Behind the spotlight

"Hey guys, it’s your favorite girl, NoraWill! I just wanted to thank you so much for all the support you’ve given me and to show you my new bag!"

Nora smiled for the camera with her designer bag that sparkled like a star on a dark night. The comments from her stream kept flowing.

“This bag is a designer, a new one, and only a very few were able to get it! And thanks to your support, I was one of the luckiest to get it first!” "Wow, Nora is so beautiful!" "I wonder how much money it takes to be so beautiful and rich like her?" "I love you, Nora!" "Please, tell me how to be rich like you…"

 She looked at the last comment, and her forced smile almost faded away. ‘Rich…’ she thought to herself. “Anyway, it’s just a quick one before I go! You all know how busy I am with my collaborations. See you guys later!” *click* The live ended.

Nora heaved a lengthy sigh before gently setting her phone on the bed and collapsing onto it, like a snowflake drifting down to the warmth of a winter blanket. “If only I was rich…geeeh,” she burped loudly as she put one week’s old potato chips into her mouth.

As she stared at the ceiling, the glow of her phone's screen had faded, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She let out another heavy sigh and pushed the empty bag of chips aside.

The room was quiet, with only the distant sound of traffic humming outside. She thought about the comments she had just read. The admiration and the envy, all directed at her.

She had always dreamed of being in the spotlight, but now that she was there, it felt different than she had imagined. The pressure to maintain a certain image, to always be "on," was exhausting.

She longed for a moment of genuine and real connection. Nora ran her fingers through her long, wavy blond hair, a feature she took pride in, while her bright blue eyes twinkled like soft little lights. She was slim and always had a cunning smile on her face, making her look powerful and threatening.

“I’m so fake…” Despite her struggles, she had a good sense of humor and a positive outlook on life even if she was poor and luck wasn’t her best friend.

She reached for her phone and scrolled through her social media feed. “Meeeh,” Every post seemed to scream for attention, each photo was made to project an image of perfection.

“Sigh…fake lips and nose…I wonder which surgeon did she go to?” Nora had been working hard to make ends meet. She had been taking online business and fashion classes while working odd jobs to support herself.

 Her dream was to attend university, but finances had made it difficult. However, she didn't let that stop her. She was ready to make something of herself, and she had a good sense for fashion that she hoped to turn into a career one day.

 Her thoughts drifted to her recent purchases, the knock-off clothes and accessories that she had carefully brought to create the illusion of wealth and luxury.

They were like symbols of a life she wished she had, but the act was becoming increasingly exhausting. She stared at the fake designer bag she had shown in her video. It was undeniably beautiful, but it felt empty in her hands. “Why can’t it be real? Why must I be poor?” she asked herself out loud.

*bzzz* *bbbzz* *bbbbzz*