I went on to pepper Sebastian and Pippa with questions about their international endeavors. I was curious, but business talk made me nervous. I’d hoped the litigation with Beauty SkinEssence would be resolved before it went to trial, but to no avail. We had the trial date in six weeks. I was getting more nervous by the day.

But for tonight, I resolved to shove the issue to the back of my mind and enjoy my cousins and my man.

***

On a bright Tuesday morning two weeks later, I found Anne close to tears at her desk.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“You didn’t read it?”

“Read what?”

She turned her monitor to me, and my heart sank. A business publication had written an article about the upcoming lawsuit, and it wasn’t painting me in a pretty light. They used terms like fraud and foul play. A source inside Beauty SkinEssence had given them their side of the story, but since the publication hadn’t asked for mine, it was clear this wasn’t impartial journalism. It was a smear campaign led by Beauty SkinEssence.

Despite the fact that a chill of panic raked through me, I set my hand soothingly on Anne’s shoulder.

“This doesn’t mean anything, Anne. The judge will decide, not the press.”

I wanted to set an example for my employees, and I needed them to know they could trust me to lead them even through difficult times.

But over the next week, my leadership skills were put to test like never before. Three other business publications picked up the story, and since only Beauty SkinEssence’s side of the story was available, that’s the one they highlighted.

As a PR pro, Hailey was my counselor.

“Call journalists and give them your side.”

“I plan to do that, but I also want to do more.”

In the end, I contacted each journalist and posted an open letter on my company’s website, which I penned myself under Hailey’s supervision. Some of the journalists said they would mention my statement, some were skeptical.

What gnawed at me was that these publications were respected in business circles, and a judge might believe that what they were reporting were facts, not suppositions.

Apparently, my lawyer thought the same thing.

“You can’t be serious. The trial is in three weeks,” I barked into the phone.

“Ms. Connor, I’m sorry, but... my current health does not permit me to continue with my current workload.”

“Why don’t you tell me what’s really going on?”

“The case is receiving too much attention, and if the judge will not rule in your favor... our firm doesn’t want that kind of negative press.”

“I’ll give you negative press,” I said through gritted teeth. “You think it’s going to look good for you that you dump your clients when you can’t win a case?”

“Bowing out is preferable to losing.”