Page 44 of Broken Rules

“And there she is.”Alexander stood and extended a hand, cordial as ever.“I’ve been looking forward to today,” he informed me with one of his million-dollar megawatt smiles.It was easy to see where his son got his charm because the man practically oozed it.

“So have I,” I told him.There was a seat open in the front row, center, which I guessed they were saving for me.I would much rather have sat in the back, watching their reactions, but maybe this was better.If they cringed, flinched, or gave each other funny looks, I wouldn’t have to see it.

Lex gave me a tiny nod, taking his seat at the end of my row, three seats down.“Let’s begin,” he announced loudly enough for the guy in the booth to hear him.

It was like going up the first hill on a roller coaster.I gripped the armrests with both hands, my heart in my throat, my breath coming in short bursts until my yoga training kicked in, and I consciously forced myself to breathe slowly.

It would’ve been better if I’d let myself hyperventilate and pass out.

All it took was five minutes, maybe less, for dread to take root in my gut.My breathing, once so erratic, turned tight and shallow, almost scorching my lungs.But nothing hurt worse than the fiery coal lodged in my chestnothing burned worse than the burning coal lodged in my chest.

This wasn’t my movie.Not the way I made it.

I glanced over at Lex, hoping against hope this was a joke.Some sort of prank, awelcome to the studiokind of thing.I was still that desperate for none of this to be real.He stared at the screen, brows drawn together, his lips slightly parted.Confused?

Absolutely.I know Iwas utterly baffled.I wanted to leave, yet I felt compelled to stay, to watch what unfolded before me and try to make sense of it all.Minutes passed, endless minutes where I had no choice but to watch a parade of scenes someone cobbled together.They were scenes I had shot, but they were out of order.There were bits and pieces cut out that ruined the context.Around thirty minutes in, there was a montage featuring various cuts of Danica and the supporting actresses washing cars.They had played around a little, spraying each other with the hoses, and I had let it go because I figured they were having a good time, and happy actresses led to better work.Some fucking genius decided to turn it into an actual scene, and they no doubt planned on layering pulse-pounding music on top once the score was added.

After an hour, I checked out.It was safer that way for everyone involved.My nails dug into my palms long enough that I hardly felt the pain after a while.It was nothing compared to the pain in my heart, anyway.How did this happen?Why?Wasn’t my work good enough as it was?Why couldn’t they leave it alone?

Had they ever planned on releasing the movie I filmed?Or were they always going to do this?

And did he know?How much did he have to do with it?

When it was over, I couldn’t move.I couldn’t pull my gaze away from the blank screen now that the last of the movie was finished rolling.There were a few seconds of silence so profoundthatI could’ve heard a pin drop if it wasn’t for the pounding in my ears.

It was Alexander who spoke first, in a loud voice that filled the room.“It looks like we have a blockbuster on our hands, people.”

I had to be imagining this.This was all a sick, twisted dreamwhere a bunch of people erupted in applause over a piece of shit that the world would forget in a week, if that.It might not even take that long for them to dismiss it and move on to the next thing because the public, in general, didn’t have a long memory.

It would be forgotten, pushed over to streaming within a month of the premiere.And then it would be time for The Next Big Thing, while I had a piece of shit under my belt that wouldn’t get me a job anywhere.Not a job I wanted, at least.

“Bravo!”one of the men called out, which led to a round of applause that was somehow worse than anything so far.

No.There was something even worse than that.The way Lex sat there, staring at me, his eyes wide and seemingly sunken into a pale face.This was his chance to stand up and ask what the hell this was all about.What happened to our movie?Who did this?How could we undo it?

He could have…

… but he didn’t.

“Now is as good a time as any to make an announcement.”Alexander worked his way to the end of his row, then walked down the short series of stairs until he reached the bottom row and came to a stop beside a frozen Lex.“The premiere of this film will mark the beginning of a new era for Landy International.I intend to step aside and name Lex as my successor.”

Lex reeled like somebody hit him, but his father pulled him to his feet and wrapped him in a bear hug.That was what it was all about.Making the movie his daddy really wanted to prove he could handle the studio.

I couldn’t sit there another minute, listening to the applause, the smug self-congratulation as they all patted each other on the back and projected box office numbers.Was I supposed to sit here and pretend there was nothing wrong?Of course, because that’s all that mattered.Pretending.And I thought I wanted to be part of this?

“Summer?”Alexander called out by the time I was halfway out the door.I didn’t trust myself to respond or even act like I heard him.I settled for fleeing flat-out, rushing down the hall and out the door into the brilliant, sunshiny day.How was the world turning?How were people going about their business like it was any ordinary morning?Didn’t they know the world was ending?

“Summer!”I heard Lex behind me but didn’t acknowledge him.I needed to get away.To get my shit from the office and get the hell out of this godforsaken town.It had only ever broken my heart.I could honestly say my parents were right all along.I had no hope of surviving around here.

“Goddammit, Summer.Wait!Please!”Lex didn’t catch up with me until I was already in my office, where that arrangement of flowers only taunted me now.Fuck finding my peaceful center.I picked it up and threw it to the floor in time for him to witness my rage.

“You motherfucker!”I snarled as broken crystal scattered across the floor in all directions.“How could you?Why did you do this?”

“I didn’t do anything!”He had the nerve to stand there, looking shocked and innocent, like he was the wounded party.It was like it was his work that had been so callously disregarded, and he was the one someone had lied to.Like somebody had asked him to sit back and pretend everything was okay when it definitely wasn’t.What, was I supposed to never say a word about my movie being butchered to hell?

“I cannot believe you.No, actually,” I decided.“I can absolutely believe you.I can’t believe myself for being so fucking stupid!”It was all so ugly and painful and sad.The whole thing was so sad.I could’ve cried myself to death over it.

With his hands held in front of him, he urged, “You have to let me explain.”

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