Chapter 1.
"Hello? Miss, hello?”
It took an effort for Asha to open her eyes. When she did, she saw a young man standing over her. As she blinked, he leaned closer, peering intently into her eyes. The realization hit her that she was on the ground.
“Miss, you’ve been in an accident, are you hurt?”
Her head was fuzzy. All she could do was stare at the man, watching his mouth open and close as though in slow motion while his words reverberated around her. She could almost see the words in the air, like butterflies swirling in a large jar. She put her hand to her throbbing head.
“Miss, are you okay?” he asked again.
“Ahh, I think I am.” As Asha tried with all her might to sit up, all went gray and everything faded into darkness.
She heard the words, “I’ll call the paramedics.” That jolted her back to awareness.
“No! Don’t. I’m okay.” With all her might, Asha opened her eyes. “Don’t. I’m okay,” she repeated.
“Move your toes,” he ordered.
Asha moved her feet and her legs. “See? No harm done.”
“I can’t say the same for your car. I can call a friend to tow it to a workshop.”
“Yes, please. I’m okay. I’ll rest here for awhile on the ground.” She closed her eyes. “Just leave me here.”
“You need to be checked over. You must have a concussion, being knocked out like you were.”
Asha lifted her hand and tried to grab his arm, but she had no strength. Just lifting her arm had been hard enough. “No. I can’t go to the hospital.”
“I can’t leave you here.” Asha could see him trying to decide what to do. Then he leaned over, carefully picked her up and carried her, and that was when everything faded around her once again.
* * *
When Asha opened her eyes it took awhile to remember the accident and to figure out that the young man had taken her to...wherever she was. She was in a cozy bed; the smell of freshly baked bread and freshly ground coffee met her nostrils. Wherever she was, there was a strange sense of calm.
She sat up, blinking, and figured she must be in a farmhouse. Pain gripped her and she looked down inside the white sheet wrapped around her to see a dark bruise following the line where her seatbelt had been. That seatbelt must’ve saved her life. Looking down at the fabric wrapped around her, she realized it was a nightgown of sorts.
Noticing a small window, she pulled her legs over the side of the bed and that’s when she noticed iodine on her legs; then she saw the same on her arms. Someone had been caring for her. On wobbly legs, she managed to make it to the window and she looked out. There was nothing but fields for as far as she could see, not another house or building in sight.
She held her head and sank to the floor when she recalled speeding over the hill and swerving to avoid an Amish buggy. The next thing she remembered was her car tumbling over the side of the hill.
Thankfully, the car had come to a stop upright, she recalled, which allowed her to unbuckle her seatbelt and crawl away from the car. Then the blackness, and then that man. He must’ve brought her here.
Heading back to the warm bed, she was pleased that she’d gotten away from her life, away from her manager... Who was also her cheating boyfriend, Nate Berenger.
She knew she should’ve felt grateful to be alive, but she didn’t. She didn't care. Maybe if she’d died, Nate would’ve been sorry for how he’d treated her, and she’d be free of pain—free from the pressure that her life had become.
Everyone on the outside looking in, thought she had the perfect life; she had platinum records and every new song became an instant hit. Her tours were always sold out, and now Nate was negotiating a movie deal where he promised she’d play opposite some big Hollywood names. No one understood the never-ending pressure that came from being on top. Sometimes she felt she was suffocating, with no relief in sight.
Closing her eyes, she remembered the scene—the last straw—that had led her to driving such a long distance that night.
Asha had walked into the busy bar, becoming annoyed that her drink wasn’t waiting for her. She scanned the dimly lit nightclub for her manager and boyfriend, Nate. He was nowhere in sight. All eyes were on her from the moment she’d walked in, but that was nothing new. She was used to being the center of attention and would’ve been worried if she wasn’t.
“Asha, can I have your autograph please?” a fan called out, waving a book and a pen.
“Not tonight, sorry. Maybe another time,” Jason, Asha’s bodyguard, did his best to deter the autograph hunters while bouncers moved between Asha and the anxious fans. “Sorry, Asha, we tried to make the bar for VIPs only tonight. I guess it didn't work.”
“Thanks, Jason. Have you seen Nate?” Still looking into the crowd of people to see if she could spot him, Asha grew more annoyed. He’d always booked her for too many shows and didn’t give a second thought to how run-down she was.
With Nate missing, Asha grew jealous. Was he with another woman? She wasn’t normally a jealous person, but she knew he had a wandering eye. The fact that he was tall and handsome, with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes, and now very rich, thanks to her, didn’t help matters. When the flashing lights lit up a corner of the otherwise darkened bar, she saw him...huddled next to another woman.
Anger rippled through every fiber of her being. He’d promised, sincerely she'd hoped, to be faithful and to stop flirting with other women, but that was clearly a lie. It made a fool out of her when people saw him with someone else. Everyone knew she and Nate were dating.
In a rage, she charged toward him and when she got closer, she saw that the woman he was whispering to was her best friend, Julie Rose. Both of them looked shocked and guilty when they turned to see her.
“Real best friend you are, Julie Rose! Both of you, just forget my number. And Nate, you’re fired as my manager and… And everything else! I’m leaving the industry.”
Nate lunged forward, sending Julie Rose flying, and grabbed Asha’s arm. “Hey! Wait!”
Julie Rose stood up and laughed. “He never loved you!”
Nate was talking about contracts and how she wasn’t able to fire him, but Asha wasn’t listening. The two people closest to her had betrayed her. She wondered how long it had been going on between them. There was no use asking, she’d heard enough lies for one lifetime.
Asha stepped back, pulled her arm away from Nate’s grasp, and walked away. She’d call her lawyer tomorrow and get out of her contract with Nate, and find a new manager. There were two names she’d been given when she last made inquiries. Either one of them had to be better than Nate; next time she wouldn’t mix business with personal relationships. She’d learned that lesson the hard way.
“Asha! Wait! Stop, I’m sorry! It won’t happen again.”
It was too late. Asha ran through the bar to get away and as she did, she felt all eyes on her. She ran to the elevator to get back to the safety of her room and as she waited she felt a hand slip around her waist.
“Let go of me now!” She knew it was Nate.
She screamed as he yanked her closer toward him. Without thinking, she turned toward him, balled her hands into fists and punched. Some punches connected and others flailed about in the air. Her anger was burning deep and her face burned with rage. This was not the life she’d asked for.
Then Jason, all six feet six of him, grabbed Nate. “Go, Asha,” he said as the elevator doors opened.
Nate struggled, which made Jason put some kind of hold on him that sent him to the floor.
“Run, Asha, I’ll be right behind you,” Jason yelled.
As the doors closed, Asha heard Jason tell Nate he knew it wouldn’t be long before she dumped him. At least Jason was on her side.
Once out of the elevator, she charged into her room and slumped down on the bed. As the tears rolled down her face, she was consumed with hopelessness.
She was rich and she was famous, so why was she so unhappy? From the time she’d been a young teen having singing lessons and singing into a hairbrush, she’d dreamed of this life. It wasn’t supposed to be so unhappy.
All Asha could do was sob into a pillow. This wasn’t the first time she had finished a show and gone to meet her boyfriend, only to find him all over someone else. Now two people had betrayed her at once. She always knew Julie Rose wanted him; seeing them kiss was no surprise, not really. They’d probably been hooking up the whole time.
They can have each other now! Asha thought.
There had to be more to life than this. The tears continued as she recalled how hard she had worked to pay for those singing lessons. Time and time again she'd heard she’d never make it. How happy she was when she finally got signed to a record label. Easy days from here, she’d thought. How wrong she had been.
Not content to wallow in self-pity, Asha decided to take action. She had to get away from her life and the people who surrounded her. She leaped out of bed and headed to the bathroom. Her red lipstick was smudged, and her mascara-smears gave her a panda-eyed look. She ran cold water over a washcloth and wiped off every trace of makeup. Her long blonde curls were matted and her tight white dress was now stained from tears and makeup. She pulled off the dress and threw on an old pair of jean-shorts and a t-shirt she only wore between public appearances.
Everyone always told her how beautiful she was, but what use was that? It hadn’t made her happy. All the money, the makeup, the clothes, the hair, it didn’t mean anything to her anymore. Neither had the thousand dollar shoes and the five star hotel rooms. Life hadn't been good before she became famous, but it was better than what she had now and there had been no pressure attached.
A change had to be made. She had to get away. Asha picked up the phone and ordered Nate’s car to be brought to the front of the building. They told her it would be there in five minutes. That was just enough time for her to pack some belongings into a small bag. She’d get away by herself and Nate could explain to her fans why she quit her tour. Even though she didn’t like letting her fans down, she was in survival mode. If she didn’t get away, she knew she’d die. She pushed away suicidal thoughts, she wouldn’t let Nate be the cause of that, but could she ever get away from the life she’d created? Everyone would know her wherever she went.
Nate burst into the bedroom and looked down at her bag.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Away from you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll move into another room if that’s what you want.”
“I’m leaving for good. I’m getting out of the country for a while, and I’m finding peace. Now leave me alone.” She’d made certain to pack her passport.
He pulled her arm. “We can work this out.”
“Get away!” she hollered.
Jason walked into the room. “I’m sorry, Asha. I tried to keep him away.”
“Get back, or I’ll fire you,” Nate said to the bodyguard.
“I work for Asha,” Jason said before he dragged Nate out of the room.
Asha grabbed her bag and headed to the elevator while Nate was restrained.
She jumped into the car at the front of the hotel, and sped away. Asha had no idea where she was going, hoping she’d know when she got there. When Nate finally realized she had his car, she’d be long gone. Anyway, he could go home in the tour bus, she figured.
After a couple of hours, her tears stopped flowing, slowing down to a trickle. Now she was out in the country, surrounded by trees and then fields. Time to speed up, now that she was away from the city. There’d be no police to book her for speeding in these parts. She pressed her foot to the floor.
Driving fast gave her a sense of power, of control, that she didn’t have in her day-to-day life. Behind the wheel, she was in control and no one could tell her how to drive. When she came to a slight rise, she eased off the gas a bit. As she crested the hill, directly in front of her was a buggy with flashing lights. Asha hit the brakes and swerved to avoid it and lost control of the car. The last thing she remembered was the bite of the seatbelt as she was thrown around inside the tumbling car.
