most potent drivers of money and power. And it isn't only the news. Pop culture is a tool used for political control. They censor messages they don't want the public to hear or songs that might cause someone to stand back and think. Fake narratives and situations look real. Soon, they will dominate every single aspect worldwide. I would never have become famous across Latin America if I didn't move managers. I'm only at the top of the charts because they put me there."
"No. You have talent. You belong there," he insists.
"Do I? If they don't manage you, then you get held back. Someone else might be more worthy of my spot. But we'll never know."
"Zoe—"
"It doesn't matter. What I thought was important..." I take a deep breath. "...before I fired my manager and became their property..." I close my eyes and try to stop the emotions from overpowering me.
He sternly says, "Who hurt you?"
I shake my head too choked up to speak.
"Zoe, I need to know."
"Too many to count."
"Names. Give me names."
"What does it matter?"
"I need to know," he repeats.
"You don't."
"I do. Tell me."
"Why? So you can have a visual of me with them?"
"What? No!"
"I don't want you to know."
"Why?"
I wipe my face. "It's not who I ever wanted to be with."
He strokes my cheek. "Give me names, Zoe."
"Please drop this. There's too many. You won't even know most of them."
"Was Santiago one of them?"
"No. He tortures in other ways."
"What did he do to you?"
"Why can't you drop this?"
"Because I can't."
We go round and round, and I finally give up trying to hide.
"Who are they?" he asks again.
"Men you probably never heard of and then ones you have."
"Who would I know?"
I inhale deeply. "The President of the United States. The Prime Minister of the U.K. Jonas Torres, just to name the top three, I despise the most."
He freezes and says nothing.
"Are you happy now?" I accuse.
He pulls me into him. "No. How did you survive that?"
"How does any whore survive?"
"Stop calling yourself that."
"Why? I was paid to sing and entertain. My bank account is worth millions. That makes me their prostitute."
"They raped you. That's not your fault."
Since before my first incident with Antonio, no one has said that word to me. It's five letters I don't allow myself to use because I hate the truth and fact it happened.
I turn away. "I had to have it all. I couldn't be content with where I was at."
He turns my face to his. "Ambition doesn't make any of this your fault."
"Doesn't it?"
"Absolutely not."
"I should have been happy with what I had."
He places both hands on my head. "Listen to me, Zoe. You did nothing wrong. Their actions are on them. What they did to you..." He wipes the tears off my cheek with his thumbs, "You didn't deserve any of that."
Years of holding everything in and guilt flood me, and I sob.
He holds me tight to him, trying to calm me, stroking my head and kissing it from time to time.
Along with the pain of the past, is the pain of the future. Now he knows what they've done. There is no more hiding. As much as I wanted to be the Zoe Diego he assumed I was, I'm not. And any hope I had for us to somehow get past the events of this morning and move forward together is impossible.
There's no turning back once the truth is revealed.
11
Dirk
"Wake up, my Little Diva," I gently stroke Zoe's cheek. She fell asleep in my arms a few hours ago. It's around 3 a.m., and the rain finally stopped.
For the last few hours, a tornado of anger has destroyed my soul. The faces of those who have hurt her are etched in my thoughts. I've met the President and Prime Minister. Torres, I only know from photos. But all of them are cold, callous men I had no respect for before my conversation with Zoe. Hearing her tell me they raped her, sends a level of hatred so deep within me, I'm not sure what to do with it.
The limited information she told me about the Global Leaders and their involvement in the drug war and entertainment industry I haven't even begun to wrap my mind around.
All I can do is hold Zoe while she sleeps. I want to help her, but I'm not sure how. And I kick myself for putting her in any sexual position after everything they forced her to do.