the night of their lives, but sadly her night was ruined.

She didn't want to look at them for even a second. She felt her chest constricting. Everybody knew about her past here and nobody would deliberately miss a chance to gauge her reaction if she stayed here and make gossip about how pathetic she looked getting sad at watching her ex make out with a newcomer, younger than her.

What is with men lusting after younger women? She wasn't judging the loyal ones, she was only judging Sam.

So she waved at Van. Van seemed confused at her sudden need for a departure from her best friend's reception party but being the extra observant and super sharp guy that he is, he swept the room with eyes like a hawk and as soon as his eyes landed on Sam, his brain clicked.

It made sense to him, why Kayden would wanna leave.

He instantly locked his jaw, nodded while looking at Kayden.

Sam even managed to piss off the most composed person on Earth.

He followed Kayden to the car. Their steps matched as if they both had the same desire to get away from the party as soon as possible.