Stages of The Heart- Ellie Morch

Chapter 8: The Fallout

By Monday morning, Erica’s world had completely unraveled. The incident at the club had spiraled far beyond what she had anticipated. Her agent had done her best to manage the situation, but the negative press kept growing. What should have been a simple misunderstanding between her and some overzealous strangers had turned into a media frenzy. Headlines sensationalized the incident, trolls dug deeper into her personal life, and now, legal issues loomed on the horizon.

She had been in her apartment all weekend, a self-imposed exile from the world outside. Her phone was now a source of anxiety, buzzing constantly with new updates, comments, and messages from people she’d never met, but who somehow felt entitled to judge her. The few times she dared to check her social media, the sheer vitriol in the comments left her stomach in knots. It wasn’t just random internet trolls—actual media personalities, celebrities, and industry insiders were weighing in on the situation.

“She’s entitled. What else do you expect from someone who’s been in Hollywood for five minutes?” 
“Another diva meltdown. These young actresses need to learn how to behave.” 
“Maybe if she didn’t want attention, she should stay home. Or maybe the fame is getting to her head.”

Erica felt like she was trapped in a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from. And the worst part? She had no idea how to fix it.

By midday, the problems had become more complicated than just public opinion. The guys from the club had filed complaints, accusing Erica of assault. Though it was absurd—she had merely pushed them away after they had invaded her space—their lawyers were framing it as something far more aggressive. They claimed she had overreacted, that she had "attacked" them without provocation. Of course, the video circulating online didn’t show the full context, just the moment she shoved the guy away. And now, that moment was being used to paint her as the villain.

Her lawyer, Julia, called her later that afternoon, her voice firm but empathetic. “Erica, we need to get ahead of this. The complaint filed by the guys is serious. They’re claiming you physically assaulted them, and they have video footage to back it up.”

“But that’s not what happened,” Erica protested, pacing her living room, trying to keep the panic out of her voice. “They were touching me, Lana saw everything. I just pushed him away because he wouldn’t stop.”

“I believe you,” Julia said, her tone calm, measured. “But the court of public opinion is already against you, and these guys know it. They’re using this as leverage. They want a settlement.”

Erica sank down onto her couch, her head in her hands. “This is insane. They’re trying to make me out to be this violent person when all I did was defend myself.”

“I know,” Julia said softly. “But this is how it works. We can fight this, but it’s going to be a long, drawn-out process. And the media isn’t going to make it any easier.”

Erica closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing. Her life was spiraling out of control, and she felt powerless to stop it. She wasn’t prepared for this—the legal battles, the constant scrutiny, the public backlash. Acting was supposed to be her dream, her escape from reality, but now it felt like the very thing that was destroying her.

“What should I do?” Erica asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“For now, we’ll prepare a formal response. I’ll start working on it. In the meantime, try to lay low. Don’t engage with anyone online, don’t make any public statements without consulting me first. The less fuel we give the fire, the better.”

Erica nodded, though she knew laying low wouldn’t stop the storm brewing around her. The media was relentless, and as long as the story was hot, they wouldn’t let go.