Chapter 5: Scandal, Sabotage, and Showdowns

“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.

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.

“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 enjoy the show from the sidelines 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.

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.

"Brooke, can I ask you out?"

The words hung in the air, heavy and sweet. 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.

“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. I couldn’t help it—I had to know.

“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. What were the odds?

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 up 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.

Hand in hand, we left the airport together, reluctant to part ways.

We stopped for burgers on the way home, splitting fries and talking about everything and nothing. Best meal I’d had in ages.

The next day, I had to go to the agency to discuss my contract termination.

I wore my favorite jeans and a blazer, determined to leave with my head held high.

Just as I reached my apartment building, Zoe called.

Her voice was frantic, almost panicked. “Brooke, don’t leave your place—there are reporters everywhere downstairs.”

I peeked through the blinds. Sure enough, a crowd of cameras and microphones swarmed the lobby.

“What happened?” I hurried back up in the elevator.

I paced my living room, phone pressed to my ear. Zoe’s voice shook.

“Check what’s trending,” Zoe said urgently. “It’s a big deal!”

I opened Instagram—almost all the top trending tags were about me.

My notifications were blowing up. I scrolled, heart pounding.

Turns out, a tabloid had snapped photos of me entering a hotel with a married man. Our faces were clear as day. The man was Daniel Walsh, an executive and shareholder at Reed Holdings, in his forties, married with kids.

The headline was brutal: “America’s Sweetheart or Homewrecker?”

The internet was flooded with hate. Being labeled a homewrecker is the worst—no matter how good your reputation, one scandal can ruin you forever.

My DMs were full of threats and insults. I wanted to throw my phone out the window.

But obviously, the photos were fake. And with my level of fame, even if it were true, it wouldn’t blow up like this unless someone was pushing it behind the scenes.

Someone wanted me out for good. I had a pretty good idea who.

I scrolled through my contacts, found Madison’s number, and hit call.

My hands shook, but my voice was steady. I wasn’t afraid anymore.

“It was you, wasn’t it?” I got straight to the point.

No more games. She answered on the first ring, her tone smug.

“Yep,” she admitted. “I’m not afraid of you recording this—anyone can fake a recording. No one believes you anymore.”

She sounded almost gleeful. I could picture her lounging in her dressing room, soaking up the chaos.

“I’m about to leave the industry. Why are you still coming after me?”

I genuinely wanted to know. Wasn’t she tired of this?

“Letting you go would be too easy. Without you, who would I mess with? You think you can just walk away? Dream on!”

Her words dripped with venom. I shook my head, disappointed but not surprised.

“It’s because of Daniel Walsh, right? His wife found out he was cheating, so you pinned it on me?”

I pieced it together as I spoke. Madison was desperate, and Daniel was her ticket out.

Daniel Walsh had enough power to suppress news like this. If he let it spread, it was probably because his wife already had proof but didn’t know who the other woman was. So, they cooked up this story and swapped in my face for Madison’s.

It was a dirty trick, but I’d seen worse in this business.

Daniel owed his success to his wife—she was formidable. Honestly, I was more scared of her than the tabloids. I knew I’d soon face her wrath.

I wasn’t afraid. I knew the truth would come out.

“You’re pretty sharp. That old witch is tough. Have fun,” Madison gloated.

She laughed, clearly enjoying herself. I let her have her moment.

“So Daniel really loves you—he’d rather expose himself than let you take the fall. So, he’s your sugar daddy.”

I said it flatly, not giving her the satisfaction of a reaction.

“Reed Holdings’ shareholder—scared yet?” she bragged. “They’re getting divorced, and I’ll be Mrs. Walsh. You can’t touch me, Brooke!”

She sounded triumphant, but I heard the desperation underneath.

“I just wanted to leave quietly, but you wouldn’t let me. Madison, you’ve pushed me too far. I’m done letting you off the hook.”

My voice was cold, final. I meant every word.

“Ooh, threatening me now? I’m so scared!” she laughed.

She hung up, still cackling. I stared at my phone, heart pounding.