I check my reflection. Looks good. Tight black skirt, white blouse, black jacket, and matching shoes give me the serious writer look I want to portray.

Today’s a special day, and I have to look my best.

Ian and Ed wanted a war…and they’re about to get one.

“You look hot,” Scott whispers in my ear as he walks past. I quash the flicker of desire with thoughts of ice water.

A quick check of my wristwatch confirms that the head of the network should be walking through the door to our set any second. And right on queue, he comes in.

I nod in his direction and am pleased to see Derrick intercept him before Ed gets to him.

With a deep breath, I walk to the set.

Brad and Scott both smile at me in an encouraging sort of way. They know what’s about to happen. Scott gives me the thumbs up.

I catch a glimpse of Ian and Ed in an intense discussion. This is going to be so good.

A feeling of schadenfreude overcomes me already. Pricks, both of them. They deserve what’s about to happen.

“What’s going on, Kayla?” Ed stops me midstep.

Is that fear I hear in his voice?

“Baby cakes, tell me what you’re up to.”

“I told you not to call me that,” I say coolly and push past him.

Ian is now by Ed’s side.

“What did she tell you?” I hear Ian ask Ed, but I just ignore the two of them.

I push past them. When I’m on the set, I take a bundle of papers from one of the prop boys.

“First of all, let me welcome Mr. Prong, head of the network, to the set today.” I pause to applaud. The others join me. “I have invited the honorable Mr. Prong to watch our filming today.”

I pause to relish in the electric atmosphere and then add, “There’s been a rewrite.”

Ian snorts, and Ed visibly tenses.

“Here’s the amended script.”

I walk over to Ian and Ed to give them the paper.

Frantically, Ian flicks through the pages. His face visibly whitens to the color of a ghost.

“She can’t do this, Ed.” Ian’s voice is near hysterical.

“Oh, yes I can,” I reply for Ed.

Ed glares at me.

“Really, Kayla. I thought we talked about this.” He holds the typed pages toward me.

I nod. “We did, and you did not want to listen to my ideas. You dictated what should happen, and your ideas were not in the best interest of the show but in the best interest of yourself.”

I hear Ian gasp in disbelief. I chuckle inwardly. He must have read about his own death.

When I had made up my mind to kill Ian off, I had to work out how.

“You can’t kill me off.” Ian is almost hyperventilating. “Did you see this?”

He is waving the pages in front of Ed’s face.

“She has written total nonsense. It says here I’m walking along drunk on the main road when I stop to stare at oncoming lights. Since I think the lights belong to two bike riders, I do not move. And I don’t realize the oncoming lights are from a tram until it is almost too late. But before the tram can kill me, a crane lifting heavy metal poles onto a building site looses a pole, which lands on top of me.”

With an expressionless face, I look from Ed to Ian.

“What’s the problem? You’d rather be killed by the tram? There are no lines for you to remember, so it shouldn’t take too long to film this scene.”

Ed takes a step toward me.

“You know Ian is off-limits.”

I flinch, but only because Ed has an unpleasant mouth odor.

“You cannot threaten me anymore,” I say and take a step back. “I know your little secret, and in a minute, so will everyone else.”

A mixture of shock, disbelief, and horror reflects in Ed’s face. He looks at his phone.

“As much as I want to hear more of your little make-believe stories, I’ve got to take this.”

Not this time, sunshine. I reach for the stupid device and pull it out of his hand. The element of surprise is on my side.

“Not this time, Ed.”

I throw the phone in a wide arc across the room.

“Now that I have your full attention, let me tell you what I know. I know about your gambling debts. I know your sister is helping you out financially. If it weren’t for her, you’d be broke already. A gambling habit is rather expensive, isn’t it?” I pause, not because I want an answer, but more for dramatic effect.

“Now one wonders why your sister would help you out like that. What’s in it for her? She’s not doing it for fame. What is she doing it for?” I add.

I love this. It’s finally payback time. That little shit will be unlikely to get another acting job around here any time soon.

“But if one knows the family tree, it is not really hard to know why she’s doing it. She’s a mother, doing what any mother would do if her son had no talent. She’s giving you, her brother, money, and in return, you make sure Ian baby here works as an a actor at all costs.”

I glance at Ian. He seems to be fighting back the tears.

“And then, to make a little on the side, you sold information about me, Brad, and Scott to some bloggers so they could write trash about us.”

To my surprise, Ed does not try and refute what I’ve said. Instead, he goes over to where his phone landed, picks it up, and then leaves the set without another word.

Ian hovers on the same spot for a few more seconds before he, too, leaves.

Brad and Scott are still smiling. Brad is applauding.

Pride swells in me. I wish Angela could see me. Finally, I have stood up for what I believe in.

“Shouldn’t be too hard to film the killing scene, even if Ian does not come back,” announces Derrick, and I laugh.

Mr. Prong waves me over to him.

“Looks like the two of us need to meet and discuss the future of the show and you.”