Chapter 3

LAURA

Sitting on my chair in front of my dressing mirror I tried my best to wear my make-up, but it was not working. My hands were shaking. Today I would be having an interview with Robes and whatever I said would be concrete evidence against Eric who had done me no harm. I just had to keep up with the lie. For my mother’s sake.

Suddenly, my phone rang, and I looked at the caller ID. It was Rena, my best friend. I didn't want to take the call at first, but I took it. “Laura, have you seen the news online about Eric Sloan? They said your blog was the one that posted it but I corrected them. It can never be you. Maybe your blog was hacked,” she poured out, I couldn't help but heave a heavy sigh.

Thank goodness Rena had fought for me. Anyone who knew me would know that I would never do such a thing.

“It was me, Rena. I was the one who posted it,” I dropped it, breaking her heart. My voice low and heavy with guilt.

Rena was silent for a while. “why… You what?” She asked, after recovering from the shock.

“I did it.”

Rena heaved a sigh on the other end of the line. “But… but how? I mean how did you get to know Eric Sloan?” she asked, I was silent for a while before she continued. “Have you seen him? Where did you take that photo? That photo was taken in a bar and you and I know you are an introvert’’

I couldn't help but awkwardly break out in tears. “They have my Mother.”

“What!?”

“They have my mum. The people who sent me those photos have my mum. They said if I don’t do it, they will kill her. I had no choice,” I replied in a hoarse voice.

“Laura, I don’t get it. You mean your mother has been kidnapped, and you did not tell me?” She asked, her voice hinting she was angry.

“You had an exam. I did not want to stress you. That’s not the problem now.”

“What could be bigger than your mother’s kidnap, ehn Laura?”

I picked up a comb to comb my hair before packing it into a bun. “An interview with Robes.” I replied. Rena screamed from the other side. I was sure she was jumping on her bed by now.

“An interview with Robes! Oh my gosh! With Laura, like Robes, the Robes we know?” She asked, her pitch higher than usual with excitement.

“yes.” I responded.

She screamed again, “Laura, I am happy for you. Oh my gosh, you are about to become a celebrity!”

“It’s about Eric Sloan,” I replied and the screams and excitement died at once.

“They want to interview you about your blog post? That’s bad. The Sloans are powerful. They have some African country’s GPA as a network.”

“I know, I am in a big…” A loud bang from the other side cut her short.

“Who’s that…”

“Oh, it’s Benjamin. His university asked their class to go home. They are investigating them. Someone reported that they had drugs with them.” She explained.

My heart sank into the depths of my stomach. Benjamin and my brother attended the same university. Hope Julis will not be affected.

“How the hell will a whole Harvard student be taking drugs? I mean, what’s the need to go there if you want to do drugs? Laura? Laura? Laura, are you there?” Rena asked.

I jolted out of my thoughts, ended the call immediately without saying goodbye and left.

Thank God the cab I ordered was here.

***

I made my way towards the podium, clutching tightly to my bag as I tried to hide my nervousness.

The interview started, and they started asking me questions upon questions; what I was doing at the bar when he came in. If I'm in support of the LGBTQ community. Was I in contact with Miss Bella Warner?

I answered all the questions strategically. I had prepared myself for these questions. The night before, I had set up all the questions I could think of.

“Do you think you owe Mr Sloan and Mr Avery an apology?” The interviewer asked.

I cleared my throat and sat upright “No. I think they should be thanking me”

“Why is that so? Who are you for them to appreciate?” The interviewer asked with a sharp edge.

I felt completely uncomfortable. I could feel the interviewer’s burning hatred. Her sharp glare and tone made it clear that she hated me. “Well, having such a strong feeling in secret is the worst thing that can ever happen to someone…”

“And you don’t think that revealing someone’s secret is worse?” she asked, cutting me off my statement.

The last question immediately got me tensed up. What I expected was just a normal question and answer, not the interviewer directing furious questions at me.

To salvage the moment, I squared up my shoulder to remain confident, even though my heart was beating faster than normal, and I was also sweating under the air conditioner.

“No. And I think you should stop making it seem as if I did something bad!” I glared back, not knowing where the confidence came from.

“Well, you did. You released someone’s secret for the public.” She blasted back.

“You seem to be so concerned about Mr. Sloan and Mr. Avery. What about Miss Bella, who was tied up in a relationship for a year?” I asked, not ready to back down.

“Did she come outside to talk about that? So what made you think you could expose both of them?” Robes fired back my question with numerous ones.

“Well, I am a blogger. It’s my job”

She raised an eyebrow and asked, “Oh, I am an interviewer. It’s my job to know about your thoughts and opinions, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So it’s okay if I get someone to read your mind and expose all your sexual fantasies and dark secrets, right?”

I furrowed my brows and sucked in a deep breath at her last statement. What was she driving at. She was gradually making enemies for me.

“That’s not what this is all about,” I replied calmly, trying to pacify the tension.

“Oh yes, this is what it is all about. You become a blogger and you decide to expose people’s secrets even though you are not sure.”

“That’s not it, I was just helping Miss Bella.”

“And did she consult you to help her?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.

“No, but…” I stuttered.

“I think you have a great hatred for gays because if you don't, you would talk about other things and not someone’s sexual life.” She concluded.

She turned towards the camera to face the audience, cutting off the interview. She smiled at the camera.

“Anyway, it will be all for today. Don’t get confused. Gays will continue, but I just decided to interview her since it is a very delicate matter.”

She stood up and shook hands with me.

“This has been a lovely interview with me, your host, Agatha Sloan, and your blogger, Laura Karma. Till we meet again. Bye.”

Immediately the camera went off, Agatha walked up to me, her eyes reduced to a bit. She glared at me, giving me morbid chills. She leaned forward and whispered, “I will make you pay for everything you did to my brother,” with those words, she left.

Fear crept into my skin. No wonder she was so harsh to me. She was Eric’s sister. I took my bags and walked outside. Immediately, I stepped out, journalists rushed towards me, asking numerous questions.

I stood transfigured on the spot, staring at the thousands of reporters. I tried to open my mouth, but no word came out.

Slowly the noise died as they made way for a man in a blue suede pair of suits. My heart skipped a beat as I could recognize this man anywhere with the drama going on between both of us. It was Eric Sloan, the same man I was forced to label a gay.

He walked towards me until we were two steps away from another. He stared at me for a while, hiding his expression between his dark shades. He pulled it after a while and watched as his blue eyes stared at me.

“Miss Laura karma. May I have a word with you?” He asked as he stretched forth his hands, inviting me to take it.