Premiere Night Betrayal

t, my head pounding, to Etha

a deal with his agent to steal my screenplay, "City

a ring, and erase me from the narrative of my own

crifice to cover Ethan's plagiarism, and Olivia's involvemen

woven web of lies, orchestrated by an a

in Liam Sterling's office: a gest

life plan: run, collaborate with Et

knee throbbed u

painkiller the ER doctor gav

ssion, they said.

ed to pick me up

e when it

one I picked out, the

onger than I thought.

uite asleep, but

voice from the hall

phone. With No

Her script, 'City o

ect. The one I'd poured my

his voice smooth. "A star vehicle. It'l

formed in

His voice was tight. "It's her

in his tone. "I'll propose after the movie's a hit. Big premiere,

arriage? He'd never

u? She supported you for years when no one would touch you. She took the fall for that plag

. He remembered. Etha

ended because I said I wrote the

," Ethan scoffed.

ing dark. "You remember the baby? When Olivia freaked out that

pped. The ba

yself for. The stress, the d

an snapped, but his voice lacked convicti

mped up the pressure on her? The fights? The constant undermining? You engi

he room started to spin. O

arah's convenient. She's good, she's loyal. But Olivia is fire

my life's work as i

script. All just tool

han conceded, as if bestowing a great favor. "A s

ve me. He ne

ivia. He wa

ce final. "With or without your help. The s

s. My story. Given

physical thing, cla

y head sharpened i

the script. It

when his first film bombed so he could st

own writi

ss emotio

Oh god,

ve it was my fa

blacked out

ed again, the room

our living room. Our share

side the sofa, his fa

kay, baby? Yo

d for my forehe

voice soft, caring. The voice he used when he want

ought I was just dazed from the

ually. "Just some industry

i

screamed

gesture I'd ever made for hi

ul and offer me a wedding r

The pain in my head was sti

naive. Devoted. E

as w

those thing

anym

was t

thing. He wouldn't

lan. I neede

Ste

ed from the dep

Ethan's nemesis. E

e'd complimented a short story I'd

photo on his bookshelf. A candid shot of me, laughing, at that same mixer. Tu

in Ne

eyes, feigni

red," I

. "Rest, baby. I'll ta

. You'll take care of de

I reached for my phone,

Sterling's contact information. I

a short, dir

It involves my new screenplay and a way to rebu

fore I could