Page 223 of My Real Love Affair

I watched the color drain from her face as she read. Her hands started to shake slightly, and she looked up at me with something like panic in her eyes.

“You recorded me?”

“Every word,” I said calmly. “You admitting that you doctored evidence. And that you’re doing this for personal gain,not justice. You’ll also remember that little part about you admitting that your lawyers advised against it. All of it.”

The producers had moved closer, clearly sensing that their explosive interview was about to implode.

“Is this true?” one of them asked Summer. “Did you fabricate evidence?”

“I didn’t fabricate anything,” Summer said quickly. “I just curated it. Made it more understandable for a general audience.”

“You said ‘doctored,’” I corrected. “On tape. You said you doctored the evidence.”

Summer’s face flushed red. “You tricked me. You pretended to be on my side.”

“I pretended to be someone who would help you destroy an innocent man for your own career advancement,” I said. “And you fell for it because you were so convinced that everyone is as morally bankrupt as you are.”

One of the producers picked up the cease-and-desist letter, reading it quickly. “This is from Bancroft Legal. They’re threatening to sue us if we air anything based on falsified evidence.”

“It’s not falsified,” Summer pouted.

“But you just admitted it’s doctored,” the other producer said. “Which means it’s not reliable. Which means we could be liable for defamation if we run with this.”

I turned to address them directly. “The Bancrofts are giving you and Summer a chance to back down before this becomes a legal nightmare. You were warned last night but you chose to move ahead. If you stop the recording now, walk away, no one has to get sued. But if you move forward knowing that the evidence has been manipulated and the story is being presented in bad faith?” I shrugged. “That’s on you.”

Summer looked at me like I’d betrayed her on the most fundamental level. “Why are you doing this? Why are youprotecting him? Austin Bancroft doesn’t care about you. He doesn’t care about women in general. He’s a womanizer, a user, and a total man whore.”

I lifted my chin, meeting her eyes steadily. “He’s reformed.”

Summer laughed. It was a bitter, ugly sound that sounded more like an evil cackle. “Reformed? You really believe that?”

“I know it,” I said. “Because I know him. Really know him. Not the persona you saw at a few events, but the real Austin. The one who makes me laugh until I can’t breathe. He’s not the person you’re trying to make him out to be.”

“You’re delusional,” she snapped.

“I’m in love,” I corrected. “And I know the difference between someone using me and someone loving me. Austin loves me. And I’m not going to stand by while you destroy him for clicks and book deals. Or a windfall of cash so you can fuck over another unsuspecting rich guy—that was your plan, right?”

I turned back to the producers. “So what’s it going to be? Do you pull the episode, or do we see you in court?”

They exchanged glances, clearly doing mental calculations about legal liability versus viral content. Finally, one of them sighed.

“We’re not running it. If the source material has been manipulated and she’s acting in bad faith, we have no interest in provoking the Bancrofts any further. The legal risk isn’t worth it.”

“What?” Summer whirled on them. “You can’t just—we had an agreement!”

“We had an agreement based on the understanding that your story was truthful and verifiable,” the producer said. “If that’s not the case, the agreement is void.”

Summer looked between all of us, her perfectly composed mask finally cracking. I could see the desperation underneath, the realization that her big moment was slipping away.

“You don’t know what you’re doing,” she said to me, her voice shaking. “The Bancrofts will use you and throw you away just like they did to me. And when they do, don’t come crying to me.”

“I won’t,” I said simply. “Because unlike you, I actually know what love looks like. And it doesn’t look like schemes and revenge and tearing other people down to build yourself up. Summer, you assume I needed him to rescue me. I didn’t. You are the one that needs someone to do the hard work for you because you’re too damn lazy to do it yourself. Never assume you know me. You don’t.”

I turned and walked toward the door, my heart racing but my steps steady.

“This isn’t over,” Summer called after me.

I paused at the door and looked back. “Yeah, actually, it is. The cease and desist gives you twenty-four hours to publicly retract any statements you’ve made about the Bancrofts. If you don’t, they’ll sue you for defamation and extortion. And trust me, they have better lawyers than you could ever afford.”