Page 240 of The Art of Almost Losing It
“It’s not a vendetta,” Colette snaps. “So what if that’s him in this video? That’s definitely Dani in that kidnapping video.”
“I bet she wasn’t even kidnapped,” Greta says, nodding sagely.
“Of course she wasn’t really kidnapped,” Colette snaps at her. “She’s out here walking around, isn’t she? She obviously staged it.”
“I… What?”
“Oh, this is rich.” The corner of Colette’s mouth curls up. “You did some unhinged shit when we were in high school, Dani, but this is a new level of desperation.”
She turns to the Girl Squad and announces triumphantly, “Dani tried to fake a kidnapping to get Graham to like her.”
“Deranged.”
“Lunacy.”
“It’s jealousy, probably.”
I clamp my mouth shut. It would make this worse if I told them that actually Graham was the kidnapper.
“I wonder if that’s how they met.” Colette continues, “Dani tried to pretend to be a kidnapping victim since he has that human-trafficking charity.”
“She just wanted sympathy from him,” Greta says in disgust.
“What a desperate weirdo.” Maya nods.
“I’m going toVanity Ragwith this.” Colette grabs her jacket. “You’re trying to scam Graham, obviously.”
“And culturally appropriating kidnapping victims,” Nora adds. “The Svensons aren’t going to like that.”
“Guess you’ll lose your job too. Oh well!” Colette blows me a kiss, and Greta unhooks her laptop.
“Wait, you can’t!”
Lulu is loose, and I can’t catch her, and my stupid purse is caught on the armrest.
I’m going to lose everything.
By the time I huff down the hallway to the elevator lobby, it’s too late. The Girl Squad cackles as the doors close.
I pace back and forth as I wait for the next elevator. And wait. And wait. Ugh—they must have done something. Probably what we did when we were kids in the building and smashed all the elevator buttons.
There is the freight elevator.
I scoop up Lulu and trek to it, heart pounding, hands shaking. I need to stop Colette. I have to. I can’t have her plastering that video all over the news. My life will be over—like, completely over.
The freight elevator is dingy and jostles as it slowly takes me down to the loading dock. I try to strategize about how I’m going to stop Colette. It’s hopeless, because—let’s be honest—once thatvideo comes out from the delivery robot, I’m toast, no matter if I stop Colette or not.
God, I never should have tried to blackmail Graham. I never should have tried to get him to be my boyfriend. I should have just taken the money. They’re right—I’m not the type of girl who men fall in love with, certainly not men like Graham. I should have just been happy with my life, because now it’s basically over.
Tears blur my eyes as I walk across the loading dock to the door out to the alley. It’s freezing rain, and I’m fishing for my umbrella under the yellow security light over the stair landing, sniffling as my nose runs.
I don’t see the masked man until Lulu barks.
“What are you—”
Huge, gloved hands grab my waist. I kick at the man as he picks me up.
“Help!Help!” I scream. But there’s no one in the alley to hear me. No one to help me.
