Ece's Secret (Fazilet Hanim ve Kizlari Fanfiction)

Chapter One: Defeat

The two girls stared out at the opulent houses dotted across the Bosphorus shoreline as the ferry sailed toward its destination. 

"One day we will live in a house like that." the woman turned to her daughter.

"Come one mom. I would be lucky to even be a maid in a mansion like that." the girl shrugged. 

"You will see. First you start off with modelling then you'll move on to acting. Before you know it you'll be able to buy a mansion for yourself." her mother replied with ambition in her eyes. 

"Oh, please mom. Don't fill her head with nonsense. It's not that easy to become rich and famous. " the older daughter chimed in. 

"And you're an expert, aren't you Ms. Hazan?" her mother replied with sarcasm. She grabbed her younger daughter's face and planted a kiss on her cheek. "No one can deny my baby's beauty and talent. I know she can do it."

Hazan sighed and rolled her eyes at her mother's overconfidence. No doubt her baby sister Ece was beautiful with her long straight sandy hair, cherub face and eyes befittingly blue as the Bosphorus. But being beautiful wasn't enough to be a model. You needed a certain degree of luck and connections, two things their modest family lacked. 

The ferry pulled into the dock and the women hurried off. The older woman fussed over her youngest, fixing her makeup and adjusting her outfit. A passing posh car splashed water on the women as it drove by. Hazan chased after the black car for a few steps and cussed at the driver. But the vehicle payed no notice. In their distracted state Fazilet and Ece barely caught  the back end of their minibus driving past. To make a bad situation worse the clouds that had been threatening overhead for the past 3 hours finally started to trickle down. 

"God damn it! Great!" Fazilet exclaimed. "Hazan lend us your umbrella. I can't let Ece's hair and makeup get ruined before this audition. Run along to work."

Hazan handed off her umbrella and watched her mother and Ece run off to find a taxi. 

The women climbed into a taxi and finally caught a breath. "Ece don't be nervous. Okay, my sweet baby? Remember to smile and follow the photographer's direction, okay? And don't forget to find your light. And remember to stay relaxed."

"Mom, I am relaxed. You're more nervous than I am. If you're going to be like this at the audition it's going to make me even more nervous." Ece grabbed her mother's hands trying to calm her. The taxi had come to a halt. Fazilet paid the driver and they rushed into the audition waiting room.

It was like walking into a den of wolves. Every single one sizing up the fresh meat. 'They were no match for her daughter though' Fazilet thought. They signed in with the receptionist and took a seat. Fazilet leaned over to her daughter and whispered in her ear "Look at that one, she's at least 10 kilos too heavy. That one over there has a nose piercing, she'll get cut immediately. That one too in the corner, she's far too short." Fazilet nudged her daughter to rank the competition. Fazilet said a quick but loud prayer "Dear God, please help my daughter today. Thank you for this beautiful daughter, god bless. Please help her get selected. Ameen." A snarky looking witch started chuckling two seats down. "What's so damn funny? Huh?" she glared at the girl who clearly had work done on her face. "Thank you God a thousand times over" Fazilet continued while giving the plastic bitch a cutting side eye "for blessing me with a naturally beautiful daughter."

"Ece Camkiran?" the assistant called.

"That us! That us." Fazilet rushed Ece to her feet and towards the audition room. Fazilet tried to follow her daughter in but was stopped by the assistant. 

"I'm sorry ma'am but no outsiders are allowed."

"What outsider? I'm her manager!" Fazilet asserted and pushed her way through. Fazilet climbed onto the platform and gave Ece a quick pep talk. "Don't be nervous, okay? Remember, look at the camera and say the lines as we practiced." Ece shook her head in understanding. 

Ece froze. She could barely get her lines out. The casting director started to get annoyed asking her to get on with it or leave. Fazilet tried to whisper the lines to Ece from the corner but it did nothing to calm her nerves. All she could form where tears. Having enough of the embarrassment Ece grabbed her bag and rushed out of the audition room. He mother followed her outside. 

"Damn the lot of them! If they can't be patient then it's their loss. My daughter will find even bigger role!" Fazilet cursed back at the office. 

"I ruined it." Ece sobbed. " I ruined everything. This was such a good shot and messed it up."

"Don't worry my baby. We'll find something better." Fazilet  wiped the tears off hear daughter's face and gave a comforting pat on her back.  "Let's go home."