A furrow creased Betzy’s brow. “Hmm.” She tapped the receive button, and watched as a text box appeared.
The following message will dissolve in five seconds. Do not attempt to photograph the image or the data in your phone will dissolve as well.
A spark of excitement flared within her as an image appeared. It was the article. The entire spread filled the screen. To the left, the headline matched the teaser she’d read. She scanned her eyes quickly over the traits of the well known, wealthy women who’d never married. And then came the horror on the right half of the open fold. A photo of Betzy filled a quarter of the page. And there, listed beneath, were bullet points. She read aloud in a frantic rush, trying to catch it all, but there was no way.
“Buying a home versus renting a penthouse. Stocking up on sports cars as a ploy to attract men. Preying on men who feel indebted to her. Naming her plants.” Her face scrunched up. “Whatever.” She’d named one plant and that was when she was dating Marcus and already the poor thing had died.
Quickly, Betzy moved down the next line. “Refusing to give up the wheel. Refusing to give it up inbed?”
A heated gasp tore from her throat. Already the sight was disintegrating before her very eyes. She tried piecing the pixels of the next line together as they grew dimmer, dimmer, gone.
The screen went black.
That was it. Someone had done her a favor. Anonymously given her a peek of the horrible article, and it was so much worse than she’d imagined.
“That witch!” Only that might not have been what she said. The notebook in her bedside drawer became her canvas. In a frantic rush, Betzy sketched out everything she recalled in the layout, scribbling in words that stood out to her as well.
She stared at the page with her sleep-deprived eyes while everything in her mind shifted. Goodbye, high road. Hello, desperate measures. Maybe Camila and Rachel were onto something. And heck, even if Sawyerdidn’tfeel the same way about Betzy, hedidcare for her. Deeply. She was sure about that.
Slipperwould release its next issue just before Christmas, so she didn’t have much time to make magic happen.
Betzy tossed the pen and fished for the bright, red sharpie. Next, she flipped the page of her notepad and created a big box in the center of the page.
#1 Ask Sawyer to propose to me.
#2 Plan public appearance to create a buzz
She paused there and stared at the page. A flicker of reservation pierced through her resolve. Grandma was like a walking lie detector. And never, in a million years, would she go along with something like this. Betzy scribbled the next item on the list.
#3 Convince Grandma Lo that it’s real.
But how? They’d have to spend some time with her. Enough to really convince her they were in love.
“The cabin,” Betzy blurted as it came to her. “I’ll take him on the family trip.” She added that to the list.
#4Take Sawyer to the cabin.
#5 Sawyer proposes the day before the issue releases.
She stopped again. This had to be big. Very big.
Camila had mentioned the Christmas edition of the Lion’s Den. That might just be the perfect place.
#6 Flaunt diamond ring in Daisy’s miserable face as she shrinks away in shame.
#7 Sawyer goes back to NY. We keep up the charade through the winter and have a fake breakup in the spring.
Shoulders easing just a little, Betzy reread the steps. “There. Start this off right with a plan of attack, just like any successful venture.”
The adrenaline pulsing through her could fuel a jet plane across the country and back. But something about it felt good. Better than the despair she’d been swimming in for who knew how long?
She snatched her phone, pulled up Sawyer’s number, and sent him a text. Betzy would take things into her own hands once more. Only this time she wouldn’t feel vulnerable or exposed, desperate to have him like her in return or at least let her down easy if he didn’t.
Now, Betzy felt safe. If he said no, he’d only be rejecting the plan, not her. But she didn’t think he’d reject it. She only needed him topretendto like her.
He could do that. And for whatever reason, she felt very sure that he would.
Still, in case he didn’t… Betzy snatched the sharpie once more, tore off the lid, and added one small detail along the bottom of the page.Get someone else if Sawyer says no.
