Stunt Double to the Heiress: My Accidental Rise to Stardom

Hearing that celebrities could earn astronomical sums daily, I decided to dive into the entertainment industry.

Two years later, here I was-still working odd jobs as a nameless stunt double, scraping by on a daily wage of 200 bucks.

That day, I was Kaia Powell Powell's stunt double. Kaia, the rising starlet, was having her usual outburst during payday. She glared at me with pure venom and spat, "Shameless illegitimate child. Ugh."

"Miss Powell," I replied calmly, refusing to back down. "However you spin it, my pay better not come up short."

Kaia scoffed. "Pay? You think I care about your measly wage? Look at your face! It's practically a carbon copy of my father's. I don't even need a DNA test to know your mother's the home-wrecking mistress."

I paused, studying her face intently, then said with feigned seriousness, "Ever consider the possibility that maybe we were switched at birth?"

Kaia froze, wide-eyed. "Switched at birth? Fine! But let's be clear-no petty drama, no catfights, no playing innocent. We part ways peacefully."

Soon enough, Kaia and I ended up on the same reality show. When I threw punches, she backed me up. When she unleashed her verbal arsenal, I swooped in for the kill.

"Weren't they switched-at-birth? Where's the drama? We want the catfight spectacle we signed up for!" one commented online.

Later, we co-starred in a hit drama as dual female leads. It was a smashing success, winning us Best Actress awards and skyrocketing us to stardom.

"Okay, fine, we take it back. These two are perfection. Please just team up forever and bless us with more iconic content," someone commented.

1

While doubling as a stuntwoman for the up-and-coming starlet Kaia Powell, I had just barely managed to wrangle my paycheck from a previous client.

After a quick briefing from the director, I flawlessly executed a series of fight moves-twirls, jumps, strikes, slashes-all in one seamless take.

The director's eyes lit up, and he turned to Kaia with excitement, discussing something animatedly. His energy surged, and we proceeded to film several more action scenes, each completed perfectly in a single take.

"Come here," he called to me, his enthusiasm uncontainable. "You're not formally trained? Just a stunt double?" He waved dismissively when I nodded. "Acting can be taught, but skills like yours take years. If I find a suitable role, I'll call you."

Peter Dunn, a renowned director whose work was synonymous with quality, had just noticed me among the thousands of extras vying for recognition. My chest swelled with pride. This was it-the break I'd been dreaming of. My mind raced with fantasies of fortune: a diamond for Mom, luxury skincare, a house, a sleek car for Dad, designer watches, and maybe a string of shops to replace our family's modest breakfast stall. Wait-why would I make them keep running a food stall if I was rich?

Yes, my parents, who I'd always known as Mom and Dad, owned a small breakfast shop. We weren't poor, but far from wealthy. I'd banked on my years of stunt and combat training to break into showbiz, hoping I could skyrocket to fame and fortune as a celebrated star.

Just as I indulged in my fantasies, Kaia, lounging under a parasol in sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat, called out, "Hey, the stunt double, come here."

I approached. Kaia circled me, inspecting me from head to toe before concluding that I was her father's illegitimate child.

After I confirmed that she wasn't planning to shortchange me on my pay, the two of us huddled together under the tiny shade of the parasol. Brows furrowed, we bent over side by side, scrolling through childhood photos of our parents and ourselves on our phones. The conclusion was obvious: we'd been switched at birth.

To confirm our theory, we both went home that night and gathered hair samples from our respective parents for a rushed DNA test.

The results were exactly what we'd suspected.

Kaia eyed me warily. "It wasn't some malicious baby swap; just a mistake. Don't hold it against me for taking your spot. After all, my biological parents adored you growing up."

I wasn't upset. My parents had always treated me like a princess. We didn't have much money, but they never let me go without. They'd never so much as raised a hand against me, and if they scolded me, they'd regret it for days.

"Let's be clear," Kaia continued, her tone resolute. "We'll talk to our parents, explain everything, and go back to our rightful places. I don't care about being the Powell family heiress. No drama, no cattiness, no scheming."

I raised an eyebrow at her self-righteous tone. She really thought we were in some soap opera.

"By the way," she added hesitantly, "you're incredible with stunts. If I ever have more action scenes and can't find a good double, would you... help out? No pressure, of course-especially since you're the real heiress now. Honestly, if you did, Jack would probably tear me apart, and the tabloids would have a field day."

Jack Powell-my biological father. Judging by her tone, their relationship seemed pretty solid.

"Sure," I said.

"Wait, really? You mean it? Say it again-I need this on record!" She grabbed her phone, determined to capture my agreement on video.

"But let's get one thing straight: feelings are feelings, and money is money. Don't shortchange me on pay. In fact, you'd better bump up my rate." Money was non-negotiable-I was broke, after all.

Kaia rolled her eyes. "You clearly don't know what it's like being the Powell heiress. My monthly allowance could cover your stunt double earnings for a lifetime. You're hopeless."

"Mind your own business. And if I want to visit the parents who raised me, I'll do it freely. You won't get to guilt-trip me. Of course, you're welcome to visit yours too-just don't start any drama." I laid out my terms upfront, fully prepared for Kaia to stir up trouble in the future.

It was not easy for anyone to process that the child they'd cherished all these years wasn't biologically theirs. Both sets of parents adored their daughters, and with time, I figured we could all adjust-so long as no one caused any trouble. If everyone played nice, we could still act like one big family.

"Wow, talk about perspective, generosity, and a heart of gold. My parents sure raised you well!" Kaia gave me an exaggerated clap on the shoulder. "Fine, I've been in this industry longer than you. Stick with me, and I'll look out for you."

I thought about her infamous reputation: leveraging her family's power, bullying other actresses, and her arrogant antics. If word got out about our switch, could she really protect me? I wasn't so sure.