Chapter 15 Be part of my show

Rachel's POV

I arrived at the location I was meant to meet Marina. I called her last night to give her my new number and to tell her that I was ready to begin acting again.

She suggested this restaurant and here I was. In a fancy restaurant, surrounded by fancy people.

I looked around looking for Marina in the crowd. She said she was going to be seated not too far from the door; where the hell is she?

I looked a little to the left before I saw someone waving her hands at me.

"Over here." Marina said with a smile when I caught her eyes.

I walked over there, the intense gaze of onlookers who were watching my every move.

I held my head up high despite their disapproving gaze or was it shock... I couldn't tell.

I was wearing black joggers and a white crop top, something I found in the walk-in closet in my room.

How Ethan knew my size... I wasn't sure. But I decided not to think about it as I wore it here. Now I wasn't too sure wearing casual clothes to such a fancy restaurant was a good thing. Their gaze was affecting me, but I kept my face void of any emotion and kept my eyes fixed on Marina.

"Oh my goodness, Rachel..." Marina stood up to hug me pulling me away from my thoughts.

"It's been a long time!" She exclaimed.

I could hear some murmurs from the people in the restaurant, but Marina didn't seem to care, so I didn't either.

"It really has. We haven't seen each other in, like, what... Three years?"

"Yes."

There was another reason why I had to distance myself from Marina that nobody else except David knew. Marina informed me of her dislike towards David. She had never liked him ever since I started dating him, though she never said anything, but I could feel it.

A few weeks into our marriage, she called me aside and warned me about him, saying all sorts of things, that he was not good for me and that he wasn't the type of man I thought he was. I got so angry at her that I shouted at her to leave me and my husband alone and went home to tell them everything to David.

David got so upset that he warned me to stay away from her. He emphasized that I was his wife now, and he was just protecting me from bad friends, which Marina was part of.

I wanted to disagree, but I remembered how off Marina was about my marriage to David so I did as he wanted.

Anytime she called to hang out I gave her flimsy excuses, like I was busy with work... Or that I was with my husband, slowly my relationship with her strained until we no longer saw or called each other for years now.

I pulled away from Marina's tight embrace, hanging my head down in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry for not being a good friend to you Ana... I was just..."

"It's okay..." She smiled taking her seat. I took mine beside her.

"I'm just glad you're back to your senses, even if it takes a divorce for that to happen...No offense "

I gave her a sad smile, shaking my head.

How could I take offense? She was right. She had always been right.

"None taken. David was... How did you put it again..."

"...A fucking bastard who only thinks with his dick." She completed.

I chuckled as I remembered that was exactly how she said it years ago.

I got so angry when she called him that, but now it only felt right.

"Right."

"So fill me in. What's been going on in your life? And most importantly, what happened between you and David..."

I opened my mouth to speak when she stopped me, placing her finger on my lips.

"I want the truth... No lies, and no holding anything back." I nodded in understanding.

She smiled removing her hands from my lips.

"Now start."

I began clearing my throat. I recounted everything that happened between David, Lana and I... By the time I reached when I caught David and Lana in bed together, she couldn't hold her anger anymore.

Marina banged the table fiercely with her hands, shaking it.

"How dare she... That bitch... If I ever get hold of her... I'll... I'll... I'll string her neck." She said squeezing her hands together like it was Lana's neck.

"Good day... May I take your order." A waiter came up to our table, interrupting Marina's threat.

"I'm fine, thanks". I said to the waiter, Marina immediately shook her head.

"No... No... You're not fine. You're way thinner than before, there's no way I'm letting you go without eating something." Turning to the waiter.

"Get us today's special."

"Yes, ma'am." The waiter bowed and left.

No sooner than the waiter left Marina tapped me.

"Continue, I want to hear the rest"

"Are you sure? You seem too angry at Lana already." I said with sarcasm.

"What? Lana is still very much in the rest of your story?" Surprise was written all over her face when I nodded.

I continued from where I stopped... From how David forced me to sign the divorce papers...

"That bastard forced you to do what? He should've been on his knees begging for your forgiveness!" She shouted, getting all the onlooker's attention.

"Keep your voice low..." I cautioned in a whisper. Everyone's gaze was on us and Marina didn't seem to care.

"I'm sorry... I just got... You know what, I promise not to interrupt again up until the end," She promised, swallowing the rest of her questions.

I waited for a while to be sure she wouldn't say anything else, before continuing.

Marina kept to her word, even when I spoke of Ethan rescuing me from my attempted suicide, she didn't say a word.

I doubt she knew who the Ethan I was talking about truly was, but nonetheless, I continued

When I reached the part where my grandfather said I wasn't his real granddaughter and Lana was... I could tell how much Marina wanted to speak... No, she wanted to yell... Curse Lana straight to hell, but still, she respected her word and kept her mouth shut.

"... So, that's how eventful my last few days have been," I finished calmly.

Marina was anything but calm, she looked like she wanted to erupt. Her face was so red with anger, that I feared she could kill Lana with just a gaze.

"Let's go..." She stood up abruptly.

"Where to?" I asked standing up with her.

"We're going to Lana's house, and I'm going to give her a piece of my mind." She said ready to leave.

I held her purse.

"Ana, come on, that would be a fight we can't win, not like this. Lana has David's support, and trust me when I say that she has that man wrapped around her finger." I said calmly.

She looked at me for a while.

"How?" She asked after a few seconds of silence.

"How what?"

What was she talking about?

"How are you this calm after everything that happened to you in just three days, you almost died and you were almost raped!"

I chuckled, sitting down, I took a sip of the coffee which the waiter had brought a few minutes earlier.

"I already cried a lot. There's none left for anymore... Only thing left is my thirst for revenge."

She sat down back and took both my hands in hers

"And I'll help you get revenge on David, Lana, and even your family members for failing to see the truth; I promise to stand by you."

Marina's promise almost brought me to tears. She said it with so much sincerely, I couldn't any doubt in her expression. I nodded my head slowly.

She paused, then suddenly her face lit up like a light bub.

"You're looking for an acting job, right?" She asked more like said, but I nodded my head anyway.

"You can be in my new show!"