The room spins and I feel sick to my stomach. Behind the boy—my son—is a small crowd. Not a lot of people, but enough. My political instincts kick in and I stumble forward, steadying myself against the front door. "Come in," I say weakly. The boy stares at me for a few seconds. Then he nods and steps inside, dropping his duffle bag. I slam the door shut like it's on fire.

"Scarlett?" Orion says slowly. He grabs my arm, steadying me. "Sit. I'll get you some water." I nod numbly and shuffle towards the dining room, collapsing into the nearest seat. I stare down at my trembling hands, trying to push the unpleasant memories away.

This isn't happening. This is a terrible, terrible dream.

I pinch my wrist and the sharp pain sends tears to my eyes. Before they can fall, water is being pushed in my hands, along with some pills. I quietly thank Orion and take a sip of the water, focusing on steadying myself.

Now's not the time to panic, I remind myself. Your reputation is at risk.

I take the pills with one swig of water, wiping my mouth with the sleeve of my coat. I stand, though every bone in my body begs me not to. "Orion," I say, ignoring the numbness of my tongue. "Call Micheal. Tell him he needs to get here as soon as he can." Orion nods swiftly, pulling out his phone and ducking into a nearby hallway.

I turn to the boy, staring into his familiar brown eyes. "What's your name?" I ask, trying to ignore the fact that he's almost an exact copy of his father.

"Ezra Golding," he replies, shoving his hands into his pockets. I nod crisply.

"Come with me, Ezra," I say, shuffling towards the kitchen. He follows me and takes a seat at the island, tapping his fingers rhythmically against the granite countertops.

"Do you want something to drink?" I ask, feigning politeness.

"Sure," he says with a small shrug. I grab a cup and fill it to the brim with tap water. I slide it towards Ezra, who takes a long drag of it.

We stare at one another for a moment in suffocating silence.

But, the silence is short-lived. Because seconds later, the front door bursts open. "God, there's a riot out there!" Micheal yells from the corridor. I hurry towards the sound, my heart pounding. When Micheal's eyes meet mine, he scowls. As if he's disgusted by the sight of me. My stomach churns. "What did you do, Revaz?"

I'm silent, which says so much more than words would've.

"Shit," Micheal says, grabbing a fistful of his hair. He tugs at the fistful once, laughing humorlessly. "This is bad. So, so bad."

His eyes meet mine again and he sighs. "Is he actually yours?"

Tears cloud my vision and I nod softly, shame settling onto my shoulders. There's silence again. The distinct sound of shouts and cameras clicking floats from the outside. Micheal sighs, pacing back and forth. He mutters to himself while I stand there, memories forcing themselves to the front of my mind.

"How?" Micheal asks suddenly. He looks at me with a sudden softness that surprises me a little bit. The question is fair. Micheal deserves answers. This entire town deserves answers. But the thought of reliving the experience makes my heart twist in my chest. "Scarlett," Micheal says. I meet his eyes, a tear slipping down my cheek. "How?"

I simply shake my head, dropping my eyes to the floor.

Moments later, the front door bursts open once again. My mother and sister stumble inside, slamming the front door shut. My mother spins on her heel to face me, eyes flaming. I flinch. "What have you done, Scarlett?" She snaps. I ball my fists, trying to ignore the humiliation that threatens to thicken my voice.

"I'm sorry," I whisper. Tears stream down my cheeks shamelessly and a strangled sob escapes my lips.

"Stop that," my older sister, Isabelle, says. "Stop your crying, S. It's okay, this is all going to be okay." I nod, though I know Isa is just trying to comfort me. Nothing about this is okay.

"What do we do?" Mom asks, and Micheal begins to pace, head bent in thought. I shake my head, wiping my tears away with my now damp sleeve. I try my best to collect myself, but tears keep escaping my eyes and they won't stop. Mom snorts as Micheal sighs. "Stop it, Scarlett. You're humiliating yourself."

I clamp my mouth shut, flexing my hand. It's always been my nervous habit. The movement of my hand muscles always relaxes me. "Where is he, S?" Isabelle asks softly, clearly trying to comfort me without pissing off Mom. She's always taken care of me like that.

"In the kitchen," I whisper. Mom mutters something that's surely insulting and hurries towards the kitchen. Isabelle follows and I have nothing to do but to follow them. I step into the kitchen, wiping my eyes dry.

Ezra scans every person in the room, then his eyes lock with mine. "How did you get here?" I ask, my voice tight and a little raspy.

"A bus," Ezra says, taking a sip of his water.

"How did you find me?" I say before I can even run it over in my head.

"The internet," Ezra replies. He shrugs a little. "I found my birth certificate. You signed it. All it took was a Google search."

There are two signatures on that birth certificate. I almost say. Why come to me? Why not go to your father?

Mom sighs. "I think we all need some time to process this."

"Agreed," Isabelle says, joining Ezra's side. "Grab your bag. Let me show you to a room," she says sweetly, tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. Ezra nods and hops off the stool, walking to the entryway to grab his duffle bag. The two disappear upstairs and I release a shaky sigh.

"Who is the father?" Mom asks, her voice flat. I can't bring myself to answer. "Scarlett, who is the father?" Her voice is one the verge of a yell, making me flinch.

"Everyone is exhausted," Micheal interrupts. "Maybe we should discuss this tomorrow morning."

I nod quickly. "Yes. It's been a long night," I say. Mom looks conflicted for a moment, then she resigns and nods.

"This conversation isn't over, Scarlett," Mom says sharply.

"I know," I whisper.

I have a feeling things are only going to get worse from here.

. . .

My eyes flutter open and I yawn, my eyes scanning my bedroom. For a second, I think the previous night was a dream. But, when I check my phone, the hundreds of notifications tell me otherwise. My heart twists as I click a headline.

Scarlett Revaz: Is Her Whole Life a Lie?

My stomach churns as I sit up. My entire body burns as I begin to read the article. I'm halfway through reading when a notification lights up my screen. It informs me of a new email. I click it and the email opens.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Scarlett,

With a heavy heart, I have decided to resign as your manager. Due to the recent events, I believe it's the best path forward. I wish you luck with your campaign and future endeavors.

Warm regards,

Micheal O'Conner

I spring out of bed, stumbling out of my bedroom. I look for Micheal, Orion, anyone. I need to confirm that this isn't a sick joke.

I burst into the kitchen, my eyes wide and alert. Ezra sits at the counter, scrolling on his phone. "Ezra," I say quickly. He looks up at me, eyebrows raised. "Where is everyone?"

"They quit," Ezra says. "This is a big scandal, apparently."

A dry laugh escapes my lips. "Oh my God," I say softly, leaning my forearms against the counter. I lay my head in my hands, trying not to cry then and there. Everything I've worked for... was it all for nothing? Is this the end of my career?

"It's about time you woke up," a voice behind me says. "Get dressed, we have a plan."

***

Soooo, you guys got to see a little more of Scarlett's character. I hope you like her so far! Let me know your thoughts in the comments. And don't forget to vote!