Page 83 of No Ordinary Hate
“Right, to Alaska!”Oh, she’s salivating now.
“I figured it was the last place we would be found. Obviously, I underestimated people’s interest in my heartache.”
Sophia leans forward and touches my hand. “People are interested because they care about you.”
Inhaling deeply, I look from Prisha to Ethan. This is where I’m supposed to humbly mention how nice it is to be so well thought of and how grateful I am to have so much support. Several seconds pass and I don’t say a word. The tension palpably builds. Sophia sits expectantly but quietly. It feels like we’re in the middle of a gunfight waiting for the first bullet to fly.
Fine, let ’er rip.“I think people love gossip. They like to see someone they once put on a shelf, fall off that shelf.”
That was not what Sophia was expecting to hear. “Interesting.”
“Is it?” I ask. “Divorce is unimaginably hard. Everyone in the family suffers. And at a time where all you want is peace and quiet, the world feels entitled to kick back and enjoy your pain.”
Behind Sophia, I can see Prisha doing the “cut it out” sign with her hand raking across her neck.
Sorry, Prish. I have to do this.
Setting my gaze on my host, I say, “I know I’m in a position of great privilege, and that a lot of people will say you can’t have fame without putting up with everything that being famous includes. I don’t expect anyone to feel sorry for me. But couldn’t we all agree to leave the children out of it? They didn’t ask to be born to famous parents.”
“Is that why you came to me, to beg people to leave your children alone? I think there’s something else on your mind.” Sophia Sato’s success is not a fluke. The woman is a barracuda dressed as a middle-aged mom.
“I have a lot to say.” I turn to the camera. “I genuinely appreciate the fans who have had my back and supported me. I can’t tell you what that means to me. I’m so grateful to the people who have spoken out for me and those who have simply given me my space. But for those of you who stalked me and my children, took our pictures while we bought ice cream, and followed us on vacation—you should be ashamed of yourselves.”
“Let’s talk about your vacation. You met a man there, didn’t you?”
My heart aches at the thought of Digger. I hope he’ll watch this so he can see who I really am. “I did. I certainly wasn’t looking for one, and I wasn’t looking to pay Brett back for his betrayals, but you know whattheysay, don’t you?”
She shakes her head. “Tell me.”
“Love finds you when you’re not looking.”
“Are you saying that youfell in lovewhile you were in Alaska?” Sophia is so excited she looks like she’s about to launch off her seat while Prisha’s eyes are open so wide I’m afraid she’s having a stroke.
“Love is a gamble, Sophia. It’s never a sure thing. There are no guarantees. When Brett and I got married, I was certain we would be in love forever. But we weren’t married long when his eyes started to wander. Then, the rest of his body followed.”
She laughs like it’s the funniest thing she’s ever heard. When she’s done, she gets right back to being serious. “All you had left of his love was a taunting memory of what could have been.”
Drama Queen party of one. “You could say that.”
“Let’s talk about your divorce. You filed for sole custody of the children and Brett is not contesting that,” she says. “What does it say about a man who doesn’t want his own children?”
And here’s the only moment in my entire life when any of my acting training will ever matter. Because someday, Liam and Lily will watch this interview and I never want them to know how little their dad cared about them. “Brett loves our children very much, enough to realize that his lifestyle and filming schedule would make it difficult for him to provide them with the stability they need. He’s making the ultimate sacrifice for their good.”
“That’s certainly an unusual way of looking at it.”
Shrugging, I say, “I choose to focus on the rainbow, not the clouds.”
“Let’s get back to this Digger McKenzie fellow. He’s a pilot who owns a lodge up in Alaska? Sounds like he’s as far away from Brett Kennedy as you can get.”
I will not pick up the gantlet she just dropped. “Digger is an amazing man. He’s honorable and trustworthy. Nothing is for show with him. He helped me and the kids at a time when we needed a soft place to land.”
“Tell me about that kiss because”—she fans herself with her cue cards—“wow!””
“I kissedhim. He didn’t initiate it. The truth is, that when you’re neglected for long enough and someone finally shows you a little affection, it’s hard to keep your focus.”
“You make it sound like you regret that kiss.”
Shaking my head, I tell her, “I have plenty of regrets, but that’s not one of them. I regret staying in a marriage for so long when it had clearly ended years ago. I regret not understanding what was truly important and seeking out a simpler life sooner. I regret caring so much what other people think about me that I walked away from what might have been the best thing in my life.”