Chapter 5
Carter’s face burns red from neck to forehead, can’t say a word.
Melody stares at the transfer records on my phone, probably first time realizing her “rich boyfriend” has to borrow
fifty thousand.
Mrs. Hayes grabs my hands, voice full of pleading:
“Sloane honey, Carter’s gonna make this right about the bracelet! Don’t be upset–this is on us for not keeping him in line. We’ll fix this, I promise!”
Then she turns to scream at Melody:
“GET OUT! Step foot in the Hayes house again and I’ll break your legs!”
Melody won’t leave, sitting on the floor slapping her thighs and wailing:
“Carter, say something! I did this all for YOU! Sloane is a homewrecker!”
Carter looks at my ice–cold stare, then his parents‘ furious faces, finally makes his choice–drags Melody toward the
door:
Just go home. We’ll talk about this later!”
Seeing even Carter won’t help her, Melody goes nuclear, pointing at my face:
‘Sloane, you’re gonna regret this! I’m not done with you! Think your daddy’s money makes you untouchable? I’ll ruin you, bitch!”
She storms out with the influencers, shouting at her phone camera:
Everyone saw that, right? This is how the rich treat people! You guys better help me get justice!”
After she’s gone, Mr. Hayes rushes over and gets me settled on the couch, making me tea with his own hands:
Sloane honey, I am so damn sorry about this whole mess. Look, our family wouldn’t have jack shit without you and your dad–we both know it, and there’s no way in hell we’d ever turn our backs on you.”
I look at the tea sitting there but don’t pick it up.
“Melody keeps starting shit and it’s screwing with our business. Her bullshit online crashed our stock two points–cost us nearly ten mil. Now she shows up here starting fights? If our business partners see this, we’re fucked. And you know if this deal dies, Carter’s company won’t last three months.”
Carter’s listening, face cycling through red and white, finally can’t help himself:
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She Slandered Me to Millions (Cue the Fake Tears Live!) But Her Viral Performance? All My Courtroom Evidence!
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Chapter 5
“Look, Mel’s just being crazy and immature, alright? Cut her some slack. I’ll handle the partners–everything’s gonna be fine.”
“Handle it HOW?”
I slam the teacup down, tea splashing onto the tablecloth:
“That your psycho girlfriend showed up at my house, trashed my shit, and attacked me? Carter, if you can’t handle this mess, you’re off the project. I’ll get my dad to replace you–don’t need this drama.”
This hits Carter where it hurts.
He’s been counting on this project to prove himself and shake off the “living off the Winters family” reputation. Getting replaced means he’ll never live it down with his friends.
He clenches his fists and grits his teeth, but doesn’t dare argue.
Mr. Hayes jumps in:
‘Sloane sweetie, please don’t be mad. Carter just… he doesn’t know how to talk sometimes, but he’ll handle it. We’ll get all the proof of Melody’s bullshit together by Thursday, release a statement, and force her to say sorry in public. Won’t mess with the project at all.”
nod and stand up:
Fine. For your sake, I’ll give this one more shot. But if there’s another incident, forget the project–all deals between our families are done. Whether the Hayes family sinks or swims? Not my problem anymore.”
Then I walk out without looking at Carter once.
Mr. and Mrs. Hayes walk me to the door, Carter following.
Watching my car disappear, Mrs. Hayes smacks Carter’s back:
What kind of trash did you bring home?! Almost cost us everything!”
Mr. Hayes sighs:
Ditch Melody, Fix things with Sloane. Saving this project is all that matters now.”
Carter’s pissed inside but knows his parents are right. He mumbles agreement while still thinking I’m overreacting and Melody just “loves him too much.”
But Melody’s nowhere near done.
Next morning, I get to the office and my assistant runs in panicking:
“Miss Winters, shit’s hitting the fan! Melody’s downstairs with a bunch of influencers holding up signs–‘Sloane
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Chapter 9
Winters Steals Boyfriends and some crap about rich girls bullying people. She’s going live right now!”
I’m reading project reports, glancing at the livestream on my assistant’s phone.
Melody’s in a white dress, crying outside Winters Corp:
You guys, I literally have nowhere else to turn! This Sloane girl keeps harassing my boyfriend just because her family’s loaded, and she’s threatening me to back off! I’m just a regular girl–can’t fight someone with money and connections. I came here hoping you’d help me…”
The livestream’s exploding with viewers calling me “fake bro” and “homewrecker,” some threatening to “boycott Winters Corp products.”
put down my reports:
Get security to kick them out and call the cops–they’re causing a scene. Pull together all of Melody’s bullshit–the creenshots, livestream clips, yesterday’s video of her smashing my bracelet and attacking me. Send it all to PR. I vant a statement that doesn’t just clear my name–list every dime the Hayes borrowed from us the last three years, very deal they got through us. Bottom line: no Winters money, no Hayes family.”
My assistant pauses, then nods:
Yes ma’am, right away!”
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