My name is Mariana Stashing, but you know me as Zach's girlfriend. Well, I'm technically his ex-girlfriend, but you didn't know that. Isn't it sad that the only identity I've retained is based on my relationship with another person? I'm sure it's the case for many people, but it hurts a lot more for me because we dated around thirty years ago. Yes, it's been that long. Currently, I'm forty-nine and working at Jurassic World. After all that trouble, they reopened. It's all thanks to Claire, that old cow.
That sounded mean. I didn't want it to sound mean.
I'm only bitter because while Zach has been enjoying a life of fame, I'm stuck here shoveling dinosaur feces. Slander is not flattering to my character, I know, and maybe a kinder person would be happy for their ex's success. But it's been a long time since we were together, and he barely remembers me. Nobody does. I just go through life, do my job, hope for a miracle . . . I guess I should be making my own miracles, but once you're in a rut, it's hard to get out. What am I supposed to do, anyway? Nobody wants a woman nearing fifty to get in their way. Nobody wanted me getting in the way when I was younger, even. Especially my grandmother.
Her.
You've heard the stories of Claire Dearing and Owen Grady and maybe even a yellow dragon, but you've never heard mine in full. Probably because there are no dinosaurs, no high stakes, no epic battles . . . It's just me. Me and my grandmother. My abusive, insane grandmother. Well, if you're willing to read, I'm willing to write, and it's about time the crimes of Deborah Stashing were made public. This will be good for me, I know, because I can finally put my worries to rest. I can confirm once and for all that she was a crazy woman who would settle for nothing less than perfection.
She wanted me to be the best.