“Laura my love.  .  please open the door.  Let’s talk about this”

In her dressing room, Laura Callahan was fuming.  How dare they do this to her?  Was she not the star of the show?  The fan favourite everyone loved and adored?  Did the Outstanding Lead Actress awards on her mantelpiece at home mean absolutely nothing to these ingrates? 

Fifteen years of her life she had devoted to ‘Wings of Passion’, the most popular daytime soap opera on air.  Fifteen years of blood, sweat and tears and now they dared to do this to her! 

Outside the door her agent Carrie Bauer continued pleading until Laura eventually opened the door and flung herself down on her imported leather couch. 

Carrie regarded the dark haired exotic beauty with a mixture of humour and exasperation.  Laura’s grey eyes were storm clouds, waiting to erupt. 

“Have you heard what they plan to do?  ”she asked icily.  ”To me, their lead actress?  ”

“I’ve heard rumours,” Carrie said as politely as possible, trying very hard not to burst out laughing.  The word ‘payback’ went through her mind like an Olympic sprinter. 

Laura was bitch personified, not diva, but bitch.  She treated people with such disdain and disrespect that when something like this happened, everyone who had the displeasure of knowing her , were probably popping champagne. 

“Rumours Carrie?  What kind of agent are you?  ”she said in a disgusted tone.  ”I rue the day I appointed you.  You are practically good for nothing!  ”

Carrie fumed silently at the abuse being hurled at her.  It took everything in her not to strangle the self absorbed cow then and there and then posting pictures of her dead body on every social network so the entire world could rejoice. 

“Calm down Laura,” she said sweetly.  :Tell me what happened.  ”

Laura inhaled dramatically, staring off into the distance and wiping at a wayward tear. 

“They plan to age my daughter on the show,” she said in a theatrical whisper,” and make me the mother of a twenty year old!  ”

Carrie suppressed a giggle.  Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome or SORAS for short was a staple of of daytime tv.  The children of lead stars were often aged well beyond their years as a means of driving development and creating fascinating plots. 

Yet for a vain bitch like the one before her, it was hell.  Laura hardly looked a day over 30, although 40 had come knocking a few months ago.  Then again, her plastic surgeon was an artist.  Her beauty and undeniable talent were the two things she counted on in life and now this, this would make it seem as if she were a mere mortal and the mother of a grown child at that. 

“Laura think of the possibilities, how Amelia will deal with the troubles of a grown daughter.  I smell another lead actress…”

“Oh shut up!  ”Laura bit back.  ”They want to turn me into an old woman and I won’t allow it!  ”

The rant continued for a while longer and when Carrie finally left she did so with a smile. 

“I can’t believe it!    I’m gonna play your daughter!  Can I call you Mom?  Hi, I’m Emily Grey.  ”

Laura forced a smile, taking the hand of the eager young woman who had practically jumped on her the minute she saw her. 

Tramp, Laura thought, wonder who she slept with to get the part. 

Mark Avery, Head Writer and Executive Producer of ‘Wings of Passion’ walked over to them. 

“Great casting choice, hey Laura?  Emily looks like a young you.  I’m sure the fans will love the resemblance between the two of you.  ”

“I’m sure,” Laura said, bile rising in her throat.  She couldn’t believe she had ever slept with the nerd. 

“I’m so excited to be here,” Emily enthused,” and I promise I won’t let you down!  ”

Mark gave her a hug.  ”I know you won’t darling, you are going to be a star.  ”

So this was it, Laura thought, this was it…They were probably planning to edge her out and have her fade into the background like a potplant so this young hussy could pull in the younger demographic over the summer months. 

Oh God!  If that useless Carrie hadn’t reminded her that she was still contractually bound for another 2 years she would have stormed off the set by now. 

“Mark love, now that we’re all her, what are your plans for the storyline?  ”Laura asked, shuddering at the thought of what the perverted geek had come up with. 

“Pretty basic stuff,” Mark said.  ”Maddie will return from college, pregnant, and after the baby is born the father will be revealed to be her college professor, who…wait for it…just happens to be Amelia’s first love!    Mother and daughter will fight for his affections.  ”

Laura could happily have killed him in that moment.  Competing with a woman half her age on screen…What else could possibly go wrong? 

“The viewers love her,” Carrie said, handing Laura a copy of ‘Soap Opera In Depth’. 

Laura grabbed the magazine and read every word of the article. 

Phrases like ‘fresh faced beauty’, ’actress of note’ and ‘new star to watch’ jumped off of the page at her, slamming full force in her gut. 

The little tramp had only been on the show 2 months and already everyone was falling in love with her. 

Laura felt physically sick.  Ever since the tart had first appeared onscreen the effect had been astounding to say the least.  For the first time in how long, Laura wasn’t the one to get the most fanmail. 

“I’m sure it will pass,” Carrie soothed

Laura contemptuously looked up at her.  What a waste of skin.  It was really time to get a new agent. 

“What do you know?  ”Laura spit out.  ”Did you notice I don’t appear in as many episodes as before?  Mark is showcasing this tramp at my expense!  ”

Carrie smiled, watching the vein above Laura’s left eye bulge.  Pop, just pop…. 

“Viewers want to see her Laura, she’s pulling in the ratings right now.  Nothing you can do about that.  ”

Carrie ducked just in time as the magazine went flying over her head. 

“Nothing I can do about it huh?  ”Laura said to herself after Carrie had left her dressing room.  ”We’ll see about that!  ”

She reached for her phone, the number she needed was on speed dial. 

“Bob, how are you?  ”she cooed into the phone. 

Bob Reeves was the Executive Vice President of Daytime Programming at the network. 

He arrived at Laura’s house that night, thrilled that she had invited him for dinner.  This could finally be his chance…He’d been after her for a while now and it had taken some fancy footwork to evade his wife this evening. 

He just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get into Laura Callahan’s pants. 

She opened the door, a breathtaking vision in red, her perfume intoxicating his senses, her body enticing him to new heights of lust.  Damn, she was fine as hell…

“Bob, I’m so glad you came,” she said huskily.  ”We have so much to discuss…”

Much later in the afterglow of their lovemaking, she seeked confirmation of their agreement. 

“So you will do this little favour for me Bobby?  ”she purred seductively, running her hands down his body. 

“Of course Laura, :he gasped,” of course…”

“I can’t believe this is happening!  ” Emily sobbed.  They were in her dressing room between takes, herself, Laura and Mark. 

Laura put on her best game face.  Little bitch, did she really think she could go up against her? 

It was a good thing she had remembered that Bob was totally in lust with her, the one man who could help her fulfill her plan.  A pure stroke of genius.  Although sleeping with the bumbling fool was disgusting. 

A necessary sacrifice, but really, his skills in the bedroom were less than average.  She was sure his wife had a lover tucked away somewhere. 

“Darling it’s a cutthroat business,” she said ever so gently.  ”Something else will come along.  ”

“Laura’s right,” Mark said,” these things happen.  The network just decided this was the wrong direction for the show at the moment.  ”

Inwardly, Laura rejoiced.  Life was good! 

“Finally everything is right with the world,” Laura said to herself, pouring another glass of champagne. 

She walked out onto the deck of her beach house, marveling at how everything had fallen into place, to her advantage. 

Her seduction of that imbecile Bob had led to Emily being fired and her sexual hold over him gave her some leverage over Mark and his stupid ideas for the show.  Bob would keep him in line.  Emily had taped her final scenes and she was back to being the queen bee on set. 

What an amazing feeling! 

Ther was a knock on the door and when she answered it Carrie was there…with Emily.  Laura regarded them suspiciously, bristling that her celebratory moment was being ruined by these two inbreds. 

“Can we come in?  ”Carrie said.  ”We have to talk.  ”

Against her better judgment, Laura let them in, wondering what they could possibly say that would interest her.  One was as boring as the other was tiresome. 

“We have something for you,” Emily said, handing Laura a newspaper,” a copy of ‘Worldwide Enquirer’, the latest that hits the stands tomorrow.  ”

Laura grabbed the tabloid, her patience tested beyond measure every second these two were in her presence. 

Then she saw it…The headline…On the front page. 

She felt herself go ice cold as the blood rushed from her face, this couldn’t be happening, not after all these years….  Her secret, exposed for all to see…

For a moment she forgot how to breathe, she clutched at her chest, reading the headline over and over as her world spun around her. 

‘DAYTIME DIVA’S SECRET LOVE CHILD REVEALED’

“Hello Mother,” Emily said with a sugar sweet smile. 

“It didn’t have to come to this you know,” Emily said as Laura stared at her in pure shock and horror.  ”You are just such a bitch.  ”

Laura felt nauseous, for so long she had kept this secret.  No one ever knew she had been pregnant and that she’d…. 

The scandal could ruin her career, everything was falling apart! 

“How did you find me?  ”she finally asked when she could breathe again. 

“Through Carrie.  ”

The words hit Laura like a ton of bricks. 

“Carrie?  ”she said disbelievingly. 

“Yes Laura.  I brought Emily to town,” Carrie said smugly.  ”I found the child you abandoned in the toilet of a truck stop!  ”

Carrie laughed, satisfied that the upper hand was hers.  All the years of abuse and mental torture were at an end. 

“Let me explain,” she continued.  ”You remember your birthday party last year when you got so drunk and I had to drive you home?  ”

“Vaguely…”

“Well that night you told me that before you were famous your name was Gertrude Evans.  ”

Oh God!  The world was spinning again.  Laura felt ill, silently cursing herself for revealing such a secret to Carrie of all people. 

“I did some digging,” Carrie continued,” and finally I found your Aunt Sarah.  She was only too happy to tell me all about your sordid past…after a few whiskeys.  ”

Damn that old drunk!    Bitch should have been rotting in her grave by now! 

It was impossible to compose herself.  Come morning, everything she had worked for would go up in flames. 

“How could you leave me in a toilet?  ”Emily asked icily.  ”Did you really feel nothing for me?  ”

Laura looked at her with a mixture of disgust and fascination.  It was true what Mark had said.  There was a definite resemblance between them and now she knew why.  This little skank was the brat she had dumped so long ago. 

“I never wanted you,” she announced vindictively,”  I was 17, I wanted to have an abortion but Sarah wouldn’t let me.  ”

Both Emily and Carrie stared at her in utter shock. 

“My God,” Carrie said,” selfish and spiteful to the bitter end.  ”

Laura laughed.  ”When I got the opportunity I packed my bags.  You were an obstacle.  So I left you where I did.  ”

“What you don’t know,” Emily said, fighting back a tear at the cruelty,” is that Sarah followed you that day.  She found me and thanks to her I found a wonderful home.  My adoptive parents knew what you had done and I overheard them talking about it one day.  I grew up hating you and wanting revenge.  ”

“And when I found her,” Carrie said,” We hatched this plan, with Mark’s help.  He never forgot how you used him and then threw him aside like yesterday’s trash.  ”

Mark!  So he wasn’t so stupid after all! 

“We counted on your vanity, your jealousy, your self absorbed sense of entitlement,” Carrie continued.  ”We knew you would do something to get Emily fired.  ”

“But the last laugh is ours,” Emily said, smiling at the thought.  ”Tomorrow when the media gets wind of this, it will seem like you had me fired to protect your vile secret.  The studio will never allow this scandal to grow, its too much damage and they will get rid of you.  You’re finished Laura!  ”

Defeated, she watched them bask in their triumph.  Indeed, it was all over .  For now…