I stayed locked on Mom. “And she told Kylie and Lily. It was part of our trust circle. We knew one another’s secrets, and we agreed to protect them, to protect one another. Deena can’t tell. If she does, I’ll tell everyone she had her stomach stapled.”

“Oh. My. God.” Mom dropped the chopsticks and buried her face in her hands. When she looked up, her eyes were wild. “That secret isn’t worth yours. Your life isn’t worth that secret. Do you realize this scandal could destroy us? Trust is our biggest commodity. If the public loses faith in us, we lose everything. Life as you know it could end.”

My stomach clenched. “That sounds like a threat,” I said.

“Oh, you best believe it is.” She rose to her full height, all five feet, four inches of it.

“Calm down, Tia. Let’s think about this rationally,” Dad said. But a moment later, his face was turning purple, the ramifications pulsing through him. “How could you be so stupid?”

“I’m sorry,” I said, examining my toes. I didn’t know what else to say. There were no words. “I wanted to be honest with you… Maybe I should lay low for a while. Take a break from the Networks.”

“Ha! Nice try.” Mom paced the deck. “Quinn, what should we do?”

“Oh, you guys. This is a hard one. I really feel for you.” Quinn’s voice sounded across the deck. “Sweet Ella, why didn’t you come to me with this? If you would have asked me, I would have told you hooking up with Adam was a bad idea. Oh…” Her voice broke, like she was on the verge of tears. “I’ve run all the possible scenarios, and the only thing you can do to save yourself is leave. You have to start over before any more damage is done. If you go now, people will forget. You still have a chance—you just need a new narrative.”

“There you go,” Mom said. “What you need is a change of scenery. A fresh start.”

“I’ll pull some strings,” Dad said. “Get her a part in a movie—an indie—something edgy, interesting. On location.”

“Oh!” Mom gasped, grabbing Dad’s hand. “And we can use my cancer.” Tears sprang to her eyes. “We’re so blessed. Even in the dark, there’s always light.”

“It’s perfect,” Dad said. “Your fans will sound the rally cry.”

“Your cancer is the answer!” Quinn chimed in. “Make that the focus, and they’ll forget about Ella.”

“Cancer?” I asked.