Starlet's Web - #1 {Exclusive Read}

Starlet's Web - MARCH

MARCH

Spring in Santa Monica invigorated me. The weather was predictably warm and sunny, right before ‘June Gloom’ set in, sometime in May. All the trees and flowers blossomed, filling the air with delightful fragrant blends and the landscape with striking color combinations. The bougainvillea was a rich fuchsia color against its deep green branches, and the trees along San Vicente Boulevard had bright orange blossoms. At night from my terrace overlooking the Pacific Ocean, I smelled the perfume from the purple wisteria on my patio and heard the waves hit the beach from a half-mile away.

I craved nature’s power since I decided to decline renegotiating all of the existing industry contracts up for renewal. All actors were replaceable. Everyone who owned a piece of me liked to think that I was not. But if I didn’t walk away, I’d be trapped working for the studio for another five years and doing three additional feature films. I’d have to promote those three films. I’d have to maintain my brand. I could no longer do that.

My seventh feature wrapped two months behind schedule. It was time to go home and enjoy being a high school student in love with her boyfriend. It was time to face my fear of speaking up.