Beyond the Black Curtain

Chapter 18 - Rumors Doesn't Have It

A/N: I've seen an uptick in people reading this story and because of it, this story has made a few Wattpad rankings! They're pretty low, but still! In the years I've been on here, it's the first time my stories have been ranked! Thank you so much! You reading has made it possible!

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Rae

Nearly 75% of the contents for the new magazine were already taken care of when I started working at the Burbank office. That didn't stop Jo though from wanting me to take a look at the articles for publishing.

I dove right down to it, desperately needing the distraction knowing that the job was the only thing I have while Sebastian was away. Five months was an awfully long time, but I can't tether myself to him especially since this job was the reason I was Stateside in the first place.

While everyone had been very welcoming to me, I couldn't help but feel like they were all whispering behind my back whenever I pass by, or talk about me whenever I'm not around. I tried searching for the video of that day Seb and I were caught kissing at the airport and found not only multiple angles from the video, but also shots in multiple angles as well. I clicked on one set of photos from TMZ to see if my face was visible at all. I kept thinking that maybe people have recognized me from the video and photos that's why they're whispering behind my back.

I was currently zooming in on one of the close up photos when someone knocked on my door. I recognize the petite blonde as Jeri, Jo's assistant.

"Hey Rae," Jeri greeted me with a friendly smile. "Jo needs you in her office now, if you're not too swamped."

"Uh, yeah," I said distractedly, shoving my phone back in my bag. "I'll follow you there. Thanks."

"Jo, what's up?" I ask as I took one of the chairs in front of her desk. I couldn't quite decipher the expression on her face, a fact that made me a little nervous and uneasy.

Jo called out to Jeri, asking her to close the door. As soon as we were out of earshot, she showed me the same set of pictures I was looking at moments ago. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I looked at them.

"Jo...I don't—"

"I'm not mad, Rae," Jo spoke, effectively cutting me off. "I've seen these pictures and the TMZ video the following day after you arrived. It was a little hard to believe at first, but then someone tipped me off about your dinner with Sebastian, Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson and it was all the proof I needed that I had, indeed hired Sebastian Stan's girlfriend as my new editor in chief."

I wrung my hands on my lap, feeling like the walls were closing in on me.

"Are you going to...fire me?" I asked, my voice sounding far away. I tried to think of what consequences Sebastian might have had to face when we were caught kissing, but he never gave me any inkling there was any. Was I the only one to possibly suffer every time something like this happens?

"You know," Jo walked and stood in front of the window, her back to me. "I actually thought about it. I hate conflict of interest, and with your boyfriend one of the biggest celebrities at the moment, the conflict is VERY huge."

"Jo, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I thought it would be better that way. I'm sorry if I was dumb and naïve enough to think you wouldn't see the video and the pictures and the fact that I already had a place to stay when you thought I knew no one here. I should have told you Seb had insisted I live with him even though I told him you were going to make arrangements. I can just go back to the Phili—"

Jo wheeled around to face me. "Whoa, hold it right there, missy. Did I say I was firing your pretty face?" I shook my head.

"I must admit, I thought about it," Jo continued. "But I will not."