Willa dropped her duffel bag and rushed forward. “What are you talking about, Aunt Harper?”
Harper turned her phone’s screen to face them.
One of the celebrity gossip sites had a picture of her, the same photo that had been going around earlier, but this time instead of “Keating’s Mystery Woman,” the headline read, “Hollywood Liar.”
Frankie sucked in a breath as a sick feeling filled her stomach. “Oh, no.”
“Oh, yes,” Harper said. She started sniffling again. “I’m ruined. As in I amdone. Suzanne said she was going to do it and she did. I don’t know why. I never did anything to her. I was nice to her.” She pulled her knees to her chest, bent her head into them, and began to weep.
“This is about her and her narcissistic need for attention.” Frankie came around to sit next to her sister, putting her arm around her and hugging her close. “Maybe it’s not as bad as you think. Maybe it’ll all blow over.”
“I don’t get it,” Willa said softly. “What’s going on?”
Harper lifted her head. “I let my clients believe I was something I wasn’t. Now I’m paying the price.”
Frankie’s heart ached. “But you didn’t actually lie, did you? You never told anyone you were licensed or trained in anything.”
“No, but what does that matter? I’m actively being cancelled. I’m finished. No one’s going to want to associate with me now.” She held the phone up again. “Look! They’re dragging my name and my reputation through the mud.”
The screen turned green with an incoming phone call.
Harper looked at the name and groaned. “See? It’s starting. That’s Philip Deavers. One of my clients. I’m sure he’s calling to tell me he no longer requires my services. No one will want to be associated with me.” She tossed the phone onto the table with a loudthunk. “I can’t deal with that right now.”
“You don’t need to.” Frankie grabbed the phone and powered it down. Then she looked at Willa. “Get your aunt a glass of water, please.”
Willa nodded and went into the kitchen. Archie shifted from foot to foot, whining nervously.
Frankie hugged her sister, kissing the side of Harper’s head. “You’re going to get through this.Weare going to get through this. You’re not alone in this. Not at all.”
Harper sniffed. “Thanks, but that’s my name out there. I’m the one being called a liar and a fake and a scam artist. A scam artist! Do you know how many people I’ve helped? Does anyone? No. No one does. And I can’t tell the press because I’ve signed an NDA. No one is ever going to know the truth. And I just have to sit here and be quiet, which is basically like an admission of guilt.”
Willa brought the water over. “Aunt Harper, would it help to hire an attorney? Or maybe put together some kind of press release? It seems like you ought to be able to do something.”
Harper took the glass and drank a third of it. “It’s nice to see you, Willa. You’re more beautiful than I remember. I’m sorry about all this. Not exactly how you thought your vacation was going to start, huh?”
“It’s okay,” Willa said.
“Archie needs to go out,” Harper said.
Willa nodded. “I can take him. If he’ll let me. Hi, Archie. You want to go out?”
Archie hesitated, then let out a little bark.
Harper pointed behind her. “His leash is on the kitchen counter. I was getting ready to take him when my phone started blowing up. Go through the big room downstairs to the backyard.”
“Got it,” Willa said. “Come on, Archie.”
He went to her, apparently over his concern about the new person, since she’d offered to walk him.
Frankie’s phone vibrated as Willa took Archie downstairs. Prisha was calling. “I better take this.” She got up and went out to the deck, answering as she stepped outside and closed the door behind her. Below her, Archie was leading Willa toward the water. “Hi.”
“Hello, Frankie. Have you seen the internet? I am very concerned.”
“If you mean what’s being said about Harper, then yes, I’ve seen it. None of it’s true. Not really. I mean, some is and some isn’t.” She sighed. “It’s complicated, but it’s not my place to explain.”
“I understand. I also know the media lies,” Prisha said. “I am so angry with Suzanne. As soon as I saw it, I called her and told her I never want to speak to her again.”
“Did you really?” That was bold move for someone who was not only intimidated by the woman, but who’d only just met Harper.
