Chapter 4: Scandal, Slaps, and Redemption

The big screen confirmed he was right.

Even I couldn’t remember that detail.

The host was floored: “Director Ethan, did you memorize the whole script?”

Ethan’s lips curled into that half-smile of his.

“No. Just paid more attention to the scenes with the actors I care about.”

Originally, everyone was supposed to gush about my and Lucas’s chemistry.

But now the spotlight was all on Ethan.

“Wow, first time directing and he knows the script by heart. So professional!”

“But he only nails the second leads’ scenes…”

“He said it—he’s interested in the actors. Wait, is he into Lucas? Shocking!”

“No, it’s probably Reese he’s interested in…”

“If you watch Ethan, his eyes are always on a certain someone!”

...

I tried to keep the CP going with Lucas, but he’d already thrown in the towel:

“Reese, why not just go back to Ethan? He’s the real deal.”

I facepalmed.

Next up was a CP-hype segment: find your teammate in the dark, shout the promo line before the lights come back.

I was ready—Lucas and I had planned to meet at the lower right of the stage.

But I’m night blind—can’t see squat in the dark. Figures.

So I got totally lost, wandering around like a bat with no radar.

I tripped on something, falling sideways—

Suddenly, strong arms caught my waist. Warm breath on my neck.

“I’m here.”

My body stiffened. That was… Ethan’s voice. No mistaking it.

I tried to get my bearings, but he held me tight, his cool scent all around me.

He whispered:

“Don’t wander if you can’t see.”

Just then, another group shouted their line and the lights snapped on.

And there I was, caught in the spotlight, wrapped in Ethan’s arms.

Lucas stared, jaw dropped. I didn’t blame him.

Everyone else was stunned.

I looked around, wishing I could just faint.

The comments exploded.

“Never seen this before—this is too much, I can’t take it.”

“I’m done. Can this woman just go away? Give her a little attention and she tries to take over the show. I’m sick.”

“Is she okay? Even if they were married, aren’t they divorced? She really knows how to milk the drama.”

“Why blame her? Ethan’s the one holding her so tight. Why not blame him?”

...

The host coughed: “Ahem… congrats to Team Carter for winning!”

Ethan let go, stepping aside.

“Ms. Callahan, be careful—even in the dark.”

I forced a smile and nodded.

Lucas crept over: “Reese, what… happened?”

I looked at him, dead inside.

“Too many accidents—maybe no more live shows for me…”

The host did his best to move things along.

Lucas and I whispered, still faking chemistry. Not that anyone was buying it.

At the end, each guest said something to the audience.

Everyone talked about their characters.

Ethan was last. He picked up the mic, smiling gently.

“This is my first time directing, and I’m grateful for the support.”

“I put my heart into this, and every character feels real and alive, every emotion sincere.”

“But I want to remind everyone: when you ship couples, try not to invade the actors’ private lives. Drama is drama, reality is reality. The characters you love will be happy in their own world.”

He got a round of applause.

And just like that, my attempt to hype the CP went down in flames.

After all my efforts to clear my name, I just got a few more scandals.

On social media, even the bots were roasting me.

I looked at my phone, thinking maybe being the industry’s bad girl wasn’t so bad after all.

But weirdly, a director still sent me a script.

When we met, he grinned, eyes twinkling. Like he knew something I didn’t.

“That livestream was pure gold. I figured if you and Ethan worked together again, it’d be a hit.”

I eyed him skeptically. Was this guy for real?

If I didn’t know this was Oscar-winning director Martin Shaw, I’d have told him to get his head checked.

Martin chatted for ages, saying he believed I’d get through the scandals.

Even though I didn’t want to get tangled up with Ethan again, I took the script.

Everyone in the business knows, Martin’s movies are always top tier.

It’s just a guy. No way I’m letting him derail my career.

The only problem: the second male lead was going to be Blake Adams.

The same hotshot actor I once called ugly but full of himself.