Eric’s touch was so exhilarating; it made Emma feel like she was possessed. Eric gently brought Emma down on the sofa and unbuttoned her blouse. He began to explore lower and lower. This was something he’d been dreaming about for a long time.
“Eric,” Emma went on, “if it hurts a bit…”
Eric stopped immediately and returned his focus to her lips. It was some time before Eric finally pulled away. “Tomorrow is an important day for you,” he said, gently caressing her cheek. “You should go get ready for bed. You need a good night’s rest.”
Emma bathed and washed her hair, then gratefully fell into bed. Thanks to Eric, she was certainly sleeping well lately.
The next morning, Ashley and Lisa brought Emma to the Elm Grove Cosmetics event. Upon arriving, they were surprised to see that Nathan was already there. On the surface, he was there to support his model, but in reality, he was there to make sure Emma would remember to clear Amber’s name.
“How could I forget?” Emma said after he once again reminded her of the need to follow the script.
“Emma, I know this is hard on you, but what we had between us is over. You don’t have to be angry at Amber. She’s innocent,” Nathan explained.
“And I’m not innocent!” Emma protested. “I did nothing wrong. In fact, I gave up years of my life to help you, and all that’s worth nothing? You’re an ungrateful animal!”
“Watch what you’re saying,” they warned her angrily. “We both did what we did willingly. I never asked you to sacrifice anything for me. You were the one who wanted to take that on.”
The makeup artist knocked on the door just then, preventing Emma from saying what was on her mind. He immediately got up to let the makeup artist in, wanting Nathan to leave as soon as possible. Nathan was still angry as he turned to leave the room. As he passed by Ashley, he ordered, “Keep an eye on her. Don’t let her do anything wrong.”
“I won’t,” Ashley nodded.
At 9 am, the event began. The MC was already on stage, offering a welcome to the crowd before introducing Emma. Emma was just about ready for her 9:30 appearance. She wore a shimmery silver dress with a plunging neckline and had brushed her hair to one side, leaving soft curls falling over her brow.
“Emma, are you ready?” Ashley asked nervously. “You’re up next. We’re here for you,” Lisa added.
“Don’t worry about a thing,” Emma nodded. In just a moment, she was going to initiate a battle with Global. She had no room in her head for worry right now. Her focus was on remaining calm and focused on what she needed to say.
“Go,” Ashley escorted Emma out of the dressing room and onto the stage. The venue for the event wasn’t very big, holding only about 200 people. Emma knew that plenty more people would be watching remotely, however, and why? Because they wanted to see her endorse this cheap cosmetics brand and then Roberta shreds over it. They would get something to gossip about, alright, just not what they were expecting.
“And now, welcome our special guest, Emma Miller!” the host announced. Emma stepped out to the front of the stage. It had been a long time since she stood in front of a spotlight, so she took a moment to soak it all in.
“Our Emma has such a pair of enchantingly long legs! Emma, say something to this wonderful audience,” the host handed the microphone to Emma, and she calmly faced the almost 200 people in front of her.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Emma Miller. Welcome,” Emma greeted. “Emma, we’re honored to have you here. As everyone knows, your career is on the rise, and we’re all very grateful that you came here today to support Elm Grove Cosmetics. May I ask you a question?”
“Of course,” Emma replied.
“Could you please describe why you like using our products so much?” the MC jumped straight to the main point.
“Why I like using your products?” Emma frowned a bit, as if confused. The comments on the live stream started to explode even before Emma had given her opinion. “Sellout! If you recommend Elm Grove, you’re finished! Haven’t you got anything better to do with your time? I wonder how many people will be fooled. Emma, don’t help them.”
Emma took a breath, then glanced at Ashley and Lisa. She made sure the camera was on her and then opened her mouth to speak. “First of all, I’d like to thank my agency, Global Entertainment. Global accepted the invitation on my behalf, even though I’d never even heard of Elm Grove before.”
There were some murmurs in the crowd and a few laughs, but no one could have anticipated what was coming next. Second, even though I was forced to step out onto this stage, I want to tell you that my personal ethical code is intact. The customers have rejected Elm Grove’s products. Support the customers, and I will boycott the products as well. I haven’t never used them, and I never will. And lastly, I would like to thank everyone for their attention. Even though I may have lost my position in the entertainment industry, I will not let go of my principles.
Three simple statements. Emma was so quick that she was able to get her message out before anyone could stop her. By the time everyone realized what she was saying, she’d almost finished. “I hereby announce that this is the official start to my comeback. Please stay tuned for an even bigger announcement coming your way soon. Thank you for your support.” Emma dropped the microphone into the hand of the stunned MC and walked off the stage.
The online community was in an uproar. “OMG, what did Emma just say? I need to go back and listen to it again. Is she cool or what? Yes, this! I was prepared to hate her, but then she actually did something like this. This was a major slap in the face of Elm Grove. I can’t think of anyone else who would be brave enough to tear apart her agency and her client at a live event. Cool, cool, cool! Emma is so cool. If she’s making a comeback, we’re in for a treat. Did you see the expression on the host’s face? Emma is amazing. I’m so touched. I’m so glad I misjudged her. I love you, Emma!” The entire online community cheered for Emma.
Social influencers took short clips of her statement and spread them as widely as they could. In an instant, all traces of the former hateful comments were buried under the outpouring of support. Unfortunately for her, she hadn’t even made it as far as the dressing room when Nathan and Elm Grove’s representative, Joe Connors, confronted her.
“Emma, is there something wrong with your brain? How dare you cause a commotion like that in front of so many people!” Joe actually pointed his finger in Emma’s face. “Do you have a death wish? What made you think you could trash us and turn our event into your personal press conference?”
