The Sinister Screen Queen

Tanya lay back, letting the memories wash over her, she found herself unraveling the story of this life.

A little girl with dark curls and a loud cry, born on Halloween 1987.

Her father, a young American student, had met her mother in high school and swept into her mother's more glamorous, wealthy world.

They married young, eager to chase what they thought was a love story

Tanya remembered them being unreliable and wild, their love intense but filled with stupid hormonal love that only young people had.

By all accounts, two people that were too irresponsible to have a child.

Tanya wonders if she was an accident that happened when they forgot to use protection.

When Tanya was eight, her mother's infidelity on a honeymoon in Hawaii shattered that story.

She remembered the betrayal like it was yesterday.

The argument that erupted, her mother's tearful screaming, her father's voice hoarse from shouting.

The divorce was ugly and confusing.

Tanya had clung to her father as he gained custody, but her mother, who was well-connected and wealthy, pulled every string to get time with her.

This arrangement left Tanya splitting her life, nine months with her father.

Three months with her mother and her parents.

Tanya's father lost more than just his marriage; he lost his connection to the life they'd built.

To get away, he moved Tanya to London, hoping for a fresh start.

But London only felt like a cage to young Tanya, who found herself alone and unsettled in a city that felt cold and foreign.

Every year from October to the end of the year, she was sent back to the States.

Where her mother and grandparents draped her in the comforts she missed in London.

Her mother, never hesitating to spoil her, encouraged the divide between father and daughter.

Tanya's grandparents had little respect for her father, and over time, Tanya's young mind picked up on their disdain.

Their subtle comments, the dismissive tone, and Tanya found herself resenting her father, too.

Her mother's wealth had always been a sore spot between her parents and a tempting force for her.

She remembered a heated conversation between her and her dad during one of her summers with her mom.

"Dad, why can't we live like… like how mom lives? She doesn't even have to think about money." Tanya had whined one night, after remembering the shopping sprees with her mother in Beverly Hills.

Her father sighed. "Darling, I know things are different, but just because your mom has money doesn't mean everything's better over there."

"Better than this." Tanya muttered.

He gave her a sad look, and they didn't speak for the rest of the night.

Tanya was 10 when her father remarried Keira's mother, and Tanya suddenly had a stepsister.

They'd clashed almost immediately.

Keira was focused, talented, a good girl, and a pretty face to the public.

To Tanya, it seemed like Keira was the golden child, effortlessly gaining attention while she, was the bratty American import.

So, she made Keira's life difficult.

"Tanya!"

"Why is there conditioner in my shampoo bottle?" Keira's shrill voice echoed down the hall one morning, her wet hair still foamy with conditioner.

Tanya, feigning innocence, stifled a laugh. "No idea! Maybe the bottles got mixed up?"

Keira glared, gripping the bottle. "This isn't funny! I have a shoot today, and now my hair's going to be all wrong. Can you stop being child."

"A child?" Tanya scoffed, arms crossed. "Maybe I'm tired of living with Little Miss Perfect!"

They went toe-to-toe, screaming at each other until their step-parents broke them apart.

But Tanya didn't stop there.

Keira's alarm clock went off at 4 a.m., hours before her actual wake-up time.

"Tanya!" Keira shouted through the walls.

Tanya called back, barely suppressing a laugh. "Did you need something, sis?"

Keira would retaliate, and they'd argue, their arguments sometimes echoing through the house.

Over the years, though, the fights lost their sting, softening into banter.

The pranks became fewer and fewer, and when they did clash, it was more out of habit.

Their bickering eventually turned into shared giggles, though it was hard to pinpoint exactly when.

Tanya realized she started missing Keira's nagging voice on days when she was filming.

One afternoon, shortly before Tanya's big return to the States, she and Keira found themselves side by side in the kitchen, quietly making tea.

There was a comfortable silence.

"You're… you're actually tolerable now, you know that?" Keira broke it.

Tanya poured her tea. "You too. I'm almost sad to leave."

Keira raised an eyebrow. "Maybe next time you won't mess with my wardrobe?"

"No promises." Tanya laughed.

There was a soft pause before Keira spoke again.

"I know things… haven't been easy. With everything."

"Yeah, well, it's not like I'm the only one who's had a hard time."**

Keira gave her a rare, genuine smile. "Maybe next time, instead of harassment, you could … talk to me?"

Tanya looked at her, surprised. It wasn't a heartfelt reconciliation, but it was a start.

"You think I'd give up a good prank that easily? Please."

In her world abroad, she became friends with a group of girls who were young, wealthy, and sometimes even famous.

Together, they partied and caused mischief, earning themselves a reputation in the tabloids as rich girl rebels.

She remembered the laughter, the flashing cameras, and the thrill of causing a scandal.

The parties, the splurges, the occasional brush with headlines, it all felt amazing to be free to do what she wanted.

But every time she was due back in London, she made a point of vanishing from the scene, her life in England a secret that none of her friends could quite figure out.

As Tanya continued to sift through her memories, one in particular stood out, a flashback to a glamorous event her grandparents had hosted.

She remembered herself, young and brash, dressed in a sharp black dress that her mother had picked out, mingling among the guests.

That's when she first saw her.

She had a magnetic presence. She had a playful, sharp wit and an easy smile that felt surprisingly genuine for someone in this world of polished faces.

Her hair, honey-blonde and soft, framed a face that was striking yet somehow familiar.

"Hi." She'd said, her voice rich with curiosity and charm.

"You look like you'd rather be anywhere else but here."

Tanya was taken off guard but amused. "You're not wrong. I didn't know 'obligatory family gatherings' could be classified as a form of torture, but here we are."

The girl laughed, a sound that warmed Tanya. "What would you rather be doing?"

"Honestly? Probably getting into some kind of trouble, somewhere my family wouldn't find out," Tanya a playful smile spread onto her lips.

They'd hit it off that night, slipping away from the main event to wander the quieter halls, exchanging stories and half-confessions that were as genuine as they could be for two girls trying to protect their secrets.

Tanya found herself drawn to the girl's personality and charm.

Over the months that followed, they kept in touch, meeting at other events, sneaking moments away from watchful eyes.

Tanya opened up, letting her guard down, while this girl, someone so radiant, with piercing blue-green eyes, shared stories of her own experiences in the spotlight, a young actress already navigating Hollywood's hurdles.

Tanya felt a flutter in her chest as the memories deepened.

Eventually, they became more than just friends.

This girl became someone she could joke with, confide in. She remembered teasing touches, stolen glances and shared laughter that made her heart skip.

Tanya's "rich girl rebels" friends were in on the secret, watching out for the two of them, teasing Tanya about her "secret Hollywood girlfriend."

They'd joke about it, smirking when Tanya would steal glances at her or when the two would linger a little too long in each other's company.

But it wasn't a secret among friends; everyone knew there was something between them.

Even if Tanya had never officially called her "girlfriend," that was how it felt.

Tanya's eyes blinked open, slowly coming back from the flood of memories.

She lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling as if it held answers to the complexity of the life she'd just revisited.

She had different parents in her original life, she was born in Manchester, and she never had a rich family and worked for every dime, she went into investment and stock management and did well until she was fired.

But this was also her life, every ridiculous and reckless bit of it.

Casey's voice broke through the haze.

So, how was the trip down memory lane? Casey's voice interrupted, sounding a little amused.

"Omg." Tanya simply replies.

That good? Who was the girl? Casey questioned.

Tanya blinked, momentarily jolted from her reverie. "Wait, that was… Scarlett Johansson."

"Scarlett Johansson is my girlfriend." The realization dawning.

She let out a quiet laugh, almost incredulous. "Not a fling, she is actually important to me."

Her fingers absentmindedly twisted the sheets, a lingering smile on her lips as she recalled Scarlett's laugh, that easy charm, and those mischievous eyes that felt so real even now.

"Scarlett." She repeated, still marvelling.

Casey, as if reading her mind. Still processing all that romance

Tanya let out a sigh, somewhere between nostalgic and amused. "Yeah, I mean… it's insane. All of it. The pranks with Keira, my ridiculous life bouncing between families."

Don't get overwhelmed I'll be here every step of the way. Casey jabbed at her.

Before Tanya can counter she hears this world's Tanya's dad call her.

"Come downstairs, Tanya."