And it wasn’t.
Rina paid rapt attention at first, nodding when the director went on reading the terms of the contract. But along the way, it dawned on her that she didn’t even know what the subject matter of the so-called contract was.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Rina said suddenly. “But I still have no clue what I’m expected to do for you. With everything you’ve been saying, it doesn’t sound like a role in any movie. So what is it exactly? Modelling?”
A mischievous glint appeared in the director’s eyes. “Not exactly,” he murmured. “You see, Rina Powers, we’ve already agreed on how impossible it would be to see you on our screens in that regard so this time, we’re doing something a tad different.”
“How different?” Her voice was hesitant.
“A lot of podcast owners have reached out to us concerning creating a story around you and since we do not deem it big enough for the agency to sponsor, or any other production team for that matter, we have decided to leave it to them to handle.”
“What?” Rina peered at them in confusion. She had no clue what they were talking about. Her story? What story?
“Kayla here will be telling us the details.”
All eyes fell on Kayla, who looked smug in her seat. She tapped her tablet and nodded in acknowledgment to the house, saving a last eerie look for Rina before reading out the contents of the deal.
“The podcast is known for dark and dreary stories of stars that have fallen from their high point, which category you fit into perfectly.” Rina caught the jab in her words, but couldn’t say a word. Not in front of all those faces.
“Because most agencies and producers are not willing to sell out their actresses, no matter what they have done, the podcast has had little success stories over the years,” Kayla continued. “However, since you’re hell-bent on doing something for yourself, we have decided this is great for you.”
“All you have to do is to grant them an interview, where you will talk about what propelled you to attempt to rape that young actor two years ago, as well as the men in all the other stories that came up after that.”
“What?”
“And then, although, we all know it is a really sensitive story for you, you’re going to have to talk about your last incident with the young man at the hotel after my party. I know how you feel about that personally, Rina, since we used to be friends. And even though you rejected my help, I still want to be there for you, so I have tried to make this as soft and easy as possible.”
Kayla reached out to touch Rina’s hands over the table, but Rina was too stunned to flinch. She looked at Kayla with her lips parted, her mind all over the place, yet unable to hold on to anything in particular.
Did Kayla just subtly announce to the board that it had all been her fault and that as the good friend she supposedly was, she had tried to help her? What the hell did that even come from?
Rina finally felt Kayla’s hands on her. At once, she retrieved her hands from the table, allowing them to fall on her thighs. She was beginning to hyperventilate, her eyes darting around looking for where to vent her anger.
But Kayla was far from done.
“I shouldn’t have invited you to my party,” Kayla sighed, moisture pooling at the corner of her eyes. “Maybe if I had let you stay home with your husband that day, all of this wouldn’t have happened. I still think about it, you know? I blame myself for everything and I’m really sorry for how much it affected your career and marriage. I wish I could do something about it.”
Rina’s head whipped around to the director as he said, “You don’t have to feel bad about it, Kayla. You did nothing wrong. In fact, you tried to be the good friend that we all know you to be, but Rina didn’t need your help. She didn’t want it. And now that it has come to this, you still managed to get her this opportunity when no one was willing to hear her out, even going as far as pleading to us for an audience with her.”
Rina thought she heard wrong. Had they just admitted that Kayla had brought this proposal to the board? An intense pain gripped her as she slumped back on the seat, staring as her life flashed past before her eyes.
Kayla looked back at her again, so in character that if Rina didn’t know any better, she would have absolutely fallen for it too.
“So what do you think, Rina?” she asked in a soft voice. “This is as good as it gets. I promise to still go all out to look for something better, but for now, why don’t you manage this?”
Rina was unable to take it any longer. She pulled herself from her seat abruptly, glaring daggers at Kayla. But even at that, she was unable to stop the tears that had pooled in the corner of her eyes, now flowing freely down her face.
“What do I think?” Rina repeated with a shaky breath. “You did this to me, Kayla, yet you sit there with your impossible deals and expect me to take that. Aren’t you even scared of karma?”
“What are you talking about?” Kayla whispered, crying also.
“You know I didn’t do all of that, Kayla. You said it yourself. You set me up for failure. Let them know.”
Kayla tried reaching for Rina. “Why would I do that to you?” she questioned, still crying. “We’ve been friends for too long to do something that terrible to the one person that always seemed to get me. Where did you get that story from?”
“Maybe she’s delusional as well,” one of the board members muttered.
Rina didn’t think she could be in here anymore. Grabbing her purse, she raced out of the door, knocking some people over on the way. Hot tears blinded her eyes, but Rina didn’t stop until she was inside a taxi.
Or what she thought was a taxi.