Page 6 of When I Had You

“You’re looking good. I think Miami was the right decision. It’s a quick trip but got you out of the fire of the situation.” She taps the top of her glass desk. “It also gave me some time to get ahead of this before the press has a field day with it.”

“It’s not like we’re A-list celebrities, Lauren. No one will care about me or Cor, Co . . .” My tongue stutters around his name, causing me to avoid saying it altogether. “Or him.”

“You’re in a movie, and your star is on the rise. That makes you newsworthy and gossip-column fodder.” A heavy sigh fills the audio as it leaves her chest. “Listen, Marina, I’m sorry you’re going through this. Men suck. Your boyfriend sucks.”

“Ex-boyfriend.”

“Indeed. Although he’s the one who cheated, this is now a make-or-break moment for you. I was awake half the night trying to think of every possible angle to spin this. The reality is that men can cheat on their wives of fifty years with their son’s twenty-year-old girlfriend. Everything bounces off them like Teflon, and they become the most in demand they’ve ever been. Ask me how I know.”

Sitting back in her chair, she continues, “Women are the ones who fight the labels, and those labels will trail you like cans tied to the bumper of a wedding car as you maneuver through your career.”

“That’s quite the visual.”

She nods. “I’ve seen it happen time and time again in Hollywood. It’s utter bullshit, but you being the one cheated on can leave an unsavory taste in some studio execs’ mouths, as if you’re now undesirable. Careers are ruined before they’ve had a chance to bloom, so I’ll be honest with you. We need to play this just right.”

“I agree. What do you suggest?”

“We crush him. We take Corbin Darian down first.”

As much as I love a great revenge plot, my heart aches at the sound of his name. “I don’t know, La—”

“I spent the last two days on calls with his team. I’ve convinced them it’s in his best interest to keep the new girl under wraps while you two finish the second movie and attend the premiere in a few weeks. That gets you out of all public engagements, through the press tour for the first movie, and moving on with your lives in separate directions.”

“Nothing feels right. This doesn’t feel natural.”

“You’re in disbelief and hurting.” Her tone softens from the hard-ass who called me and has probably been up all night dealing with my mess. “Understandably, but this tale is as old as time. You were blindsided by someone you trusted.” Clearing her throat, she adds, “By someone you loved.” The word loved doesn’t sit quite right with me. She continues, “I’ve been there. Things move fast in this town, so if we don’t control the narrative first, we’ll never get another chance. This is why I’m here, to contain the damage before it spreads.”

I take a deep breath as tears begin to form in the corners of my eyes as shame seeps in. I refuse to let them fall. Not over him. I raise my chin. “Okay. What do we do?”

“You need to be seen in public like you were this weekend, but look . . . how do I say it? Happier than ever. Free from the burdens of that bastard. Look the best you ever have, but don’t say one word to anyone about it, especially the paparazzi. Just show them he fucked up.”

“By looking good?”

“By looking drop-dead gorgeous.” She smiles. “You already do, but I’m having a killer wardrobe sent to you in Miami.

“You don’t need to. I have the perfect dress in mind. It’s going to make quite the impact.”

“Don’t hide when you get back to Vancouver either. Go out. Have fun. Live your best life. Be seen. Show off the hard work you do at the gym. Dress to kill Corbin with every photo that’s posted.”

“Won’t that clue them in that I’m going out without him?”

“We want clues. We don’t want a story to drop.” She tells someone standing off camera that she’ll take another call in five minutes.

Massaging my temple to tamp down the impending headache, I’m confused by the plan. Is it a plan or a revenge tactic? “Am I trying to make him jealous?”

“That wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”

I stare at her for a moment, letting my head wrap around this idea. “What if he speaks to the press?”

“He won’t. His team knows this looks bad for him. We’re not letting him off easily. It makes him look worse if he bad-mouths you. So he’ll be trying to sell his side of the story the best he can, and we’ll let him as long as we get through our agreed-upon events first. When we’re ready, you will sit down with the right person, an interviewer, a woman who knows how it feels to be cheated on, and tell your side for a large fee.”

“I never wanted to become famous, especially not for a scandal.”

“This is the hand you’ve been dealt, Marina.” She picks up her phone and brings it closer, lowering her voice. “I’m not asking you to do anything except exist and look great in public. When the time is right—”

“What if I never want to talk about the breakup? I have money. I don’t need to sell my personal life for a paycheck.”

“Then you never talk about your personal life, and hopefully, you’re already onto your next projects.”

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