Pity

“Take it easy, Sammy. I’m sure everything will die down soon. You just need to stop reading it,” Tara said calmly. Sammy didn’t respond. Her fingers trembled as she scrolled, her chest rising and falling unevenly. She adored her name, worshipped it, even. To see it dragged through mud, twisted and mocked, felt like someone clawing at her skin. After this mess, the shipping would definitely stop. That was what hurt most. The attention, the speculation, the whispers, it all fed her popularity. Now, it was on the brink of collapse. Her eyes sharpened suddenly. She knew what to do. There was no way she would let that new actress take anything from her. “What has Charlotte been up to lately?” Sammy asked, her voice low and dangerous as she slammed her laptop onto the floor. Tara flinched. “She secured an endorsement deal with the Kairon brand,” she said. “The one you rejected.” Sammy laughed bitterly. Of course. Those people had approached her first, but she’d dismissed them. Too small. Too