Scorned

Chapter One

Chapter 1

Beyoncé removed the top over her head. It was finally time to handle business and do what she'd come to do. She was to do the only thing that she knew how to do – model. She threw the shirt over to her accompanying best friend – Tanya, and immediately went to work. She took minimal direction from the photographer holding the camera, allowing her to do what came natural. It was yet another magazine spread for another men's magazine. Like always, she was sought out and personally handpicked for the role.

Men loved her. It had less to do with her petite body, and more to do with her story. The day that she let the world know exactly who Beyoncé was, she was labeled as a bad girl. Her story wasn't your typical "why I model" story. No, she didn't aspire to be amongst the likes of Tyra Banks and Naomi Campbell. No, her mother didn't sign her up for dozens of beauty pageants as a child.

Beyoncé just sought to be different.

"That's a wrap!" The sentence came after hours of her posing before different props and backgrounds. Not once did she personally show her bare chest or forbidden area. It was the tease that men wanted. She'd been deemed a man's fantasy for a reason.

"That was good, girl!" Tanya proudly boasted. She had been Beyoncé's rock through the entire thing. When everyone turned their backs on her, Tanya stepped up to the plate to let her best friend know that she wasn't alone in the treacherous modeling world. The modeling world could be dangerous for a woman that traveled it alone.

Beyoncé put her shirt back on and quickly looked around the small dressing room for anything that she may be leaving behind. When shoots were over, she didn't like to linger. It was her secret to avoiding the several events that people wished to invite her to.

"Yeah," she dryly responded, collecting her purse. Tanya never took offense to Beyoncé's nonchalant attitude. It was simply her personality. Rarely did Beyoncé ever find herself letting things get to her. The two women left the secure location to the parking lot, where Tanya's truck was located.

"Where we goin' to now?" Tanya asked, her Brooklyn accent coming out strong. It was nearing six o'clock in Los Angeles, California. It was the only city Beyoncé knew.

"Drop me off at home. Mama wants me at her house in a bit."

"For?

Beyoncé scoffed. "Girl, I don't even know. I've been going over so many possibilities, and I just don't know."

Tanya laughed a bit. "You sure you ain't did shit, Beyoncé?"

"Positive." Even at twenty five, Beyoncé's mother thought that she had some type of control over Beyoncé's life. She didn't like what her daughter was doing, and thought it was always her place to tell her differently. When Beyoncé moved out at eighteen, she thought it was the strongest way of letting her mother know that she was a grown ass woman and didn't have to let her know.

For seven years, Beyoncé had been independent. She didn't wish to be provided for by anyone. Being dependent over someone gave them a power over you, and she didn't like it. "Well, I talked to Zay."

Beyoncé scrunched her face up at the name. Zay was short for Xavier, who happened to be Tanya's ex boyfriend. Beyoncé didn't like him, due to the way that he treated Tanya. Beyoncé saw Tanya as a better woman than the way she was treated. Never did Xavier put his hands on Tanya, but the way he verbally and mentally abused her, Beyoncé didn't understand why he didn't just seal the deal.

"And?"

Tanya sighed. "He apologized."

Beyoncé let out a boisterous laugh. "Are you serious? Please don't tell me you took that shit."