Page 12 of Marriage & Mockery

“I’m sure she did.” My voice softened slightly, even through the exhaustion. “I’m not ready to talk to her yet either. But I appreciate the apology.”

“That’s fair,” he conceded.

I drew a slow breath. “I need time right now. Not a conversation where you keep explaining your intentions while I’m still reeling.”

“How much?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know yet.”

“Laina—”

“I’m hanging up now.” My voice stayed steady even though my hands were shaking. “Please give me the space I need.”

I ended the call before he could reply, and squeezed my eyes shut in the silence of my bungalow.

7

BENNETT

The studio lot was already busy when I pulled in. September always felt like the walls were closing between having scripts due, episodes shooting, and the premiere date locked. Today had the added weight of the award we’d won last night—which I hadn’t picked up from the after-party because my world had fallen apart. Now I had to wait for it to be mailed sometime in the next month.

Even without the statue in my hands, a cheer went up when I stepped into the writers’ room. Someone had brought champagne and a cake. Cups were already poured.

“There he is.” Stella lifted her glass. She was one of the few writers who’d been with me since the pilot episode. “To the man who made Hollywood pay attention to our little show.”

A few people clapped, and I forced a smile. “Thanks. Really. But I didn’t do this by myself. The show wouldn’t have won without all of you.”

Jordan handed me a cup. He was a seasoned writer who was also a supervising producer. When I was on set, he ran the room. “We figured we’d get the celebration out of the way before we have to pretend the scripts for the next five episodes aren’t on fire.”

Several people laughed, but it sounded a little forced. Across the table, one of the newer writers kept glancing at me and then away. Another writer was very focused on the cake, cutting slices that no one immediately reached for.

“Okay.” I slugged back my champagne and set the cup down. “Enjoy the next five minutes. Then we need to do another run-through of the script for episode six before we do the table read later this afternoon.”

The energy shifted immediately, the way it always did when the clock started again. A few people moved toward their seats and opened their laptops, while I wondered how the hell I was supposed to run a room when the only thing I could think about was whether Laina would ever forgive me.

Five minutes later, the champagne and cake were forgotten as we focused on the whiteboards again. The script for episode six was open on every laptop, and people were already arguing about the pirate scene.

It didn’t take long for the tension to stop being subtle.

The bit was simple on paper—Sally’s friends were trying to drag her to a community pool fundraiser. She has a full pirate-queen meltdown, claiming the sea already took one of her ships, and she’s not giving it another chance. Classic Sally.

This was the kind of scene the network loved because it clipped well and gave Charlotte Graham something big to play.

Jordan read the latest version out loud. When he hit the line about the sea claiming her ship, two of the newer writers glanced at each other and then very carefully at their laptops.

“That joke’s been in the outline since May. It’s not new,” Jordan murmured.

Stella kept her gaze on the whiteboard. “No one’s saying it is.”

“Then why does it suddenly feel like we’re handling material with gloves on?” I muttered even though I knew damn well why my writers were so hesitant.

Mila cleared her throat. “We can soft-pedal the pirate stuff if you want. Lean more into general water anxiety instead of the full Iliana the Dread bit since we were saving that quirk for this season.”

“No.” I stood and walked to the board, tapping the beat with the marker. “The character commits. That’s the point. Sally doesn’t half-do the delusion.”

A couple of people nodded too quickly. Jordan leaned back in his chair, watching me more carefully than the script.

I forced myself to sit again. “The pirate scene stays. Tighten the setup so we earn the blow-up faster.”