"Anne! You must calm down! I've never seen you quite this upset before!" The countess said as she stroked Anne's hair.
"I-I can't!" Anne cried. Huge, gasping sobs escaped her.
"Anne! Anne, come now." The countess said. She looked over at the General and the chamber maid who were helpless as to what to do.
"Anne, I told you that newspapers were nothing but trouble. I knew I should have refused your request for one this morning. Now look what's happened."
The chamber maid looked sullen. Timidly she walked over to the countess who was holding Anne's hand.
"I-I'm sorry, ma'am. I was the one who got the paper for the Princess! I had no idea it would cause so much trouble."
"It's okay, Rosa. 'It's not your fault." The countess said. "Those reporters will dig up anything to hurt other people. She looked over at Anne who continued to sob.
"I've never seen anyone quite so hysterical over a silly newspaper article." The General said.
"It's not silly." The countess said. "This is a disgrace."
Anne's sobs quieted as she lay on the bed.
"Oh thank goodness." Rosa said. "She's finally asleep."
"Come, let's leave Anne to rest. She's had a hard day." The countess said. She covered Anne with the comforter and followed the General and Rosa out of the room.
As soon as the door was closed, Anne opened her eyes. At least she had fooled them into thinking that she was asleep. She got out of bed and walked over to the mirror, examining her red swollen eyes. She turned to see the newspaper lying at the foot of her bed. Her hands shook as she picked it up. The headline jumped out at her.
...SECRETS REVEALED...JOE BRADLEY
Once again, tears spilled onto her cheeks. These weren't secrets; they were lies...all of them. Not one shred of truth filled the page. And it was because of Mr. Bradley. Why would he do this to her?
She was stupid enough to think that he might have loved her. How could he? She was the one who left him; not the other way around. She thought of all the special moments she had shared with Joe. Even though they only spent one day with him, she would treasure those memories forever. Finally she had found someone who would love her that she could love in return.
At least, until now, when one newspaper article shattered her world.