‘Of course,’ Kim said, neatly avoiding a direct answer. ‘Look, maybe find out exactly what they have and what they want. Who is this person? Where’s she from? Everything.’
‘Sure. I’ll call you back as soon as I have more.’
As soon as they disconnected, Kim threw the phone on the bed and put her head in her hands. How in the hell was this happening? And now?
‘Oh shoot,’ she exclaimed when she remembered her husband was still on the other line. ‘Gabe? I’m so sorry. It was the office and I got caught up …’
He laughed good-naturedly. ‘Hey, it’s not as if it’s the first time.’ Though his tone was light, there was an edge of disappointment in his voice that made Kim feel like an absolute heel.
‘I’m so sorry. It’s not like I forgot you—’
‘You kinda did. Admit it. Anyway, I just wanted to say that we’ve just got on the train and Lily is really excited. I’d better go.’
‘I’m so sorry again, honey,’ she repeated. ‘And I’m getting in the car right now. See you guys at the station.’
‘Don’t forget the car seat, OK? Or us, for that matter,’ he added, chuckling. ‘Lily’s putting on a brave face, but I know she’s tired after the flight.’
Feeling guilty afresh, Kim hung up the call and grabbed her bag and car keys. Her head had begun to pound the moment Hank told her about the accusation and had got even worse when she’d ended up disappointing her husband in the process.
This was a big deal. It was Lily’s first visit to Italy and the first time the three of them would be away together as a family in over a year.
Yes, the launch was important, but Kim wanted to make this time special for the people she loved, too. Especially in light of her conversation with Antonio. Gabe and Lily had had to put up with way too many absences over the last couple of years.
Heading out to the hotel parking area, she climbed into the driver’s seat of her rented BMW convertible and pulled away, her mind still reeling from what she’d been told.
She rested her head on one hand against the door while she steered with the other.
Why all this negative stuff now? Merely a week away from the grand launch of the villa, the pinnacle of The Sweet Life brand and important tribute to its inspiration.
And that’s all those quotes had been – inspiration. It wasn’t–couldn’tbe – considered plagiarism, could it? Not when it was just some dumb stuff scribbled in an old journal.
Maybe it was just sour grapes? Or this person was just fishing. Much like the social media haters and trolls she’d become accustomed to over the years.
This was something more, though, Kim knew it in her bones. This was escalating.
A few negative comments here and there were par for the course with a social media presence of her size, and especially since the book was published and she became more visible in the media.
There was also somewhat of a general backlash against the so-called ‘Influencer’ concept now in general, and lots of bad press and shady dealings. But Kim hadn’t done anything wrong.
Had she?
A sickening tug in her gut brought her back to reality.
OK, so she had co-opted some of those quotes in the journal, turned them into social media captions and then subsequently sold this so-called wisdom on to others.
But she’d never intended it that way, had never set out to deceive or (she cringed at the word) plagiarise. And it was really Antonio and Emilia that had taken the whole thing to another level. Didn’t that count for something?
A thousand thoughts raced through her mind as she drove and she reached the station before she knew it. She stayed in the car, waiting for Gabriel to call when the train pulled in.
Kim closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the seat, lifting it up to the warm sun. If it went any further and the truth came out, it would ruin not only next week’s launch but perhaps even the entire brand.
A potential suit meant her book would be pulled from the shelves. The big-brand collaborations she’d worked so hard to cultivate would automatically cut ties. Her business and livelihood would be gone.
What would Gabriel think when he discovered she’d been keeping this from him throughout their entire relationship? On top of the awful truth about how she truly felt about being a mother.
Despite Antonio’s advice, there was no way she could have a full and frank conversation with her husband about that.
Not now.
