Chasing Headlines

Amelia's Point of Views

"Take me far away......." My alarm song blared across the room, and I grumbled before sitting up to put it off.

"It's Monday again... pfft! Weekends need to be extended for real", I thought to myself as I got down from the bed to prepare for the day's work.

"Getting to the office today is quite fast, and there is less traffic. I guess this Monday won't be different after all." I smiled as I exited my car. It's not like it's a fancy one-just a used Toyota Camry I got from my dad.

"I need to visit my parents. I miss Mom so much," I exhaled as I approached the company's sensor-activated doors. The doors opened, and I walked in, smiling and greeting my colleagues.

Morning, Amelia! I hope your weekend is great. Michael needs you to come to his office at once. The secretary announced as she rushed to the editor-in-chief's office, carrying a stack of files. Micheal, my editor-in-chief, contacts me only when there's a new project or to commend my work.

"Oh, thank you! I replied, 'My weekend was good," I replied while I made my way to my post wearing a white turtleneck, a matching black suit, and a red pencil skirt. I finished my formal outfit with black-covered office shoes. I set my bag down and then walked over to Michael's.

"I wonder what he has to say this early," I thought as I took slow but long strides to Michael's office.

"Morning, chief," I greeted as I entered. His office is filled with past awards and shelves, with a series of files stacked on each shelf, both old and new.

I glance at the awards and medals displayed in Mike's office and start tallying the ones that the company earned thanks to my efforts. I always do this whenever I enter Mike's office; it gives me a sense of pride and happiness.

'Hi Amelia, please take your seat,' he said, motioning for me to sit in front of him as he signed some documents. I settled in with my legs crossed and maintained an upright posture.

While I sat, various thoughts sailed through my mind. What could be behind the urgency of Mike's call? Is he going to give me another task? If yes, it better not be a tough one, I thought.

"Am I free now, Sophia?" he asked while delivering the files to the secretary.

"For now, chief," Sophia said with a smile as she exited Micheal's office. Micheal gazed into my eyes and grinned. I questioned his reasons for doing that, but I steadied myself and waited for him to say something.

"Amelia, what progress have you made with Mr. Willow's case?" He inquired.

"I gathered the facts from the Willows, and as they requested, we released the final interview to the public, which helped mitigate the scandal, chief. I'm finalizing it now, chief. I will hand in the final reports by the end of the day."

Mike nodded as I spoke. "Okay, that's impressive, Amelia. Keep up the good work. One day, you hit that big story that will raise your profile," he stated.

"Thanks, chief. Would that be all, sir?" I questioned.

"I need you to tackle another scandal, Amelia. I want you to interview Alexander Sinclair, the billionaire's son. I know you're already aware of his scandal. he responded.

I was surprised when he brought up Alexander Sinclair, that spoilt brat. The news has been covering his scandal for several days, and I don't need anyone to inform me he is guilty of all the allegations made against him.

But why me? What makes Mike think I should be the one to confront that spoiled brat? I encountered him on two occasions when I interviewed his dad some time ago, and I found him to be proud and arrogant.

"May I ask, chief, why do you want me involved in his case? Everyone knows Alex is proud and strict. I doubt I can restrain myself from slapping arrogance out of him, boss; I believe you should give this task to someone else to avoid another scandal." I concluded, but Mike's face suggests he isn't giving up.

Amelia, I know about everything you said about Alex, but it's a must that we work on this. I selected you for this project because you rank among my top reporters. Consider it, Amelia. This could be the big news you are looking for," he said.

"Amelia, I don't expect your response right away; I'm allowing you some time to think about it, but please don't take too long since we need to work on it soon."

"Alright chief," I replied and left his office. I didn't feel like myself all day. I kept reflecting on the daunting assignment Mike handed to me. I thought about the potential hazards of intervening Alex. Dale's presence snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Amelia, you have been so lost in thoughts since you came to work today." Dale commented, sitting down in front of me, "What is troubling my baby girl?" He added.

Dale is a close friend and colleague at work. Everyone knows him for his jovial spirit; he helps relieve the strain on those dealing with complicated tasks.

"Yeah, Dale, I'm fine. How are you doing?" I asked, trying to wave the worried looks on my face.

"Say that to someone who doesn't know you well, Amelia. I know you well by now to know whether you are troubled or not. "Go ahead and tell me, girl," he said, cushioning my mouth with his fingertips to signal me to speak.

"Ooops, what did you do that for?" I protested. Very well, since you refused to let me be. I will tell you. First, let me say this: never touch me with those filthy hands of yours again, I joked.

"I bet you feel like licking these hands right now, Amelia, quit changing the subject and just tell me already; I'm running out of patience." Dale protested.

"Ok, ok, I get that. Mike wants me to take the lead in the Sinclair scandal interview, and you understand the implications of that.

"Oh, wow, Amelia. Why would Mike assign you to that kind of task? He should have given the task to one of the guys. It's risky; Alex doesn't have a great reputation with women, and I doubt he would let someone as beautiful as you slip away." He mentioned.

Dale's comments increased my fear.

Amelia's Point of View

"I know, Dale, but I don't know how to convince Mike. You know he doesn't take no for an answer. I paused and focused on Dale's eyes, showing my seriousness.

"What do you think I should do, Dale? I'm blank right now and can't think straight," I asked. Dale paused as well, and I think he was considering my choices; he shook his head and took my hands.

Amelia, I don't see any escape for you in this situation. We all know when Mike decides it's final, so I don't think there's anything we can say to him to convince him otherwise. You have to do it, " he responded.

"I believe he may reconsider if I attempt to excuse myself from this task, Dale; Mike allowed me to reflect on it. Would it be wise for me to refuse this offer?" I asked.

"Do you understand what might happen if you reject this? Since you hold a strong reputation with Mike and Amelia, I recommend that you go ahead but be careful."

"I suppose I have to face this, and the sooner I accept it, the better for me. So let's get straight down to work then. I expect you to be working alongside me on this, Dale," I joked.

"You sure know how to drag people into your scandals, don't you? Exclude me from this, dear. he said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, so is this my scandal now? But when the medal comes, you will clinch right and steal my precious moments like you did in the Willow's right?" I shrugged.

"I genuinely celebrated your success, my love; I meant no harm. But in this matter, simply accept all the awards and praise that come from it." He pouted playfully.

"But on a more serious note, babe, I must tell you to be careful around that guy. Rumor has it that there was a time he assaulted a female reporter some time ago. And nothing was done about it. His father bought that story off the news and I was told he paid the lady to shut her up. So be extremely careful around him, Amelia." He advised.

"This is exactly why I don't want to handle his interview, and I've heard so much about him. I learned he looks down on people, most especially reporters, and doesn't give attention to interviews, so I have no idea what kind of trick Mike thinks I can pull off to make him talk.

"You can do it, girl, I believe you can, so go get us the news of the year," Dale said and left my desk.

After a brief period, I wrapped up Willow's report and made my way to Mike's office.

I think you have made your decision now, Amelia, He asked, but it didn't sound like a question but sounded more like a confirmation.

"Yes boss, I'll take it," I declared. You wouldn't take no for an answer anyway, I muttered.

"Oh, that's good, Amelia. I've always known you to be hardworking. So let's get straight into business." He said and handed me a file. I flipped it and studied it for a while. It contained the information I needed about Sinclair's interview.

"Alright, boss. I'll be right on it. Have a nice day," I greeted them and left his office.

While heading home, I started to think about my major projects and how I succeeded in each of them. I thought about the interview sessions I've conducted with notable men in town and the success I've attained so far. Then I concluded that if I can do other jobs and be successful, this will also add to my success story. "You can do this, Amelia. Believe in yourself," I muttered.

Nothing seems so interesting about my life that you might want to know of, apart from the fact that I am Amelia Brooks, the only daughter of Daniel and Grace Brooks.

Because my parents love me so much, I found it hard to secure an apartment after landing my reporter job two years ago. Since then, my mom has been preparing various meals to fill my fridge and ensure I eat healthily.

I believe Mom is currently in my house, possibly accompanied by Dad, her partner in crime as I speak.

As I pulled up, I noticed that my parents' vehicle was already loaded and waiting outside. Speaking of it, here they are waiting for me to return. 'You should share a key to your little space with us, Amelia." Dad mentioned we had been waiting in the car for hours.

"You guys should learn how to stay in your house and stop showing up at my place, you know," I said, smiling and walking towards Dad to fill his already-spread arms in a warm hug.

"I was just thinking about you guys this morning. I planned to visit during the weekend because I missed you, especially Mum, " I said, and Dad shrugged.

"Oh, so you don't miss your Dad? Is that what you're saying now, Amelia?" He said, jealous.

"No, Dad, I miss you, but I miss Mom more," I stated, and we all laughed.

"Amelia," Mum called. "You miss my delicious dishes, you mean?" she asked, giving me an understanding look.

"You got me right there, Mum, I hope you came with more, cause I already exhausted the one you brought a few days ago."

Believe me, my dear, you will have more than you can consume quickly.

I unlocked the door, and we all entered. My house may not have been large, but it had enough space for my bed and piles of files and newspapers from our company and others scattered throughout the living room. Then, a small kitchen was big enough to contain my mum and me each time she visited, and we needed to gist while cooking.

Mum headed directly to the kitchen to unload the dishes she brought for me, while Dad sat in the living room, sorting through and reading newspapers scattered all around, both old and new. I walked into my room to refresh myself, but I was on the verge of undressing when I heard my Dad call out from the sitting room.

"What! Ameliaaa!" He called.

Amelia's Point of View

When I returned to the sitting room, I saw my Dad holding Sinclair's file. He read it, which is why he shouted my name.

"What is it, Dad? You frightened me with how you called my name. Is everything OK?" I asked. I noticed the file in his hand, but I acted as if I didn't understand why he called. I knew what he was about to say.

Just as if I was in his thoughts, he said what I was just saying in my mind.

"You're not taking....."

"This job," I completed his sentence. "Dad, why are you going through my stuff?" I protested, trying to change the topic of discussion. But Dad noticed me right away. That's Dan for you, as I fondly call him. He is very sensitive, and I believe I inherited that trait from him.

"Don't even dare change the topic of this discussion, Amelia; you know the Sinclairs and how spoiled that son of his is. How do you plan to cope with his ruthless attitude, Amelia?" He paused, but I quickly cut in before Dad said another word. Mum had now joined us, and the way she sat beside her husband made me realize they were about to team up against me.

I'm not going to lead this project, Dad, "I have other colleagues, so your little girl is covered," I lied. However, Dad didn't seem to buy it. Mum's expression shifted to one of concern.

"Amelia, no matter what you choose to do, or which project you decide to do, remember that you are strong and we deeply care about you. Please be careful, " Mum advised.

"In my opinion, this task may be more than you can manage. I would appreciate it if you let your team manage this instead of trying to take charge yourself. Is that alright?" She said calmly.

I understand that they both didn't realize I was taking the lead role in this, but I wasn't prepared to disclose the job details. My parents are my only support, and I can't bear to see them worried.

"Mum, Dad, I know you both are protective of me because you love and care for me and don't want to see me hurt. But I'm assuring you that I will be fine and will not allow harm to come near me.

So relax, my pumpkins, and support your little girl with prayers." I explained, sitting in their middle and hugging them one after the other.

"We will, dear, but be careful too," Dad said, and I concluded that's a go-ahead from them both.

"We need to discuss one more thing, Amelia," Mum voiced. I knew where the conversation was heading so I tried to prevent it. She was about to involve me in her "when will you bring a man home" discussion again, and I don't have the strength to go that lane with her, not today.

"Mum, can we discuss this later, I need to freshen up please," I pleaded on my way back to the bedroom.

"This is what you say all the time, Amelia. When are you bringing him?" she asked, almost shouting. She noticed I didn't like that line of conversation, but she wouldn't back down. She never does. Mom frequently does this. She talks about bringing a man home as if men are pizzas that you can simply order from a pizzeria.

Mom constantly nags me about this issue. I just broke up with Nich, and I want to avoid any more drama for now. Right now, I have decided to focus on completely recovering from the hurt my last relationship caused and to devote my energy to my work.

My role as a reporter serves as an ideal reason to distance myself from him entirely, so I focus on it more than ever now.

"When the time is right, Mum," I answered as my voice nearly disappeared while I walked into the bathroom. I freshened up and returned to the sitting room with my parents. We dined together, engaged in games, and conversed, then I watched them get back in their car as they left for home.

Alex's Point of View

"Alex, it seems that this scandal doesn't bother you in the slightest, does it? You seem too relaxed this time, unlike the last time. Hey dude, what's the secret?" Liam asked.

Honestly, it does affect me, but it has happened. This is what defines social media. Bloggers consistently find topics to discuss, and newspapers would struggle to thrive without opportunities like this.

"Liam, what's bothering you? In my opinion, you don't seem to be the individual in that sex video circulating on social media. Just give it a few days, everyone. This will all blow over, and bloggers will find new topics to discuss.

"You haven't shared the details with me yet, Alex. What led to the video being leaked and who was responsible for it? How can you be so careless?" He asked. To be honest, Liam was correct because I simply cannot explain how Annie got me to agree to record a sex tape with her. I must have been blindfolded by her so-called love.

I'm always conscious of these things because of my reputation and my father's, but I can't explain how this happened. Annie must have organized this carefully so that I wouldn't notice anything. Deep down, I'm looking for a way to get past it. I need to remove my name from the headlines.

I simply didn't want Xavier and Liam to make fun of me. That's why I acted like I wasn't bothered. I quietly considered finding bait, a cross bearer, or something to help me remove this news from social media.

I turned off the treadmill and took a seat to focus on my discussion with Liam. I consider Liam to be one of my best people; he sincerely cares.

"Liam," I began. "It might seem like I don't care, but believe me, I do. But social media nowadays is something you have to take lightly so that they don't toy with your health. I am devising a strategy to turn this entire scandal to my advantage. Liam, I will find one in no time. Trust me, this will all end soon." I explained.

"Promise me you can handle this. I don't want to see you hurt in the end, and I don't want to see this affect your business or your father's. You know how things like this can jeopardize one's reputation?"

Mary, one of the house workers, walked into the gym as he spoke and announced Dad's intention to see me.