It was still early in the morning when Nathan walked into Global’s meeting room to find his team waiting for him. He had organized this briefing to go over Amber and Emma’s trip to Mexico for The Secret magazine photo shoot. Nathan sat at the head of the table between the two models. Though the three of them were sitting in the same chairs they always did, their titles had drastically changed since their last meeting.
Amber, once the mistress, had successfully promoted herself, taking Emma’s place as Nathan’s partner. As if that weren’t bad enough, she even exchanged a long loving look with Nathan as he sat down. No one at the meeting could stand to watch them.
Ashley glanced over at Emma, trying to see how she was taking all this. It was hard to predict what Emma was feeling, but Ashley could see that she was trying not to look at the happy couple next to her. This was one of the many impressive things Ashley had noticed about Emma. No matter how hurt she was, she would never let it show, nor would she allow anyone to humiliate her.
Nathan cleared his throat. “The secret shoot. I’ll be taking Amber and Emma to Mexico personally. We should also be joined by a translator as we will be working together for a few days. We all need to get comfortable with each other now to make sure the shoot runs smoothly.” Nathan handed out some information on the magazine to Emma and Amber as he continued.
“Secret has been around for 20 years, and it used to be all the rage. So, their popularity has declined over the years. They’re still quite influential. The point of this photo shoot is to get the magazine noticed again. That’s where you two come in. In terms of fashion, Amber is more familiar with the style they’re looking for, so Emma, you’ll need to listen to her and let her take the lead.”
The room grew silent. Everyone could see what was happening. Nathan was trying to keep Emma back so Amber could steal the spotlight. Please decorated her teeth in anger as she looked over at Amber’s smug expression. “No need to worry, Nathan. I won’t disappoint,” Amber said delighted.
Emma didn’t respond to Amber or Nathan. She simply stood up, turned to Ashley and Lisa, and said, “Let’s go.”
“Emma, what’s the meaning of this?” Nathan asked. She turned around and looked at him calmly. “Did you really think my patience would last forever? It’s obvious that Amber can’t land a job on her own now that everyone knows what she did. So instead, you’re sticking her with me, hoping I’ll step aside and let her be the star? Is she really worth all this?”
Nathan shouted, “Emma! Amber yelled, ‘How dare you say that about me!’”
Emma glared at her. “If you’re as talented as you say you are, then why don’t you go to the shoot by yourself?” Then she turned to the door, and Ashley and Lisa stood up to follow her.
But Nathan, as angry as he was, couldn’t let her go. “Wait!” he cried. “Don’t leave. If you’re unhappy about something, we can talk about it.”
Emma turned back toward him and stared him down. “Just trust you? Trust Judy? That’s how I ended up letting you step all over me. If you could try and act calm, but I know your plans will be ruined if I don’t do this shoot. But if you insist on Amber being the lead, she’ll be going to Mexico without me.”
As Emma spoke, Lisa had to stop herself from clapping her hands and cheering for her. Ashley also couldn’t help sneaking in a smile. “Are they still dreaming about bullying Emma?” she thought. “It’s time they woke up.”
Emma continued, “Also, whether Amber’s fashion sense is better than mine is to be proven, Nathan. Don’t forget, even though I’m not on top anymore, I’m still the only person at Global who’s been in a film. Are you sure you want to send this B-list model to Mexico to lead the shoot?”
“And let’s not forget to mention she’s a B-list model who needs a translator,” Amber jumped up in anger and slammed her hands on the table.
“Emma, I’m gonna tear you apart!” Nathan stood up and placed his hands on Amber’s shoulders.
“Amber, Emma does have a point here. I think we need to let her take the lead on this shoot, with you following her,” although Nathan was furious with Emma, he had to give in for the sake of the company. Once Global made its comeback, he had no doubt that he would be able to put Emma back in line.
“I don’t want to!” Amber shouted.
“It’s decided,” Emma replied cooly. “You don’t have a choice.” She had a smirk on her face, an expression Nathan had never seen on her before. At that moment, he realized how much she had changed since they had been together. She was confident in herself and had no need for his approval anymore. The Emma he had known no longer existed.
When the meeting was over, everyone left the room except Amber, Nathan, and Gary. Amber stood up and knocked her chair over in rage. “Nathan, I’ve had enough! Why do I have to listen to Emma? Didn’t you say it was for me? I don’t see how it’s for me now.”
“That’s enough, Amber!” Nathan shouted, his patience running out. “When will you learn to see the big picture? If Emma doesn’t do this shoot, you can forget about going to the Top 10 Model Awards. Just listen to me, Amber!”
She was stunned. He had never yelled at her like this before. In response, she wrapped her arms around her stomach and started crying. “Nathan, don’t you know that I’m carrying your child? That’s the only reason I’m going all the way to Mexico with you. Everything I do is for you.”
“Amber, why can’t you control your temper a little? You’re always making things difficult for me.” Nathan walked out of the meeting room, leaving Amber alone with Gary.
Gary sighed. “Amber, Mr. Davis is right. You’ve already won him over to your side. All you need to do is put up with Emma for just a little longer until you make a comeback. Then you won’t have to be afraid of Emma anymore. Just play nice for the trip. Don’t let your anger ruin the shoot, or you might lose your chance.”
Though Amber was still teeming with rage, she knew Gary was right. “I just can’t wait to see if Emma still remembers how to model,” she thought.
Meanwhile, Ashley was driving Lisa and Emma back to their houses. Lisa was overjoyed. “I bet Amber’s throwing a tantrum in the meeting room right now. She’s probably screaming at Nathan for letting Emma take the leading role.” She imitated Amber throwing a fit, making them laugh.
“Emma,” Lisa said, “I can’t believe the temper you’ve got these days. It’s so refreshing to see you stand up for yourself.”
Ashley laughed. “Emma, I never would have thought you would be so explosive.”
“I entered the industry at 17 and became New York’s Top Model when I was 23,” Emma said. “It’s been nine years since I started modeling. Don’t you think I’ve seen it all by now? That’s why I thought getting married and having someone to rely on would be better for me. But now I realized I could rely on myself. Of course,” she thought, “Eric is the only exception. He really does support me no matter what.”
She continued, “It goes without saying, some people have been in the industry all their lives, yet they’re still oblivious to how it works. That’s because they haven’t been hurt like I have. Anyway, you two go home and pack your bags. Tomorrow we fly to Mexico.”
