"That's good, but the sooner the better."
***
Tessa set up a meeting at ERS for that afternoon. Cam is already there when I arrive. Broad shoulders. Neutral expression. The kind of stillness that means he’s bracing for impact.
Noah and another ERS attorney sit at the table with tablets open, faces carefully unreadable.
No one smiles.
Noah begins laying it out. Clean. Efficient. Clinical.
Rebecca Smoochie’s filing alleges pregnancy. Coercion. Forced termination. Abuse of power. Emotional distress.
False. All of it. Verifiably false.
But lies don’t have to be true to be harmful.
“Even unsubstantiated claims like these,” he says, “can trigger morality clauses. League investigations. Sponsor withdrawals.”
Cam’s jaw tightens. He doesn’t interrupt.
The melody still swimming in my head dips—uneasy now. Minor key.
“We can respond defensively,” the other lawyer says. “Motion to dismiss. Statement of denial. Or—”
I lean forward.
“No.”
The word lands sharper than I expect. The room stills.
Cam turns to look at me, surprised.
“No?” the lawyer repeats carefully.
Cam watches me like he’s trying to figure out where this is coming from.
“If we do that,” I continue, “she controls the timeline. She keeps making noise, keeps forcing responses. She leaks. She implies. She bleeds you slowly.”
The melody steadies. Stronger now.
“We need to counter-sue her,” I say. “Immediately.”
Cam exhales through his nose. “Lila—”
“I know,” I cut in. “You don’t want to escalate. You don’t want this to get uglier.”
I meet his eyes. Hold them.
“It’s already ugly,” I say. “And if you stay quiet, it becomes believable.”
Noah straightens. “A counter-suit would reframe—”
“—the entire narrative,” I finish. “She stops being a victim and starts being a liability.”
Silence stretches.
“She’s not just attacking you,” I add, quieter now. “She’s threatening your career. Your sponsors. Your reputation.” I shake my head.
