She rose to her feet, about to walk out, when the three declared in unison, âNo way!â
Fannie pulled her back. âYouâre both public figures, and youâve just started filming. If what happened here gets leaked, it wonât be good for either of you.â
Judie crossed her arms. âSo, what do we do? Everyoneâs just playing the field. Why take it so seriously? Itâs normal for celebrities to have scandals. I donât need him to take responsibility. I can handle myself.â
Bobbyâs anger flared. Judieâs brother had begged for his help to get her into the entertainment industry and protect her from its harsh realities. But here she was, thoughtlessly throwing everything away.
âFine. If you just want to play the field, then quit this job and go home. Do whatever the hell you want, sleep with whoever you want, and tell your brother I wonât look after you anymore.â
Seeing Bobbyâs fury for what it was, Judie reluctantly sat back down.
As the tension around them grew thick, Mayerâs voice sliced through the silence.
âThe boss suggested we get involved in a scandal to draw attention to the new show.â He clenched his fist and looked at Judie. âIf you donât mind, we can tell the public thatâ¦â
âWeâre dating.â Judie blinked. Mayer was an idol, and everyone knew idols werenât supposed to date. It was an unspoken rule in the industry.
A top idol had recently announced a relationship and faced massive backlash from his fans.
Fannie wouldnât let him sabotage his career like that, and Judie was sure of it. âYou canât be serious right now.â
But Mayer didnât look like he was bluffing. âIâm serious. I made a mistake, and Iâll own up to it. Besides, I donât want this to be used against us in the future. Itâs better if we confirm it and take advantage of the situation than let the media manipulate the narrative when it blows up and ruins us. But it might be unfair to you.â
Judie was too shocked to respond.
Fannie turned to Bobby. âAre you okay with that?â
Bobby snorted, his eyes fixed on Mayer.
Of course, he was okay with it. In fact, he had no reason not to be.
Mayer would be too busy handling this cover-up to bother Fannie.
And if it turned into a real relationship, Bobby would explain it to Judieâs brother, making sure Judie wouldnât lose out.
It was a triple-win situation.
Bobbyâs steely gaze jerked to Mayer. âYouâll break up when itâs the right time. Until then, you canât be involved with someone else and make a fool of Judie in the public eye. Otherwise, you can kiss your career goodbye.â
Fannie asked for Judieâs opinion, but the latter asked, âWhat if he faces backlash from his fans because of this?â
Bobbyâs anger surged immediately. âWhy are you so concerned about Mayer after what happened?â
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