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“Remi,” my lawyer said gently, catching up to me as we stepped out of the boardroom. “You did the right thing.”
My knuckles turned white as I clenched my fists, rage and humiliation warring inside me.
After weeks of legal wrangling and sleepless nights, this was how it ended — not with the vindication I craved, but with defeat.
I scrubbed a hand over my face. “I can’t believe this. My career … my reputation … It’s all in shambles now. How did it come to this?”
My lawyer sighed. “I know it’s difficult, but this was the pragmatic choice. Dragging this out in court could have bankrupted the magazine and destroyed your career. This way, at least the magazine’s insurance covers the settlement and you’re shielded from further lawsuits from BVR or the rock band.”
I turned on him, eyes blazing. “My career is already destroyed! Did you miss the part where I have to get on my knees and beg for forgiveness for something I didn’t even do?”
He didn’t meet my gaze, staring at the floor. Even he didn’t believe I was innocent.
“Listen to me,” he urged, his voice firm yet sympathetic. “We had no choice. Fighting this would have led to financial ruin. You can rebuild your career or branch out in a new direction.”
I stared down at the papers in my hands, the weight of my decision settling into my heart like a stone. It was like déjà vu. Years before, I’d been forced out of my dream career and had worked so hard to build a new one. I didn’t know if I had the heart to do it again. The injustice of it all felt like a deep, bottomless hole in my heart. Even though I wanted to fight for what was right, a part of me felt defeated and resigned.
“Maybe you’re right. I was never going to win this fight,” I conceded, wiping away a stray tear. “But that doesn’t mean any of it is fair.”
“Give it time, Remi,” he reassured me, before walking away. “You’ll bounce back from this.”
No one believed that I didn’t write that article. My lawyer, Caroline — my boss, and my co-workers all scoffed at my denials. What hurt the most was that Greyson and Ghost believed I could write such a malicious and hurtful article about them.
Why would absolute strangers ever believe me when the people closest to me hadn’t? Once the retraction and apology were published, my reputation and credibility would be shattered. I’d be lucky to land a job writing obituaries for the local free newspaper.
Everything I’d worked for was slipping through my fingers, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to stop it. I felt tears burning behind my eyes, but there was no way in hell I’d cry here, at Hollywood Exposé.
I hurried down the hall, eager to escape the legal sharks that were all mortal enemies in court, but were probably high-fiving each other for doing virtually nothing yet earning tons of money off this stupid settlement.
When I heard a door open behind me, I quickly ducked through the door marked ladies’ room on my right. I needed to get my emotions under control before I ran into anyone I knew. Then, I’d make a beeline for the exit.
This ladies’ room had a small, secluded anteroom set off to the side, with plush chairs, a large ornate mirror, and an antique chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The sitting area was lit by a series of small sconces, giving it a warm ambiance of quiet luxury.
Taking a deep breath, I sank into one of the plush chairs. I’d lost.
I’d done everything I could think of to prove my innocence, but nothing had worked. In the end, without Hollywood Exposé‘s cooperation, it had been an impossible task.
Admitting my guilt in the settlement had not only ruined my career but also my chances of getting Greyson and Ghost to believe me. Now what was I going to do? I wouldn’t give up on them, but the task seemed nearly insurmountable now.
Tears slid down my cheek. I had lost them both. Two men that I loved. Who wouldn’t even take my calls any longer. I cried for the injustice of it all. Most of all, I cried because I was alone. There was no one left to stand beside me, to tell me everything would be okay. I was broken; I’d lost everything that mattered.
The ladies’ room door creaked open, and there she was — Dawn Chambers, in all her calculated glory. My stomach churned at the sight of her perfectly coiffed blonde hair and Cheshire cat grin. A predatory smile spread across her face as she spotted me, her eyes gleaming with malice.
Dawn sauntered over to the chair I was sitting in, her stilettos clicking against the floor like nails on a chalkboard. “Well, isn’t this cozy?” She purred, glancing at me from the corner of her eye.
I gritted my teeth and stared straight ahead, surreptitiously swiping at my damp face. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of seeing how much she’d ruined me.
“Cat got your tongue?” Dawn leaned closer, her floral perfume overwhelming my senses. “Or did Greyson steal that too, along with your journalistic integrity?”
My heart thudded in my chest. That bitch. I wanted nothing more than to claw her smug face, to make her feel a fraction of the pain and humiliation she’s caused.
Instead, I took a deep breath and met her icy blue gaze. “Jealousy doesn’t suit you, Dawn.”
A flicker of anger flashed across her face before she regained her composure. “Please. I have no reason to be jealous of a disgraced hack like yourself.” She flicked her blonde hair over her shoulder.
She turned around and faced the ornate mirror, pretending to fix her hair. “I heard you were in today, signing the settlement that admits you defamed Ghost Parker. You’re the talk of the newsroom. It’s a sad day for Hollywood Exposé that an employee, well, ex-employee now, would stoop so low. Quite an embarrassment, but we’ll survive once we set the record straight. I’ve been assigned to report on your horrible misdeeds.”
I gritted my teeth, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a reaction, but her words cut deep.
