Chapter 4: Viral Love and Vicious Lies

Meanwhile, the ratings and reputation of Madison’s beach show crashed. After two episodes of backlash, she refused to go back, and her sponsor paid the penalty. The director called me, hoping I’d return. I refused. Once he’d dropped me for someone else, our partnership was over.

He begged, but I stood firm. I’d learned my lesson—never be anyone’s second choice.

He found a replacement, but the show never recovered and was quickly canceled.

The network quietly pulled the plug, pretending it was always meant to be a “limited series.”

“Just giving you a heads-up so you’re not blindsided later,” Madison cornered me in the restroom as I was leaving. She puffed up with pride. “You don’t need to go to that dating show anymore—the agency gave it to me.”

She blocked the door, lips curled in a smug grin. I tried not to roll my eyes. Here we go again.

I froze, but quickly recovered. This was nothing new—she always went after my best gigs. Whatever. I was leaving in a month anyway.

I shrugged, keeping my voice calm. “Okay. Have fun.”

I could see her itching for a reaction, but I refused to give her one.

“Don’t pretend! I know you’re secretly crying. No matter how smart or hardworking you are, I’ll always crush you.”

She was practically vibrating with glee. I wondered if she practiced these speeches in the mirror.

“Do you really hate me that much?”

I asked softly, genuinely curious. Madison’s face twisted.

“I can’t stand fake, attention-seeking people like you. We joined the agency and trained together, but all the teachers praised you for being talented and hardworking. You always picked things up first—singing, dancing, everything. Because of you, the teachers yelled at me for slacking. How could I not hate you?”

Her voice trembled with old resentment. I almost felt sorry for her. Almost.

“I just did my job and finished my assignments. Blaming others for your own laziness—how does that make sense?” I honestly didn’t get it.

I shook my head, baffled. “You could’ve been great, Madison. You just never tried.”

“I just want you to know, no matter how hard you try, you’ll never beat me!” Her eyes glinted with malice. “You think you can hook up with Carter? Not on my watch! You’re just a nobody—meant to be walked all over by me!”

She leaned in, her voice a harsh whisper. I stood my ground.

“Do you know why I never fought back?” I said calmly. “Not because I’m scared of you, but because I can’t be bothered. People like you always get what’s coming to them.”

I looked her in the eye, hoping she’d finally understand.

“Yeah, sure—in your dreams,” she sneered. “Keep fantasizing.”

She spun on her heel and stormed out. I let out a long breath, relieved it was over.

Soon, the agency officially replaced me with Madison on the dating show. Zoe cried again, but knowing I was leaving, she wasn’t as upset.

She brought me ice cream and we watched reruns of Friends, just like old times.

“I bet she’ll ruin this show, too,” she said. “She wastes every good opportunity.”

I agreed.

I patted her shoulder. “Let’s just kick back and watch the fireworks for once.”

Two days later, Carter called.

His number popped up, and my heart skipped. I answered on the first ring.

“Heard your spot got taken by another girl from your agency. I’m not doing it anymore, either.”

His voice was calm, but I could hear the disappointment.

“Don’t you have to pay a penalty if you quit?” I asked.

I figured even a rich kid wouldn’t want to burn money for nothing.

He was rich enough, but still. Even for a trust fund kid, that’s gotta sting.

He chuckled. “It’s fine. No, the director’s my cousin,” Carter said casually. “He didn’t have enough money for the show, so I invested. Now he owes me.”

Of course. It all made sense now.

No wonder he got my number from the crew.

He probably had the whole production team on speed dial.

“So you only joined because of your cousin?”

I teased, trying to keep things light. Carter laughed.

“Yeah, he couldn’t find anyone, so I filled in.”

He sounded almost embarrassed. I pictured him rolling his eyes at the whole situation.

“You don’t have to quit because of me. If you want to keep going—”

I didn’t want him to feel pressured. He cut me off gently.

“No, I don’t want to. If I hadn’t met you, I wouldn’t have done the second round. My cousin already found a replacement—I just didn’t want to leave because I wanted to keep seeing you.”

His voice was soft, sincere. My heart did a little somersault.

I stopped, stunned. Was he saying what I thought?

I gripped the phone, suddenly nervous. Carter waited, not saying a word.

He made it clear. “Brooke, can I pursue you?” The words hung in the air, heavy and sweet. My heart pounded in my chest, and I felt my face heat up.

Time seemed to slow down, every second stretched out.

I bit my lip, torn between laughing and crying. This was real.

I hesitated—if I said yes right away, would it seem too eager?

I wanted to play it cool, but my silence must’ve given me away.

Before I could answer, he added, “Not saying anything means yes.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Since when did that count?”

Carter chuckled. “Brooke, I like you. You’re the cutest girl I’ve ever met.”

He sounded so earnest, I couldn’t help but smile. I finally whispered, “I like you too.”

With just over a month left on my contract, and no more gigs coming my way, I decided to cut loose and take a trip to Montana.

I booked a cabin near Glacier National Park, ready for some peace and quiet. Zoe helped me pack, sneaking snacks into my suitcase.

As soon as I boarded the plane, I saw Carter sitting next to me.

He grinned, already buckled in, like he’d been waiting for me all morning. Was this real life?

“You—”

I blinked, stunned. He winked, patting the empty seat.

“It’s not safe for a girl to travel alone. I’ll protect you.” He grinned.

He said it with a wink, but I could tell he meant it. My heart fluttered.

“How did you know where I was going? Or my flight?”

I narrowed my eyes, suspicious. He just smirked.

“Your big brother told me.” He looked smug. “He said I’m a good guy—he approves.”

He leaned back, arms crossed, looking way too pleased with himself.

When did he meet my brother? Wait—how did he know about my family?

I’d never told anyone in the industry about my real background, not even Zoe. I didn’t want drama or gossip.

He must’ve seen the confusion on my face.

“You looked me up?” I frowned.

I tried to sound stern, but my curiosity got the better of me.

“No!” He shook his head quickly. “Our families already know each other. My mom recognized you from the dating show—she went to your grandma’s 80th birthday. She’s secretly a fan of our pairing. She told me if I don’t win you over, I shouldn’t come home.”

He looked so earnest, I couldn’t help but laugh. Suddenly, the world felt smaller and sweeter. Guess fate’s got jokes.

For some reason, knowing his mom liked me made me a little happy.

I tried to hide my smile, but Carter noticed. He nudged my arm, grinning.

“Oh, let me show you something.” He pulled out a photo.

He scrolled through his phone and handed it over. I gasped when I saw it.

It showed two kids, hand in hand, around four or five years old. The boy wore overalls and had chubby cheeks; the girl had pigtails and big eyes.

The background was familiar—my grandma’s backyard. I stared, shocked.

“That’s me!” I pointed at the girl. I recognized myself from childhood photos—same clothes, same hairstyle. But in my family’s version, I was alone.

I blinked, trying to remember that day. Carter smiled softly.

“That’s me,” Carter said. “My mom took it. Our dads were talking business, and she snapped pictures of us.”

He looked a little embarrassed, but proud. I grinned, shaking my head in disbelief.

“So we met when we were little. That’s wild!”

I laughed, handing the phone back. Carter looked at me, eyes shining.

“See? We’re meant to be!” Carter bragged.

He bumped my shoulder, and I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t stop smiling.

We spent almost a month traveling in Montana, and our relationship naturally blossomed.

We hiked, stargazed, roasted marshmallows over campfires. Carter even tried fly-fishing—he was terrible, but we laughed until our sides hurt.

We were officially dating.

We took a selfie in front of the mountains, arms wrapped around each other. I posted it with a heart emoji, and the comments exploded.

We dragged our feet leaving the terminal, neither of us wanting to say goodbye.