“My marriage is over. I’m done with politics. I need to go back to what I’m good at, where I can really help people. Maybe I’ll return to my career. I was an engineer when I came to the US. I had a scholarship. Believe it or not, I was a good at the work I was doing.”

The First Lady sighed and Natalie knew she had to wrap up the interview. Bring it around to current events. “Do you believe Sonia Barbaro’s story? That Rigo Lystra raped her?”

“I don’t know the truth. I only know we can’t silence people, not any longer. The way you all have condemned Sonia Barbaro, judged me—it’s wrong. Have you noticed how Western culture still celebrates silent women? The quiet matriarch, the supporting actresses of steely resolve who keep persevering and putting up with it?

“We’ve all been too compliant. Me. Eva. Sonia. Playing along doesn’t change anything. That’s why I’m giving you this interview. Our silences were never going to protect us. It’s time to speak.”

Natalie felt a sudden jolt, thinking of her mother’s line. “Be noisy,” she said.

“That’s right. Smart girl. We need to be noisy.”

32

The Myth of Power

As Dasha drove them down the winding mountain road back toward the airport, it was quiet in the car, Natalie stared out at the trees dotting the mountain, in shock from the weight of everything they’d just heard.

After the interview the First Lady had thanked them and quickly vanished. As Dasha began packing up, Natalie had checked her phone and found it melting down with emails, texts and notifications. There were urgent messages from presidents of rival networks, talk show bookers, and thousands of DMs from viewers who’d just watched the interview live on social media.

“Look, we don’t need ATN to have an audience,” she said, thrusting the phone in Matt’s face.

Without asking he’d taken the phone from her hands and powered it off. “I’m putting you on a media blackout.”

Now, in the car, she turned the phone back on. It began filling with messages. The first, from her mother.

MOM: Hi, dear. I’m at Wailee Resort and we watched your interview on the computer outside the group touch room.

MOM: Honey, you did a great job with the First Lady. That poor woman.

Natalie smiled.

NATALIE: Hi, Mom. I’m so sorry about the wedding.

MOM: You know I wasn’t going to kill Cronkite. Guru Steve says a dog is a great way to meet a man. You wouldn’t have taken him if I hadn’t forced it. Cronkite is a man magnet.

MOM: Are you going to do more interviews like that?

MOM: You could interview Oprah. People really like Oprah.

Natalie couldn’t hold back her laugh.

NATALIE: Okay, Mom, thanks for the tip. Love you.