The Cherished Wife by Chweety

Annie was on the warpath, scolding Winter, who was too shocked to speak. Her face drained of color. "Annie, just hear me out. I swear I didn't know about this until now. I don't know why they-" "You had no idea? Really, Winter? After everything Annie and I did for you, you ditch us when it counts, and now you've leaked those private photos and videos. How can you expect me to trust you?" Suzy grabbed the phone and screamed at Winter, her calm shattered by this morning's headlines. She was like a wild beast, lashing out at Winter. "Do you really want to do me dirty like this?"

"Suzy, hear me out. I swear I didn't do this! I never saw this coming. It's all that snake Noelle's fault. She was the one who was supposed to be in the hot seat yesterday, not me."

"Cut it out, Winter." Suzy, fed up with Winter's excuses, felt a wave of disappointment. "You're the one with the paparazzi on speed dial, but you're blaming Noelle? Do you really think I'd buy that? Why drag me and Annie into your feud with Noelle? Listen up, Winter. If you don't clean up this disaster, I'll spill the beans myself. You're the one who tried to set Noelle up."

Suzy was pissed off, her mind blank except for the burning need to get back at Winter.

She had put her trust in Winter, but Winter had betrayed her, kicking her when she was down. Yevgen and Chandler had trashed her. With all those rich kids around last night, their families were getting dragged through the mud too, now that the scandal had broken. Shaking uncontrollably, Suzy hurled the phone to the ground, wrapped her arms around Annie, and sobbed her heart out. "Annie, what am I going to do? Why couldn't it have been Winter instead?"

stop crying,"

She was torn apart inside, caught between her anger at Winter and her guilt for Suzy. "You've still got me. I'm right here

QUMS

Annie could get Suzy to stop sobbing. When nothing else worked, Annie slipped away to call Cody, desperate for

the swarm of reporters and camera-flashing paparazzi had vanished from the hotel entrance, and Cody arrived

Cody, Annie nearly lost it, throwing her arms around

signaling for her to take a deep breath, then asked,

but was cut off as the hotel room door