The Crossroads of Truth

When the colors of fall replaced the bright summer, this situation pushed Ella into the crossroads in which each decision is a consequence. The fact that Lily is actually Alexander's daughter has been a hidden truth which has been over-powering Ella.

As custom had it, one early morning, Ella got ready for another day at the newsroom only to have her phone ring. Michael Thompson, his voice sounding grim. “Ella, you need to come in for a briefing, there has been a leak.”

Ella's heart sank. “What kind of leak?”

Michael jumped in, ‘It is about Alexander Knight.’ “There is a new ‘scandal’ unearthed involving a late, secret child.”

Ella felt a panicky feeling rise in her chest. “I’ll be right there.”

There was utter confusion in the newsroom, journalists ran here and there like bees that had been. Diana Ross was waiting with her eyes bright, excited about the hunting.

Ella, there you are, Diana told her friend pointedly. “This story about Alexander Knight and a secret child, it is mind-blowing.”

Ella's mind raced. Diana, we cannot spread this story.

Diana's eyes narrowed. “And why is that?”

Ella was hard-pressed to remain calm. I'm afraid that's not right Ethically, there must be so much that we do not know.

Diana looked right at her for a second. “Fine,” she said mpatiently, “But I want you on this, Ella. Find the truth.”

Ella agreed, she started feeling a sort of foreboding inside her gut.

That evening, Sophie visited Ella and her face was visibly melancholic. “I heard of the leakage,” she said, moving closer to sit beside Ella on the couch.

Ella’s gaze met her and there was a sight of horror in her eyes. “If this story gets out, it could destroy everything.”

Sophie took her hand. “We will sort this out, Ella. We always do.”

The following day, Ella sat with Alexander finally and tension could be seen or at least, felt between the two of them.

Alexander, a story is starting to develop, Ella replied as softly as she could. “About a secret child.”

Alexander's face paled. “What?”

The tension, almost visibly mounting in her, began to settle to a comfortable medium. ‘I don’t know how, but someone’s found out,’ she said simply, ‘And they’re digging.’

Alexander's jaw clenched. ‘Ella, do you have something to share with me,’

Ella's heart ached. It is in this ultimately that she found herself preferring to actually speak out and tell him all the things that she felt in her heart, but the opportunity never arrived. “No, Alexander, I do not know it any better than you do.”

The story sat on their shoulders and waited for them as if it were a storm on the horizon, and Ella struggled with it ethically. The truth could be a liberating force or one that shreds the lives of those involved to pieces.

One evening, when all was still around the house and everybody was sleeping, including Lily, Ella decided on something. She would die for her daughter if need be; this showed her protective nature over her child. It would be the truth, her secret truth, that would always be with her to protect the purity of the life she raised.

There she is sitting all alone in her office, the only source of light coming from the laptop that was on her desk. It had really shocked everyone around that region when the leakage of the news was amplified, and now she was the one forced to work on the same story that might compromise her existence.

She was walking like a Criminal psychologist involved in the investigation of a crime scene, and every move she was making seemed to bring her closer to her destruction.

By the look of things, she began analyzing the emails, call logs, and even the financial records in a bid to trace any lead for the leak. There was a buzzing inside her head, and she immediately began to consider all the ways she could continue to get to know the source.

Was it possibly an inside job by an annoyed clerk? A hacked system? Or even worse, someone she knows personally and might feel relatively close to?

Further down, it becomes challenging to distinguish between what a professional is expected to do as well as her phenomena of fear. Every piece of information which she received was like a treachery, which reminded her about the life which she led. Lily’s innocent face is depicted to be permanently engraved in her mind; watching her; judging herself for every of her actions.

These thoughts had not gone through Ella’s mind when the door knocked gently. This time it was Michael Thompson, his steel-cut face indicating that his mind was not at ease. “Ella you have been in this room for so long now, are you okay?”

Ella glanced up; she could barely open her eyes now. It was again Michael on the other end of the line, He was almost about to say something, but I interrupted him “I’m fine, Michael. Just following leads.”

He stepped inside the room and his eyes were soft when he looked at me. “This story – Yes, it is a bit more than just a story – it hits a very close to home with you, doesn’t it?”

Ella’s heart skipped a beat. “Did he know”? She was not about to let her panic show, so she forced a smile that was so fake even she couldn’t tell. “Each story is related to one’s life or the lives of people one knows in some way.”

Michael only inclined his head in agreement, while not looking quite convinced. ‘Remember, we are journalists: We give what people want to know where they are, and who they are with.’

At the gall of the man, a lump formed in Ella’s throat; she couldn’t help but be amazed at the hypocrisy that was now dripping in heavy doses from his lips. “Hmm, no Michael. That partly touches on what I was going to ask next. Anyway, thank you so much for the input.”

These investigations make Ella plunged into the rabbit hole of speculation and suspicion. She also collects interviews from the staff members, verifies the dates, and observes the security cameras’ recordings. But each step she took could be compared with the walk on a thin wire, some imaginary public watched every gesture.

One evening, Sophie called. “Ella, how do you, and the team, get on with the investigation?”

Ella let out a sound of disappointment and tiredness. This one is equivalent to looking for a needle in a haystack.

Sophie’s speech was soft, which was the only comfortable noise in a sea of fear. “Ella, be careful, you are playing with fire now.”

Ella could now clearly feel the gravity of the words Sophie just spoke to her, and she rested back on her chair. “I know”. But I have to protect Lily. This all comes down to the fact that I have to do my best to protect Lily.

Days migrated to weeks, and higher levels of stress were placed on everyone. Diana did not let up, and her expectations pounded on like music in the back of my head. “We need answers, Ella,” she said, annoyed during a team meeting.

Ella's resolve was crumbling. “I’m doing all I can to help,” she told her, but hesitance was clearly evident in her tone.

Diana's eyes narrowed. “I assure you do”, Such a story could turn out to be the biggest story you’ve ever come across in your entire life.

Ella just nodded her head, she was feeling blank inside of her. The biggest, indeed, and potentially the most destructive one in the process of the world's contemporary history.

As the investigation went on, the feeling of the being caught only increased in Ella. She had visions of the shadows where there were none, voices in the emptiness where there was no sound. But the ghosts of the truth that remained in her life even when a lie became real.

It happened one night when Ella was putting Lily to bed, her daughter looked up at her with those pure and loving eyes and that’s when Ella made a promise to herself. This woman would locate the source of the leak, and she would conclude this particular narrative in whatever way she wanted.

Yet, when she leaned in to give Lily a good night kiss, something that she had never thought she would be reduced to, a lone tear rolled down her face. For deep in her throat, Ella understood that some truths, once told, can never be buried again.