Behind The Spotlight Chapter 261
Collin was driving Jennifer to her apartment. His hands were steady on the wheel despite the heaviness in the car. The woman had been quiet the whole time, staring blankly out the window. What happened today was so huge that millions of Americans had watched the last segment of the show. It was impactful, a topic that would last for days.
Not only that, but Jennifer had been reprimanded by the TV network. The executives were harsh with their words. Joel and Patrick also put the blame on her, she was the scapegoat. But Jennifer probably knew about it from the start and had accepted the consequences.
Now, she was suspended for a month, and Morning with Jennifer had to find a temporary host to handle the show.
Jennifer was just too reckless, and the production team and the TV network couldn't handle someone like her.
As for Shawn Jacob and Salvador Manuel, they were so livid that another riot almost happened. Salvador had stared at Collin coldly as he realized what had happened. He had an idea.
"...We are here." Collin parked the car and informed Jennifer. His voice was gentle, careful not to startle her.
"Hm." The woman nodded weakly and opened the door, her movements slow and drained.
"Let me take you to your place." Collin could see that Jennifer was facing a dilemma. Her complexion was pale.
As the elevator went up, Jennifer opened her mouth and spoke, as if forcing herself to breathe.
"If you knew about my plan, would you have helped me?" she asked, her head low as she looked down.
"Yes," Collin answered quickly.
Jennifer chuckled weakly, which made her feel a bit better.
"Do you think I did the right thing?" Her voice choked as tears fell to the floor. Her shoulders trembled despite her efforts to stay composed.
"Yes."
"But I destroyed my career. Collin, you lost a client who could bring you money. Aren't you sad? You should blame me," Jennifer sobbed.
She just couldn't accept it. Jennifer felt that if she had helped Shawn clear his reputation, her brother would never forgive her.
'No. I couldn't forgive myself if I helped Shawn. That's... That's how immature I am.' She sobbed.
Collin hugged the woman and patted her back, consoling her. His arms were firm and safe.
"Don't worry, I will find a way to fix this."
Suddenly, the elevator doors opened, and a stranger saw Jennifer crying while Collin hugged her, the scene frozen in an intimate moment.
The stranger thought they were a couple making out, with the boyfriend consoling his girlfriend. He jumped to the obvious conclusion. The stranger didn't step inside the elevator, as it was too awkward. He quickly looked away and pretended nothing was happening.
The elevator doors closed again, with Jennifer holding Collin's shirt tightly as she cried.
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The next day, as everybody expected, the biggest headline was about Shawn Jacob's misbehavior on the morning show titled Morning with Jennifer.
Almost every publisher and news network tackled the issue. They talked about Shawn's admission of his crime in front of millions of people. It was clear that Shawn would get the rightful verdict. Even the best lawyer in the country would have to make a deal with the devil just to save him, which would be impossible.
They also talked about the tragedy of Mr. and Mrs. Diaz. The whole country sympathized with the loss of their loved ones. They also searched for the deceased husband's family who accepted money from Shawn and reprimanded them.
Naturally, the media also talked about Jennifer Randon and her bravery for standing up against Shawn. Most people didn't know the inside story, so they just made up their own versions.
Either way, Shawn's career was over, and he would spend a long time in jail. Even if he came out of prison, no one in Hollywood would work with him again. With his age, Shawn would probably die in prison. His legacy was forever tarnished by his own decisions.
Early that morning, so many people turned on their televisions and tuned their channels to Nation TV. They were waiting for Morning with Jennifer, wanting to know the outcome.
Just as many expected, Jennifer was suspended. The woman hosting the show was Kimberly Alphonse, a sports reporter. She was one of the women who had auditioned for the hosting position, but Jennifer had gotten the job. Kimberly was also from ANT.
Morning with Jennifer was a package deal that ANT handled, most of the crew members came from ANT. Of course, ANT wouldn't let a person from a different agency take over the job.
While that was happening, Jennifer Randon decided to leave Los Angeles and return to her hometown to spend time with her parents. Jennifer wore sunglasses just to hide her identity when she boarded the plane.
She cried so hard when her parents welcomed her at the airport.
"Jennifer, I'm proud of you." Jennifer's dad hugged her and patted her back. Her mother also cried and hugged Jennifer.
A family of three cried and made a scene at the airport. If not for Jennifer's sunglasses, many people would have already approached them because Jennifer had become too famous within the span of 24 hours.
"I have a whole month of vacation." She smiled, though her nose and eyes were red.
"That's good to hear. We miss you."
"Hm." Jennifer nodded.
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Shawn was convicted of 4 counts of DUI Manslaughter and sentenced to 29 years in prison. He won't be out for a very long time, by the time he leaves prison, he will be in his late 70s.
[Thank you for reading this novel.]