“Y’all know better,” Day said, displeased.
“No, it’s fine, I’ll answer it,” Charlie said. “Maybe once we talk about all the stuff that don’t matter, we can actually get to the music because the music is really good.”
“Yeah, of course, but you got to clear up the rumors first, sis,” Miss Mix said.
“Y’all saw the sex tape. That wasn’t no rumor. You also saw why that man loves me,” Charlie said, smiling.
“I know that’s right, girl!” Miss Mix shouted. “You did put your thing down on that man, but what about his wife, sis? We do not support side chick society around here.”
“Demi and I met, and we started something beautiful, but it was private, and I don’t think either of us took the time to ask the right questions. He didn’t take the time to evaluate his place in his marriage or even to tell me that he was married. And I was so smitten that I didn’t even think to ask. We just kinda met, and then boom, the next day we knew we were in love.”
“So you didn’t know he was married?”
Charlie shook her head. “Listen, the sex tape was something that was never supposed to leave the privacy of two people in love. It was an intimate moment. I didn’t know about his wife at that time. When I had the information, I acted accordingly. We both decided to let it go.” She was trying very hard not to throw Demi under the bus.
“But you’re signed to his company. You’re with him now. His own son basically called you a homewrecker at your event.” MissMix wasn’t holding any punches. Charlie felt sick because the world just didn’t understand that this was so much more than a fling.
“I think it’s important to keep kids out of grown-ass conversation. What I won’t allow anybody to do is turn that little boy, DJ, into a soundbite used to stir mess. I mean, is your name Miss Mix or Miss Messy cuz you dancing real close to being inappropriate?”
“I’m just following the story, sis. It’s all over social media.”
“I bring my artists up here, and this what you let her do?” Day asked the execs behind the scenes who were standing around in silence.
“No, it’s fine. I got it, Day,” Charlie said. “DJ is a child. He is someone I care about very much, and we aren’t going to sit here and go back and forth about what he said. His feelings are his feelings, but he is a kid, so he doesn’t have all the information. I entered his life in a less than perfect way.”
“As a side chick,” Miss Mix clarified.
Charlie scoffed. “Call me what you want, but Demi and I ended things when I found out. He went back to his wife. I moved on with my life for a year. Lauren Sky had all the time in the world to save her marriage. I wasn’t a factor. There was no sneaky links, no pull-ups, no contact. He didn’t text me. He didn’t call me. We didn’t see one another. They decided to divorce. Why? I don’t know. It wasn’t my marriage, but they’re over. They ended. Demi didn’t come to me immediately after. He didn’t do it for me. He ended it because he wanted to. He catered to Lauren and his son for a year, making sure they were straight, respecting the situation and the feelings involved. I didn’t even know they had ended. When he came back to me, he was a single man who had been divorced for a year. So remember that when you speak on us.”
“Your man don’t look too single. He still out here making you look like a side chick,” Miss Mix said. “He’s all over his ex-wife’s page at this very moment. She posted him half hour ago.”
Charlie felt all the air leave the room. She was lying. This woman didn’t know her. She had to be lying.
“I’m sorry, what?” Charlie glanced at Day.
Now she needed him to cut in, to stop this.
“Look, about this music, though,” Day stated.
“This is Lauren Sky with Demi Sky, posted exactly thirty-seven minutes ago, is it not?” Miss Mix put the phone on display, holding it across the table for Charlie to get a good look.
It took everything in her not to cry on this live platform.
She was shaking, she was so upset.
“Are we going to talk about my single, or is this just a platform for gossip?” Charlie asked. Her voice was shaking, but she didn’t have the strength to stop it. She had mustered up all the moxie she had left.
“Absolutely, let’s play All My Trust by Charlie, the newest princess at Dynasty Records,” DJ Baby announced. They cut the live feed, and Charlie stood.
“Thank you for playing my record,” she whispered before rushing out of the studio.
“Charlie,” Day said, grabbing her elbow. He leaned in close to her so that only she could hear him. “I know, but we got to finish this. They’re going to bring in callers to review the song.”
Her tears were too heavy to hold in, and one fell down her cheek. She was so embarrassed. “I can’t.”
She walked out and Miss Mix frowned. “Sensitive artists don’t last, Day.”
“Neither do disrespectful radio girls who fucked every rapper on my label,” Day responded.
