Carla stands outside the rovers, she forces herself to stop her tears, wipes her mascara smudged eyes, pulls down her dress and pulls her hair out from her face. She then takes a deep breath before opening the rovers door. She walks in to find normal Friday night antics. She takes a big look around to see who's in there. First she sees HER, with her fake smile and tan, cheap tacky clothes not a care in the world and not a clue what on earth is about to hit her. Then she spots Michelle who's got her back to her serving Beth and Kirk there two pints who are standing by the bar near the fruit machine. Then she notices Leanne and Stella having a good gossip over 2 small red wines. She looks into the booths she can see Mary sitting in one of the booths although she cannot see who is sitting opposite her although its likely to be Norris, he is gonna love this, if he's not careful he may have a heart attack with all the gossip he's about to hear Carla thought to herself. She also sees Maria and Marcus sitting on the first booth where she is standing near, Maria is oblivious to Carla's presence yet.
"Haha its funny isn't it" Carla said quietly laughing to herself still looking around at her surroundings. Maria turns around as she recognises the voice.
"Oh hi Carla didn't see you there" Maria says innocently. Carla doesn't respond. "What's funny...have you got a joke". Carla finally makes eye contact with her.
"A joke ahaha you could say that. A joke on my expense but you know that's how most people get there kicks round here in it seeing me suffer" Carla said quickly confusing Maria and Marcus as they look at each other awkwardly.
"Do you want to join us, Marcus will get you a drink" Maria said.
"Nope" She then spots Maria's near enough full glass of white wine so she quickly grabs it and downs the lot then she wipes her mouth . "That one will do... for now anyway".
Maria was a little annoyed by this but she could clearly see Carla wasn't right.
"Are you alright Carla you don't seem your normal self".
"Oh she finally gets it". Carla replied sarcastically.
"What's happened" Maria asked worriedly.
Marcus piped up "I think its best you sit down". He said this while shuffling up to give her space to sit.
"I don't want to sit down". Carla said raising her voice which started to alarm some of the customers. Michelle turns round to find Carla standing there. Like Maria she can see that something is wrong with Carla but she spotted this at her first glance, as she notices her shaky hands and her red mascara smudged eyes. She started to walk nearer to her even though the bar was separating them.
"Carla what's happened what's all the noise about".
Carla starts laughing to which Michelle and Maria look at each other in confusion.
"It's funny init, I look round here and nearly every women in here I have pretty much screwed their life up one way or another" She said lowering her voice but enough for people close to her to hear.
Michelle didn't understand. "What are you going on about".
"Take Maria to start with". Carla said quite loudly know which got the attention of most of the punters in the pub, she turned round to look at a confused Maria. " Innocent, naive loveable little Maria. I mean where do I begin, lets start with having an affair with your husband, then not telling you about who his murderer was as soon as I found out and then not forgetting how I didn't support you over frank trying to rape you, I mean that is a lot of stuff, you must really hate me".
"Carla we have been through all of this, its ancient history you know that". Maria said baffled as to why she is bringing all these things up now. Carla then gives her a fake smile before turning round to give a fierce look at Michelle.
"Well if not her then you. I mean Liam was your brother lets not forget and I didn't tell you about Tony either, before that there was Paul I was never good enough for him I knew all your family thought so even you Michelle, then there's all the stuff with your job at the factory recently, I mean you haven't really forgiven me for that have you".
"Come on Carla you no we've made up"Michelle says forcefully.
" Oh do I". Carla replies quietly but coldly looking deeply in to Michelle's eyes as she is aware who is behind her and doesn't want to gage eye contact with her yet.
"Yes we went bridesmaid shopping the other day".
Carla laughs again. "Bridesmaids shopping. You couldn't get away quicker enough".
"That is not true. I was busy here we were short staffed I did tell you beforehand. Look I don't no what this is about but your clearly upset about something so why don't we go through to the back try talk all this through maria can come to". Michelle said trying to reason with Carla.
"You wanna talk now. You've got time for me now when you know some-things wrong but when I'm happy lately you don't seem to care about that". As she was saying this she heard the door go and turned round in the hope it wasn't peter but luckily it was just sally.
"Carla please look..."
Carla interrupted Michelle. "Oh look who it is. If it isn't another one off my list".
"You've lost me Mrs Conner" Sally said.
"You know my little list of who's life iv ruined, who's got a vendetta against me. I mean we have got history ain't we Sal. I sacked you from underworld remember, even though business wasn't exactly booming and I had to do it but you just couldn't take that could you, you had to try and get one over on me by siding with Frank. So I suppose that makes us even I mean if it was you then that would be like history repeating itself wouldn't it in a weird kind of way but then again if it was you that would be weird full stop". Carla said fast-paced, leaving everyone confused as to what she is going on about.
Especially Sally. "I do not have a clue what you are going on about".
A fed up and confused Michelle says "That's it Carla if you wont come in the back I'm calling peter".
"NO" Carla shouts alarming Michelle more. "Don't you dare I don't want him nowhere near me". She now has the full pubs attention but people start gossiping to themselves shocked to find out something has gone on with Peter and Carla.
"What's he done Carla" a worried Michelle asks.
"Promise me you wont call him".
"Carla what has he done"
"Just promise me Michelle"
"Ok ok I wont call him" Michelle says as she walks from the other side of the bar to get closer to Carla. Carla's eyes are starting to fill with tears but she tries to stop them from falling not showing weakness to the people that she feels would love to see nothing more.
Maria gets up from her seat and walks closer to Carla too although doesn't want to touch her as she can tell she's clearly really upset as she is still visibly shaking. "Has Peter hurt you".
"Wow you really are starting to catch on" Carla said sarcastically.
"What has he done".
"Oh he's hurt me alright, he has hurt me in the worst possible way". Carla said looking into Maria's eyes.
"Carla he hasn't raaapp...
"No Maria he hasn't raped me". Carla shouted finishing maria's sentence for her. Michelle and Maria both took a big sigh of relief. "He's hurt me in the worse possible way much worse than what Frank did".
"You no that was the worse thing that's ever happened to you Carla". Maria exclaimed.
"Not any more". Carla said quietly while walking away from them both to walk towards Leanne and Stella.
"Your really frightening me now Carla, I really think we should go to the back". Michelle pleaded with her. Although Carla wasn't listening.
"Then we come to you too".
"This is quite a performance your putting on" a smug Leanne said.
"We will start with the mother shall we, what grudge do you have of me. Oh yeah just the little fact that I nearly killed you. That's as good reason for revenge as any". Carla stated.
"Revenge, Carla what the hell is all this about" a confused Stella asked.
"And then we come to last but of course not least Leanne. Perfect mother, doting wife what did I do to you, nicked your husband of you after chasing him for months, I ruined your perfect family set-up. I really did ruin your life didn't I"
"Yes you did" Leanne bluntly replied. "Why do I get the impression Peter has now ruined yours" she said with a smirk smile on her face.
"You'd be good at cluedo Leanne do you know that, I mean there's no murder yet but that can be arranged" Carla said while catching Tina in the corner of her eye, who seems to be very aware where this is heading. No-one really thinks much of her glance towards her.
"Do you no Leanne I honestly thought if Peter was either gonna cheat it would be with you".
"Oh no thank you I don't want that waste of human skin. So he has cheated then, do you no what that is a real shame as I actually thought you really suited each other" Leanne said smugly. Michelle goes over to them both.
"Peters cheated" Michelle exclaimed louder enough so if anyone didn't hear there conversation they sure did now.
Carla pauses and takes a big deep breath, she's clearly riled by Leanne's comments but didn't expect anything less. She looks around at everyone before shouting. "Go on everyone have a good laugh at my expense".
The whole pub was shocked the likes of Norris and Beth were having a field day with all this drama. Michelle and Maria were looking at Carla with pity and felt extremely sorry for her.
"Least you no now your nothing special your just 1 of a very long line". Leanne said smugly but fairly quietly Carla heard though and turned round to glare at her again.
"Leanne I think that's enough" Stella told her daughter.
"No do you no what I've been waiting for this moment for ages and I am going to enjoy it. I must admit though I do give you credit it lasted a lot longer than I thought I mean its nearly a whole year since he begged me to take him". The whole pub gasped in shock.
"That was all you, peter explained that and told me you were like a dog with no leash". Carla said
"Oh yeah like in a few weeks time if you didn't find out about his sordid little affair he was gonna tell you he was gonna say eternally faithful to you". Carla's head dropped. Peter lied to her then as well she thought. She looked devastated, a stray tear fell from her face but she quickly wiped it away to show Leanne that she is not getting the better of her. "See Carla now you no you cant trust a single word that comes from his mouth but then again your just as bad".
"One more word from you Leanne and I will drag you out of my pub" a riled up Michelle shouted sticking up for Carla.
"No let her, she's right though isn't she".
"What I want to know now is who's the next supposedly love of Peter bigamist Barlow's life" Leanne asked.
Everyone looks round in anticipation. Carla pauses to compose herself.
"You no the only 2 women in here that I havn't screwed over in one way or another is Beth and Mary (Carla lets out a little laugh) I mean if it was one of you two then I think even I could have a good laugh about it".
"Hey, what's wrong with me" Beth startled.
"What's not wrong with you" Carla quick witted replied while looking at her up and down. Beth went to smack Carla but Michelle saw this and quickly stops her.
"And me" Mary innocently says. Carla turns around gives her a stern look with a little chuckle. "Now that is just...comical" Carla states as Mary looks embarrassed.
Michelle feels its time to step in. "Right come on Carla were going round the back before you insult any more of my customers if that's even possible". She takes Carla's shaky hand and tries to pull her in the right direction although Carla is having none of it.
"Oh no I am not" Carla shouts while snatching her hand off Michelle's. "I am just getting started" Carla says in a stern voice as she looks over at Tina she notices she's quickly making her way to the back of the pub by taking slow backward steps trying to not attract Carla's attention.
"Don't you dare move" Carla shouts in a extremely forceful voice while glaring at Tina. Tina now looks Carla in the eyes and starts to feel very scared about what could happen next. Everyone is confused as to why she is now shouting at Tina.
"Of course Beth and Mary aren't the only ones I haven't hurt, there's you isn't there Tina. Tina who iv hardly said two or more words too at one given time, Tina who I smile at and say my please and thank-yous when ordering a drink, Tina who is probably young enough to be peters daughter (as she is saying this Carla's voice is rising louder and getting more angry) so why the hell are YOU sleeping with MY fiancée". The whole pub is in shock, Tina doesn't look at Carla she doesn't no what to do or say.
Michelle doesn't believe this at all "Tina, no Carla darling you must have that wrong I mean if peter is having an affair it certainly wont be with Tina".
"Oh Michelle darling I think you'll find I'm right" Carla replied mocking Michelle slightly annoyed she doesn't believe her.
Liz comes from upstairs to the bar annoyed at all the noise. "What is all this noise about it ruined my relaxing bath".
"Do you want to tell her or shall I" Carla asked a very quiet Tina.
"Don't tell me you didn't listen to me" Liz said looking at Tina. Tina's look of embarrassment and guilt says it all.
"It's true and you knew" Michelle exclaimed in pure shock.
"Well no I didn't no, I saw that she seemed to be flirting a bit too much with him and warned her that's all but she told me nothing was happening" Liz explained.
"And you didn't tell me" Michelle glared.
"Well I didn't think it concerned you"
"What a member of my staff overly flirting with my best friends fiancée not of my concern how do you work that flaming out" Michelle shouted at Liz.
All this time Carla couldn't keep her eyes of Tina although she felt sick at the sight, Tina couldn't give her eye contact yet. Carla had enough of them arguing.
"Can you two finish your domestic later. I don't care who knew what. I want to hear it from the cheap tarts mouth. So come on why did you do it". A now highly worked up Carla shouted.
"I'm sorry" Tina said so quietly you struggled to hear her.
"What did you just say" Carla asked for clarification.
"I am sorry" Tina said more loudly now looking at Carla in her eyes.
"Your sorry well that makes it alright then does it. I don't care if your sorry or not I want to no why.
"Do we have to do this here" Tina asked.
"You do not call the shots. I do. What have I ever done to you hey, nothing absolutely nothing so why the hell did you sleep with my finance" a extremely teary eyed Carla asked.
"It just sort of happened" Tina said again very quietly and vulnerably.
"It just sort of happened" Carla repeated her more calmly. "Like a mistake you mean. Lets see like putting salt in your coffee instead of sugar, serving someone a white wine when they asked for red, sleeping with Peter Barlow instead of sleeping alone. Oh yeah I can see that causing confusion"
"I don't no what you want me to say" Tina says feeling extremely embarrassed not trying to make eye contact with anyone else.
"Do you love him" Carla firmly asks.
"Carla" Michelle says trying to stop her best friend from getting any more hurt than she already is.
" Do. you. love .him" Carla said very clearly. She took a deep breath for her response not really knowing what answer would be worse.
"I don't no" Tina replies.
"You don't know you don't know" Carla screams, she flips she loses any composure that she did have. She rages towards the entrance of the bar but Michelle and maria both do they best to stop her.
"Get out Tina. Get out now and don't bother coming back". Michelle shouts while fighting to not loose grip of Carla. Tina runs for the back door as fast as she could.
"Get off me, get off me" Carla's barriers suddenly fall and all emotion that she deeply was trying to hold in comes flooding out. She breaks down in floods of tears and now instead of fighting her to stay in their grip Michelle and Maria now are fighting to keep her up as Carla is bundled to the floor in a weeping mess. Even the likes of Stella and Leanne are starting to feel sorry for her.
"Come on Carla lets get you through to the back" a teary Michelle states while trying to use all her energy to move Carla.
"Why why her why" Carla mumbles through tears.
"Hey come on its alright come on lets get you through to the back" Michelle responds as they now have managed to get Carla passed the bar. "Shows over". A teary Michelle shouts to the whole pub in annoyance of some people such as Norris and Beth who seem to thoroughly enjoy that. They could all hear Carla's loud sobs from the back room as they all look at each other in amazement as to what just happened.