Chapter 2: Backflips, Backstage, and Broken Trust

The next day, I was rushed onto an extreme challenge reality show. To squash the rumors, I even posted a belly-baring photo on Instagram. Sucking in my stomach for the shot was exhausting. The things I do for PR. On the show, I did three backflips in a row, earning a wave of cheers.

Nothing says "not pregnant" like acrobatics on national TV. Gotta love the internet. The comments were a riot—people speculating about my core strength, my diet, even my shoe brand. The internet is wild.

"Wasn't our girl supposed to be pregnant? How's she on an extreme challenge show?"

"Three backflips—that's basically her way of clearing up the rumors."

I sighed.

"If she really wasn't pregnant, would she need to make such a big deal?"

"Isn't this just a case of 'the lady doth protest too much'?"

Looking at these comments, I couldn't help but marvel at the power of internet trolls. Honestly, what do they want from me? It's as ridiculous as trying to prove your mom is actually your mom. I finally made it to the mid-show break when Taylor updated me on the latest buzz.

She asked, "Should we issue a PR statement?"

I shook my head. I've done enough to clear things up for my real fans. As for the haters—who cares about them?

Taylor went off to coordinate the next segment with the production team, and there was a guy standing there—definitely not staff, with dark green hair, of all things. My first thought: Which hater snuck backstage to confront me?

He turned, our eyes met, and I sucked in a breath and hiccuped, shivering.

"Hic."

Wasn't this my movie star husband? We hadn't seen each other in almost three months, and our last chat was when I asked for a divorce.

"Hic... Caleb?"

Caleb spotted me and stepped closer—so close I could hear his heartbeat. He smelled faintly of whiskey. But wasn't he famously a non-smoker and non-drinker? He paused, then stepped in even closer.

His voice, clear but low, made my bones go numb.

"You're pregnant?"

So he saw the news too, just not the latest update. I'd just cleared things up! I shook my head. "No."

His voice dropped. "Still lying to me? You sent me divorce papers just days ago—because of him, right?" Here we go.

Waiting online for advice: What do I do if my husband of less than a year thinks I'm cheating?

Caleb pressed, "I'll ask again. Whose is it?"

I panicked. "It's not a person!"

He sneered, acting like the wounded husband.

"Right, not a person."

"No, listen—my wanting a divorce has nothing to do with being pregnant!"

As I was getting frustrated, a voice boomed from behind me:

"Whoa, what the hell is going on?"

A bunch of fans rushed in, catching the scene. Wait, wasn't this supposed to be the backstage lounge?

Taylor stood in front of the fans, stunned speechless by what she saw. Some fans started snapping photos, whispering:

"Oh my god, Savannah and the movie star..."

"What gossip am I witnessing today?"

"Ahhh, Caleb is our brother-in-law!"

The sound of cameras and cheers filled the air. Caleb quickly pulled me inside and locked the door. He pinned me against the door, one hand braced above my head, dark eyes swirling with anger.

"Hic..."

My heart started racing weirdly. Caleb's face—damn, he's so handsome.

He let me go.

"Caleb, I want a divorce. It's not about this."

"The kid's not yours, so don't get any ideas."

Once we're divorced, there's no way I'm letting him have Maple—or any of her kittens! Who knows what he'd do if he ever found out about Maple's little escapades. But for now, Caleb didn't know.

He raised an eyebrow, placed his hand on my belly. "Oh? Then whose is it?"

As soon as his hand touched my belly, he frowned, sensing something off. He poked at my stomach, then realization dawned. I shoved him away, exasperated. "It's from eating too much! All fat, okay? Here, here, here—just fat."

"Where would I get a kid? Should I pull one out of thin air?"

"Besides, Caleb, I've been so busy this whole year of marriage—where would I even find time to cheat?"

Saying that made me blush. God, why did I say that out loud?

Caleb's eyes reddened, his tone softening: "Then why suddenly ask for a divorce?"

I tossed out a random excuse: "I prefer younger, stronger guys. You're too old."

Suddenly, the door started unlocking. Caleb instinctively hugged me tight. Click. The door opened, and both our managers walked in, catching Caleb holding me. We were both promptly invited for a "chat."

"Savannah, did you forget? I scheduled a fan signing during the break!" Oops, I really did forget.

"So, are you two together or not? Should we go public? How do I handle PR?"

I blurted out, "No, don't go public!"

The managers agreed: "Alright, we'll just say it was a coincidence!" This went so smoothly I almost wondered if this was really the entertainment industry.