Chapter 100

* Elena *

It wasn’t hard getting the time off that I needed. I just had to double up on some scenes, which my costars were only too happy to do once they learned the reasons why. I didn’t tell them the whole truth, of course, just that Ryder and I had decided to do an impromptu tour to pacify our fans.

I didn’t know, no scratch that; I was surprised at just how many people were invested in Ryder and me, including everyone on the set. Over the last couple of years that I’d been working here, no one had ever mentioned our breakup to me, not even a hint.

It was something I greatly appreciated though I never kidded myself that they didn’t know the whole sordid story. That’s only one of the reasons I liked working there so much; it was one of the only places I could escape to where I was sure not to be hounded for details or have my failure thrown in my face at every turn.

But now I see how happy they are and they have a million questions suddenly and a whole lot of advice, most of which I intend to adhere to because it was sound and came from a good place. My costars especially were very supportive. There were no warnings of doom, which, in hindsight, I appreciate. It tells me that they trust me to know what I’m doing, which is all I can ask.

Aside from that, the last few days have been hectic, to say the least. Not just with the preparations for the tour, the Sanders group has been better than anyone I’d ever worked with when it came to that, so there was really nothing for me to do there.

But every day, it seemed like there was something new in the media that would stir up a shit storm. I’d all but forgotten Mary Hudson and her kids’ existence until they were being dragged through the mud. Someone and I had a pretty good guess who, has been releasing hidden secrets about that family that go way back, and some of the things they’re being accused of shouldn’t be spoken of in polite company.

I shiver each time I remember any time I spent in their presence, rare as it was. But knowing that I came that close to pure evil still gives me the shivers. There was a lot of debate among the public as to whether or not the reports were true, with most people coming down on the side of yes.

I, for one, had no doubts that it was all true. Not only because I’ve seen their character up close and personal but because, in the last few weeks, I’d come to trust who I believe to be the source without question. But I have to admit, as much as I dislike that family and their machinations, I never in my wildest dreams could’ve imagined what they were up to. I always thought they were money-hungry scavengers, fame-chasing hags, and all that, but this, this is on a whole other level that I have no experience with.

There were accusations of sex trafficking, domestic slavery, money laundering, and a whole host of things that you would never associate with them. On top of that, Janie’s dad was looking at some serious jail time for the murder of Mary Hudson, but only time would tell because it was going to be a while before the case went to trial.

That didn’t stop the whispers and speculation, which only led to more being revealed about their dealings, and the fact that it was he and Mary who were the masterminds behind everything that had happened between Ryder and I, which turned everyone’s attention back to Ryder and Janie’s relationship, which had now been exposed as a scam pulled together by that sham of a church, it’s leader, who was nowhere to be found, Ryder’s now dead manager, and Mary.

The things these people were being accused of by these anonymous leaks make my little breakup pale in comparison. Last but not least is the situation with Rachel. I wasn’t aware that some of what she’d done was illegal in our state or maybe all over the country, but she, too, was looking at some serious jail time. Aside from spying on me for the enemy camp, she’d tampered with my medicine and had placed listening devices in my home without my knowledge, which is illegal in Cali, and both come with hefty sentences.

The more I think about it, the less inclined I am to care any longer. I’m not one to give up on others, especially someone I once saw as a friend, but she’d gone too far, and there was no way, if I’m being honest with myself, that I could ever have her near me again.

When it’s all said and done, she’d knowingly clasped hands with my enemies, fully knowing what their intentions were and not giving a damn, and that’s just something I can’t seem to forgive. She’d seen how torn and broken I was during all that and held my hand throughout it, all while stabbing me in the back.

I still can’t bring myself to do her harm, though, so the only thing I can do is refuse to see her ever again unless it’s in a courtroom, and even that I’m not sure I want to do. She hadn’t been spared in the leaks, and now she was being tried by fire in the public domain.

All of these new revelations have garnered Ryder and me massive public support, which I’m sure was the intent behind it, or some of it anyway. Because of that, the concert was already sold out everywhere, and there were images posted online of lines that went on for miles as people waited to buy their tickets days in advance. I think this whole thing has given me a new perspective on my fans and what they really mean to me.

Before, they were just seen as people who enjoyed my talent, as minuscule as it may be. But now I’ve seen how these complete strangers have gone to bat for me. People I had never met were defending me based on the face and character I’d shown the world, and that was just more incentive to carry on as best I could so as not to disappoint their trust in me.

That’s why when my mind turns to Janie, the Barbie twins and their sisters, and anyone else involved in this mess, I have to remind myself not to become like them. The anger is finally kicking in, I think, as new and more revelations come to light, and I see the full spectrum of what these people had done.

That last message Janie had sent was sort of a tipping point for me. It had opened my eyes to the seedier side of things. I know most people think that all of Hollywood is full of freaks and degenerates, but I’ve fought very hard all these years not to fall into either category.

I know that’s part of the reason it was so easy for Ryder to be taken away from me. He’s always wanted to be a part of the in-crowd, something we had discussed ad nauseum before. But how could I explain to someone who was new and excited that the hype was all a facade?

I’d grown up in the entertainment world with a mother who was ever vigilant and had heard and seen some things that had taken the shine off of the lifestyle for me a long time ago. For me, acting had become a job over time and was no longer the joy I’d imagined it to be as a kid. But I still loved the craft enough to stick with it.

As a newcomer to the game, everything had still been shiny and perfect to him, and I know there were times he resented my holding him back from doing certain things. What I saw as my protecting him, he saw as me stifling him. He probably even thought I might’ve been jealous of his success as well, which was never the case.

I could just never get him to see what I saw and knew firsthand. Now, after he’d been burned himself, I get to enjoy the added benefit of his praise, and thanks for trying to save him back then. In fact, since MengeLiNi, who I’m sure is responsible for all the leaks, started releasing secrets, he’s been nothing but contrite and apologetic.

He’s bemoaned the fact that he should’ve listened to me a thousand times in the last few days, but I just keep telling him that all is forgiven. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, though I went through hell to get here. I also have the added bonus of knowing that Ryder would never hurt me again because I think of the two of us, he was more affected.

As the days wind down and we get back into routine, the fallout has been hitting him especially hard. Throughout our conversations in bed at night, he’s coming to realize just how close he came to losing everything.

I have been having fun comparing him to the dog with the bone who lost what he had to grab at nothing. Some days, I have to hold him back from going after any and everyone he could get his hands on and remind him that he was as much to blame for what happened as they were. It was the only way I could see to keep him from making the same mistake again, by accepting his part of the blame.

That was the personal part of things, but there was now this other darker side that I was coming to learn more about than I ever wanted to.

I still don’t know all of what went down with the whole trafficking thing associated with his concerts, and I get the feeling that he’s keeping things from me, but I’m satisfied with the fact that he wasn’t part of it. I couldn’t be with him if he was.

I’m still reeling from the knowledge, and though the leaks didn’t touch on that aspect of things, all I know has come from him, and like I’ve said, he’s holding back, but I have to ask myself if I really want to go swimming in those waters. Sometimes, the less you know, the better.

As long as this concert can help in any way to get those poor souls back to where they belong, I’d do one a week for the rest of my life if that’s what it takes. All things considered, I think Mary got off easy after all that she’d done. The revelations about what she’d done to her own daughters, all for the sake of making it big, were a whole other story.

I always knew there was something just a little bit off about that whole family, but this was a bit much, even for my imagination. Now, I can’t help but feel some pity for them. It can’t have been easy to be raised by a monster.

On the other hand, if they knew and took part in it, which the rumors seem to point to, that pity goes only so far. It’s the same with Janie. I can have compassion for her because of the way she was used, but at what point does she take responsibility for her own part in it?

She’s the one who wanted him at all costs. And what about the hell she’d turned my life into after the fact? She didn’t have to go as far as she did after she’d won. So any pity I may feel for her could be misplaced, and she’s probably somewhere getting her just desserts if MengeLiNi still had her in her clutches.

***

* Janie *

“What now?” When had I fallen asleep? I woke sometime in the dark to find her standing over me.

“I’m leaving.”

“Good riddance.” Why should I be afraid that she’s leaving me here alone? This is my home, after all, the place where I’d grown up, and she had no right to be here.

But somehow, I felt a pang of fear rush through me at being left on my own. My life is a mess right now, and as much as I detest her and this situation, at least she was another warm body to keep me company. “Well, bye!”

She said she was leaving, but she was just standing there with this look of anger and hatred on her face that I didn’t understand. I thought we’d already been through the whole high school bullshit that first day and moved on, so what was that look about?

“You really are a subpar human, aren’t you? How did someone who had everything turn out like you? What the hell is broken in you?”

“What the hell are you talking about now?” Did I do something before I passed out? I couldn’t remember, and it hurt to think too hard.

I felt even worse than before and was in no mood to deal with her nonsense right now. I could go for a shot of vodka if nothing else, but there was nothing like that in the house, and I was reminded that I had no money. That sobering thought was enough to help me sit up without toppling over.

“You knew they were trafficking girls, and you said nothing.”

“I had no part in that….wait, how do you know about that?” Was I talking in my sleep? What the hell happened before I fell asleep? Try as I might, I could not recall having that conversation with her.

“The message you sent Elena, that girl is my sister, and the only reason I’m not breaking your neck right now is that, in a roundabout way, you’ve given me what I need to find her, but trust me, if it wasn’t for the fact that she’s going to need me once she’s free I would kill you and bury you in the backyard.”

“What the hell are you talking about your sister? I didn’t take anyone; I had nothing to do with that.”

“But you knew, and your father was part of it.” How does she know all of this? This doesn’t make sense.

“It’s that little bitch. Fine, aren’t you afraid that I’ll warn the others that you’re coming to save your precious sister?”

She leaned in close, and I had to pull back to keep her out of my face. “No, you know why, because I have a feeling that where you’re going, you won’t be able to remember your own name.”

“What? What does that mean? Where am I going?”

She walked out of the room with one last cryptic remark thrown over her shoulder. “Have the life you deserve.” What does she mean by that?

“Hey, come back here.” I tried getting out of bed and fell flat on my face. “Ouch, that hurt!” Where am I going? What does she mean? What’s going on? What’s happening to me?

I felt real fear when I heard the door close downstairs and felt the emptiness right away. What am I supposed to do here alone? I don’t know how to take care of myself; I never had to. Who’s going to pay the bills? My phone, where’s my phone? I crawled from the room and made my way to the bedroom she’d used, but it wasn’t there.

I felt raw panic as I made my way back to the bedroom and into bed, where I buried myself beneath the covers in fear. I wanted my mother, my father, anyone, but the little bitch had threatened to throw me out on the streets if anyone showed up.

What am I supposed to do? What has happened to my life? I have no one I can call. Everyone is gone. I have no doubt that all those people who used to kiss up to me when I was Mrs. Ryder Sumner wouldn’t give me the time of day now.

Just wait; I’ll get back on my feet somehow and show them all. I don’t need my dad or Mary or anyone else to help me get what I want; I can do it all on my own. Even as I thought about it, I felt that gnawing fear in my gut. The thought of starting all over made me break out in a cold sweat, and I felt the shakes coming on.

The nausea came in a rush, and I was barely quick enough to turn onto my side so as not to choke on my own puke. Is this what desolation feels like? Did that bitch Elena feel this way when I took her life away from her? Good, serves her right. Why should she be happy living the life that was meant for me?

I looked around the room in fear as my thoughts became jumbled. Could I come back from this? If so, where do I start?