by Laura Morgan
“Eighty million dollars?” Cassie shrieked, almost falling off her seat, and the rotund man nodded, happily setting her up with high interest savings accounts, and a platinum bankcard before she had even left his premises.
Before long she got used to the idea of having the money, and bought herself a stunning apartment in a safe and posh area in the center of London. Cassie also purchased a small, run-down theater in dire need of renovation and updating. This was her baby. It soon became her little piece of new normality, and Cassie loved it. She became herself again inside those walls, and while she found the person she used to be, she also discovered a newer, better version there too. Cassie became the person she’d always wanted to be, thanks to her old and new selves standing tall and strong as one, rather than at war with one another. Her confidence reached new highs, and her love of the theater and passion for the arts combined in a way that made her proud of who she had become. Cassie wasn’t a victim anymore. She was determined she would never play a role again. Her scars ran deep, but she would wear them on her sleeve, and never let anyone give her fresh ones.
***
After just over a year of being back home in London, Cassie’s theater hosted a lavish party for its opening night. After a full renovation, followed by rehearsals and set design, she was finally ready. They were showing a new play written and choreographed by a talented up and coming composer named Alex Clarke, whom Cassie had discovered at a poetry reading in Covent Garden. She’d decided to give him a chance to wow her, and he had not disappointed.
After seeing what talent was out there, unnoticed and spectacular, she’d had an epiphany. Cassie had to turn her new theater into place where unknown artists had the chance to showcase their talents, helping give them a much-needed foothold in the theatrical world. So far the journey had been wonderful. Cassie had every hope Alex would finish up at her theater and go on to greatness. She loved helping him make a name for himself, and liked how this made her feel. Helping discover hidden talent was what she knew she wanted to do with her life from now on.
The party was heaving that night, their guests enjoying champagne while chatting with the team before the show was due to begin. Cassie wandered the crowd, talking with many of the guests confidently and gracefully. She’d never lost that kind warmth she naturally exuded, and she enjoyed the affectionate gazes and hopeful stares that some of the men gave her, but she just wasn’t interested in starting all over again.
Just as the speakers announced the guests should take their seats, the hairs on Cassie’s neck suddenly stood up and her core tensed. It was as though she could sense something powerful and intense directed at her from somewhere in the crowd. She watched as the audience filed inside, unable to shake the strange feeling. She was about to head backstage when a voice she knew all too well whispered in her ear.
“Do you have any chardonnay? I’m not really one for champagne.”
Acknowledgements
Thank you to my wonderful friends, you crazy bunch of ladies. You’re my encouragement, my support, my betas and proofreaders. You were on hand to give me a kick up the arse when I needed it, but also an understanding ear and a shoulder to cry on when the pressure ever got to me. You crazy stew pots have been part of this amazing journey right from the start—thank you!
Thanks to my mum, Sue. You’ve always supported my creativity. After all, I do get it from you. You ring me up with amazing ideas and have always told me I’d make it. Despite what you and Lisa say, I’ll always keep you both close to my heart—as they say, you know too much!
And last, but certainly not least, Brian. You’re a wonderful father, husband and friend. You always joke and say I’d be fine without you, and thanks to your travels across the globe, you might be right. But, that doesn’t mean I don’t miss having you near. I love the way you love me, and I adore the way you love our family. You are my hero, always.
About the Author
Laura Morgan lives wherever the military sends her, well technically her husband, but, as any soldier’s wife will tell you, the life involves all the family working together as one unit. She started her writing career putting together short stories and fan fiction, usually involving her favourite movie characters caught up in steamy situations, and wrote her first full length novel, Embracing the Darkness, in 2013. A self-confessed computer geek, Laura enjoys both the writing and editing side of her journey, and regularly seeks out the next big gadget on her wish list.
She spends her days looking after her two young children and their cocker spaniel Milo, as well as making the most of her free time by going to concerts with her friends, or else listening to rock music at home while writing (a trend many readers may have picked up on in her stories.)
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