“This is a draft. It’s the only weapon left that we have against Magnus. I want you to write this column and own up to what’s in there. And then this whole thing will be over. I promise you. It might not be easy, but Laurel Trask is on our side… And she’ll look after you.”
Not understanding a word of what my mother’s saying, I grab the sheet of paper in front of me, and I feel my blood freezing in my veins as I start reading through the document. It’s a Gossip Central rough draft, and what’s in there is so vile I feel nauseous right now.
“What the hell is this?” I ask, anger turning my voice bold. “Are you insane?”
“I’m not insane,” she responds calmly, as if my answer wasn’t a rhetorical one. “Rewrite that draft in your own words, and publish it under your name. You always said you wanted to be a journalist, it’s time for you to become a real one.”
“Journalist?” I crumple the paper harshly, turning it into a rough white ball, and throwing it on top of the desk. “These are lies! You don’t care about the truth… You just care about… I don’t even know what you care about, mom! I don’t even know you anymore.” I stare her down for a few tense seconds, and then I give her my obvious reply to her request. “I’m not doing this.”
“You have to, Penny. Or else you might find yourself out of a job.” Her words feel like a precise jab to my stomach, but I recover from it in a heartbeat. A threat? I know exactly where she can shove these threats of hers.
Without a word, I get up from my seat and start making my way out of her office. I open the door and, just before leaving, look back at her from over my shoulder.
“Guess I’m out of a job then,” I say, and then slam the door behind me.
24
The New York Daily Journal
Papa Don’t Preach!
Gossip Central on Page Eight. From the Desk of Vicky Durner - All the gossip you never even knew you needed to know!
A somber salutation to you, Gotham.
Why somber?
We've reported on Magnus Davion extensively over the course of the last few months.
But all that comes to a close at this point.
In the past, the antics of Mr. Davion were boorish, immature, and that of an overgrown man-child.
His actions that are now being alleged are that of a menace to society.
They disrespect all women. They hurt us as a society. And they cut close to home as well.
Over the last 24 hours, a lot has changed at the New York Daily Journal.
We've had to let go of a celebrated staff reporter, Penny Wright.
And yes, Penny is the daughter of our fearless leader, Rhoda Wright. She gave Penny a job on the Gossip Desk, writing under the Vicky Durner pen name right out of college.
And it turns out that Penny has been trading sexual favors for shading the coverage of Magnus Davion to be more positive.
That's right.
You read that correctly. Penny Wright has been engaged in a sexual relationship with Magnus Davion.
But if you're trying to figure things out in your head, let us go ahead and make that very clear to you.
You're not wrong. Magnus is indeed Penny's stepfather.
He was married very briefly to Rhoda Wright. Penny was younger at the time, but it looks like Magnus and his stepdaughter are taking the relationship to the next level.
Or are they?
Who chaperoned this relationship? We're saying eewwww at the age difference. Magnus is several years older than her. He used to be married to her mother.