SCANDAL

Episode 23

Emma hummed a song as she applied the last touch of makeup on her face.

"Alrighty.. all done" She said right before her phone rang.

"Oh, Cooper, I don't need you to bring me to the office. My car has been fixed so I'll come by myself" Emma said to her secretary.

" I wish that was the problem. You need to come to the office now... Don't pass the front of the building. Don't turn on your radio too, just wait till you get here, okay? See you later"Cooper said and hung up.

" Huh... what's with him?Did something happen?" Emma hurriedly carried her bag and took her shoe before heading out.

She drove very fast and in no time she was at the company. JONES COSMETIC. Emma because the vice president after her Dad was advised to stop working because of his health issues. It was a company specialized in making beauty products. As she drove into the garage,she saw the crowd of people in front and broadcasting cars so she figured it was reporters. She went into the company through an entrance in the garage.

"Cooper,what the hell is going on outside?why the commotion?" Emma asked the young guy who was busy taking calls . Cooper put the table phone back in it's place and went to her.

"You didn't really turn the radio on while you were coming?"

" Well..you told me not to. Now what's going on" She asked again.

" First, you have to calm down. There's a crisis, involves the company indirectly and directly too..."

" For Pete's sake would you hit the nail on the head" Emma yelled.

" Sorry, huh... It's about Mia Sanders" Cooper said and slowed down for Emma to process it.

"What did she do now? What stupid scandal did she get herself into now? " Emma rolled her eyes.

" Well.. this time, it isn't just a scandal. It's a criminal offence" Cooper scratched his blonde hair nervously.

"What? Criminal offence! How... What... Wait, did you call her agency... Oh,she doesn't have one. What about her manager? Did you inform the PR team already? What are you doing here talking to me!" Emma kept talking, shocked. She knew that Mia Sander's scandal can affect the company's new product and stock price.

"Miss Jones, that manager was assigned to her by our company and they're involved in it together. The reporters are outside waiting to hear from the higher ups.. but the members of the board are not willing to go because it involves the law. What should we do?"

"First... Leave, let me think. Also, tell the reporters that we'll have a press conference when we've figured out what's happening. Tell them we'll talk to the police too about it"

" Yes, ma'am. Huh... Ma'am. Mrs Jones is around too" Cooper said and quickly went out after which Mrs Jones came in.

"You came in late, Emma. How come you didn't hear about this scandal before it got out to the extent that reporters are waiting in front" Mrs Jones; Emma's mother said as she put her handbag down and sat down in front of her table.

"Mum, I'm quite busy thinking about what to do... So please, either help me think of what to do or let me think.. alone" She emphasized.

"Look Emma, just to let you know.. We can't have our stock price go down... As it is, it has gone down 10% and it's only a matter of time till it goes down completely so you better solve this quickly and stop slacking off. If you spent most of your time in here and not with your so called friend, causing trouble around, this wouldn't have happened. I have heard reports of your delinquent friend beating people up and soiling your name"

" Mrs Jones, may I remind you who told me to get Mia Sanders as our brand ambassador? Who insisted she was suitable and high class for our brand? If you remember who said that then please leave my office" Emma ordered sternly.

Mrs Jones shook her head. "We still need to talk and you need to give your friend a distance" she said and went out of the office.

"I need to hear the whole story before deciding what to do. If no one in our company is involved in this directly then I'll leave Mia Sanders to her problem" Emma said to herself and got ready to leave for the police station.

Mia Sanders is a model and the brand ambassador for JONES COSMETIC. She was handpicked by Emma's mother even though Emma refused to accept her, the board was with Mrs Jones so Emma had to go with it,now Mia Sanders had caused a big trouble and they were pushing it on her neck.

As she drove out of the company's garage. The reporters there were not as much as when she first arrived.

"Who knew the reporters can be good listeners sometimes? I thought they wouldn't leave" She scoffed.

" Look.. that's Emma Jones! " A reporter exclaimed as she saw Emma get off her car. Emma didn't notice quickly that they were there and didn't have enough time to run. She was still going to face them so what's the use hiding from them.

"Miss Jones, what do you have to say regarding this scandal?"

" Why are you just coming to the station? "

" Are you going to let Mia Sanders handle this by herself?"

"Is it true that you were with Mia Sanders when the incident happened?"

" Is it true that Mia Sanders' manager was assigned to her by you?"

The questions kept rolling out as Emma walked towards the police station. The reporters couldn't stand the fact that she wasn't replying and that they couldn't get a clear shot of her so they started to push each other to the extent that Emma was dragged into it. She fell on the floor and they all stepped aside little by little.

"Ma'am! Are you okay?" Cooper rushed to Emma and helped her up. He took her bag from the floor and held her.

"This is bodily harm. We are in front of a police station, have you no fear? We will be pressing charges if this happens again! You're reporters not thugs" Cooper lashed out angrily and took Emma away.

"Here... Are you hurt?" Cooper asked as he returned her bag.

"It's just a scratch. Thanks for that. I thought I'd be stomped on and then die" Emma laughed.

"How can you laugh? You could have gotten seriously wounded if they stepped on you or something. How can they be like that just because of a matter. Don't they have other things to report" Cooper complained, still angry.

"Woah.. calm down. Someone might think I'm your girlfriend. C'mon, where's Mia and that her blockhead manager" Emma said, while dusting her cloth.

" Follow me"