Chapter 5

• Rebecca
• “Are you okay??” Amelia asked from the door. I turned on the tap and rinsed my face with water before puking again. “Shit.”
• “Do you want me to come inside there??” she asked again, like she was about to lose her shit.
• “No! I got this.” It was an absolute lie—I didn’t have shit. That was me—captured in a tape. It was just screenshots but it means there is a tape somewhere.
• How the hell can I act normal?
• “Okay,” I muttered to myself, inhaling. “You were masked. Nobody knows. Nobody can point it to you.”
• “Rebecca???”
• I opened the door just before Amelia would lose her mind and faked a smile. “Hey—I just had a runny stomach, that’s all.”
• “A runny stomach??” she questioned. “I thought you said you felt like throwing up.”
• “I did,” I answered immediately. “And I threw up… but I also had a runny stomach and I think we should go home.”
• She frowned but nodded as I dragged her hands out of the hallway. “Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked again, as we travelled through the arena.
• “Yeah.”
• “Your eyes are slightly bloodshot.”
• “They are?” I asked, pretending to be unaware. We got into Amelia’s car and she rolled her eyes before turning on the ignition. “Maybe you’re just nervous about tomorrow—but I think you’ll do well.”
• Fuck.
• I have an interview tomorrow.
• The rest of the drive was filled with utmost silence and just my heart pounding in my chest. We got to the parking lot, and I climbed out—not waiting for Amelia.
• “Wait for me!” she called. “I’m staying over.”
• “Oh.” Honestly, I think I could do with some silence and solidarity but I can’t say that to her. She’s already suspicious of how I’ve been acting and well, I’m not ready to tell her how I fucked a stranger without protection and I think someone is about to leak the tape.
• She followed me right in, kicking off her shoes and tossing her new books on my bed. I exhaled audibly, trying to keep it all in.
• “I’m so fucking exhausted,” she said and hopped on the bed.
• I entered the main space and bit my inner cheek, thinking of what to do. “I think you’ll get better rest at home—your home.”
• “Hell no,” she frowned. “I can’t drive there right now.” She closed her eyes and draped her arms over her face.
• I sighed in defeat and growing frustration. I stepped away and moved toward my closet. I pulled my T-shirt up and over my head, leaving me in my bra.
• I searched for my pajamas, comfortable shirts and shit. I looked back and noticed that Amelia was already knocked out.
• How can I find him?
• I couldn’t even help but think about the numerous possible scenarios. A serial killer? Pregnant? What if he just wants to find me and that’s why he wants to release the tape?
• No, that can’t be him. From everything Amelia said about this party, they pride themselves with privacy. It’s a complete breach if a tape is leaked.
• “So what am I supposed to do?”
• Keeping calm isn’t on the list but maybe finding Camilla Bourdillion is. I can understand things better, and make better decisions but what if that’s another ticket to hell?
• Frustrated, I fell asleep but it didn’t take long before the alarm started buzzing. “Fuck, it’s 7am already??”
• “Turn off that shit,” Amelia scowled and I tried reaching out to the alarm on the nightstand. Just as I stretched my hands one more time, the screen flashed and it dawned on me—I have an interview.
• “Shit.”
• A quick bath was all I had—and just as I jumped, so the fitted skirt could pass through my thighs, I wailed. “How does it look?”
• “Oh my God, Becca—this is horrible.”
• I didn’t let her discourage me—I know how it looks getting ready for an interview thirty-three minutes to the supposed time.
• “Okay, just button that correctly and uh—brush your hair, girl.”
• “I’ll do that,” I blurted, turning to catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Collecting everything else I needed, I wrapped my coat around me and stormed out of the house.
• A taxi stopped next to me and I just waved. “Mash legal & Co!” I hurried inside, breathing hard. “Hurry, please.”
• I spent an entire month rrying to land myself an interview and now that I have it, I can’t mess it up. I slid some notes to the driver the moment he stopped me.
• I got through the revolving door of the enormous, glass building of the holding. I took one deep breath and turned around, searching for nothing in particular. I was about seven minutes late and I knew this was already a mess but I just needed one second to make sure I wasn’t a complete mess myself.
• Trying to fix my look in the mirror in the elevator, I cursed under my breath. I’m applying for a corporate Attorney job here, yet I look no close to presentable.
• “Hello!” I said, waving at the receptionist. “I’m here for a job interview. I’m Rebecca Carson.”
• “Follow this hallway and you’ll meet Ephanie at her desk. She’s Mr. Miller’s assistant.”
• I walked through the hallway, straight to the table where she directed me to. The brown-haired woman looked at me in one glance.
• “Hi. I’m Rebecca Carson and I’m here for the interview. Are you Ephanie?”
• “You’re late miss.” Her voice held no tolerance for late-coming. Judging me from head to toe with a blank look, she shook her head. “Mr Miller has a visitor. Sit there and wait till it’s your turn.”
• My stomach twisted as she said that. Could it be that there were other Applicants and—“No,” I muttered under my breath. I’m just going to keep my fingers crossed.
• Hoping it doesn’t end up becoming a disaster, I tried to block out everything that has happened In the last 48hours.
• “Miss Carson?” A voice called. “You’re next.”