Page 77 of Until We Burn
“And we’re thankful for your work, but we have to act on the best interests of the board and the regular contributors. They’re all disturbed and shaken by what came to light recently.”
They,as in Andrea. I know she was the one behind this. Nearly half of her friends are regular contributors, and they resented me when the majority of the newsroom appointed me as editor-in-chief last April.
My voice struggles through the frustration tearing me apart. “Look, I…I know this scandal puts me in a bad light. But Benedict, I swear, everything just got?—”
“Completely blown out of proportion?” He sighs and rolls his eyes. “That’s been your response this whole time and still…” He shrugs. “We have no evidence of that.”
Don’t do it, Diana. It’s too risky.
Except if there’s a small chance of clearing my name, I have to take it. My family already thinks I’m sulking, I’m happy to pretend to do so to throw them off guard. But I won’t let losing the Howler be for real.
“What if Ididhave evidence?”
Benedict leans back in his chair. He stares back at me with his hands steepled together.
“Go on.”
“I’ve been working to provide some context as to what really happened. It’s more complicated than people think, which is why I’ll need some time.” I swallow hard, bracing myself for the next words. “I’d like to make a deal.”
Benedict’s eyes narrow at me. “Let’s hear it.”
I straighten in my chair, refusing to back down from his gaze. “Hirean interim editor-in-chief who will take over the Howler temporarily. In the meantime, I will gather what I need to prove that everything truly did get blown out of proportion. If the evidence isn’t sufficient, I will gladly walk away. If it is, you let me lead the Howler until the end of the winter term as promised.”
Benedict considers the deal for a moment. The clock on his desk ticks louder. The jut of his knee jostles more rapidly. Then he unclicks his pen.
“Fine.”
Hope darts through my chest, easing the panic ever so slightly.
“Okay.” I nod. “I can do that.Thank you.How long do I have?”
“Two weeks.”
“Oh.”
Benedict shrugs. “That’s all the time I can give you. You’re already treading on tricky waters since the decision was supposed to be final. But…” He winces. “I worked with you in Lisa’s audio journalism class last year, and my VOI would’ve gone to shit if you didn’t help out. So, I guess I kind of owe you one.”
Benedict groans as he reaches over his desk to grab a sticky note. He scribbles something down on it. “Look, I have a meeting with the board in an hour. I’ll raise the proposal you made and get back to you. Sound good?”
Convincing Benedict is one thing, but the whole board has to agree on it. If they don’t, all my chances of getting my position back go down the drain.
My smile comes out strained. “Better than nothing.”
I walk out of the Richfield building and veer down to the tunnels with a cold dread snaking through me. I can just hear bàba and mama reprimanding me about being dismissed as editor-in-chief. I can see my siblings smile at me getting torn apart. However, if the board agrees to my deal, I’ll have fourteen days to prove that I didn’t leak those photos and texts.
I step into the quiet darkness of the tunnels where nothing whispers and nothing stares. All I can take in are the thoughts swarming my head, and they rage louder than ever.
What if this is a horrible idea? I’m acting on the hopes that CatchCo willget back to me on time, and who knows if it will work? Jonathan might’ve done something different to cover up his tracks. It’ll take time to even access the people he’s resourced to help him expose Gregory’s relationship and pin it on me.
I draw in a deep breath. I’ve worked hard to keep everything I’ve earned and everything I’ve been given. I won’t give up now. I can’t.
Still, I can’t shake off the fear gripping my heart when I refresh my email and find no response to my request.
CHAPTER 33
KAI
I should be visualizingmy plays.
