The Punishment

Her body was still tired from the stressful journey. Driving alone at night to the airport and then looking for flights to JFK Airport left her exhausted body and soul. She had to change planes and transit because she ran out of direct flights. Throughout the flight she wondered if Reef would notice her leaving that night and catch a flight the same night. She hoped not. She needed a break to recover and find the right excuse to offer Reef.

  When Mariel called her at seven in the morning she had just finished showering. Now that Nathan had told her, Carter was coming to see and talk to her, Bella feels that the world is unfair to her to inflict all these dilemmas on her.

  "Hi, Christine. I'm home," she told her agent on the phone. "I'll be submitting my script next week. Today I'm preparing for the disaster of my life."

  "What's going to happen?"