Chapter 37
With a final tap on the table, Trevor made his decision. “Let’s keep the Walters Group out of this She’s gotta handle this one
on her own.
He wasn’t Kylie’s biggest fan, and their marriage was more of a business arrangement, but for the past three years, she’d been his wife in name. Even if it was just a title, she didn’t deserve to be openly humiliated.
“Consider it done!” Zach chimed in, quick to agree.
As they were wrapping up the call, Zach couldn’t resist the urge to dig a little deeper. “Mr. Walters, are you, like, got a crush on Ms. Thompson?”
“Stop overthinking it. Trevor retorted, his voice as cold as ice.
Zach backed off, picking up on Trevor’s cryptic deineanor. With Kylie being Noreen’s pet, maybe Trevor was just playing along to keep the peace
At the Lampard residence, Julie stood there with her phone in hand after the call ended. She replayed the video Kylie had sent her, her mind racing-
Mel was like her own daughter, and she’d recognized her right away in the video. There was no denying it–Mel was front and center.
Julie had met Craig before and had dismissed him as a deadbeat Kylie had been as stubborn as they come, refusing to end
things with him. Now, he was entangled with Mel.
Didn’t Mel swear she had nothing to do with Craig? She called Kylie a liar, but… Julie thought to herself, her anger growing as she marched off to confront Melanie.
Melanie was engrossed in her phone, chatting with Craig on WhatsApp about how to craft a statement that would bury Kylie once and for all. With Kylie out of the picture, they’d be in control.
The door creaked open, and Melanie looked up, startled. “Mom!”
“Mel, what’s really going on with you and Craig? Have you been lying to me too?” Julie demanded, her voice sharp as she tossed her phone at Melanie.
Melanie feigned confusion, her face as innocent as could be. “Mom, what are you talking about? I don’t understand.”
Even as she spoke, Melanie had already grabbed Julie’s phone. Her heart pounded as she watched the videos, panic setting in with each clip. Where did Kylie even find these she wondered,
Secing Melanie’s distress, Julie’s disappointment was evident. “I can’t believe this. Craig’s a nobody. What were you thinking? Getting involved with him? If these videos get out, how will you keep Trevor? Did you ever go to a hotel with Craig?”
Melanie’s hand trembled as she held the phone, but she quickly pulled herself together. As she looked up at Julie, her eyes welled up with tears.
I have no idea how these videos even exist. It was Craig who kissed me out of the blue. He said it was an accident and that he was into me. I’d never go to a hotel with him. Mom, you have to believe me. I’m just shaken by all this. I didn’t ask for Kylie’s boyfriend to have a crush on me,” Melanie said.
Julie’s brow relaxed as she listened to Melanie’s plea. “Are you telling the truth?”
I’m not lying. You saw it with your own eyes: Craig made the first move, Mom, Melanie insisted, her lower lip quivering.
1/2
Chapter 37
It was just two vidros, mot enough to prove anything. The audio was unclear, so Melanie could spin the story any way she liked. She thought, ‘Kylie, sending these to Mom won’t change a thing. You’ve got another thing coming
Julie breathed easier. “That’s a relief
“Mom. Kylie must despise me. She adores Craig, and now he’s into me. That’s why she’s out for blood. Im the real victim here. She sent you these videos, which means she’s not gonna post an apology, Melanie whined, her voice trembling with feigned fear.
Julie let out a resigned sigh. “You’re caught in the crossfire, Craig’s the one to blame. As for Kylie apologizing. I’ll handle it. She started this mess. If she hadn’t hooked up with that good–for nothing, we wouldn’t be in this mess,”
“Will Kylie apologize?” Melanie’s eyes flickered with doubt.
Melanie was baffled. Kylie was playing by her own rules, deviating from the plan. Kylie was supposed to be a pawn, easily swayed, but it seemed like she was the one pilling the strings now. Melanie’s control over Kylie was waning, and it was really getting under her skin. She had to regain the upper hand, and fas.
Julie’s impatience was evident as she spoke of Kylie. “It’s not about what she wants anymore, she’s out of options.”
In a rented room, Craig stared at his phone, waiting for a reply from Melanie that had never come.
He glanced at the statement he was drafting, his resolve wavering as he scanned the online comments. Everyone bashing Kylie, and they were all waiting for his statement. Once he released it, Kylie would be labeled a villain for good.
Recalling Kylie’s newfound defiance and how she was no longer so easily swayed, he took a deep breath. He thought if he stood by her even when she was cornered, maybe she’d never leave him again.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed with a call from Melanie, and he answered on the first ring.
“Craig, you need to issue a statement, pronto. Did you know Kylie has a video of us kissing at the mall?” Melanie asked.
“What? She got a video of us? If I put out a statement now and she drops the video, our lies will be exposed,” Craig said, his voice hitching in surprise. It hit him why Kylie had turned cold; she must have found out about him and Melanie.
Rolling her eyes, Melanie scoffed, “She’s got nothing to say. PR is all about timing. We’ve already reported her account; she can’t post or even speak up. By the time she can, we’ll have the upper hand. We’ll doctor the video, and her clips will be
useless.”
“Do you think the Lampard family’s PR and legal teams are just for show?” Melanie added with a hint of arrogance in her
voice.
Craig still sounded uneasy. “But your folks are her biological parents. Can they just stand by while everyone trashes her?”
The phrase “biological parents” stung Melanie. Her face tensed on the other end of the line. “So what if they are? In their eyes, I come first. Kylie’s nothing. Can’t you see that by now?”
Craig was convinced. “Alright, I’ll post it right away”
