Chapter 34: New determination

"Are you ready?" Jessica asked her as she paced the room, preparing mentally for her statement.

She closed her eyes, thinking that this would either make or break her career in the industry. She looked one last time at herself in the mirror. She was amazed at what modern technology could do to change her appearance.

Her stylist made a great job of transforming her back to her usual style. She was wearing her typical clothing, consisting of an elegant one-piece body-hugging, off-shoulder, knee-length dress. A five inches heels that only heightens his model-like figure.

Her makeup was done to make her look fresh and lively. Her hair looked very much different from what she was beginning to get accustomed to. It was now ash-blonde with a long wavy extension that went beyond her shoulders.

With one last deep breath, she shrugged her shoulders and turned around to face her manager. "Yes." A simple word that could change her world in a few more minutes.

A knock on the door signaled that the conference was about to begin. Jessica ushered her outside to the long hallway, into the elevator. On the way to the function room of the hotel where the press meeting would be held.

As the elevator opened to the ground floor, her eyes immediately locked with a set of amber eyes. His hair was cut shorter than what he sported back at the island. He looked different with an expensive suit on compared to his usual shirts and shorts he wore.

He was the first to look away as he continued to talk to the old man at his side as they waited for them to get out of the lift. In the meantime, Jessica nudged her at her elbows, waking her up from her trance.

"Are you alright?" Jessica asked as she pulled her outside of the elevator and passed him.

"Yeah, just rehearsing in my mind my statement." She quickly retorted back. Afraid to be caught staring at him.

She wanted to look back, to get a glimpse of him once again, but it would be no use. He did not even give her a second look. He did not even recognize her, even as Sabrina who lived in his villa these last several weeks.

She wondered if he even searched for her when she went missing. Did he even think of her or missed her, not her, but Sky? She quickly blocked away her thoughts of him. She needed her full concentration on the press conference that was about to happen in a few minutes.

They were ushered to a big room where several of the media people were already seated with their mikes, cellphones, and recorders ready and waiting for her. Cameras and lightings were already set on the side of the room.

Cameras started flashing as soon as the reporters and cameraman saw her entered the room. She had to cover her eyes from the blinding light of the flashes, but she maintained her smile as she walked to the table set up for them at the center stage in front of the room.

She sat in the middle, Jessica on her right and the moderator on her left. The media started to settle on their chairs as the host began his introduction. Then, the floor was all hers as the entire room became silent, waiting for her statement.

She bit her lip, trying to wet the dryness on it before placing her mike in front of her. She never thought of crying since she was not here to garner the sympathy of the people. She wanted their understanding, nothing more.

"Thank you for coming today to hear my side of the story. I am not here to make light of the situation that I was involved with, especially that many youths look up to me as their role model. I admit that I made a huge error of judgment by entering an affair with a married man. A morally wrong decision on my part that I am shamefully regretting at this point of my life.

I am not here to make excuses for my action but to explain that I am also human capable of making a mistake. I had allowed my heart to take over my decision-making instead of my head. For that, I sincerely apologized to the people I have hurt in the process."

Her statement was short, but it was what she truly felt. If people would take heed of her plea for forgiveness, then maybe she would still have a career to go back to later on.

The moderator took charge of the question and answer portion of the meeting. Taking one question at a time.

"Sabrina, how do you feel that Mayor De Luca was taking all the blame for the sex scandal, sacrificing his career for you?" The first reporter asked, standing in front of the mike placed in the center of the room.

Jessica was about to interrupt her when she signaled to her that she would answer it.

"Mayor De Luca or Brad was a man I always admired from the moment I met him. Getting to know the man with all his good qualities and his flaw made me fall in love with him instantly. For the year that we had been together, it was more than the dirty scandal that people made it up to be." She had to pause as the press started making a fuss with her revelation.

The crowd started whispering, frantic to ask a follow-up question since she just confirmed that their relationship was not a one-night thing, but had been going on for a long time. She decided to wait for them to quiet down as she continued with her answer.

"What we had was not a casual fling, but was built on friendship, respect, and love. It may be a wrong kind of relationship, but it felt right when we were together. If I was in his position, I would have sacrificed myself for him because that was the right thing to do." She finished, putting away the mike as she whispered something to her manager.

"I want to answer a few more questions before we wrapped up this meeting." She told Jessica.

"Do you still love him?" Another reporter asked when the moderator signaled for him to begin.

"Love if true doesn't go away even with time. It may change its characteristic, value, and significance but it will remain in our hearts no matter what." One lady reporter on the corner started applauding upon hearing her answer. Then, the rest also nodded their approval.

A few more questions were asked, and she answered them as cordially as she could. Not that she had anything anymore to hide. Except of course her secret that would remain on the island as far as she was concerned.

Nobody was able to prove that she was indeed hiding on the island. It remained speculation that no one wanted to pursue. They found a couple staying at the villa, covering the story that Sabrina Sanders was never even on the island in the first place.

"Thank you for your time." She parted to the press and her fans before standing up and walking out of the room.

She was immediately escorted back to her hotel room, which was in one of the penthouse suites. As they rode the elevator, her thoughts went back to the time she saw him in the lobby. Was it a coincidence or was it fate playing tricks on her once again?

She strode into her room and locked the door, living Jessica and the rest of the people helping her in the living room. She just wanted to be alone with her thoughts. Although she had sworn to forget about him, seeing him again brought back all their wonderful memories.

However, it also reminded her of what she could not have. A future with Raf. If he ever found out what she did, he would only hate her more. There was just no other way for them but to go on their separate ways. She would rather be left with the happy memories of their short affair.

Leaving her with a new determination to change the direction of her life. To give herself a chance to discover herself. The true Sabrina Sanders that she could be proud of and be happy with, not the one locked in this room, sorry about her past.