Page 127 of The Golden Scoop

“You can tell me all about Matt,” she says with a wink. Hearing his name is enough to make me wince. “Classic enemies to lovers.”

“I don’t think I get to call him anything ‘lover’ related anymore.”

The elevator doors open on our floor and we step out. Hushed voices wrap around us the second we’re noticed. Martha stops pacing, and folds her arms over her chest, shooting Kate and me the deadliest look I’ve ever witnessed.

I take a deep breath and exhale slowly.

“Hey,” Kate says softly, “no matter what happens here, this thing with Matt will sort itself out. That man is in love with you. And you are with him. That’s enough.”

I almost laugh. Not only do I think she’s wrong, but she’s also being so casual it sounds like she’s discussing weather. Sunny skies bring along a sure chance of reconciliation.

“Love is never enough.” I aim for lighthearted, but pain slips through. My mom loved her sister, and that wasn’t enough to keep the family from splitting. “You have to put in the work. Even when you don’t know what happens next.”

“For now,” she says, glancing toward Martha’s office, “go kick some ass.”

I nod. She’s right.

I square my shoulders. I can fall apart over Matt later, over tacos. Now I have to focus.

Martha’s voice slices through the office before I’m able to take more than three steps.

“Took you long enough.”

She’s stopped at her doorway. I walk past and take a seat.

“Was not expecting to come in today at all,” I say with a shrug.

Furious might be her middle name today, but it’s a lot less intimidating when I have nothing left to lose.

“Look, I’m going to be very clear with you, Emma.” She slams her door shut for extra audio effect. “What you did was out of line. It was risky, reckless⁠—”

“You can criticize me all you want, Martha,” I cut her off. “It was the right thing to do, and I don’t feel one ounce of regret.”

Her face hardens, eyes narrowing.

She walks around her desk and turns her back to me.

I don’t see it happen, but I feel it. Something changes because when she faces me again, I can tell she’s trying really hard to conceal her anger.

“I couldn’t agree more,” she answers through teeth so tightly clenched I’m shocked they haven’t cracked. “Your vision was not clear when you presented it to me yesterday. But it’s an outstanding piece. Honest. Vulnerable. We love it.”

A smile starts to pull at the corners of my mouth and it’s not because I’m happy to hear not everything might be lost.

No.

Because whoever fed Martha this script deserves a raise.

This is priceless. Truly.

She looks personally offended by every word coming out of her mouth, yet she’s powering through like a true professional.

The article’s ratings must be higher than I thought. That’s the only explanation. It’s performing, and they want in on the profit. Martha would rather eat glass than compliment my integrity.

“Right. You want to republish it in the next issue.” I fold my arms and tilt my head. “Are you looking for a monetary exchange, or let me guess, I’m suddenly not fired?”

A tiny smile flickers across her face. She would love to see me gone with nothing.

“Actually, Golden wants to offer you a promotion. You’d pick your topics, we’d remain flexible on your in-office hours, and yes, we’d like to republish your article. There’s also been discussion about expanding it to include your experience writing The Scoop.”