Selmaâs voice rose in desperation. âHow will I manage in this industry if you cut me loose? You canât be this cruel!â
Ignoring the pain, Fannie fumbled for her phone in her bag, intent on calling security. But Selma, driven by fear and urgency, snatched it away.
âIssue a statement now. Declare that you chose to terminate this, not me. Do it!â
Fannie carefully placed her hand on her ankle, wincing slightly from the pain.
If it werenât for her injury, she might have been able to stand and reclaim her phone, but immobilized as she was, the predicament became considerably more complex.
âSelma, do you really think this will work?â
âYou wonât destroy me!â Selma retorted sharply.
Fannie inhaled sharply, battling the surge of pain. âHand me the phone first.â
âWill you issue the statement on my behalf?â
Extending her hand, Fannie declared, âIâll call our lawyer. If you pass me the phone now, perhaps we can discuss ending this amicably.â
It was a mere diversion, yet Selma bought into the ruse. She wavered, taking a tentative step forward, and Fannie, worried Selma might reconsider, snatched the phone. As Fannie scrolled for the security departmentâs contact, the light above was abruptly obscured.
Looking up, she saw Selma towering above her, the vase raised menacingly. âDonât blame me!â
Darkness enveloped Fannie as a sharp pain erupted in her skullâSelmaâs contorted face the last image seared into her mind before the pain vanished entirely.
The phone tumbled from her grasp before she could complete the call. Fannie collapsed onto the carpet, silent, the phone skittering away.
Panicked yet dimmed by guilt, Selma dropped the vase, her instinct to flee wrestling with the need to check Fannieâs pulse. Miraculously, Fannie was still breathing. Selma hadnât intended murder. She simply needed Fannie to realize.
She wasnât one to be trifled with. Fannie had to either support her with the best resources or draft a statement for a peaceful parting.
After all, her acting career was not up for sacrifice.
Selma tucked Fannie behind a decorative screen.
The room was draped in silence until, abruptly, a phone shattered the stillness.
It was Fannieâs phone, the unexpected ring causing Selma to jump, her heart racing with sudden anxiety.
The caller ID flashed Bobbyâs name, and Selma hesitated, caught between answering and disconnecting the call. With each passing second, her dilemma deepened. Bobby would surely grow suspicious if the call went unanswered. Bobby had planned to pick Fannie up after her work.
His patience was thinning by the minute, and after a silent moment, he was already considering a trip to her office. In a decisive moment, the call connected.
âMr. Kelly?â The voice wasnât Fannieâs; it was somewhat familiar, but Bobby couldnât place it.
.
.
.