Tears streamed down Margot''s face. "Everett, are you saying I made up that fall to frame her?"


    Everett, phone in hand, called Derick to bring the car around to the hospital entrance. He pocketed the phone, hands casually in his pockets, and stared down at her. "Or do you think I should check the surveince footage?" Margot bit her lip, lost for words.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    "Margot, I''ll do what I promised you, nothing else..." Everett left the sentence hanging, his dark eyes lingering on her for a moment before he turned and walked away with long strides.


    Margot watched him go, her face ashen. He was warning her to cut out the scheming. But how could she just let it go? If it hadn''t been for that ident, she would be Mrs. Bet by now!


    ...


    Selena awoke to bright sunlight, finding herself in an unfamiliar hotel room, wearing nothing but a bathrobe. The sound of water stopped from the bathroom, and she sat up in a panic, her head pounding and her limbs heavy from the hangover. She couldn''t remember if she''d done anything she''d regret.


    Her mind was a blur, with only snippets of memory. Thest thing she recalled was copsing onto a bench by the road. Then someone came, and she''d let all her frustrations out on them. How had she ended up here?


    A chill ran through her at the thought. The water stopped, and the bathroom door opened. Footsteps approached, but Selena kept her head down, imagining all sorts of scenarios.


    "Selena, you''re up?" came a familiar voice.


    Startled, Selena looked up to see Joy, also in a loose robe, towel-drying her hair. Relief washed over her, and tears filled her eyes. "Joy, what are you doing here? Were you with mest night?"


    "What do you think?" Joy replied, plopping onto the bed and rubbing her back. "You have no idea how much trouble you were when you were drunk. I nearly threw my back out looking after you."


    Selena knew her drinking habits...


    left a lot to be desired. She remembered getting drunk in front. of Everett once, insisting on ying drunken-boxing, which became one of her infamous moments. She tried not to drink too much to avoid embarrassment. Butst night, she''d been pushed too far.


    Selena sheepishly massaged Joy''s shoulders. "Thank God it was you. If I''d done something truly awful, how could I ever face anyone again?" Joy chuckled, "You think you behaved?"


    Joy tossed the towel aside, crossing


    her arms with a look of disbelief. "It


    was Dr. Campbell who found you


    passed out on the bench. He want


    going to take you home, but you went off on him, venting all your anger about Everett."


    "Once you calmed down, he tried taking you home, but then you started up again, saying if Everett wasn''ting home, neither were you. You wanted to find some young guy and teach Everett a lesson."


    The real horror wasn''t the drunken antics but remembering them.


    Selena swallowed hard, finally managing to speak. "And then... I dragged Dr. Campbell to get a hotel room?"


    "That part''s a bit fuzzy. Dr. Campbell didn''t say much because he was probably too embarrassed. Then he called me toe look after you."


    Selena flopped back onto the bed, her ck hair fanning out, highlighting her pale face. "Was I really that embarrassing?"