Chapter 50

• The day came and we went to the venue of the auditions. There were many aspiring participants. They looked their best. The competition would be very stiff. I had not done modeling anywhere else apart from the beauty pageant in my high school. I listened to the ladies speak. Most of them were models at different agencies. Some were familiar faces that we saw on bill boards and television adverts. Others were on print magazines. I had to try hard to win this. Ray kept encouraging me. He would read my mind and see that I was scared. “The Stephanie I love is fearless. You will push through. I trust you” he said in an assuring voice. He gave me the strength I needed.
• “Stephanie!” a voice called. I looked around. It was Sheila, my former school mate. She looked even more beautiful. She came to where I was with some of her friends. “Don’t tell me you are still fucking Mr.
• Raymond?” she said. Her question surprised me. She did not seem worried by what he had said. This is Stephanie, my former school mate. This is Mr. Raymond. He was our teacher in high school for one term. He used to fuck Stephanie in the school. They hide it too well. These are my friends, Jackie and Elsie. I was dumb founded as she went on telling her friends about Ray and me. ‘That’s enough, Sheila” I said. “How have you been?” I asked trying to interrupt her.