Elera Hayes POV
Maya stood by the door, her hand resting on the handle.
"Are you sure you're okay to do this alone?" she asked, her eyes wary.
"I have to," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
Claire nodded behind her. "We'll be outside if you need us. Just breathe, okay?"
I managed a small smile. "Thanks, both of you."
They stayed a moment longer, concern etched on their faces, before stepping out. I heard the door click shut, leaving me alone with my thoughts and my phone.
The screen glowed with a hundred notifications—missed calls, texts, emails. Social media notifications poured in, one after another, each ping ratcheting up my panic.
My stomach churned, but I took a deep breath, trying to summon the right face, the right voice for what had to come next.
I tapped the video app. "Okay," I whispered to no one but myself. My fingers hovering over the record button. "You can do this."
The red dot blinked and I forced my hands to stop shaking. "I… I want to… I need to be honest," I started, my voice cracking. My eyes darted to the camera, biting my lower lip. "About last night at the hotel…," I swallowed hard, pressing my palms together.
"I went there willingly. Everything that happened was because I wanted it to. I stayed with him, because I wanted to."
I inhaled, pretending to steady my breathing, letting a few tears roll freely.
"I allowed my emotions to get the best of me." I looked down at my hands, twisting them together.
"The truth is… I was jealous of the girls he kept. I felt hurt because he refused to notice me and make me a part of his… numerous girlfriends."
I swallowed hard, my throat tight. "And that's why I said those things about him… the blogs, the posts… they're all false and I'm sorry for the trouble."
My gaze flicked up, meeting the camera through blurred vision. "Kai Monroe is innocent."
My hands twisted in my lap, fingers curling into each other. My voice wavered, eyes downcast. "I know this may not make sense but I had my reasons. I let my feelings cloud my judgment."
I blinked rapidly, sniffing. "I hope you all can forgive me for this. I want to take accountability for my actions. Kai Moroue, if you're listening to me right now, do find it within you to forgive me. I'm willing to do everything to make it up to you."
I stopped, taking a deep, deliberate breath. My pulse pounded in my ears. My heart raced, but inside I felt calm. The plan had to work. My resolve was sharper than my fear.
"I'm sorry once again," I said softly, lowering my gaze as though the words themselves were painful to speak.
I ended the recording, my hands trembling slightly as I set the phone on the table.
I tapped upload across every platform and every account. The red "uploading" bar crawled forward, each second stretching like hours.
By the time it finished, my phone vibrated nonstop as notifications poured in. Fans had turned vicious overnight, and every comment, message, and tweet slammed into me, leaving me breathless.
"She's lying!"
"How could she say that?"
"She's a fraud."
"Elera Hayes, you're done for."
A tight knot formed in my stomach as I gripped the edge of the table, my knuckles whitening under the strain.
Claire's voice came from the doorway. "Oh my God… look at this."
She held her phone up, her eyes wide. "Everyone is reacting to the video."
Maya leaned over, scrolling frantically. "This… it's… insane. They're tearing you apart, El."
I exhaled slowly, trying to breathe. "I know. I expected some fallout."
Claire shook her head. "You posted it. You basically said everything was fake."
I pressed my palms to my face. "Yes. I had to. It had to look real. People need to believe it."
Maya's brow furrowed. "But… your job, El… your credibility… you will definitely be fired for this. This could ruin everything you've worked hard for for years."
I lifted my head, meeting their eyes. My voice was soft but firm. "I know. And I'm prepared. If this is the price to pay to get Kai Monroe then I'll accept it.
Claire blinked, confusion and concern warring on her face. "But do you want to survive this, especially without a job?"
I leaned back, letting the weight of the day settle on my shoulders. "By finishing what I started and seeing this through no matter what it costs me. I can't let him get away with this."
Maya looked down at me, uncertain in her posture. "I don't know if I can watch this play out."
"You'll watch," I said quietly, "All I need is your trust and support.
The room felt stuffy all of a sudden. Outside, the city murmured with distant horns and voices, but inside, the only sounds were my phone tapping relentlessly and the pulse beating in my temples.
Claire reached out, touching my shoulder. "We're with you no matter what."
I nodded, forcing a small, almost imperceptible smile. "Thank you. I can only do this if both of you stand by me."
Hours slipped by in a blur as comments piled up and messages from editors and press colleagues poured in. With every notification, my professional reputation felt like it was crumbling.
I breathed slowly. "Good. Let them think they have me. Let them believe it's over. They have no idea what's coming next."
Maya touched my hand. "You are not scared?"
I shook my head. "I am. But fear doesn't stop me. This isn't about me. Not anymore. It's about everyone else who's been silenced."
Even as my mind stayed focused, a pang of self-doubt crept in. Did I go too far? Did I make the video too convincing?
But the truth, hidden beneath my performance, remained intact. The world would see me crumble. They would believe I was weak, emotional and flawed but only for a moment.
I pressed my palms to my face, exhaling. "It's done. They'll believe it."
****
My phone buzzed against the table but I ignored it. I didn't need to look at the screen to know who it was. I turned it face down anyway, exhaling through my nose as if ignoring it could keep the consequences at bay for just a few more seconds.
The vibration came again almost immediately, followed by another. Calls from my boss and editor asking for explanations I wasn't ready to give.
I was waiting for someone else's call. Another buzz followed, longer this time as if whoever was calling knew they would eventually be answered.
I stared at the ceiling, counting my breaths. The phone vibrated again and this time around, I flipped it over only to realize that it was an unfamiliar number. But deep down, I knew who it was so I looked at the screen for a moment longer before answering it.
"Hello?"
The silence on the other end lingered for awhile as though whoever was there wanted me to sit with anticipation. Then his voice came through, low and precise, slicing through the silence.
"What exactly are you trying to prove, Miss Reporter?"
I leaned back against the couch, my gaze drifting to the ceiling. "Is that all you have to say?"
He let out a low chuckle. "You burned your career overnight. Do you have any idea how reckless that looks?"
"I know exactly how it feels."
"You discredited your work, turned yourself into a joke, and handed me my reputation back without a fight," Kai continued.
"Why would you play such a dangerous game when you had everything to lose?"
I closed my eyes for a split second. "Because I have already lost it."
He didn't respond immediately. The silence felt deliberate, as though he were weighing his next move.
"My job is gone," I said, amidst sobs. "My name is being dragged everywhere. People who praised me yesterday are mocking me today."
"And yet," he murmured, "you don't sound panicked."
"I'm relieved," I admitted. "There's nothing left to protect."
"So this is surrender?"
"Call it acceptance." I smiled faintly
Another quiet chuckle followed. "You expect me to believe you did all of this for nothing?"
"No," I replied. "I did it because I'm done lying."
"About what?"
"About wanting you."
He didn't respond. When he spoke again, his tone was filled with amusement.
"How convenient….You want me now that you've ruined yourself?"
"I wanted you before," I confessed. "I just wasn't worth noticing."
He laughed out this time around. "Youre telling me you're a fan?"
"I studied you," I corrected. "Your patterns, habits and the way you treat women once you think you own them."
The silence stretched longer than before.
"And now?" he asked.
"Now I'm done pretending," I replied. "Believe me or not."
"You expect me to trust this sudden confession?"
"I don't expect anything." I answered. "I'm not asking you to."
That response seemed to have pleased him.
"You know," he said, his voice dropping, "you sound different from the others."
I hummed quietly. "That's what people say."
Another pause surfaced, then he said what I wanted to hear. "Fine. Let's meet."
My fingers tightened around the phone. "Not yet."
A flicker of irritation slip into his tone "You're not in a position to make demands."
"I know," I agreed. "I just don't want to loose face again when people begin to see us together a day after the fall out."
"Fine. Where would you feel comfortable?" he asked finally.
"Somewhere private" I replied. "Somewhere no one will look twice."
He laughed softly. "Careful, Miss Reporter. You're sounding confident for someone who claims she's lost everything."
"I told you," I said. "I lost everything that mattered."
"Okay then. Let's meet tomorrow. I'll decide where." He concluded, ending the call.
I lowered the phone. My
reflection staring back at me from the dark screen. A small smile curved my lips.
I exhaled, sitting back on my bed with my legs crossed, "Kai… you have no idea what you've just agreed to."