Chapter 156

Fiona

Ice cream solves everything… or at least that’s what I tell myself as I peek out of my bedroom door. I look left and right, and smile when there’s no sign of Isla.

My craving for chocolatey goodness pushes me to tiptoe down the hallway, careful to stay quiet. I don’t want to bother Isla because she had a long day at work. She doesn’t need to worry about me. I told her I was fine, that I didn’t need her to hover, but she still acts like a mama hen, checking on me.

I love my friend, and I wouldn’t trade her for the world, but I hate making her feel worried. Between all the mess my relationship with Ethan has caused and the fact that I’m staying in her house, I don’t want to take any more of her time.

Luckily, I don’t disturb Isla, and I make it to the kitchen quickly. However, when I open the freezer, my heart drops. Crap. I forgot I ate the last bit of the chocolate ice cream last night. My eyes land on the vanilla ice cream, but my cravings scream chocolate.

“A trip to the store, it is,” I mutter, shutting the freezer door.

Irritated, I grab my purse, slip my shoes on, and pull out my keys. I wasn’t planning to run to the store, but Vanilla ice cream won’t cut it tonight. Chocolate is the only thing that will get rid of the craving.

I’m only halfway down the driveway when flashes assault me. Camera clicks follow the bright lights, sending my head spinning and my eyes into shock. Stars dance in my vision as questions fly at me.

“Ms. Bowen, is it true that you have been trading sexual favors for a higher company position?” Someone shouts.

I lift my hands to try to block the bright camera flashes, but it doesn’t help much.

Reporters swarm around me, encircling me and caging me in the middle of their circle.

“Was there a mutual gain for Mr. Montgomery when you signed this contract, Ms. Bowen?”

They speak so fast that I can’t even think about the questions. Flashes continue to blind me.

“Are you still honoring the sexual favors with Mr. Montgomery that are in the contract?”

“Ms. Bowen, are you going to see Mr. Montgomery now?”

Someone behind me bumps into me, and I stumble forward. Hands steady me, but hands also wander, touching my sides and hips. With a gasp, I jerk back and try to distance myself from the groping hands.

“Please leave me alone!” I beg, but it’s almost as if they get closer.

“But Ms. Bowen, did you know your contract relationship would be exposed?”

“Who do you think exposed the contract?”

I try to push through the crowd, but there’s too many of them. They block my path, and I have to continue to cover my eyes to see past the flashes. They ignore my pleading to leave me alone, almost as if I don’t even say them.

“Are you going to leave Mr. Montgomery’s company and join another? Will you have sexual relations with your other bosses?”

“No! Please stop!” I cry, frustration building up and creating a headache. Tension tightens behind my eyes as I turn to the left where my car is parked and begin pushing through the reporters. They barely budge, but I don’t give up.

“Has Mr. Montgomery promised more than a temporary relationship?” A woman shouts, and I stumble at her words. If only she knew what was truly going on between me and Ethan. She’d have a field day and enough information for several articles.

It would definitely be her lucky day.

“Whose idea was it to create the contract between you and Mr. Montgomery?”

“I don’t want to talk about it!” I shout, glaring at them. Flashes and clicks greet me. Microphones and recording devices are shoved toward me, and I feel like an animal at the zoo. Is this how it feels to be trapped and observed?

“Ms. Bowen, are you ashamed of what you’ve done?”

Tears prick at my eyes as I turn, looking for a way out. I don’t want to answer any of their questions because honestly, it’s none of their business. I shouldn’t have to justify my actions to anyone, especially rude and pushy people like these reporters.

A hand grabs my shoulder and pulls me back when a small gap opens up between two reporters. The person pulls and spins me around, making me stumble and become dizzy. Everything spins for a moment until it becomes clear again and I notice how many people are truly watching me.

There has to be at least fifteen of them.

I’ve never wanted to disappear so much before this moment.

“Is the contract with Mr. Montgomery the reason your marriage ended?”

“No, my marriage ended because my ex-husband was cheating on me with my stepsister,” I say, not meaning to. The flashes momentarily stop, so I continue. “If you did your jobs and dug a bit deeper, you’d find that my ex-husband is a thief, a cheat, and a liar. It is his own fault that our marriage ended.”

“Ms. Bowen, did you cheat on your ex-husband?”

“Yes!” Another reporter exclaims, “The date on the contract was before your divorce was finalized. Can you comment on that?”

“It’s shameful to cheat on your husband,” another person says. They all wait for my response, watching with wide, curious eyes as I flounder and try to think of something to say.

My stomach churns, sending a wave of nausea through me. I should have checked before I came out of the house.

“I… I…” I don’t know what to say because they’re technically right. I slept with Ethan while I was still married to Jack.

The crowd closes in, getting closer and making it hard to breathe. My chest tightens and I gasp for air, whipping my head left and right. I look for an escape, but they’re everywhere. I won’t be able to get away unless they move, and I don’t think that’ll happen any time soon.

They’re still blocking the way to the house and to my car.

Again, I try to push through the crowd, but one against fifteen is no easy feat. Someone’s elbow slams into my side, making me double over with a groan.

“She clearly cheated!” A female camera operator says, making me look at her. She shoves the camera in my direction, spitting insults. “She looks desperate enough to try to whore herself out to a billionaire. Did the money make you feel less dirty when you sucked his—”

“That’s enough!” A loud, booming voice cuts through the chatter, silencing the camera woman and making everyone turn.

Ethan glares at the crowd around me before our eyes connect, and in that moment, it’s almost as if everything around me fades away.