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“I snatched it from the producers’ room,” she says. “It’s not like they can kick us out now. Check this out.”
She opens the laptop and pulls up a Google search of Roland’s name. Dozens of news articles flood the screen. He’s world-famous, so this isn’t shocking, but the content is.
“Roland Marchetti’sLove Shackseason dragged across the court.”
“Will Roland find love despite the drama?”
“Marchetti speaks out aboutLove Shackcontroversy.”
It goes on. Monica scrolls down and clicks on one of the articles. Silently, we sink to the floor, and I read the headline.
Sex, Drugs, & Rock ’n’ Roll-and Marchetti: TheLove ShackScandal You Won’t Believe
I shudder at the abominable pun, though Norbert would get a kick out of it. Monica scrolls down so we can read more.
We were all so excited for Roland Marchetti to find love, weren’t we? Dazzlingly handsome tennis star, family man, American sweetheart. But all that is about to change as the hit reality showLove Shackis thrown into scandal.
My stomach churns as I read on, through a long interview monologue Roland gave confessing everything about his illicit drug use.
“Holy shit, this is wild,” Monica breathes as she scrolls further. “I never thought—I mean I knew he was having trouble with his recovery, but I never thought he’d do this. It’s what Sharapova was on,” she mutters, almost to herself. “This is going to destroy him.”
She scrolls through a few more articles.
“Oh my god, there’s something about Rhett too,” she breathes.
I snap back to attention and lean closer to the laptop.
Is There a Heaven for Rhett Auburn? The Country Star Falls into Bed with Fans
By Serena Romero
Reality TV and country music fans alike remember Rhett Auburn’s whirlwind romance with fashion influencer Cassidy Foley. His appearance onLove Shackand their public relationship catapulted his country music career to new heights, but when he and Foley split up amid rumors of cheating, his popularity started to wane asLove Shackfans sided with Foley. Shocking new evidence reveals that there was more to the story.
Weeks after Auburn and Foley split up, Auburn sought comfort in the arms of strangers (photo below). We can confirm at least one fan hookup—if not more—in the weeks following the breakup, as well as subsequent payoffs to keep the press quiet. But it seems that those hookups weren’t just a thing of the past. Sources claim to have seen Auburn in Nashville just weeks ago with a woman who looked suspiciously similar to the woman from last year (photo below).
And if this wasn’t enough, around the same time last year, Auburn was charged with drunk and disorderly conduct after throwing a beer bottle through Foley’s window. This, too, was covered up by network executives who value Auburn’s career and net worth more than the integrity of their programming.
In an exclusive interview, Foley said of Auburn’s behavior: “I had no idea about the payoffs. That’s all I can say.” Presumably because she too was paid.
And this is just the beginning.
I scroll down to the bottom of the article, heart hammering. There, in blurry glory, is an image of Rhett and me at the Pink Iguana club last year. I’m unrecognizable, just arms snaking around his back, Converse sneakers on tiptoe. But he’s unmistakable, his hair a mess, black jacket pushed back on his shoulders. And further down: a photo from last week that must have been taken by the paparazzi in Nashville. Again, my face is obscured, but my long hair falls the same way. Even my goddam jeans are the same, the tiny, embroidered flowers on the back pockets winking at me like a tease.
Tune in next week for the identity reveal of Rhett’s mystery woman. Die-hard Auburn fan? Long-lost love?Love Shackleftovers? We have all the details.
My eyes bulge at the final paragraph.
She knows. Despite all my lies and evasion, Serena has put it together and placed a target on my back. She’s done this to me—to Rhett—because Roland went public before she could break the story herself.
The only consolation is that she doesn’t have the whole story. The reason she sent me here—to research producer behavior and cover-ups—isn’t part of her story, and without me, it can’t be. She has no idea I’m planning to write it all on my own.
My breath shudders as Monica shuts the laptop.
“Holy shit,” she whispers. “Can you believe it?”
“Some of it.”
“I bet Roland and Lainey are doing damage control,” Monicasays, drumming her fingers on the laptop. “I don’t think the Rhett thing is such a huge deal. I mean, he and Cassidy were split up, right? Who cares if he was fooling around? Imagine being that woman,” she says, laughing. “She must be shitting herself. If I were her, I’d probably leave the country before my name goes viral.”
