Falling Stars
Chapter 1
They outed me as a copycat, a fake pop star,
and a dozen or so trolls dragged me to an
abandoned warehouse and went to town on
- me.
By the time they pulled me out, I had a gaping wound where my throat used to be, my vocal cords were gone, and my fingers and legs were twisted all kinds of wrong.
My parents, the King and Queen of pop, were pulling every string they had, swearing to
make whoever did this pay.
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My older brother, the CEO, was losing it,
calling every hotshot doctor on the planet to
fix me.
Outside the operating room, I could hear my
mom’s voice, hesitant.
“Even if Chloe did steal Anya’s songs, was
this too much? Is this really fair?”
Dad scoffed.
“She brought this on herself! We took her
back ten years ago, let her steal Anya’s
spotlight, and she still wasn’t happy. She
always had to one–up Anya, and now this
song theft!”
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My brother chimed in, all righteous
indignation.
“Yeah! She’s already our real daughter, the
one we brought back into the family. Still, she had to be a snake and step all over Anya. This is a lesson she needs to learn, so Anya can finally win that Grammy. As for Chloe, give her a dog’s vocal cords, at least she will be able to bark orders or something!”
The pain was tearing me apart, tears leaking from the corners of my eyes.
My family, who swore they’d make up for lost time, was doing this to me for the sake of
some fake sister.
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Anya stole my music, but they were buying
her story and destroying me for it.
I didn’t want this family anymore.
Outside the OR, the doctor looked sympathetic, like he actually gave a damn.
“Mr. Lancaster, while Miss Lancaster’s vocal cords are damaged, we have a chance to restore her voice if we give her artificial ones. Her fingers and legs may never be fixed if we wait any longer.”
“Miss Lancaster relies on her voice and hands
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as a performer, shouldn’t we consider
immediate surgery…”
My dad cut him off, cold as ice.
“Hold off!”
My mom sounded unsure.
“Honey, Chloe’s been punished enough. The awards are the day after tomorrow. She won’t be attending now anyway. She’s still our
daughter, can we really watch her end up crippled?”
My brother’s voice dripped with disdain.
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“Crippled is good! Without her singing voice,
she can’t steal Anya’s thunder anymore. With
broken legs, she’ll stay put at home, and she
won’t be able to hold a pen in her hand to write any more songs. We can afford to keep her comfortable for the rest of her life.”
“She was brazen enough to plagiarize Anya, she should be prepared for the
consequences. The Grammy belongs to Anya. She deserves to be the next big singer
songwriter. The only way for Anya to shine is for Chloe to be ruined!”
“No artificial vocal cords, give her a dog’s, so she can make noises when she is in need!”
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Mom sighed, then quietly told the doctor.
“Give my daughter the best pain meds you
have. As for her hands and legs, just keep
them from getting worse, or hurting too
much. My baby has always been a bit of a
scaredy cat…”
Hearing this, I started shaking uncontrollably,
tears gushing.
All this supposed malicious act was actually a
deliberate plan orchestrated by my family.
They destroyed my voice and hands to clear
the path for their precious Anya.
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And they never even asked me, just took
Anya’s word as gospel.
A searing pain shot from my heart through my
whole body.
I just stared at the ceiling.
My mom came into the OR and noticed my blood–soaked hands trembling and broke down crying.
“Sweetie, it’s Mommy! Are you hurting? Don’t worry, we’ll get the doctor right away!”
My brother made a phone call, his voice cracking.
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“You have to find the best vocal cords for my
sister. Her life–long dream can’t be ruined!”
“Sis, don’t worry, I’ll catch those thugs and make them feel what it’s like to have their hands and feet broken, vocal cords cut out!”
My dad, with a face full of guilt, looked at me and said “Sweetie, the world’s top doctors are on their way…”
“Once you get better, I’ll write a song and sing with you, so everyone knows that you’re my most outstanding daughter!”
I stared blankly at their Oscar–worthy performances, and desperately tapped on my
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phone with my palm.
[I really didn’t steal Anya’s song…]
Blood soaked the screen, and my brother
grabbed my phone.
“We believe you! Just focus on getting better!”
They nodded, but wouldn’t look me in the eyes.
They didn’t believe me, and that’s why they were doing this.
Ten years ago, my brother found me and
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wept, vowing to spend the rest of his life
making it up to me. My parents would say the
same.
But they were the ones destroying my dreams, sending me straight to hell.
All for that spoiled fake daughter, Anya.
Tears blurred my vision. I couldn’t tell who their real daughter was anymore.
I would never be as important as Anya.
There was no place for me in this family.
The doctor pushed the painkiller into my arm,
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looking at the nasty wound on my throat and
twisted limbs with a pained expression.
“Miss Lancaster, the specialists won’t be here
for a while, just try to bear with it.”
The drugs didn’t stop the pain in my heart.
I whimpered, biting my lip so hard I drew
blood.
My mom and dad looked heartbroken.
My brother pushed his arm into my mouth “Sweetie, just bite me if it hurts too much, don’t hurt yourself.”
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They acted like the most caring family, but I
felt a chill in my bones.
The next thing I knew, it was the next day.
Before the experts showed up, I overheard my brother and mother talking.
“Aaron, Chloe has suffered enough, do we
still need to send reporters to the hospital to expose her song theft? We don’t have much proof anyway…”
My brother sighed, but was decisive.
“We have to expose her! She already lost her voice, so she can only quit the industry, and
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doesn’t need to save any face. Only this way
will the judges feel sympathy for Anya, and
she will have a greater chance of winning the Grammy!”
“Anya has been with us since she was born, she won’t lie. Even without proof, I know how to prove it!”
Dad told my brother: “Don’t be too protective of Chloe in front of the reporters. She needs to know what she did was wrong, and lose
some of her arrogance.”
My brother spoke grimly.
I lay in bed, tears already gone.
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Ten years ago, my brother brought me back
because of my singing competition video
from the orphanage.
They recognized me, and after bringing me
back, I worked harder than Anya to get into
the best music academy.
Later, I wrote the song “The Moon in the Sea”
that was nominated for a Grammy.
But my brother believed Anya and was going
to give false testimony and ruin my
reputation!
My heart was stabbed, if only I didn’t go
home with them.
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home with them.
“Bang!”
The door burst open, and a horde of reporters crowded in with cameras.
I lay in bed, helpless, and watched as they hurled insults.
“Chloe Lancaster, heard you got what you deserved for stealing your sister’s songs. Are you sorry now?”
“Heard they cut out your vocal cords and broke your arms and legs, and you’ll be a mute cripple for the rest of your life?”
