I took a deep breath and went live, my face still puffy from tears. My dark hair was disheveled, and my eyes were red-rimmed, but I wanted to address the controversy head-on.
"I want to talk about what happened at the audition," I started, my voice shaking with emotion. "My sister, Anissa, deserves the role just as much as I do. She's talented, beautiful, and kind."
But as I spoke, the audience's attention was drawn to the slap mark on my cheek. I tried to cover it with my hair, but it was too late. The comments started rolling in.
"Poor Dahlia, she's so innocent!"
"Anissa is evil for hitting her!"
"How could Anissa do that to her own sister?"
No matter what I said, the audience spun it to fit their narrative. They saw me as the victim, Anissa as the villain.
"I'm not a victim," I tried to clarify. "Anissa was just upset. We're sisters, we have disagreements. We love each other."
But my words fell on deaf ears.
"Anissa's jealousy is eating her alive!"
"Dahlia deserves the role, not Anissa!"
"Anissa's career is over!"
The comments kept pouring in, each one more hurtful than the last. I felt frustrated, helpless.
Anissa appeared beside me, her eyes welling up with tears.
"Dahlia, stop," she whispered. "You're making it worse."
But I couldn't stop. I had to set the record straight.
"Please, listen," I pleaded. "Anissa and I, we're sisters. We love each other. Don't pit us against each other."
The live stream ended, but the damage was done. The audience had already formed their opinion.
Lara called me immediately.
"Dahlia, what were you thinking?" she asked, her voice stern. "You played right into their hands."
"I just wanted to tell the truth," I replied.
"The truth doesn't matter in this industry," Lara said. "Perception does."
March 15th
I woke up to chaos. My phone was blowing up with missed calls from Lara. I turned on the TV, and my heart sank. The news was splashed across every channel.
"Dahlia's Secret Relationship Exposed!"
"Clyde's Past with Dahlia Revealed!"
I couldn't believe it. My secret was out.
Lara called again, frantic. "Dahlia, we need damage control. Now."
I felt numb.
Anissa walked into my room, concern etched on her face. "Dahlia, what's going on?"
But I couldn't tell her. She had no idea about my past with Clyde.
"The public's going crazy," Anissa said, scrolling through her phone. "They're saying I stole Clyde from you?"
Her eyes widened. "Dahlia, is that true?"
I hesitated, unsure how to respond.
"Dahlia, tell me," Anissa pressed, her voice shaking. "Did you and Clyde...?"
I took a deep breath, trying to find the right words.
Just then, Lara burst into my room. "Dahlia, we need to talk. Now."
"Anissa, please leave," Lara said firmly.
Anissa looked hurt but left the room.
"Dahlia, we have a crisis on our hands," Lara began. "We need to spin this story before it's too late."
"But what about Anissa?" I asked. "She has no idea what's going on."
"We'll deal with that later," Lara replied. "First, we need to protect your image."
I felt a pang of guilt.
"Lara, I don't know if I can do this," I said, my voice trembling.
"You have to, Dahlia," Lara urged. "Your career is at stake."
Just then, my phone buzzed. A text from Clyde.
"Meet me at the hotel at 5 pm. We need to talk."
My heart skipped a beat.
"What is it, Dahlia?" Lara asked, noticing my expression.
I hesitated, unsure what to reveal.
But before I could respond, Anissa walked back in, her eyes blazing.
"Dahlia, tell me the truth," she demanded. "What's going on between you and Clyde?"
I took a deep breath, knowing I had to make a choice.
Do I reveal the truth and risk losing Anissa forever?
Or do I protect my secret and potentially destroy my career?