Confrontation

Confrontation
Scarlett's POV

Madison's words echoed through the silent room. Tomorrow, Kai would have to choose. In front of everyone. No escape. No second chances.

"Wait." Ryan stood up, confusion written across his face. "Back up. You two were engaged? Like, actually getting married engaged?"

I couldn't look at anyone. Couldn't face the judgment in their eyes.

"Yes," I whispered.

"And you left him three weeks before the wedding?" Marcus's voice was full of disbelief. "That's so cold."

"You don't know the whole story—" Kai started.

"Then tell us the whole story!" Madison's voice cracked. "Because I'm tired of pieces. I'm tired of secrets. If I have to sit here tomorrow and watch his manager destroy you both, I at least deserve to know why."

The cameras circled closer. Jake watched from his corner, practically vibrating with excitement.

"It was five years ago," I began, my voice shaking. "We were in college. We fell in love. Everything was perfect until—"

"Until my career got in the way," Kai finished quietly.

"No." I turned to face him. "Until your manager gave me an ultimatum. He said the record label wanted to sign you, but only if you were completely focused on music. No serious relationships. No distractions."

David leaned forward. "So he told you to break up?"

"He told me Kai had to choose. And I knew what Kai would choose. He would have picked me and given up his dreams. So I made the choice for him."

"You walked away," Madison said softly. "To protect his career."

"To protect him from resenting me later." Tears streamed down my face. "I thought I was doing the right thing."

"But you didn't ask him what he wanted," Ryan pointed out. "You just decided for both of you."

"I know. I know that now. But I was twenty-three and scared and—"

"Still in love with him," Madison finished. "That's why you sabotaged us. Why you planted doubt. Why you couldn't stand watching us together."

The truth hung naked in the room. No more hiding. No more pretending.

"I'm sorry," I said to Madison. "You deserved better than my jealousy and manipulation."

"Yeah, I did." Madison wiped her eyes. "But I also understand. Love makes people do stupid things."

Jake chose that moment to step forward. "This is all very touching, but we're missing the important question. Tomorrow, when Kai's manager arrives, what's he going to do?"

Everyone looked at Kai.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I haven't spoken to him in months. We had a falling out after my last album."

"About what?" Jake pressed.

"About how he manages my career. About control. About—" Kai stopped, his jaw tightening. "About Scarlett."

The room went silent again.

"Explain," Jake demanded.

Kai ran his hand through his hair. "He saw an interview I did last year. The journalist asked about my inspiration, and I mentioned someone I used to know. Someone who changed my life. I didn't say her name, but my manager figured it out. He was furious. Said I needed to let go of the past. Move on. Stop writing songs about a girl who destroyed me."

"But you couldn't," I whispered.

"No. I couldn't." Kai's eyes met mine. "Because some people change you so completely that moving on isn't an option. You just learn to live with the missing piece."

Marcus made a sympathetic sound. Even Ryan looked uncomfortable with the raw emotion.

"So tomorrow," Madison said slowly, "your manager is coming here to what? Force you to choose again?"

"To finish what he started five years ago," Kai said. "To eliminate the distraction permanently."

"By making you choose between your career and Scarlett," David finished. "On camera. In front of millions of people."

"Unless we leave tonight," I said desperately. "Both of us. Just walk away from this nightmare."

"And spend the rest of your lives running?" Madison shook her head. "No. You need to face this. Both of you. Together."

"She's right," Marcus agreed. "Running away is what got you here. Maybe it's time to stand and fight."

"Easy for you to say," I shot back. "Your career isn't on the line. Your entire future isn't being decided by some man in a suit who thinks love is a weakness."

"Then make him wrong," Ryan said. "Prove that love isn't a weakness. That choosing each other doesn't mean giving up your dreams."

"How?" Kai asked. "How do we do that when the choice he's offering is all or nothing?"

The question hung unanswered.

Jake cleared his throat. "Well, this has been illuminating. But I think we all need to rest up for tomorrow's drama. Scarlett, Kai—you both should probably prepare statements. When my manager arrives at nine AM sharp, he'll want answers."

"Your manager?" I stared at Jake. "You're working with him?"

Jake's smile was all teeth. "Who do you think called him? Who do you think has been feeding him information about your rekindled romance? This is reality TV, Scarlett. I needed a villain. And your manager friend makes an excellent one."

Rage boiled in my chest. "You orchestrated this entire thing."

"I orchestrated drama. Entertainment. The exact thing you signed up to provide." Jake headed for the door. "Get some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a very long day."

After he left, the room slowly emptied. Ryan and Marcus mumbled sympathies. David squeezed Kai's shoulder. Madison paused beside me.

"For what it's worth," she said quietly, "I hope he chooses you. Even though it means I lose, I hope love wins."

She left me standing with Kai in the wreckage of our exposed secrets.

"I should go," I said, unable to meet his eyes.

"Scarlett, wait." Kai caught my hand. "About tomorrow—"

"Don't." I pulled away. "Don't tell me what you're going to choose. I don't want to know in advance. I don't want time to prepare for either answer."

"That's not what I was going to say."

"Then what?"

Kai stepped closer, his voice dropping to barely a whisper. "I was going to say that no matter what happens tomorrow, no matter what choice I'm forced to make, I need you to know something."

"What?"

"That these past few days with you, even with all the pain and cameras and manipulation, have been the happiest I've been in five years."

The confession broke something open in my chest. "Kai—"

"Let me finish." He took both my hands. "Tomorrow, my manager is going to give me an ultimatum. My career or you. And I don't know what I'm going to say. I don't know if I'm strong enough to give up everything I've worked for. But I need you to know that if I choose my career, it won't be because I don't love you. It'll be because I'm too scared to believe we can make it work."

Tears blurred my vision. "That's exactly how I felt five years ago."

"I know. And maybe that means we're both too damaged to fix." He cupped my face gently. "Or maybe it means we finally understand each other."

Before I could respond, footsteps sounded on the stairs. We jumped apart as a production assistant appeared.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Jake wants you both to review the schedule for tomorrow. The manager arrives at nine, followed by a formal sit-down at ten, then—"

"We'll be there in a minute," Kai said tersely.

The assistant scurried away. We stood in awkward silence.

"I should go," I said again.

This time, Kai didn't stop me. I walked to my room on shaking legs and closed the door behind me.

Sleep was impossible. I lay awake imagining tomorrow's confrontation a thousand different ways. Kai choosing his career. Kai choosing me. Kai refusing to choose at all. Each scenario ended in pain.

Around three AM, my phone buzzed. A text from Kai: Can't sleep. You?

No, I replied. Too much in my head.

Same. Want to talk?

About what?

About tomorrow. About us. About the truth.

My fingers hovered over the keyboard. What truth?

The three dots appeared, then disappeared, then appeared again. Finally: About how I'm terrified that no matter what I choose tomorrow, I'm going to lose you again.

I stared at the message, tears falling onto the screen.

You already lost me, I typed. Five years ago. Tomorrow is just making it official.

Is that really what you think?

I don't know what I think anymore.

Then meet me in the kitchen. Let's figure it out together.

I shouldn't have gone. Should have stayed in my room and faced tomorrow alone like I'd faced everything else for the past five years.

But I went anyway.

Kai was waiting by the counter, his hair messy from lying down, eyes red from not sleeping.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hey."

We stood in silence for a moment, neither knowing how to start.

"Tomorrow's going to be brutal," Kai finally said.

"Yeah."

"Whatever happens, whatever I choose or don't choose, I need you to know—"

"Stop." I held up my hand. "Don't make promises you can't keep. Don't tell me it'll be okay when we both know it won't be."

"Then what do you want me to say?"

"I want you to tell me the truth." I moved closer. "Not the version that makes you look noble or me look like a victim. The real truth. Did you hate me? After I left? Did you wish you'd never met me?"

Kai was quiet for a long moment. "Yes."

The word hit like a physical blow.

"There were days I hated you so much I couldn't breathe," he continued. "Days I wished I could erase every memory, every song, every moment we shared. Days I wanted to forget you existed."

"I understand."

"But." He stepped closer. "There were also days I loved you so much it felt like dying. Days I wrote your name in every margin, hummed our melodies, dreamed about what we could have been. Days I would have given anything to have you back."

"Which days won?"

"Neither. Both. All of them." His voice broke. "That's what you did to me, Scarlett. You made me capable of loving and hating you at the same time. And I still don't know which feeling is stronger."

Before I could respond, lights blazed on. Cameras emerged from hidden spots. And Jake's voice boomed through speakers.

"Perfect! Keep going. Tell her about the wedding plans. Tell her how you had everything arranged before she destroyed it. America needs to hear this."

I stared at Kai in confusion. Wedding plans?

Kai's face had gone pale. "Scarlett, I—"

"Tell them about the venue you booked," Jake's voice continued. "The invitations you ordered. The life you planned together. Tell them about our wedding plans."

Our? Jake had said "our."

I looked at Kai, really looked at him, and saw panic in his eyes.

"Tell them," I said slowly, my heart pounding. "Tell everyone about our wedding plans."