CHAPTER 3...
^_________^
Raphael walked quickly towards Mabel and her held her shoulders staring straight into her eyes. He wanted to confirm what he just saw.
Come on, I can't be hallucinating right now... I definitely saw something. He said in his head squinting his eyes to get a clearer view but nothing came up.
"Raph.. ael..."
"Is there something on my face?" Mabel stuttered blinking nervously feeling uncomfortable with their pose.
Raphael cleared his throat and moved away when he realized he made her uncomfortable.
"Doesn't your leg hurt? I noticed you've got a cast on it" He blurted pointing at her foot to make the whole scene less weird.
Mabel glanced at her foot and she nodded. One of the officers offered her a seat.
I can't possibly be seeing things. Raphael said in head and ran his fingers through his hair.
"Mr Raphael, can you confirm her claim? You were Miss Rein's boyfriend, it's obvious she must have said something to you..?" one of the officers asked.
Raphael looked away from them angrily.
"Should you be asking me a question like that when I had zero idea, she was having a mental breakdown... Rein said nothing to me! I spent almost everyday with her but nothing... I failed as a boyfriend and a friend" He blurted frustratedly punching the table before him angrily.
Mabel flinched in shock as she looked at Raphael with pitiful eyes.
"Officer... I can drop a statement on my claim" She cut in leaning forward to the officer across the table.
Raphael gave her a curious look.
"Rein said something to you? Were both of you friends?" He asked curiously as he sat down next to her.
Mabel nodded slowly.
"I think we were close enough to know each other's house!" She responded then turned back to the officers.
"On the last day we ended the drama we acted together, Rein and I had a few drinks together that was when she told me a little about what was going on with her.." Mabel paused and glanced at Raphael's curious eyes.
The officers noticed Mabel was feeling a bit uncomfortable sharing this in front of Raphael.
"Mr Raphael, you're done here! We'll call you back for more questioning if it's needed" the officer discharged him.
Raphael fixed his eyes on Mabel as he stood up slowly from the chair he was seated in.
Simone and his lawyer Obed walked into the station.
"Good day officers... I'm Raphael Kris's lawyer" Obed introduced displaying his ID card which was hanging on his neck.
Simone patted Raphael's back.
"What is she doing here?" He whispered and Raphael nodded negatively.
"She knows something about Rein! Let's get out of here" Raphael uttered in a low tone as he adjusted his jacket.
Obed turned to them and nodded at them.
"Go ahead, I'll take care of things here!" He added and they left.
Mabel sat back there with the officers and Raphael's lawyer.
****
Raphael and Simone walked to his car and Raphael stopped walking.
He looked back at the station entrance door.
"Why? Do you want to go back there?" Simone asked tracing his gaze.
Raphael smacked his lips worriedly.
"There's something about that girl... I just can't get it off my mind!" He muttered slowly rubbing his thumb against his lips.
Simone looked at him with so much concern.
"Did something happen between you two?" He asked curiously.
Raphael shook his head not adding up to the conversation.
"Tomorrow's Rein's burial... Do you want to console her family tonight?" Simone asked sadly.
Raphael bit his lower lips as he got reminded of his grief.
"I still can't believe she's gone! I don't think her family would want to have me around not after seeing me wail my eyes at the hospital, it's only going to make them feel worse! And it's a new day already, it's 4 am" Raphael pointed out pressing his eyes with his palms.
Simone sighed sadly patting his back.
"Do you want to have a drink with me?" He asked.
"I appreciate the offer but not today..." Raphael declined.
He was about getting into the car when he saw Mabel limping down the stairs of the station.
"She's out already!" Simone uttered and Raphael raised his head up to see Mabel.
Raphael shut the car door.
"Simone, go ahead without me!" He said and head up to Mabel.
Mabel adjusted her nose mask properly.
"You're done talking with the police?" Raphael asked as he walked to her.
Mabel looked up in shock at the sound of his voice.
"You're still here?" She asked a bit surprised.
Raphael placed her hand on his shoulder as he helped her down the stairs.
"Thank you!" She said politely with a sad smile on.
Raphael glanced at her for a while and he couldn't stop thinking about what she said to the police.
"Do you mind having a drink with me?" He requested politely.
Mabel signed tiredly.
"Tonight sure deserves a bottle of soju! Let's go! But I can't be seen in public with you, do you have a place in mind?" She questioned.
Raphael was taken aback cos of her statement.
"Why can't you be seen in public with me? I don't think my image is that unbearable now"
Mabel chuckled softly closing her eyes cutely.
"It has nothing to do with your image... No one knows of my injury. If my fans find out about it, I think I'll be putting a stain on my reputation because of the way, I sustained the injury in the first place..." She explained and Raphael nodded.
"I have a place in mind. Let's go!"
~ RAINING BEAUTY STUDIO ~
The rooftop...
Mabel folded her arms a bit scared to move an inch.
"Is it safe up here? And I don't think this is the kind of place we should be staying not after what happened to Rein" She complained in a bit of a scared tone.
Raphael dropped the plastic bag on a wide table which had some cans of beer and some bottles of soju in them.
"It is safe up here... Have a seat!" He assured clapping his hands and all the lights on the rooftop was switched on.
Mabel's eyes widened in shock.
"It's actually beautiful up here" She smiled and sat down on the table.
Raphael joined her. He took out a can of beer, opened it and gave it to her.
"I know you're being considerate towards me but I would appreciate it a lot if you tell me exactly what went wrong with Rein. I want to hear all of it! I have the feeling I've got a hand in all of it" Raphael uttered after gulping down some of his beer.
Mabel took a quick sip nervously as her eyes became teary.
"I would be lying if I said you're completely innocent but I'll tell you all of it" She blurted honestly without even looking in his direction.
FLASHBACK...
On the last day of the movie shoot...
Mabel was massaging her legs tiredly on a bench away from the movie crew members when Rein walked up to her with a can of beer.
"Cheers!" Rein said with a smile clicking the two cans together.
She sat next to Mabel. Mabel smiled brightly as she sipped on the beer.
"Cold beer on a tiring night, definitely hits differently" She complimented with a thumbs up.
Rein chuckled.
"It has been a tiring journey right ..." She cut in, in a friendly tone as she gazed at the empty space.
Mabel was observant enough to notice Rein's facial expressions. She dropped her beer gently giving her full focus to Rein.
"You look like you have a lot on your mind! You can share it with me? I'm a good listener" Mabel said with a smile.
Rein smiled back.
"I've got an amazing boyfriend! He's the best... I love him a lot but... Deep down..." She uttered with a smile as it slowly turned into tears.
Mabel quickly gave her a handkerchief.
"Is he cheating on you?" She asked and Rein shook her head negatively.
"Raphael would never do such a thing to me... He loves his work so much, how I wish he had enough time for me..." Rein sniffed wiping off her tears.
"I'm tired of everything... I just want to rest! Do you think when I choose to do that, he would create some time for me... Sometimes, I sit back and wonder if they're going to miss me when I'm gone? Would they?" She added with tears rolling down her cheeks.
Mabel pulled her into her arms.
"You don't have to work yourself out! Take some time off with your boyfriend, I bet he would love that also..." Mabel muttered with a smile as she patted her back.
Hugging Rein like that a text message popped on Rein's phone.
Mabel's a fast reader so she saw everything on the text.
The text message sent shivers down her spine, Rein noticed and she quickly put the phone away.
"Did you see anything?" Rein asked faking a smile.
"Not at all..." Mabel forced a smile on.
FLASHBACK ENDS...
Tears was already rolling down Raphael's cheeks as he heard everything Mabel said to him.
"If she needed time, I would have given that to her in a heartbeat... But what was the text all about?" Raphael asked wiping off his tears with the back of him palm.
"Having a man in secret... Shouldn't your career come first... What do you think would happen if your fans find out about your lover boy... If you can't give up your life for acting then just kill yourself... Just die!!! You've been falling back on your acting skills... Enough reason to end your life cos you're becoming worthless... Die! Just die Rein!!!" Mabel repeated with tears dropping from her eyes.
She gulped down the whole can of beer, Raphael joined her.
"Rein's manager told me, Rein received so many threats both on text and physically... That was why she almost lost her sanity"
"I couldn't even save her from such a dilemma! She showed me so many signs and I ignored all of it for my selfish reasons. I'm a horrible person..." Raphael cried holding his chest.
Mabel couldn't hold back her cry anymore so she burst into a louder cry.
"I could've been there for her... I knew she was struggling..I could've been there for her, I called myself her friend and I couldn't even save her... I'm a horrible friend" She cried loudly hugging her can of beer.
They both cried till sunrise. Mabel cried till she began to shiver in cold. Raphael gave her his jacket.
He felt so terrible seeing someone else cry way more than him.
"I wasn't the only one who you meant so much to" He mumbled looking up at the sky.
LATER THAT DAY..
~ DESIGNATED HALL ~
So many celebrities, actors and actresses arrived at the funeral home already to come pay their respect to Rein.
They were all dressed in black attires. Rein's family were standing next to her portrait as everyone came to pay their respect.
They sobbed silently.
Raphael and Simone as well as his employees walked into the hall.
Many people tried to exchange pleasantries with Raphael but he was acting were too cold.
He had his sun shades on and a black face cap.
Mabel watched him sadly from where she was seated.
Raphael walked into the smaller room to pay his respect. The moment he stepped out from there, he fell on the floor.
He had a cardiac arrest. He took way too many pills to kill off the heavy migraine he was having since early hours of the day.
"Raphael! Open your eyes... Raph.."
"Boss! Boss! Boss!"
The whole hall became disoriented.
Mabel ran faster than anyone towards Raphael.
"Raphael... Raphael can you hear me?" She asked hitting his cheeks toughly so he would gain consciousness.
Raphael opened his eyes slowly and once again Mabel's future appeared before his eyes.
Tears roll down to his ears.
"Why do I find myself in them..." He mumbled slowly and passed out.
"Raphael!" Simone called out jumping into the crowd tapping Raphael's arms vigorously.
Mabel fell back on the floor in shock, the moment she saw Raphael's eyes change it's colour in an instant.
"His eyes!!" She mumbled in shock placing her hand on her neck.