Total pages in book: 148
Estimated words: 135517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
Sometimes it hits me in the gut that I have a friend like her. In this town where everyone and everything is as superficial as a dust cloud, it’s something that not many come across, especially since we’re in the same line of work, give or take. Though I’m nowhere near her caliber, she’s always been there egging me on, pushing me to do great without an ounce of jealousy or pettiness in sight.
“Why are you crying, Elena?” She looked around to make sure that no one else was looking and leaned over the table to get closer. “Don’t let them see you cry.”
“It’s happy tears, I promise.”
“I know that, and you know that. But can you imagine what these jackals would print in their rags tomorrow?”
“Not jackals!” I snorted through my nose.
“Soulless vipers?” From her innocent smile, no one would guess the conversation we were having, but I’m sure, like she said, that there were eyes on us from every corner of this place. I’m like the new hot topic of the week; maybe I should use that.
***
*Janie*
“WHERE IS HE?” I feel like I’m going out of my mind. It’s been more than a week since anyone has seen or heard from Ryder, something that has never happened before. His manager, Scott, his advisor Matt, and not even the paparazzi have any idea where he’d gone.
I spent many sleepless nights thinking that he’d run to her side when she was having another one of her breakdowns, but she’s been back for a few days now, and he still hasn’t come home. Though everyone has been speculating that they were off somewhere together, and all the old theories were rearing their ugly heads again.
I don’t understand why no one in this fucking town respects me or my marriage. They act as though I’m nothing more than a placeholder, like any day now, he’s going to leave me and run back to her, his one true love.
I thought I could handle it, thought that as long as we kept him under my control that I’d win in the end. It no longer mattered what happened behind closed doors. I’ve come to accept the hate in his eyes and the way he ignores me when we’re alone together. As long as she didn’t have him, everything was fine. No one had to know that I didn’t either because I’m the one with his name; it’s me who lives with him, not her.
That was satisfactory while he was here when I knew his every move and had things and people in place to make sure that he never went anywhere near her. But now that no one knows where he is, that sick feeling that lived in my guts until he said I do was back again, and this time it was worst.
This time, the shame of losing him in front of the whole world was something I couldn’t contemplate because it would be too awful. To lose to her is not something I can live with. It’s bad enough that no one can seem to forget that they were each other’s, first love. Or the way her stupid fans still push for them to be reunited.
It’s been five long years with no letup from those freaks who just need to get a life. It was too much to take on; the not knowing was slowly killing me. I think I’ve done more coke in the past week than in the whole of last month, and that’s saying a lot because it had been a rough month.
The worst part is having to pretend that I’m not worried or that I have any idea where he is when I’m out and about. Always with a smile on my face because the cameras are always staked out outside my house these days, and there are all these questions about where he is, which only makes this whole thing worst.
I’d love to stay hidden, but both Mary and dad think it’s a good idea if I show my face and pretend that all is right at home. Noel and Nicole now take every opportunity to make a mockery of me because, of course, they know that he’s missing, and they use every chance to take a dig at me, each one worse than the last.
When he first disappeared from his tour, the tabloids had had a field day. No matter how much we claimed that he was ill, someone had leaked the story of him running out of the hotel to get on the plane, and of course, they’d put two and two together and come up with five, as is the norm in this town.
I only breathed easy once she came back alone, but even that was a two-edged sword because the bitch came back looking better than ever, and she was all anyone could talk about again. I’m pretty sure she pays all those people to say such things about her, to constantly sing her praise. And if that’s not bad enough, her friend, who we also tried so hard to destroy, was on the rise again.