Maddie

The following morning at work, I'm trying to focus on doing Carley's nails, but my mind is distracted.

Another wave of gossip hit the news channels this morning. Neither Cameron nor I was surprised to find out Nina went to the media after she got terminated. With the contract already breached, it's not like she had a reason anymore to keep our information to herself. The lies she spilled—no doubt Katie's doing—stemmed from us being the worst bosses, unfair compensation, and every other horrible thing you can imagine about working for us.

My stress level is at an all-time high, but in this hospital, I don't have the luxury to be stressed. My patients deserve one hundred percent of my time and energy. I need to be focused. Especially when this little girl is awaiting a kidney transplant. My problems are nothing compared to hers.

Carley, with her face paler than normal, rests back against the pillow and examines my work. "They look great," she says. "Thank you."

"No problem. Are we doing face masks today too?"

"Maybe in a little bit," she replies. "I think I need a nap."

My heart falters at how exhausted she seems as she picks up her bed remote to flip through different channels on the television. The entire staff has been waiting for the call to come for the day she'll get a new kidney, but it hasn't come yet. The longer we have to wait, the more hope we're beginning to lose.

"Sure," I reply, attempting to keep my voice light. Patting her leg, I begin to rise from the plastic chair when I hear my name being spoken on the television. Carley has it on one of those random gossip channels, and the screen has a picture of Cameron on one side, me on the other, a jagged line down the center between us with the caption, Love on the Rocks?

Fucking hell.

Carley's eyes remain trained on the screen. "People have nothing better to do, do they?"

What I really want to say is you have no idea, but this isn't Carley's business. My personal life is to remain separate from my professional one, but being in the spotlight means I have no privacy. It's a hard reality I've had to come to terms with as of late.

"It's fine," I tell her with a shrug of my shoulders, but internally, I'm not fine. Internally, I feel like screaming.

Cameron is terrified I'll think it's too much, and while that will never be the case, I am overwhelmed. Letting him in on just how much all of this attention is affecting me will only do more harm than good. I know he's always there for me, but he's dealing with enough on his plate. The last thing he needs is for me to have a mental breakdown in the midst of trying to figure out how to get out from underneath Katie's claws.

"Ring your bell if you need anything. I'll be right outside." Closing the door behind me, I step towards the computer to check her chart when I feel the stinging pain in my eyes from tears threatening to spill. Dammit. I'm supposed to be stronger than this.

There's a linen closet to my left, so I dip inside without giving it a second thought and let my tears flow free. My body racks with sobs, and my head is fucking pounding. I feel absolutely hopeless in the position I'm in. No matter what I do, there's no way out of this. We're going to be at Katie's beck and call for the rest of time unless I give up everything I've worked so damn hard for.

None of it's fair.

Pressing the backs of my palms to my eyes, I try to stop the tears, but it's pointless. It's a never ending river of pent-up emotions that are finally reaching the surface. I thought I had cried all of this out after the paparazzi attack, but clearly, my body is worn-out.

Before I can get the tears to stop, the closet swings open, causing me to wince from the sudden light. Tre takes a step back before he takes in my frantic state. "Shit. Sorry, Maddie. Carley rang the nurse's desk for a warm blanket."

"Right. Sorry." I move to the side, allowing him to pass, but he continues to linger, concern etched into his features.

"What's going on? I mean, you don't have to tell me, but I can tell you've been...stressed lately." He flips the light on to the closet and shuts the door behind him, leaving both of us alone in here. The closet is big, so there's still a good few feet of space between us.

"I..." Fuck, I can't tell him. Nobody can know about the blackmail. Although I don't suspect Tre would be the type of person to go to the media, I can't risk it. Especially when confiding in my ex is probably the worst thing I could do at this point. "I'm fine. I just had a moment. That's all."

"A moment," he repeats, not believing me. Leaning against the wall, he crosses his arms over his chest and releases a sigh. "Look, Maddie, I know we didn't end on the best of terms, but I'm here for you. I understand your life is imploding, and if you just need someone to vent to, I can be that person for you."

"I appreciate that, Tre, I do, but us working together is strictly professional. I'm married and fully committed to Cameron. I know what the media is saying, but we're fine. Everything is fine."

Why the fuck can't I stop crying?

I'm busy blinking up at the ceiling when Tre clears his throat and pulls his phone out of his pocket. "I wasn't meaning it that way. I meant as a friend. Nothing more. I'm happily engaged."

My eyes practically bug out of my head. "What? That's amazing, Tre. I had no idea. Congratulations."

He scrolls to a social media post of him down on one knee, a beautiful woman with tears streaming down her cheeks and an overly large smile on her face. "I didn't want to tell you at first because... Well, I think it's obvious why, but the point I'm trying to make is I'm happy now. That doesn't mean I can't lend an ear if you need to vent, and I know you don't have many people you can do that to right now."

I hate that he's right. I despise how everything spills out of my mouth as soon as he finishes his speech. Maybe I needed someone else's opinion. Maybe I needed to hear someone tell me I'm not losing my mind and that this storm will blow over eventually. Whatever the case, I tell Tre everything. From the nanny situation, to the blackmail with Katie, nothing is left off the table.

"Damn." Tre takes a second to process all the information before he smiles. I'm about to cuss his ass out until he adds, "Well, it's a good thing I have information that can help then, huh?"

"What do you mean?" Wiping away snot unapologetically with the back of my hand from all the crying, my eyes are swollen and blurry as I try to bring him into focus again.

"Well, I suspected something fishy was going on when the pictures leaked of Cameron and Katie attending that gala, but I didn't want to overstep or intrude on your marriage by inserting myself where I shouldn't be. However, now that I know what she's holding over your head?" He chuckles, shaking his head in disbelief. "Let's just say I have it on good authority that Miss Perfect Body isn't the health and wellness star she claims to be. My buddy Thomas used to train with her about a year ago, and he's seen her use steroids multiple times."

"What?" Unbelievable. Not that I'm surprised Katie would tell the world she's jacked from just her workout program alone, but she's lying to the countless people who invest in her services, and if information of her taking drugs were to hit the media?

"You're a saving grace," I say in a rushed whisper. My mind works overtime to try and figure out the next steps. "All I need is proof, but how do I get it?"

A mischievous glint hits his eyes. "Leave that part to me."

"To you? Tre, you don't have to help us. We can figure it out on our own."

"Maddie, please. Let me do this one thing for you. I've never felt like I could ever atone for the horrible things I said to you, and you know as well as I do the media is watching your every move, as is Katie. She has no idea who I am, so I have the best chance at getting the proof you need. I want to do this."

"I'll have to talk to Cameron about it first." Especially after confiding all of this in Tre, Cameron needs to know we had this conversation. "If he's on board with it, then I'll let you know, but I don't want to make any decisions without his approval first."

With a dip of his chin, he grabs a blanket from the shelf next to him. "Understood. Just let me know."