Page 112 of The Wedding Report

“Lance, I...” His mother’s eyes welled with tears. Then she hurried out of the room, as cries escaped her mouth.

Lance met his father’s gaze, noting his down-turned facial features. Then he left him alone. With a heavy-footed walk, Lance proceeded to his room. He plopped on his bed as the day raced through his mind.

Chapter 25

Chantelle petted Pepper’s fur as she reclined in bed. She’d deactivated her social media accounts for a while. The comments were too much. No one wanted the truth. They only wanted someone to blame. Despite the few fans that stood up for her, the trolls drowned them out.

; Her career was over. It was a matter of time before Brenda called and told her they fired her. A failure. She’d failed her fans, and most of all herself. Yet, it seemed worth it being in Lance’s arms again. She didn’t count on Andrea being hurt, but according to him, their split was mutual. It wasn’t her fault. Good luck trying to explain that.

Then her phone rang. She avoided it for most of the day, but seeing Cameron’s name on the screen buoyed her spirits.

“Are you okay? I’ve seen the posts. People are heartless on social media. How are you?” Cameron asked.

“I’m not reading them anymore.” She covered her eyes with one hand. “I don’t know why people are so cruel.”

“What did Brenda say?”

“She called again. I’m on probation until everything clears up.”

Cameron gasped. “Why? You and I both know you didn’t split these two up. You even said so yourself that you remained professional.”

Chantelle rubbed at her throbbing head. “I know, but the board doesn’t care. They have an image to maintain.”

“That’s not fair. I hate when people like you get dragged through the mud.”

“Thanks,” Chantelle said.

“Do you need anything? I can take a few days off. I can come and visit and we can stuff our faces with ice cream.”

“Mint chocolate chip?”

Cameron groaned. “Okay fine. Another favorite of yours. I don’t know why you like that.”

Chantelle giggled. Her first laugh of the day. “I appreciate it. You don’t have to come, but…” She changed the subject. “There is someone I wouldn’t mind introducing to you.”

“Who?” Cameron sighed. “I told you no more blind dates.”

“His name is Javier, and he’s a gentleman,” Chantelle said. “He also has a dog.”

“I love dogs!”

“I know, so it’s a perfect match.”

“Wait a minute, I haven’t even met this guy.”

“You will when you visit me.” Chantelle closed her eyes, refusing to let tears flow once more. “What am I going to do Cam?”

“Hang in there, okay. You’re one of the nicest people I know and your fans will stick by you no matter what.”

“Thank you,” she said.

“Call me if you need me.”

With that, she hung up and placed her phone back on her bedside table. Tapping her fingers to her lips, Chantelle stood to her feet and grabbed her laptop. Opening it up to her saved article, she wrote. Her vision blurred as she typed. The keys clicked in her ears, but she pushed through until she came to a stopping point.

Should she send it to Brenda? Her fingers hovered over her keyboard. Was this story even worth sharing? It was, but what if it wasn't just for The Wedding Report?