35 THE INTERVIEW
“Be careful, will you!” Renee snapped at the make–up artist fixing her lashes when his nail grazed her eyelid.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. I’ll be more careful,” he apologized and resumed fixing her lashes. She had arrived at the TV station two hours early so she could get her make–up done properly.
She was a model after all, and she couldn’t afford not to look her best regardless of the situation. It had been over an hour and a half, and they were already setting up the cameras and lights for the interview.
“Renee!” The voice of her friend whom she spoke with the day before broke her
out of her trance.
A smile made its way to her face as she stopped the make–up artist who was dabbing her face and turned to face her friend. “Jupiter, how have you been?” she asked sweetly.
“I’ve been good, but you look as though you’re life’s favourite,” he said with a light chuckle and added, “Although you might have lost your place with Life seeing as you got into a scandal.”
She dug her freshly painted nails into her palm and chuckled lightly. “Well, it can’t be hard for me to regain it, can it?” she turned back to the make–up artist, signalling for him to continue her make–up.
“Of course, you’re Renee after all,” Jupiter mentioned and turned to the make- up artist. “She goes on in twenty, so hurry up with her make–up.”
“Will do, sir,” the artist said with a nod.
“I’ll see you when we go live, Renee,” Jupiter said as he left the room.
She scoffed. “The asshole thinks he’s all that because he got me an interview with his TV like I couldn’t do that without his help,” she complained bitterly.
Those she called her friends were people she could use when she needed them and those who could help her, and most times, they were people who hated her and her guts.
She knew, but she couldn’t care less so far they got her what she wanted when she wanted it.
“I really can’t stand him,” She hissed and the poor make–up artist was the one who suffered her wrath.
With every dab and stroke he made, she made it a duty to complain about it.
Will I be able to finish up in the next twenty minutes? He wondered, with a tight smile as he resisted the urge to turn her into a clown.
After fifteen torturous minutes, he completed her make–up. “I’m through, ma’am,” he said with a relieved sigh and before she could say anything, which he was certain would either be an insult or a complaint, he scurried out of the dressing room.
“They call themselves the best TV station yet their make–up artists can’t hold a brush to mine,” she clicked her tongue distastefully as she smoothened the black dinner gown she was wearing.
She picked the perfume on the table and sprayed it on her body. “Perfect,” she said with a wide grin.
She heard a knock on the door. “Come on in,” she said and Jupiter peeked in.
“We go live in three, Renee. Let’s go.”
She glanced at her reflection in the mirror and smiled.
as she picked up her purse and followed him.
“perfection,” she mouthed
Her phone buzzed in her purse and she brought it out to see a message from Daniel.
‘Good luck with your interview.‘ It said.
She rolled her eyes as she put the phone back in her purse. “You just don’t want me to expose you.”
With her head held up high, she followed behind Jupiter to the recording room. Renee Monroe!” The interviewer, Tom, exclaimed as he sat up and stretched out his hand for a handshake.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you again, Tom,” she said as she shook his hands and sat on the couch opposite him.
“We go live in 30 seconds,” Jupiter announced as he went around making sure everything was in order.
“Five… four… three… two-” Jupiter mouthed, his right palm up as he counted down to one with his fingers as well.
“-One!”
“Good evening, everyone, and welcome back to Spotlight Moments. I’m your host, Tom Bennett and today we have a guest whose journey has captivated headlines and stirred quite the controversy. Please join me in welcoming Renee
Monroe to the show!” He said with a bright smile.
The camera cut to Renee who was already waving with a bright smile on her face, her eyes glistening.
Tom turned in his seat so he was facing Renee directly. “It’s a pleasure to have you here, Renee. Before we delve into the recent events, how have you been? Any exciting projects or personal milestones you’d like to share with our viewers?”
“Thank you for having me, Tom,” She said and looked at the camera. “Life has been a rollercoaster, but I’ve been focusing on my upcoming fashion collaborations and spending time with loved ones. It’s important to find balance. amid chaos, you know?” She chuckled.
I don’t even know if my career will ever rise after this.
Tom nodded in agreement, “Absolutely. Now, let’s address the elephant in the room,” Renee nodded and continued. “The recent fake pregnancy scandal has taken the media by storm. Can you walk us through what happened and how you found yourself at the centre of such controversy?”
She cleared her throat. “I’d like to start by saying what you heard in the recording is true,” she said, her tone remorseful.
“-Lying to my fans was never my intentiona”
“And your husband?” Tom interrupted.
“Neither was lying to him my intention. Due to the nature of our… relations, he assumed I was pregnant when I started showing some of the symptoms. I also thought the same but when I went to the hospital, I realized I was ill and not pregnant-”
“But you didn’t tell him that?”
Renee nodded, “No, I didn’t.”
“And why is that?”
“Because he looked so happy and was so excited about being a father. I didn’t know how to tell him it wasn’t true and I was going to start taking precautions. because I wanted to focus on my career,” she looked with a dejected sigh.
“-I planned to reveal the truth to him, but days turned into a week. Then came the scandal about him getting a divorce and he revealed the news about my pregnancy. One thing led to the other and here we are,” she dug her nails into her
purse.
If not for the fact that I’d be required to take another test, I wouldn’t have admitted this. This is so annoying.
Tom turned to the camera, “A lot of you have been torn on whether or not the recording that was released was true or not, but I believe you have
Your answers now,” he turned to face Renee again. “As regards the recording, are you making any attempt to find the one who released it?”
Heck yeah, I am!
She shook her head negatively. “I don’t think it’s necessary. I just have one thing to say to the one who released it-“I’ll fold their limbs, put them in a mortar and pulverize them to ashes. “-thank you. Thanks to you, I feel lighter and I’m no longer being eaten by guilt,” she said, staring at the camera.
“It must have been hard lying to those who love you,” Tom commented.
She let out a heavy sigh. “You have no idea how hard and painful it is,” she looked at the camera. “I strongly advise you all to stick with the truth no matter how hard it is.”
“You heard her, folks,” Tom said. “The truth will always come to light.”
She nodded in agreement, despalthough was lying about her marriage to Daniel. “And how did your husband and his family react to this?” Tom asked.
“William Monroe was livid when he found out,” she stated.
