Chapter 7

Thank you to Western Wicked Witch who wrote this last chapter! I hope everyone loves it as much as I do!

I had spent the night with Derek and I was scared not just of him, I was scared of everyone. Rehearsals went by in a blur; I had a hard time concentrating. The slightest noise made me jump. I confided in Jessica and Bobby and they took turns staying with me in my apartments on nights when I couldn't sleep. I knew Dev was out there, somewhere, watching me. Yes I had spent the first few nights with Derek, but if Dev was out there, I couldn't let my director get caught up in this. Bombshell was on the line. And so was my fledgling career.

As days turned into weeks, I was still walking on eggshells. Derek continued to show his concern by asking me how things were going. Jessica and Bobby continued supporting me by just being there.

One night, while standing in the wings of the empty theater, which was the one place I found solace, I saw Dev. He was lurking in the shadows, like the Phantom. He had yet to see me, but he seemed to be looking for someone. Was it me, or Derek?

He searched the stalls where the audience would later gather to watch my performance, and scoured the circle, upper circle and the gods searching. The longer he looked the angrier he seemed to get, swearing and muttering under his breath.

Derek eventually walked into the theater. Dev stopped, looking unsure; Derek was the first to break the tension. "What, no flowers? You must have been the flower shop's best customer!" every word dripping with anger and sarcasm.

Dev responded, "She was the love of my life, until Marilyn took over, YOU took over! You made her afraid to answer back, then, when I thought I had her back, you showed up at the apartment! You Perv! She stood there with practically nothing on and I bet you loved every minute. Probably trying to work out how to get her into bed!"
"Will you please stop yelling?" Derek shouted while I stood holding my breath watching with a strange fascination. I got out my phone and started recording, just in case it turned physical, I would have proof that Dev was the attacker.

"Karen is a star! Do you know the day after you beat her; she went on stage and performed. She was in agony and yet she didn't want to let anyone down. That's the heart of a star. Everyone was against her, but I helped her be the star I saw in her first audition." Derek yelled with a passion that I hadn't seen anywhere except while he was working.

Dev stood, stunned and looking like a frightened child.

"In all the years we were together I had never seen her so passionate, I got scared. So I pulled away, I found solace in RJ and Ivy. It was wrong, unforgivable. Then Karen's opening night I stood in the back of the theater and as she sang the last song, I realized that I had lost her forever. I lost her to Bombshell, I lost her to you and I saw red." Dev said, his head hanging down. I was hoping that he finally understood how much he had hurt me, how scared I was.

"And that gave you the right to beat her? To scare her so much that her friend have had to take turns staying with her in her own home?" Derek bellowed, his face flushed with anger and passion.

Eileen was beside me and I motioned for her to stay quiet. We stood watching. Dev looked like he was ready to blow, or implode, and the camera was still running. I had seen that look before… right before…my mind flashed back to the night he beat me.

"So what? She deserves all she gets. Had she quit at the start when Ivy was making her life misery, this would never have happened. YOU wouldn't have happened!" Dev yelled throwing a right hook at Derek's face. Derek pushed him back and Dev tried again. Derek ducked and Dev hit his hand on one of the seats, Eileen and I heard a crack. It was enough to give Derek time to get behind Dev and march him towards the nearest exit. As Derek threw him out the door I heard him yell, "If you come near her again, I'll kill you. She's mine now." I had never wanted to be someone's property, but having Derek say I was his gave me a sense of security that I hadn't felt in a long time.

I switched the camera off and Eileen's voice startled me out of my thoughts, "Oh Karen, I knew you had trouble, but not like this, I really wish you would have told me. I thought Derek was up to his tricks. We all know his track record too well. I can see why he was so protective, but why not tell me, or Tom or Julia?" She said he voice so soft and kind I was starting to wonder why I hadn't told her, and then I remembered the conversation that she had had with Derek about how I wasn't able to do Marilyn.

"I knew you wanted Ivy and I knew I had to show you Derek's faith in me wasn't misplaced. So I kept going, even when Dev was terrifying me or breaking into Derek's apartment, through the pain and the fear, I had to prove to you that I could do this. I couldn't just let my dream slip away so quickly. I was sure you would replace me if I had shown weakness. I couldn't have that. This is my LIFE now Eileen. I needed it." I said with a tear running down my cheek.

"Oh Karen, we would have understood, yes maybe we would have used Ivy, but now I see what Derek sees. You want to see the best in everyone, so we see you as sweet, but you have the heart of a lioness. I am sorry we doubted you for so long."

Our conversation was interrupted by "Ladies?" Derek was there, watching us. I had no idea how long he'd been there. I wiped the last of the tears from my eyes and mouthed "Thank you" to Derek, who had once again rescued me from Dev and I went backstage and climbed to the flies. I just wanted to be alone. I needed to look down on the stage, my stage. I was going to be a star. No, I was a star. I saw Eileen and Derek in deep conversation. Derek looked up and we made eye contact. He gave me his adorable half smile and I felt a weight lift from my shoulders. I felt so alive. I thought for the first time in weeks I wouldn't need Bobby or Jessica or Derek tonight. I just wanted to do the next show and BE Marilyn.

Tomorrow I would thank Derek, but today I was just happy, for the first time in a long time. My watch said 6pm, an hour and a half to curtain. I'd start getting ready in thirty minutes, but for now, watching the crew was the most wonderful thing in the world.