"Are you implying the entire scandal was fake, Miss Melanie?" The question shot out like a bullet from the reporters, cutting through the low murmur of others. Dozens of cameras flashed and recorders were thrust forward.
Saira’s head snapped up as her eyes widened in disbelief and fear as they locked onto Melanie. Dam* it! She was changing the flow. The reporters noticed her reaction instantly—and like sharks scenting blood in the water, they turned towards her, forgetting the quiet and decorum.
"Miss Vaughn, did you fabricate this entire scandal just to force Mr. Collins to break up with his wife?"
"Did you throw yourself at Adam Collins, and when he refused, try to destroy him out of revenge?"
Saira’s hands trembled. She looked from one reporter to another, her voice high and cracking with disbelief. "No! I never lied! Melanie is the one lying! She doesn’t want to break up with Adam because she’s after his inheritance!" she shouted, pointing a shaking finger. "She’s trying to discredit me because she knows the truth! Adam followed me to a hotel once! He left her mid-dinner to come see me! He wanted to speak to me in private! She’s the one twisting everything—"
But before she could go further, the microphone crackled, and Melanie started speaking again in a clear voice.
"It was indeed all a fake scandal as everyone saw for themselves just now... And, unfortunately, not the first time Miss Saira Vaughn has twisted the truth to suit herself."
Gasps spread through the room.
"Years ago, when Adam and Saira began dating, she constantly tried to strengthen their relationship, fearing that once Adam left for his education abroad, he would find someone else. Someone better. So, in a desperate attempt to hold onto him, she visited him late one night at his hotel. She told him she loved him, that she wanted their relationship to be more serious. Adam, being who he is, didn’t want to push her into anything. But she insisted. She wanted to make it real."
The room had fallen silent at this time and even Saira was shocked. How did Melanie know all this?
"But once the ’deed had been done, Miss Saira Vaugn changed her story. She claimed Adam had assaulted her. She even tried to blackmail Lady Collins, threatening to go public if Adam wasn’t cut off. Her accusations caused Adam to lose his recommendations and his admission to one of the biggest universities.
To protect him and avoid scandal, Lady Collins made the hard decision to send Adam away and keep the incident buried. Sir Collins took Saira under his wing in an effort to manage the situation quietly, believing her over his own gradnson.
Saira’s face drained of color as she sent a look at Sir Collins who was still looking at Melanie with an impersonal look.
"Later, when Adam returned and married me, Sir Collins assumed the situation was in the past and that Saira had moved on. He thought it was safe to bring her back. Clearly, he was wrong."
At that moment, the room speakers crackled—and an audio recording began to play.
"Are you sure you don’t want to wait longer, Saira? I love and respect you enough to do that."
"I’m sure, Adam. I want to be with you. When I thought you were with someone else, I was terrified. I don’t want to lose you."
"But you don’t have anything to fear. I’ve already committed myself to you. Just trust me."
"I do trust you, Adam. That’s why I want us to be together."
The room erupted. Reporters began shouting more questions and cameras clicked rapidly as everything had been recorded by the reporters.
"This is a lie!" Saira screamed. "You—! This is a fake recording! Did Adam tell you about the conversation and that is how you re created this? This is the same wording! You must have hired a voice artist! That’s from the same night I went to his room! You’re just using this to stop me from saying he—he—"
But her words caught. Her eyes widened as she realized what she’d just admitted that she had indeed said those words. Slowly, as if the weight of her outburst had finally sunk in, she collapsed back into her chair. Silent.
Melanie continued, calm and collected.
Actually, that audio is real. It can be authenticated. What you didn’t know, Saira, was that the hotel you visited that night had recently installed a new voice-activated surround sound system. As part of their system, conversations were always backed up to their secure database for quality assurance. There were no CCTV recordings that night, while I have no way to prove that you were behind their malfunction, these recordings remained.
Gasps echoed again as everyone listened.
"When you accused Adam of something so vile, Lady Collins quietly retrieved that audio, though it took her time. She knew you were lying and always trusted Adam. But she didn’t expose you—not because she couldn’t, but because your mother had been loyal to the Collins family for over two decades. She didn’t want to ruin your mother’s name. She gave you the benefit of the doubt."
Now, Melanie turned her head and looked directly at Saira. "But clearly, you never deserved it. Once again, you tried the same thing, the same trick with me. However, unlike Lady Collins, I am not so benevolent and forgiving.
A long silence followed then as everyone stayed still in shock. No one moved.And no more questions were shouted. No comments were whispered. Everyone had come expecting drama.
But this wasn’t just drama anymore. This was exposure.
Everyone had come for a scoop but ended up getting truckloads of the ice cream giving them headline worth news for days on end. While everyone was distracted, Melanie walked out of the stage. And then, as if everyone had woken up from slumber, they raced forward to try and surround Saira who was still trying to come to terms that her fool proof plan had failed.