Give Me A Chance

One

"The famous actress who was arrested two years ago for the murder of her then-boyfriend, has been released due to lack of evidence, Pascaline Stephens famously known as Monalisa has been released today for lack of enough evidence and in what the judge terms as she was too young to understand what was going on."

"The actress who was eighteen years old at the time claims the then thirty-eight years old late actor Ronald Evans wanted to kill her and in the process, he hit the bed causing him to fall down and she found a way to escape. Martin Evans the late actor's younger brother who was in the living room on the fateful day said, he heard them have a fight and the next thing he saw was Pascaline running out of the house looking devastated."

A tear falls, when the news anchor keeps narrating the events, it all comes back to me, the memories and how everything happened.

I didn't mean for things to happen that way.

"We are still uncertain of what happened, but we will keep updating you on how it goes, for now, we still don't believe that she was innocent, but as they say, money can buy freedom we at..." The screen goes black and I spot my mom standing behind me with the remote in her hand.

"Unprofessional journalists, you shouldn't be watching this."

She places the teapot on the table and sits next to me.

"They are right you know, I cheated my freedom."

"You were innocent baby, you know that and do not let anyone make you feel guilty." She pulls me into her arms and I let the tears fall as I sob in her arms.

"Being in prison was a very horrifying experience," I tell her as I keep crying.

"I know baby, I know, the good thing is that you're out of that hell hole." She rubs my back softly as I keep crying in her arms.

I do not ever want to re-encounter what I went through in those prison cells, the last two years were hell for me, being accused of a crime I didn't commit.

I didn't kill him but the judge wouldn't believe any of the words I said, Martin told the judge when I left the house that day, I looked suspicious, I can't blame him though, just that I was running for my life, Ronald would have killed me.

He was the country's sweetheart, everyone adored him, they loved him and now they hate me for taking away his life. If only anyone could be in my shoes.

It's been a week since I was released from jail and the past one week hasn't been easy for me, the moment I logged on to my social media accounts I could feel the hate from my fans, the insults kept coming that I had to deactivate most of my accounts.

The media is still talking about it like it's something new, every day I'm the topic of the day, the paparazzi are always outside our house, I haven't stepped foot outside the house ever since I came back home.

The air outside just shows how much people hate me, I can't run away from it, I just have to embrace it and live my life, I chose this fate the moment I got into a relationship with Ronald, I always knew it would never end well, but then I wanted to keep the fans happy, go with the trend, everyone in the acting industry was dating someone famous, after the movie we did together; everyone thought we would make a beautiful couple, then we thought we wouldn't lose anything after all.

Everything happened so fast that day, I wish I could turn back the hands of time, there are a lot of things in my life that I would change if I was given a second chance.

Dating Ronald was the worst mistake of my life.

I did it for the fans, the same fans that now hate me.

"You should have some green tea, it will calm you down, your father will be here any minute from now." She says as she leaves for the kitchen.

I might just need whiskey instead.

I get up from the couch and peep through the window, I'm just glad that the paparazzi are now gone, the limelight I was getting wasn't giving me a rest.

My phone vibrates, it's a new number, I'm sure it's just another journalist trying to make my life a living hell again.

"What."

"Mona?"

My eyes shoot wide open, I know that voice.

"Joseph?"

"How are you?"

"Holding up, you know."

I can't believe that he called me, it's been long, when I got out of jail, I didn't bother to know where he was and how he was doing.

"I'm in town, thought I should say hi."

This is the one thing that I need to make my day. Joseph has always been one of the best people in my life, ever since we were kids.

"Oh my, you should come for dinner, I'll tell my mom you're around."

"I'm actually outside your house." He says that just when the doorbell rings.

"You joking, is that you at the door?" I tell him as I quickly hang up the call.

I'm so excited as I walk to open it. He came to see me, I thought he would abandon me like the others who used to claim they were my friends only to run away when it got tough.

I unlock the door and I expect to see Joseph but the person before me is the last person I expected to see.

"Pascaline."

"Mrs Evans?"

Ronald's mother is standing there clad in her usual outfits that scream rich, my day couldn't get any worse.

"Come in." I mean the opposite of what I'm saying.

"No, she's not coming in." I hear my mom's voice from behind me, I didn't know she got here.

"Actually, I'm still going to deliver my message whether I come in or not."

She always hated me, her hatred didn't start with her son's death, it was way before, something with her not wanting me to date her son, it's complicated, I just wish I would have listened to her more.

"Happy now? You killed him and bought your way out."

I'm trying so hard not to cry, but it's not like I can hold back the tears.

"I didn't kill your son ma'am."

"The judge might have believed your bullshit story but I won't, I'll make sure you pay for his death."

This is never going to end, I thought by going to jail people would let it go but my release is just the beginning of my nightmare.

"Your son almost killed me and when I left, he wasn't dead, I don't know why it's so hard for you to understand that."

"You don't owe anyone an explanation sweety so Mrs. Evans if you don't mind, I would like for you to leave my premises." My mom tells her and she sneers. I'm just glad that my mom still has my back.

She doesn't even move an inch.

"I know how you are playing this game, kill him so that you can gain fame, well, congratulations I hope you are enjoying it now." She says and walks away neck high, I swear I think I saw her eyes turn teary.

I just hate that this happened.

"Don't mind her baby."

I bite my lower lip as I try to fight back the tears.

"She is right mom, all this wouldn't have happened if I wasn't with him that day, I was the cause of the fight we had before everything went down."

My mom looks at me and shakes her head in disbelief. She holds my face in her arms and turns me to look at her.

"You were only eighteen, and whatever happened back then wasn't your fault, I know you feel like the world is against you right now but trust me it will end and the people that hate you will love you once they know what really happened." She pulls me into a tight hug and I let out a sniff as I sob in her arms again for the umpteenth time since I came back from prison.

"Am I allowed to join in?"

Joseph.

I pull out of the hug and he is standing there looking all handsome in a red T-shirt and a dark blue pair of jeans.

"Aren't you going to hug me?"

I wipe my tears and chuckle as I run into his arms. He lifts me up instead, and I burst a laughter.

"You've lost weight." He says as he puts me down and hugs my mom.

"That's what prison does to people."

"Come in and have a seat." I drag him into the house and he follows suit.

"I'll get you a cup, for the tea." My mom says and walks away.

"Are you okay?" Joseph asks as he sits comfortably on the couch.

"Yea, how are you? I missed you."

I really did miss him, during the two years that I was sentenced he was the only one that cared for me apart from my family of course but I guess I consider him as part of my family.

"I missed you too Mona but you know I'm okay, I just want to know how you are, I kind of stumbled into Ronald's mom on my way here."

Right he saw her, they came at almost the same time.

"I'm fine really, I just hope I will get used to the hatred."

"A lot of people still love you, Mona." He always calls me by that name and I know it's my stage name and he is my childhood friend but he said Pascaline sounds more male, so when I got that stage name he said he would be calling me that, but he prefers Mona to Monalisa which isn't that bad.

"Thank you." I may be hated by many but having him and my family is enough to give me the strength.

"The moment I found out you had been released I wanted to be here as soon as possible." I lean in closer to him and snuggle in his warmth.

"I'm glad you are here." We stay quiet after that. I'm just enjoying the peace that comes with my friend being here.

"Mona?"

"Yea?"

"What really happened?"

I know what he is aiming at and I won't tell him, I have never told anyone what happened that day, not even the judges.

"We had a fight."

"Just that?" He turns to look at me with creased brows.

"Yea."

"You said, a male fan called you, that's what everyone knows but I'm the last person that called you, I couldn't hear you so well but If I'm not wrong I was the male fan, was it just that or it was more?"

I don't want to tell him anything but he is my best friend, he knows everything that goes on in my life. So hiding this information won't be fair.

"It was her Joe, he did something to her."

"That woman he was..."

"Here is your cup my dear." Mom picks this moment to walk in.

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