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Chapter 18
TRINA
After bawling my eyes out and shoving my belongings into suitcases, I have my ah-ha moment.
I stomp my way to one of the ceiling cameras and shake a finger. “No way. This. Is. Not. How. It. Ends.”
I leave my packed bags, grab my purse, and brace for the collateral damage. It’s time to clean up my mess.
As soon as I step into the undercover parking lot, a swarm of reporters charge at me like soccer players. I slip my sunglasses over my eyes and hold up my palm, signaling “stop.” I’m no longer intimidated by cameras and microphones. It’s been my life for the last few months.
Questions bombard me left and right. I spot the microphone badge I want to see. CNN.
I point to that reporter and shout over the noise. “You. Exclusive interview. Now. Let’s go.”
I push through the sea of photographers, and Alecia from CNN leads me to a BMW. Large cash offers chase us, but I’m not doing this for money. I’m going big or going home.
The twenty minutes to the city race by as Alecia fangirls me. She can’t believe her luck. Her cameraman sits in the backseat, gazing at the passing cars.
We find a quiet spot downtown at a public park. Alecia orders two lattes at a coffee van, and we sit at a picnic bench. “We’ll go for the heart-to-heart interview style, like we’re friends sharing over coffee.”
I tilt my head and shrug one shoulder. “Whatever works. Will this air tonight?”
Alecia taps her lips. “I can’t promise anything, but they might slip it into this evening’s news.” She lifts her cell. “Give me a minute. With the blow up in the media this morning, our producer will want to prioritize an exclusive.”
She makes a call, excitement in her tone. After she ends the conversation, she turns to me, eyes bright. “Daryl wants to speak with you. He’s meeting us here.”
“Daryl?”
“The production manager.”
“Okay. I have no other plans.” I chuckle, but it’s a self-deprecating laugh. My life is in no-man’s land now. Where am I going to live? I leased out my apartment for three months. The tenants have two weeks left. I don’t want to go back to my job after what Mike did to my M.J. Albert articles. The show has refused to pay me for breaching the contract, and they will definitely cut me off after this interview. I don’t care. All I care about is vindicating Liam.
Alecia rubs her hands together. “Ready?”
I nod and the cameraman signals from behind the camera.
Alicia beams perfect white teeth toward the lens. “Tonight, we have an exclusive interview with Trina Smith from the reality TV show, ‘Bride at First Sight.’ Trina has agreed to open up about her controversial articles and the truth behind the headlines. I’m Alicia Nickols, CNN news.” She faces me, holding the mic under her chin. “Trina, or should I call you M.J. Albert? There’s been a lot of speculation surrounding your articles. Can you shed some light on this?”
This is it, my chance to set the record straight about Liam. I take a deep breath and straighten my posture, meeting Alicia's gaze with unwavering determination. “Absolutely, Alicia. First and foremost, I want to clarify that I did indeed write those articles under the pen name M.J. Albert. However, there is a crucial detail the public is unaware of—the final article that was published was not my original work.”
Alicia leans in, her eyes widening. "Are you saying someone tampered with your articles? Can you elaborate?"
I nod, the revelation heavy on my shoulders. “Yes, I’d love to. It’s standard procedure to have an editor review and polish article drafts. Unfortunately, my editors took it upon themselves to make significant changes without my consent. They altered the tone and content in a way that portrayed Liam Ashley in a negative light, deviating from my original intention.”
Alicia's brows furrow. “That's concerning. Why do you think the editor made those amendments without informing you?”
I take a moment to gather my thoughts. In my industry, it’s a huge no-no to slam a publication you’ve worked for. I’ll basically flush my entire career down the toilet. In fact, by doing this exclusive, I’ve already ruined any chance of remaining employed with them.
“I believe it was a combination of factors. Liam and I had a history, and there was some unresolved tension between us. My boss knew I didn’t want to be a contestant. The editors can never resist the opportunity for a sensational story and exploited our complicated relationship for maximum impact. I wasn’t available for back-and-forth communication due to the demands of the show, so my boss would have approved the edits on my behalf.”
