Page 9 of Desk & Deception
The ding of my phone pulled me out of my thoughts. Working with A-list celebrities, social media was a big part of my business. I was used to being tagged in posts or comments by accounts I didn’t follow, so I didn’t think twice when I opened the notification.
Not until I saw the photo of my fiancé with his arm around another woman’s waist. And the caption was just as bad.
Celebrating another big win with my work hubby.
For several long seconds, it felt as though I couldn’t breathe. The noise of the catering tent faded into a dull roar in my ears as I stared at the image. That was the man who had just texted me about spending Saturday together…with his arm around a woman I’d warned him about. The man I was supposed to marry in three months.
Setting my phone down on the table, I picked up my water with a trembling hand and took a small sip. Unfortunately, it didn’t help settle my stomach, which was now roiling.
When I checked the post again, the tag for my account was gone.
“That little bitch,” I muttered beneath my breath.
This wasn’t the kind of thing you could accidentally do. Kaylee would’ve needed to look up my username before taggingme. It was a deliberate choice that she’d then tried to erase so she’d have plausible deniability if Reid asked her about it.
I wasn’t insecure, and I hadn’t imagined any of it.
Kaylee was deliberately trying to cause drama, probably because her earlier moves hadn’t gotten her anywhere with my fiancé.
The hope I’d been clinging to only moments ago shattered into pieces, but I forced myself to take a deep breath. I couldn’t fall apart in the middle of the catering tent surrounded by crew members. So I locked my phone, set it face down on the table, and willed my hands to stop trembling.
I could only break on the inside for now.
I powered through the rest of my afternoon on set with mechanical precision, touching up looks, answering questions, and smiling when required. No one around me had any idea that my world was crumbling. I kept my voice steady, my hands steady, and my expression neutral even as my stomach twisted into knots.
The moment my last client left the chair, I pulled out my phone and checked whether the post was still up. I was actually relieved to see Kaylee hadn’t pulled it down. Now that I’d had a chance to think rather than react, I took screenshots of the photo, the caption, and some of the comments.
There were plenty of them to choose from since the damn thing had already gotten a hundred likes. But at least they were proof that I wasn’t overreacting.
Power duo
Work spouses for the win.
Cutest team ever.
Those comments showed that others saw something in that photo that shouldn’t have been there when Reid was supposed to marry me in less than three months.
Then I typed a short message to him.
Me
Are you home? I’m leaving the set now and wanted to swing by.
I couldn’t manage anything more than that right now. Not when I needed to remain calm enough for the drive.
His reply came through almost immediately.
Reid
Can’t wait to see you, baby. I’ll head home now.
The contrast between his excitement and my pain was excruciating.
He had no idea what was coming. Thought this was just another normal evening.
I drove to Hancock Park with both hands gripping the wheel and my jaw clenched so tightly it ached. Every mile brought a new wave of memories. All the reasons I wanted to fight for our relationship, as well as reminders of each time he’d brushed off my concern.
By the time I pulled up in front of his house, my eyes were burning. I sat in the car for a moment, rehearsing the words I needed to say. I couldn’t let him brush this off again like it was nothing.
