CH. 20
1668 Words
Alex got busy making plans to seize the power that was left vacant due to President Bolting's death, which was finally announced more than an hour ago.
He immediately left for the office after seeing his father and the mysterious lady off.
The ring of his cell phone sliced through the thick silence inside his office.
Alex glanced down at the caller ID and a knot twisted in his gut.
He motioned for his assistance to leave before answering with a curt, "Hello?"
"Alex." A familiar female rasped. “I just saw the news. People are going to start feeling sorry for her. You have to do something before she gains their sympathy."
Alex clenched his jaw. The irritation radiating off of him at the caller's voice was palpable, but he maintained his composure. "I know. I'm worried if this sympathy takes hold, her story might start seeming believable."
"Exactly!" the woman’s urgency crackled through the line. "You can't let her get out of this, Alex. I need you to call an emergency press conference and get ahead of this before it's too late."
Alex squeezed his eyes shut, indecision roiling in his gut.
"If you don't do this, she'll destroy both our lives like she always does. You know how manipulative and vindictive she can be. This is our one chance to stop her, Alex. Please."
Exhaling slowly, Alex gave a reluctant nod. "You're right. I'll gather the press immediately and set the record straight before this gets out of control."
“That’s more like it,” the person purred. “Also, I had someone post a discriminating photo of Serena on the internet. It will help back up your statement during the press conference.”
“Hum…” Alex nodded. With that, he disconnected the call and placed another to his assistance. “Gather the press that are under our influence immediately!”
—-
Alex glanced back at the camera crew with their eager eyes trained on him about an hour later.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience..." he began, his expression grave. "I have an important statement to make regarding the tragic events surrounding my former acquaintance, Diana Delaney."
The reporters leaned forward… pens poised over notepads as the cameras zoomed in.
"As you all know, my relationship with the Boltings has been...complicated, to say the least. What you don't know are the depths of their deceit and manipulation. I know you all have questions about the depth of my relationship with Serena, given how we have been spotted together on several occasions regardless of our family feud. But I promise to answer all that in no time." He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "I have recently come across security footage from my home that shows the true extent of Serena's unstable and violent behavior."
With a heavy exhale, Alex nodded to the technician, who queued up the video on the large screen behind him.
The crowd gasped as they saw Serena attack Diana savagely with a knife.
"This...this is horrific," a reporter muttered, her hand covering her mouth.
Alex's jaw tightened. "Indeed it is. Serena's quest for revenge against me has spun entirely out of control. An innocent life has been lost due to her unforgivable actions."
He shook his head slowly. "You might wonder why I am saying all this… The video footage and photos that were leaked earlier by an anonymous person were taken in my home. I am still in shock at how those got out. Then again, we all know how vicious the cyber world can be. I can no longer stand by while Serena manipulates the public with false narratives and sob stories to gain sympathy. Nor do I wish for my reputation to be tarnished by her deeds."
Murmurs rose up as the crowd digested this shocking revelation about Serena's brutal assault.
"The woman I once knew as elegant and graceful is gone, replaced by this...unhinged, menacing stranger." His fist clenched at his side. "Serena Bolting must face justice for her crimes. She cannot be allowed to play the victim any longer."
The reporters immediately bombarded him with questions, a crescendo of shouted voices seeking more details about this supposedly unbalanced, violent side of Serena. But Alex could only hope he had done enough to turn the tide of public opinion fully against his soon-to-be ex-wife.
He stood stoically at the podium, the weight of the bombshell he was about to drop pressing heavily on his shoulders.
He took a steadying breath when he caught sight of the elegant woman in the front row, her eyes red-rimmed but fixed resolutely on him. "I have one more revelation that will no doubt shake you all to your core." His gaze swept across the hushed crowd that was thrown into suspense by his last words. "Serena Bolting...is my wife."
A shockwave of gasps and murmurs erupted. Reporters began shouting over each other, demanding clarification.
Alex held up a hand for silence. "I entered into a secret marriage with Serena under extreme duress. You see, my true love was always meant to be Kylie." He reached out, gently taking Kylie's hand as she fought back tears. "But Serena issued an unconscionable threat against Kylie's life if I refused to wed her instead."
More gasps and furious curses resounded.
Alex looked somberly at the cameras. "I had no choice but to comply to protect the woman I loved. I married Serena in a court registry, hoping to eventually find a way to dissolve that unlawful union. The real tragedy…" Alex continued in a voice thick with feigned emotion, "Is that Serena and I were in the process of divorcing due to irreconcilable differences. Her...indiscretions and unstable behavior led me to that heartbreaking decision."
The crowd immediately turned against her again, hatred and disgust written plainly across their faces as slurs and insults rained down on Serena.
"I never wanted to air our dirty laundry in public," Alex said with a remorseful shake of his head. "But her recent heinous actions have left me no choice."
He was twisting the truth, manipulating them all like a masterful puppeteer.
"My intentions were to finally make my relationship with Kylie public after divorcing Serena. However..." He shook his head slowly. "Serena's obsession with me, her desperate craving for fame and control, drove her to unforgivable acts of violence to keep her hold on me."
The press room was utterly rapt, hanging on his every word as he exposed the twisted truths of his past with Serena.
"I can no longer allow an innocent woman's life to be tarnished by associations with Serena's heinous crimes. I chose to reveal this today to show the world who the real Serena Bolting is - a manipulative, deranged threat to society."
The clicking of camera shutters was deafening as the crowd processed this jaw-dropping disclosure about Serena's secret marriage.
Alex swallowed hard before uttering his final damning words. "She is my wife...but also my greatest mistake. And she must face the consequences."
The press room erupted into pandemonium as reporters shouted questions, desperate for more sordid details about the Serena-Alex marriage bombshell.
"Mr. Montgomery! When exactly did you marry Serena?"
"Were you really not having an affair with Diana while married to Serena?"
"What proof do you have of Serena's threats against your alleged true love, Kylie?"
Alex raised his hands, trying to calm the wild crowd. Kylie squeezed his arm supportively as he selected a reporter to respond to first.
"The marriage was nearly three years ago," Alex revealed. "Mere weeks after Serena issued her twisted ultimatum - marry her or she'd ensure Kylie's tragic 'accident.'"
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. He gestured to enlarged photographic evidence displayed on a pedestal.
"And these photos prove that Serena had Kylie drugged and staged in a provocative situation to use as blackmail material against me."
Alex's eyes hardened as he stared down the throngs of reporters. "As for Diana...I can assure you I never desired nor pursued any affair while married to Serena. Diana was simply another one of Serena's innocent victims whose life was brutally taken."
The room remained in hushed suspense, hanging on his every word as he bared the secrets of his disturbing marital imprisonment.
"If the marriage was against your will, why did you not go to the authorities about Serena's threats sooner?" A brave reporter finally spoke up.
A tense silence fell as Alex seemed to weigh just how much truth to reveal.
"Mr. Montgomery!" One reporter called out. "If what you're saying is true, why did you keep your marriage to Serena a secret for so long?"
A sly smile played across Alex's lips. "An excellent question. The truth is, I was ashamed. Ashamed at allowing myself to be manipulated by Serena's threats against my beloved Kylie. I didn't want the world to know the truth - that I had betrayed the woman I truly loved for Serena's twisted desires."
The reporters muttered among themselves, seemingly buying his calculated lies.
Another reporter raised her hand. "What's your response to the fact that you might have been unfaithful first and that's what drove Serena over the edge?"
"Utterly false," Alex said with conviction. "As I've explained, Serena was the one who pursued the affair to retaliate against me leaving her. The pictures speak for themselves." He nodded toward the damning photos. "My relationship with Miss Delaney was strictly professional until Serena's jealousy led to her untimely death."
The internet turned into a volta of condemnation toward Serena.
"Murderer!"
"Psychopath!"
"Lock her up!"
"One final question," Alex said, his eyes glinting with cruel satisfaction. "What would you say to Serena if she could hear you?"
The roar of the crowd and internet reached a crescendo as they unleashed their unrestrained vitriol.
"You're a lying, manipulative witch!"
"You deserve to rot behind bars!"
"I hope you get the death penalty!"
"There's a special place in hell for people like you!"
- Writer
