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“I came to… apologize,” I whisper softly, waiting to see a look of sadness and disappointment creep up on my mother’s face. That doesn’t happen, though. She just looks at me with a blank expression, waiting. “I know we don’t agree on a lot of things, but I know that you didn’t want it to end like this, with Magnus getting the Equinox contract. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” she whispers back at me, and then a faint smile takes over her lips. “You’ve played your part, Penny. Maybe you couldn’t see the whole chessboard in front of you, but you did everything you were supposed to.”
“I… I don’t understand,” I start, and my mother’s smile widens even more.
“You don’t need to understand. Your job is almost done, Penny. There’s one last thing for you to do, and then this is all going to be over,” she continues, her voice strangely calm. This isn’t how I envisioned things would go. I expected a shouting match, a mother and daughter fight for the ages… and all I get is her quizzical smile and confusing words. What the hell’s going on?
“What…?” I ask her, and she picks up a sheet of paper from her stack of documents and slides it across the desk.
“This is a draft. It’s the only weapon left that we have against Magnus. I want you to write this column and own up to what’s in there. And then this whole thing will be over. I promise you. It might not be easy, but Laurel Trask is on our side… And she’ll look after you.”
Not understanding a word of what my m
other’s saying, I grab the sheet of paper in front of me, and I feel my blood freezing in my veins as I start reading through the document. It’s a Gossip Central rough draft, and what’s in there is so vile I feel nauseous right now.
“What the hell is this?” I ask, anger turning my voice bold. “Are you insane?”
“I’m not insane,” she responds calmly, as if my answer wasn’t a rhetorical one. “Rewrite that draft in your own words, and publish it under your name. You always said you wanted to be a journalist, it’s time for you to become a real one.”
“Journalist?” I crumple the paper harshly, turning it into a rough white ball, and throwing it on top of the desk. “These are lies! You don’t care about the truth… You just care about… I don’t even know what you care about, mom! I don’t even know you anymore.” I stare her down for a few tense seconds, and then I give her my obvious reply to her request. “I’m not doing this.”
“You have to, Penny. Or else you might find yourself out of a job.” Her words feel like a precise jab to my stomach, but I recover from it in a heartbeat. A threat? I know exactly where she can shove these threats of hers.
Without a word, I get up from my seat and start making my way out of her office. I open the door and, just before leaving, look back at her from over my shoulder.
“Guess I’m out of a job then,” I say, and then slam the door behind me.
The New York Daily Journal
Papa Don’t Preach!
Gossip Central on Page Eight. From the Desk of Vicky Durner - All the gossip you never even knew you needed to know!
A somber salutation to you, Gotham.
Why somber?
We've reported on Magnus Davion extensively over the course of the last few months.
But all that comes to a close at this point.
In the past, the antics of Mr. Davion were boorish, immature, and that of an overgrown man-child.
His actions that are now being alleged are that of a menace to society.
They disrespect all women. They hurt us as a society. And they cut close to home as well.
Over the last 24 hours, a lot has changed at the New York Daily Journal.
We've had to let go of a celebrated staff reporter, Penny Wright.
And yes, Penny is the daughter of our fearless leader, Rhoda Wright. She gave Penny a job on the Gossip Desk, writing under the Vicky Durner pen name right out of college.
And it turns out that Penny has been trading sexual favors for shading the coverage of Magnus Davion to be more positive.
That's right.
You read that correctly. Penny Wright has been engaged in a sexual relationship with Magnus Davion.
