Chapter 4

Amara woke up after a night of partying with another of her regular customer. She turned on the tv and watched the news. When the segment for the famous reporter Bartholomew Carter started, Amara's eyes were nailed on the television.

"Good morning, Martindalle! This is Bartholomew Carter, reporting to you live at the Rose Alley Inn where the dead body of a renowned painter, Salazar Simmons was found by one of the hotel staff. He was said to check in with a young woman on the night of his The Soul exhibit, where he proudly displayed all of his artworks for the past thirty years. Artworks that features teenagers that he said he helped to reach their dreams."

Amara leaned on the couch.

"Everyone thought of Salazar Simmons as an inspiration. Someone who started from the bottom and rose to the top with pure talent and dedication. But what we don't know is that Salazar Simmons is a monster."

The live feed was interrupted by a commercial. Amara smirked. Then her phone buzzed as it shows a notification from Bart's TV. She happily took her phone and watched the live feed. Reporter Bartholomew Carter openly stated that the station he is working for deliberately cut his live report out of respect for the dead painter.

But Bartholomew cannot be stopped from reporting the truth. The views of his live vlog feed quickly went up to 14 million within the first two minutes of the feed. The shares are already in 675,980. And it is still going higher and higher. Amara's social media notification is already exploding with shares about Bartholomew's live vlog feed.

One post she saw on her social media account says:

A monster, a wolf in sheep's clothing. I urge all my family and friends to burn anything that they purchase from the devil Salazar Simmons works.

That post already received 4 million reactions and 10 million shares.

People are going crazy with the news. When Amara went out to do her grocery, she was greeted by her friendly neighbors. One of them even asked her if she already heard the news about Salazar Simmons and told her to throw away or burn any artwork she purchased under his works.

Even at the grocery store, people are talking about the vlog that Bartholomew Carter posted on his vlog site. People commend him for his dedication and bravery to report the truth. With the number of victims, he interviewed in his recent vlogs. He even promised more vlogs as he follows the crimes of Salazar Simmons.

The news about the painter's death and the revelation of his crime became international news in just one day. When Amara went back home, some of her neighbors who bought an artwork from Salazar Simmons are filming how they burn or destroy his works.

As Amara opens her front door, she received a text message from one of her customers who just came back to the country after a long vacation abroad. She smiled with the idea of income.

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Bartholomew Carter has been scolded by the network's CEO. He wants Bart to take down his vlog about the dead painter but he refused. He even offered a resignation but Bartholomew Carter is too precious for the network. He is a one-in-a-million kind of employee. He never takes a leave or vacation. He always delivers the hottest and biggest news in the city. And the people of Martindalle are always on his side. Especially today.

"Bart, there's someone who wants to see you," Neilson informed him as soon as he got out of the CEO's office.

He walked as fast as he could because his interest was piqued by his sudden visitor. When he got into his office, a young woman is anxiously waiting for him. She looked like a town junkie but there's something in her eyes that caught his attention.

"Good morning, I'm Bart, this is my cameraman Neil. How can we help you?' Bart asked the young woman.

"I want to give my statement about that monster Salazar Simmons." She replied while trying to force back the tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"What are you waiting for, Neil? Get your camera, now!" Bart snapped his cameraman out of his daydreaming. He looked legitimately shocked because of the number of people who are willing to testify against the dead painter. After Neilson set up his camera and gave the young woman bottled water, Bartholomew began the interview.

"Good morning to everyone who is watching Bart TV today. To our 20 million new subscribers, welcome to Bart TV. Today, as I go on with my day at the office, I received a visitor. Another brave young woman finally had the courage to tell her story because of Bart TV. Her name is Melissa Vanders. Melissa, can you tell us how you met Salazar Simmons?"

Melissa gulped and wiped the tears that already started to fall from her eyes. "I was in-i was in high school when I met him. My mom just passed away." Melissa heaved out a loud sigh, Bart and Neil can see how hard it was for her. "I needed to support myself. He offered me to be his subject, the Smile Beneath The Darkness. After our session, I thought I could home already. But he grabbed by my hair. And did things to me that I never thought would happen to me, not even in my worst nightmare. I cried and begged but he wouldn't stop. The more that I-the more that I begged him, the more he felt powerful. When he was done with me, he said 'here, your payment. Shut your mouth or I will ruin your life." Melissa could no longer stop herself from crying.

"It's okay, Melissa. He can never hurt you again. Okay?" Bart felt terrible just by thinking about what she had to go through after what Salazar did to her.

"I wanted to go to the police, I wanted to tell someone. But who would believe me? Who am I compared to someone Salazar? So I kept quiet until I watched your vlog about him. I thought-i thought finally, someone would believe me. My life has been hell ever since. I got pregnant but I can't keep the child. I can't look him in the eye every day and see the face of the man who ruined my life. So I gave him away. And I am praying that I did the right thing. I hope forgive me one day." Melissa bowed her head and cried so hard.

"Friends, Salazar Simmons is not a hero. This country should not be proud of him. Because all those paintings that he made, that he received awards for, those are the memory of all the young women he killed. Maybe not literally, but emotionally, psychologically. I urge everyone to feel what these women like Melissa felt and are still feeling right now. They are the victim. They deserve to be heard." Bartholomew's closing statement as the live interview ended brought his colleagues to tears.