Linda didn't stop pacing back and forth in the dressing room. She couldn't understand how she had ended up even deeper in this mess overnight. Her name was still printed in bold beneath the brand logo on the walls and in newspapers, but everyone knew it wouldn't last. Not after the events of the previous night. Especially after the headlines from weeks ago, someone had snapped a photo of her in the hotel, edited it to make it look like she was kissing a man. She tried hard to ignore it, but the whispers spreading across social media and the looks that followed her whenever she walked through the hallways clung to her like a stain she couldn't wash off.
Dirty model!
Difficult to work with!
Scandal-prone!
Those were the words written boldly across her pictures.
She tightened her fingers around the edge of the makeup table, her nails digging into the wood. The room smelled like perfume and panic.
"Five minutes," her boss said sharply, not looking at her.
The tablet in her hands glowed with numbers that no longer favoured Linda.
Her boss noticed her expression and chuckled. "Don't bother. He won't pick up. He said you should solve the problem yourself without involving him… Smile when you walk out. Don't speak unless I ask you to, okay?"
Linda nodded, because nodding was easier than asking the question she was dying to ask.
Why would her boyfriend say something like that?
Was this her last show?
Several camera lights were directed at her the moment she stepped out of the building. Her name echoed from every direction, very loud and unforgiving. She was surprised to see some fans present, pointing, cursing, and glaring at her.
"Miss! Is it true you slept with a married investor for your contract last night?" a bold reporter asked.
"Were you aware he has a family?" another added.
"Did the agency cover the last scandal for you? Let me guess…this isn't your first time doing it, huh?"
Linda stopped a few metres before them. Standing steadily, but her chest felt tight and hollow. The reporters quickly moved closer, cameras flashing, microphones rising like weapons.
"I didn't," she said despite the noise. "I didn't sleep with anyone."
A murmur spread through the crowd.
"Then how do you explain the hotel photos?" the bold reporter asked again, this time with a deep frown. "Why were you alone with him past midnight?"
"It was a brand dinner," she answered carefully. "I left early. Whatever happened after that had nothing to do with me."
Someone laughed. "Are you kidding?! Do you think we were born yesterday?!"
The rest roared in laughter. "She must be out of her mind," they said.
Inside the building, behind the glass doors, her agency staff watched the scene with folded arms and cold expressions. No one even stepped forward to defend her, except her assigned manager.
"Ahhhh! Gosh! She's being framed, for Christ's sake," the young woman whispered fiercely, gripping her phone. "This is too clean and well planned, don't be confused." But it was obvious no one was listening. They mercilessly ended the call.
One of the senior agents scoffed. "Models like her always think they're innocent."
Another person added, "We warned her not to get too ambitious."
Linda stayed silent, waiting for her boss's signal, but the questions kept coming.
"Are you being dropped by this agency?"
"Is this your last show tonight?"
Seeing that her boss intentionally wanted her to stay quiet throughout the interview, her lips pressed together. Staying silent would only make them think she was guilty. Removing her earpods, she looked straight into the cameras, refusing to bow.
"I've never sold my body for success," she said. "And I won't apologise for something I didn't do."
Her statement was uploaded to several social platforms immediately.
"Do you have any proof? Show us, Linda Gilbert! There are several pictures of you in inappropriate positions with your clients !"
'Seriously?' Linda screamed in her head. She had explained hundreds of times that she had nothing to do with them. She had even begged the men to clear their names, especially since their wives were going crazy.
"Whoever is behind this will pay tenfold for what she did," Linda said confidently.
"She?" her manager whispered in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"Miss, are you saying this was a setup?"
"Let's go," Linda said coldly and turned back toward the building.
"Where are you going? Stop avoiding our questions!"
"She must be too ashamed to admit it!"
Linda took a last deep breath and entered the building. Her manager ran after her. "Actually, I've been wanting to tell you to walk away…" She paused when they met others standing there, watching them.
Linda walked past them without a word, making her manager wonder. "Hey! Where are you going? Shouldn't you confront them? At least they should say a few words to you in front of the reporters."
"I don't need it," Linda said calmly. "Most of them are her friends. I expected that."
Putting aside how calm she was despite the situation, her manager frowned. "Her? You said it again. Who is she?"
Linda entered the elevator and folded her arms. "Just wait and see, Megan."
"Really? You already have a plan?" Megan asked excitedly as she stepped in with her.
"Of course. Since she got everything she wanted, let's see what she does next."
Linda dialled her boyfriend's number for the fifth time. This time, he finally picked up, his voice filled with anger and disgust.
"If you think I'll help you get out of that gutter, then you're wrong."
"Gutter?" Linda asked in disbelief, clenching her fists. "You don't believe me too?"
"Who cares! Didn't I tell you several times to give up that career? Modelling isn't for people like you. Models are meant for beautiful and elegant ladies, not naïve, ragged women like you."
Tears filled her eyes. "Is that so?" She laughed bitterly. "You prefer her, right?"
"Why the fuck are you bringing her into this conversation? It's okay to be jealous, but know your place and who to direct your anger at. She's been asking about your situation since she returned from abroad. If not for me, she would have gone there herself to speak for you. I knew you wouldn't be grateful and would still blame her."
'She's such a great actor…' Linda nodded slowly. No one would believe her if she said the kitty they adored was actually a dangerous snake.
"So come back home and help her do one or two things. Maybe the media's heart will soften toward you. They might overlook your two-faced skin and reconsider you."
He hung up.
"What's he saying? He's out of his mind!" Megan said in disbelief. Linda had once been a top celebrity, carrying someone's handbag would forever stain her image.
Linda elegantly wiped her tears with a handkerchief and chuckled. "Of course. It was her suggestion."