The
phone rang.
It was Blake.
Sherilyn’s face turned pale as she braced herself to answer. “Hello, Blake.”
“Sherilyn?”
Blake was under pressure from the production team and was feeling frazzled.
“This trending topic, why haven’t you dealt with it yet? Can’t you clear it up? Who is this guy, exactly? What’s your relationship with him?”
It wasn’t surprising that he was suspicious, given Sherilyn’s silence on the matter.
“Sherilyn!”
Blake got straight to the point, “Just tell me the truth, what’s really going on here? You couldn’t possibly have…”
“I…” Sherilyn was at a loss for words.
“Sherilyn! In today’s social media environment, there are strict expectations for celebrities. Pay your taxes, don’t sleep around! These are the basics! You’re just starting out…” Blake’s words were urgent, “Ruining the show is one thing, but do you want any future in this industry? This could get you blacklisted, and then you’re finished!”
Nearby, Gilbert heard the commotion, set down his cup, and walked over.
Rebecca White quietly informed him, “It’s Director Blake.”
Gilbert frowned in acknowledgment and stood in front of Sherilyn, extending his hand.
“Give me the phone.”
He stood before her, palm open…
Sherilyn hesitated, torn.
She knew too well what handing over the phone would mean…
“Give it to me.”
Gilbert didn’t force her, instead coaxing gently, “I promise, I’m just going to help you out of this mess, and I won’t bother you after. Trust me, okay?” Sherilyn wavered.
Could she trust him?
“Hand it over.” Gilbert extended his hand closer to her.
Biting her lip, Sherilyn raised her arm and placed the phone in his palm…
Gilbert quickly closed his hand, holding the phone to his ear, his eyes half-closed as he spoke in a deep voice.
“Blake, it’s me, Gilbert.”
“Huh?” Blake sounded surprised. “Mr. Johnson… no, Mr. Harrison.”
“Mhm.”
Gilbert didn’t worry about the details, “I just found out about this. I’ll take care of it, Blake can relax.”
“Ah, sure… My apologies for the inconvenience!”
“That settles it.”
With a few brief exchanges, Gilbert ended the call, handing the phone back to Sherilyn while pulling out his own.
“I’ll have someone handle this right away. You don’t need to do anything!”
“…”, Sherilyn gripped her phone, slowly nodding.
Half an hour later.
A tweet climbed the trending charts.
From Nine Harrison-Gilbert.
Over the viral photo, a big “FAKE” was stamped.
Accompanied by a lengthy statement.
[I was only made aware of this situation recently.]
[Upon seeing Sherilyn grace the stage at Neon Nights Bar, I was instantly smitten and pursued her. Unfortunately, I wasn’t what she was looking for in a partner. After nearly a year together, we parted ways last month and are no longer
romantically involved. I respect and accept her decision.]
[The rumors circulating are malicious and false.]
[The past is behind us and should not be dredged up again. I apologize for any disturbance caused to her and wish her well.] Between the lines, it clarified their once legitimate relationship and stated that they had since parted ways, leaving no ties. Notably, the tweet did not tag Sherilyn.
He truly didn’t want to disturb her anymore…
Sherilyn clutched her phone, reading through the post.
Her emotions surged, uncertainty in her eyes as she looked at him, “Will this work? Will they believe it? What if he comes forward to deny it?”
“Trust me.”
Gilbert shook his head, his gaze serene yet confident.
Firmly, he said, “He wouldn’t dare. If he did, he wouldn’t have blurred out Ernest’s face. Besides, he’s probably seen the trending tweet by now…”
QUMS