Five Minutes

Yesterday

Of course she now allowed terror to loom over her. Like Daniel had this hold on her that she couldn't penetrate. She stayed in the guest room, resorting back to not eating, taking occasional calls from Iris, who kept instructing on the best way to handle the predicament.

"You might also want to make a brief comment on Twitter. Don't argue with anyone who thinks you're lying. Say it's one hundred percent not true."

So if someone accused her of making things up, she was supposed to ignore it?

"What if they start insulting me?" she asked.

"It doesn't matter. Blowing up on Twitter will only make you look bad. You can't fuel the fire. They'll keep attacking you if you respond."

So it didn't matter which approach she took, she'd feel beaten down either way.

After she hung up the phone, she finally brought herself to actually read up on the rumours about her spreading through the media, wonderfully crafted and instigated by Daniel Sanders himself.

He'd done an AMA segment on Reddit recently, where her name was briefly brought up. A user stated he was a fan of her indie work and wanted to know what it was like to work with her.

His response was, She was very friendly but also very vivacious and flirty. Work wise, she was amazing. She showed up to set on time and understood the script well. She had a wonderful grasp of her character. I do hope the game doesn't get to her that quickly. That can make or break you. I've heard she's happily married, but her behaviour towards me suggested otherwise.

This description was more subtle than the ones Iris was talking about. The implication was still there. He was alluding to the fact that she hadn't been happily married and apparently liked to flirt a lot? Where had he gotten that?

Another online article that was recently published had her listed as someone he likely would not work with again, that while she played her role well, she was at times difficult to work with because she would try to talk to him outside of filming, several times inviting him to her hotel room to have some fun. And she would do it in private. Walking to his trailer when no one was around, like she didn't have a husband. Daniel felt very sorry for her husband.

The words blurred. She lets the tears fall. How dare he make up these things about her?

Iris had refuted the claims the best way she could right after she'd spoken with Veronica in her office. She was the rep, the source close to Veronica, who said the rumours were false and that she was in no way interested in Daniel Sanders, nor could her behaviour be construed as flirtation.

This, sadly, did not keep the story from circulating and reaching a wider range of people. If any of her friends had tried to contact her since then, she didn't know. Maybe they all read it and didn't care. Maybe they thought it was all true.

She had to call someone and talk about this. So that was what she did. Picking up her phone, she dialled Sallie's number.

"Hey! Finally decided to call me back, huh? What's been up with you?" She sounded concerned but Veronica wasn't sure what it was directed towards.

"None of it's fucking true!" Veronica cried into the phone. She was sobbing now, not caring if Sallie heard her. "He's lying!"

"That shit Daniel's spewing about you? Just tell everyone it's not true," Sallie said. "It'll be okay."

"No it won't. Everyone's going to think I'm a crazy stalker and a home wrecker."

"I said it wasn't true."

"Where did you say that?" Veronica asked.

"On my Twitter and Instagram. I actually saw those gross photos of him with his hand practically on my ass. I made this snide joke about it and no one seemed to get that it was thinly veiled hatred and disgust." She paused. For a moment, there was no sound besides Veronica's sniffs. "You know what actually happened. You should tell people. Anytime anyone says anything, vehemently deny it."

"What if they think I'm lying?" Veronica asked. She didn't know why she was questioning it again. Was she really going to get an alternate response?

"The only people who won't believe you are assholes. And who gives a fuck about them?"

"I just don't get why he would do something like this to me."

"Because he's a douchebag. Douchebags don't need a reason to do douchebaggy things."

That didn't make her feel any better. Although she did feel weight being lifted off her shoulders now that she confided in someone. She raised her free hand and brushed away the streaks of tears.

"What if no one else hires me now?" Veronica asked.

"You really think no one will hire you? I'm sure Ralston and every other person who's worked with you in the past will vouch for you. At least the ones who're decent people."

"I'm not so sure of that," she said. It was easy for people to disconnect themselves from someone who might make them look bad. It was a reputation by association. They made friends that benefited them, then dropped them instantly. The pseudo friends. The fake friends.

"Why don't you come over? We could get really drunk and then go teepee Daniel's house. I've got tons of toilet paper. I'll jump right over his gate. Then..." She gave a dramatic pause. "We'll burn his house down."

And Veronica chuckled. Not a laugh, but the closest she'd gotten to one in a while. "I don't think that's necessary. Unless you want to. I don't want to go to jail."

"Consider it done then. Don't be surprised if you hear about it in the news. He may get burned alive but... I'll take that chance."

She didn't say it aloud, but she would mentally cheer if he were killed. It was what he deserved. "I think I'm gonna tune out. Maybe watch Office Space or something."

"Okay. I'll let you know when his house is in ashes. You might actually see it from where you are."

Veronica chuckled again before saying her goodbyes and hanging up the phone.

She did end up putting on Office Space, relishing the end of the film when Milton burned down the entire building following years of horrible treatment from his colleagues (or fake colleagues, since he had no job and was not informed), then ran off with several hundred thousand dollars. No one suspected him.

As the credits rolled, Veronica basked in the sweet fictional victory and thought it would be amazing if Sallie could get away with the same thing.