One Special Moment - Brenda Jackson [86]
“Colby, do me a favor and take your brother home and put him to bed for a nap. I think this little excitement has worn him out,” Cynthia said, laughing.
“Sure thing.”
When Colby walked out of the hospital with James on one side of her and Mac on the other, she was unexpectedly surrounded by reporters. They were everywhere and were flashing their mikes and cameras in her face. Mac reacted quickly and placed himself between Colby and a number of the reporters.
“Have you seen this morning’s paper, Mrs. Hamilton?”
“What comment would you like to make?”
“Did you have any idea about the affair going on between your husband and Diamond Swain?”
“Why did he order that she replace Rachel Hill in his latest movie?”
“Is it true he has left you for Swain and that he’s filed for a divorce?”
Colby was taken aback by the bombardment of questions coming at her all at once. “What are you talking about?”
One reporter replied for the others. “We’re talking about the picture and article appearing in this morning’s paper.”
Colby’s face showed her confusion. “What picture? What article?”
No sooner had she asked the questions, than a newspaper was practically shoved in her face. She saw the front page picture of Sterling holding Diamond Swain in his arms. The headlines read, The Hamilton-Swain Fling is on Again!!
Colby frowned. Then she neatly folded the paper and handed it back to the reporter. “I can’t believe someone would print such garbage.”
“Then you don’t believe it?”
“Of course not.”
“Did you know your husband asked that Diamond Swain replace Rachel Hill as his leading lady in the movie he’s currently filming in Spain?”
“Did you know he’s carrying on an affair with Diamond Swain while the movie is being filmed?”
Before Colby could respond the reporter continued. “That picture on the front page of today’s paper shows them embracing right after he left her hotel room around three a.m. this morning.”
“Come on, Colby, you don’t have to listen to any of this,” James said, taking his sister’s hand and leading her away.
Another reporter seized that opportunity to yell out, “The truth is in that photograph, Mrs. Hamilton. You can’t deny it. Take a good look at it and you’ll see two people who care a lot for each other. It seems Sterling Hamilton is playing you for a fool.”
An angry Mac pushed their way through the reporters. It was only after Colby was securely settled into the back seat of the car with James getting in with her and Mac at the wheel, that she gave into her tears and cried on James’s shoulder.
James looked at his sister as she sat at the kitchen table eating the sandwich he had made for her. “I can’t believe how calmly you’re taking all of this,” he said.
Colby stopped eating and glanced up at him. “Calmly? I don’t call crying my eyes out on your shoulder taking anything calmly. I feel sorry for whoever wrote that article and took that picture. Sterling’s going to be furious.”
James came and sat down at the table across from her. “I take it you don’t believe any of it?”
Colby thought long and hard about James’s question. Sterling’s relationship with Diamond Swain was something the two of them had never discussed since they had gotten married. But deep in her heart, she believed he would not be unfaithful to her. She refused to believe these past few weeks with him had been a lie and that he would think so little of her and sleep with another woman.
“No, I don’t believe it,” she answered softly.
“Then why were you crying?”
“Because I was mad. The media has gone too far. How can anyone stoop so low and print something like that? It’s like those reporters want to think the worst of Sterling.”
“Diamond Swain has replaced Rachel Hill on the set of that movie Hamilton is filming in Spain, Colby. The midday news confirmed that,” James pointed out.
She nodded. “Yes, I know, but there has to be a good reason she was replaced by Diamond Swain.”
“Okay, then explain the picture, Colby.”
Colby shrugged, not wanting to think of the