inally giving out. She slid down the cool tile wall until sh

ep for tears. It was a hollow, echo

burned in her mind. So

told herself,

, at the woman who had been so thoroughly, publicly dismantled. She

run. She wou

She sat down and listened to the final action it

y gave her a wide berth.

ce a mask of concern. "Celina,

her voice flat. "Just a

ession complicated, as if

ectly to Estella. "Ms. Woodward, perhaps we could

head-on. Hiding was

but quickly recovered. "

ed, but rem

sat across from Estella and her agent, a

dia schedules, interview talking points, and social media stra

udith leaned back, swirli

o much." She took a sip, her eyes sharp. "Then again, you do owe them quite

d poisonous. She was branding Celina as a charity case, someon

an attempt to erase her own merit, to define her as n

agent. "Judith, don't be rude." But ther

ed on her fork, her k

ke, was perfectly calm. She

rds clear and steady. "But that has nothing to do with my ability to sit here

er voice made Judith's s

e table. "If there's nothing e

hat about your marriage, Ms. Ferrell? You know very well that you have been nothing but a

her sleeve and pretended to h

d her fists. Then she spun around and ma