The Prize Unwon

It was the year I had my best shot at winning an Oscar. Suddenly, scandalous photos of me flooded the internet. The Academy said they couldn't give the award to someone with questionable morals and removed me from the nominations. Only my boyfriend, Ryan, tirelessly defended my name. Later, my reputation was cleared, but I missed out on the Oscar. Ryan pulled me into his arms, comforting me, “It’s okay, Aubrey. Just wait. Next time, you’ll definitely be an Oscar winner.” “Next time, I’ll be there with you. Next Valentine’s Day, we’ll go public.” I’d heard Ryan say “next time” too many times. So this time, I refused. “No need for a ‘next time,’ Ryan. Why did that gossip blog call you for the final payment last night after spreading those pictures of me?”