CHAPTER 5: THE SABOTAGE
557 Words
Ariel Hart stood backstage at the competition venue, pins between her teeth as she made final adjustments to her runway looks. The first elimination show loomed in under two hours. Her designs hung on the rack, bold, raw pieces that screamed resilience. Deep reds and sharp blacks flowed with vulnerability stitched into every seam. She had poured her soul into them after that kiss with Damien, turning pain into power.
Jordan watched from a folding chair. “You’ve got this. Those pieces are you.”
Ariel nodded, light blue eyes focused. Her hands shook slightly. The memory of Damien’s mouth on hers still burned, but so did his silence the next day. She refused to let it break her focus. This show was her proof.
The auditorium filled with industry giants, sponsors, and flashing cameras. Damien sat in the front row, broad shoulders rigid in his tailored suit, expression unreadable. Madison Royce paraded nearby, her own designs sleek and calculated, flashing perfect smiles for the judges.
Ariel walked the prep area with her head high, a curvy figure moving with determined grace. Her first model stepped out in a dramatic gown. The crowd murmured approval. For a moment, hope flickered. Her work spoke louder than any rumor.
Then the screen behind the runway lit up unexpectedly.
The video played.
Edited gala footage: Ariel in the red dress, leaning close to Damien, cash flying as she slapped it away, but twisted. The edit made it look eager, seductive. Her slap appeared playful. The text overlay screamed: “Gold-digger turned designer? From escort to finalist overnight.”
Gasps rippled through the room. Phones lit up. Sponsors shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
Ariel froze. Her heart slammed against her ribs. “That’s not,” she whispered, her voice lost in the chaos.
Whispers turned to murmurs, then shouts. “Fraud.” “Slut.” “Blackwell’s mistake.”
Madison stood near the judges, lips curved in a subtle, victorious smile.
Damien rose slowly. Board members surrounded him, voices urgent. His dark eyes met Ariel’s in the chaos. She searched for defense, for belief. Instead, she saw doubt flicker there, raw, haunted, the ghost of old betrayals winning for a heartbeat too long.
He didn’t speak. Didn’t step forward.
Pain sliced through Ariel sharper than any blade. The man who had kissed her like he needed her now stood silent while the world tore her apart. Her designs, her fight, were reduced to nothing again.
She ripped off her contestant badge with trembling fingers. “We’re done,” she said, loud enough for him to hear. Tears burned, but she refused to let them fall here. She turned and stormed out through the side exit into the pouring New York rain.
Her phone exploded with notifications, hate messages, lost opportunities, sponsors pulling out. The competition, her dreams, everything crumbled.
Behind her, Damien finally broke from the crowd, jaw tight, moving toward the exit. But the damage was done.
In the shadows near the stage, Madison Royce sipped champagne, eyes gleaming with satisfaction. One more push and Ariel Hart would be gone for good.
Ariel stepped into the street, soaked and shattered. A black car pulled up beside her. The window lowered. Damien’s voice cut through the rain. “Ariel, wait.”
She didn’t stop. But his next words froze her mid-step.
- Writer
