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Mia is sitting on the edge of the bed with her phone in her hands. She peers over at me anxiously, but there’s something else in her eyes, too. Shame.
My heart races as I sit up. “What happened?”
She holds up her phone. I take it and look at the article she has up on her browser.
My Bride Stood Me Up at the Altar for a Richer Man,the title reads, with a picture of Michael’s headshot beneath it.
“Oh, come the fuck on,” I say, scrolling further to read the rest of the article. “This is all a bunch of bullshit.”
“It gets worse,” she says, playing with her hands as I scan through everything. “Scroll further to see why.”
I do as she says. My jaw drops when I spot the photos of us getting into my car together that a random passerby took. There’s even one with Mia wearing my jacket wrapped around her shoulders.
“Jeez,” I groan. “I’ll call around and get this taken down as soon as possible.”
“It won’t stop him,” Mia says, her tone stale. Even her face has been drained of its color. “He has nothing to lose, so he won’t stop until he wins. If you get this taken down, he’ll just find another way to throw me under the bus.”
I sigh as I scroll through the article again. This is so fucking bad. Not only for Mia, but this is not the kind of publicity I want for the series.
“I’m going to head to my parent’s house in Hudson for the weekend.” She rises and crosses over to her suitcase on the floor beside my dresser. I just can’t handle all of this right now.”
I frown, but I get it. This is the worst possible thing that could happen to both of us. “Let me take you to the airport,” I say. “I can get you there in an hour.”
She turns to me. To my surprise, she seems disappointed. Could we both be on the same page regarding our feelings for one another?
“Why not?” she asks.
“Because I have something to take care of first.” I stand up and start collecting my things so we can leave ASAP. “I’ll meet you back in Hudson as soon as I’m done.”
Chapter 29
Mia
“I’msorry,Mia,”Avasays over FaceTime. “The story is spreading like wildfire.”
I sigh as I sit cross-legged on my bed at my parent’s house. Carter stayed true to his word and dropped me off, leaving my brother to pick me up from the airport and bring me back home. I’ve been an anxious mess for the past few hours, switching back and forth between FaceTiming with Ava and checking if Carter has responded back to any of my messages. So far, he’s ignored them all.
“This is so bad,” I say, throwing my hand over my face. “I don’t know how I’m going to handle work after all this. This has got to be the most humiliating day of my life.”
Everything about that pathetic article is stupid. Michael is spitting out complete lies. The problem is, they’re all believable lies. Of course, people are going to accept a woman like me, who didn’t come from wealth, hopping from one rich man to an even richer one. The photos only make it seem all the more convincing. Why did they have to use the ones where I’m getting into his car? Michael is so insanely manipulative.
I bring my back against my wooden headboard. It’s low, so my head rests against my pale-yellow wall. “What’s worse is, I can’t help but think this is the end of the road for Carter and me.”
Ava furrows her brows. “Why would you think that?”
“Because Carter hates being in the spotlight. I already know what must be going on in his head. He’s rehearsing how to break up with me as we speak. Maybe even fire me for all the drama I’ve caused him and the series.”
Ava rolls her eyes. “Stop being so dramatic. I doubt any of that will happen. You still haven’t heard from him? Has he tried helping you out at all?”
I shake my head. “He tried making some phone calls on the way to the airport, but it was a bust. Nobody he spoke to had enough pull to take everything down.”
I seriously hate that Michael is coming out on top. Ava suggests suing again since we have the video proof, but we both know that’s not enough.
“Mia?” Fred says from behind the door.
“Come in,” I call out.
He opens the door wider and pops his head into the room. “You said your boss’ name is Carter Cogswell, right?” I nod. “Come downstairs. Right now. You’re going to want to see this.”
