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“Did I mention it’s official?” She said casually, watching me in the mirror. “I’ll be taking over Mindy’s anchor spot. We’re already transitioning. You can catch me. I’ll be anchoring all next week while my Black Sheep Royals in America package airs. Take notes. You’ll see what real entertainment journalism looks like.”
She was like a vulture circling its prey, swooping in to pick at the carcass of my career. I wanted to scratch her eyes out. As she continued taunting me, I surreptitiously reached into my purse and hit the record button on my phone, praying for some kind of leverage against her.
Dawn examined her reflection, smoothing a stray hair back into place. “It’s a shame you lost your job. You went a bit overboard with the competition for the promotion. You should have just stuck to the truth.”
“The truth?” I couldn’t stop myself from snapping back. “You wouldn’t know the truth if it punched you in your smug, self-serving face.”
Dawn turned to face me, eyes glinting. “Careful, Remi. Insulting a colleague could damage your reputation even further. Oh wait...” She smirked. “You don’t have a reputation left to damage, do you?”
I surged to my feet, rage boiling over. “You lying, manipulative bitch!” I shouted. “I know what you did! I’m going to prove it. And I’m going to make you pay for destroying my life.”
Dawn’s eyes widened briefly, but she recovered quickly, her smile turning icy. “Good luck with that,” she said coolly. “You have no proof of anything.”
My fingers tightened around my phone, hidden from her view. I needed to remain calm if I wanted to outsmart her. I took a deep breath, feeling the cool air fill my lungs before letting it out slowly.
“Is that all you came here for, Dawn? To rub salt in my wounds?” I asked. I had to keep her talking.
“Of course not, darling,” she said, feigning innocence as she inspected her nails. “I just wanted to make sure you knew how well things were going for me. After all, you’ve always been so supportive of my work.”
The sarcasm dripped from her voice like venom. It took every ounce of self-control not to lash out, to stay focused on the task at hand — getting her to reveal her true nature, and to catch it all on tape.
“Well, I’ll admit, it was a bit surprising to see you go so far.” She turned back to the mirror and began reapplying her bright red lipstick. “How’s Greyson doing with all this? It was incredibly cold to out your own boyfriend to the whole world like that. But even I have to admit, it was quite the scoop. Frankly, I didn’t think you had it in you.”
My jaw clenched at the mention of Greyson’s name. “I didn’t and you know it, Dawn. My only question is: how did you do it? How did you get all that information to write the article and pretend it was me?”
Her laughter echoed off the cold marble. The predatory smirk on her face only intensified my desire to wipe that smugness away. “I didn’t do anything. You imploded your career all by yourself.”
“Really?” I questioned, my voice barely hiding the bitterness I felt. “You expect me to believe that you had nothing to do with it?”
She regarded me with mock pity. “Why should I bother getting my hands dirty when you’re so good at sabotaging yourself?”
“I know it was you, Dawn.”
Her eyes narrowed, and for a moment, I thought I’d finally managed to rattle her composure. But then she just laughed again, shrugging nonchalantly as she examined her manicured nails. “Oh, Remi,” she sighed, shaking her head. “Always so desperate to believe that everyone else is the villain.”
I searched her face for any sign of guilt or fear, anything that might give her away. But all I saw was cold, calculated confidence.
“Some people in the newsroom have been talking. Not everyone thinks you’re so innocent.” It was a total bluff, but I was growing desperate.
Her eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, we just stared at each other — two predators sizing each other up, waiting for the other to make the first move. Then, finally, she broke the silence.
“Believe what you want, Remi,” she said coolly, her gaze never wavering. “But if you think I had anything to do with your downfall, you’re sorely mistaken.”
Damn her! I was running out of time. I glanced down at my phone tucked safely inside my purse, seeing the seconds tick by as it recorded our conversation. This was my last hope — I just needed her to slip up. To admit what she’d done. But Dawn was cunning, cautious. She wouldn’t be easily baited.
“You think you’re going to record me confessing the whole thing?” she asked suddenly, her tone dripping with disdain. “Please. You’re still playing checkers while I’m playing chess. Your Scooby Doo tactics won’t work. No wonder you’re disgraced from the industry. Really, Remi, I thought you’d be a more formidable opponent.”
Fuck! Her words stung, but I refused to let her see the effect they had on me. My eyes locked onto hers, searching for any hint of vulnerability. But she offered none. She was a fortress, impenetrable and unyielding.
“Maybe you’re right,” I admitted, attempting to feign defeat. “Maybe I’m not as clever as you. But if you didn’t do it, then who did?”
She rolled her eyes as if my question was beneath her. “Not my problem, sweetheart.”
“Of course it isn’t,” I said, my voice laced with sarcasm. “Why would it be? You got what you wanted — my job, my reputation … all of it.”
“Life’s a game, Remi,” she replied coldly, straightening up and adjusting her blazer. “And unfortunately for you, I play to win.”
She took a step toward me, her eyes flickering with cruel amusement as she leaned in closer, her breath hot against my cheek. “If you want to know what happened, I’ll tell you. Make sure you record this,” she sneered, pressing closer to me. “You were a busy little bee digging into all the dirt on the band and then you were shocked to find out that your boyfriend had a thing for another man. That’s why you outed him because he was in love with the guitarist, Ryder. Grey went to Boston to visit his lover, and you pitched a fit.”
