‘Don’t mind me, will you?’ screams Porscha, causing us to jump. ‘Cam, back to work.Now! Unless you’d like to admit to something? Or maybe Libby has something she wants to get off her enormous chest?’
It sounds like a threat. There’s no way I can drop him in it. I will take our secret to the grave. It was in the blind spot. It’s Kassy’s word against mine. An upstanding member of the teaching community.
Cam shakes his head, sighing heavily, and gives me one last look, his face a mask of fury. He keeps his voice calm and even. ‘Porscha, Libby has formally requested to leave the show. Libby, you can go collect your things. I will meet you at the entrance. See you soon.’
I watch him leave.
Porscha reaches out, yanking at my microphone pack and switching it off. ‘Now, listen to me. This… this crush that you have developed for a member ofmystaff is not happening. You understand me? IT. IS. NOT. HAPPENING.’
My heart is hammering in my chest. She is bloody terrifying. I’m so sick of being bullied by authority figures like her. And to play with people’s lives as though they mean nothing? I feel anger beginning to boil away deep inside me and, from somewhere, I find my voice.
‘No, Porscha. It is happening. I will leave this villa, and the show, and then I will be doing whatever the hell I want to do. And if that is to get to know a member of your staff after filming has finished, then I will!’ I stand, folding my arms in defiance. My blood pressure must be sky-high as adrenaline whooshes round my body.
She leans in, towering over me. My vow to leave the show and run off into the sunset with Cam is not landing well.
‘I’ll tell you what is going to happen. There’s no way you are leaving this villa. You will stay in here where I can keep an eye on you. You are going to go back out there and act all surprised at Kassy’s outburst. Kassy is going to admit she made the whole thing up about seeing you kissing someone who is not in the villa. She will point the finger at Carlton. Mimi will become hysterical. That will reignite the whole love triangle which, by the way, has fizzled out now with your ridiculous crush on Cameron.’ She shakes her head at me, throwing up her arms in frustration. ‘Such an inconvenience. We had to re-edit a whole episode.’
My jaw drops to the floor. It sounds awfully scripted to me. And she hasn’t listened to a word I’ve said.
‘I want to see you flirt with Carlton in front of Mimi to make her jealous. She will provide some much-needed entertainment for the nation, and you will play the part of the callous British villain. Which is why we flew you all the way to Mexico in the first place.’
I stand tall. ‘No. I won’t do it. I’m leaving.’
I’d like to see her try to stop me.
‘Okay. If you leave the show, then I will fire Cameron.’
What?
Porscha looks deadly serious. ‘Not just that. I’ll bad-mouth him to all the networks. He’ll never get another job in TV production. And it’ll be all your fault.’
She looks at me with daggers in her eyes.
‘You wouldn’t.’
She raises her eyebrows. She totally would.
‘If I so much as suspect that you are communicating with him in secret, I will sack him and I will edit this show to make sure neither of you ever works again. You’re a teacher, right? Who will hire you after they’ve seen you cussing live on TV and sleeping with every single guy in here? We go out to over ten million viewers. Including in the UK.’
I gulp. ‘But that’s not true. I never swear. Well, just that once. And I’d never sleep with anyone, especially not on TV.’ I’m starting to panic now. I’ve seen the show. I’ve seen how they can misrepresent the Islanders. I’d be just another bitter contestant that no one would believe because the damage would be done. There’s no smoke without fire.
We lock eyes. Hers are hard and full of malicious intent. Mine are full of panic and worry for my and Cam’s professional futures. I feel faint and reach out to steady myself.
‘You have ten seconds to decide,’ Porscha says coldly. ‘Are you in? Or out?’
I am struggling to know what to say. ‘So, let me be clear. You are threatening to ruin my career if I leave the show?’
‘Correct.’
‘And you are threatening to ruin Cam’s career if I have anything to do with him, romantically or not?’
‘Correct. You are not to encourage him with this childish crush you have developed. Do you not think we see this all the time? He is a nice guy. Why get him fired just because of some unrequited feelings you have for him? Poor man. Such a shame for him to suffer because of your selfishness.’
‘That isn’t… That’s not how it… You’re wrong. You can’t do this. You can’t blackmail us like this.’
‘I can and I am. You signed all your rights away before you came here. It’s all in the small print.’ Porscha lets out a bored sigh. ‘Your time is up. In or out?’
Oh my God. I feel so confused. I wish my sister was here. All of a sudden, I yearn to be back home. Back at home with her and Tyrone, laughing and joking, hanging out, watching films. My simple, safe life.