Back To You | complete

Chapter 29| . . . Into The Fire

"I don't know," he fretted. "Angeline was a little skeptical about this but I wanted to try."

My brows furrowed. "Angeline as in your manager and publicist, right?"

Okay, so he discussed what to do next with her and didn't even tell me about it even though I was involved, till he actually did it.

"Right," he confirmed.

"How bad are they?" I queried, shaking off those thoughts with recognizable effort.

"Pretty much the same," he uttered frustratedly. "A few more ones now that they have concrete proof."

"Fuck." I felt my face contort in a grimace.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I tried."

I swallowed thickly. "I know."

"We can try Instagram since I have many followers there, but Angeline said that it might turn against you in the comments."

Deactivate the comments.

I cursed internally. There must've been a reason he hasn't done that, I told myself. Stay on track.

"So basically, I'm the one who's going to be dragged through the mud despite what we do." I raised my eyebrows. I was surprised I was pushing it so much but I did not want to back down.

"No," he sighed, "It's not like that."

"Then?" I prompted. "What is it like? I'd like to know. Are their articles about your unfaithfulness too or is my slutty nature taking the cake?"

He flinched at the double-edged remark.

"Don't take this out on me, mon amour." He shook his head, staying patient. "This is not my fault."

"Isn't it?" I challenged. "You were the one who kept silent while some bimbo announced your relationship to the world."

"You know how weird the media and the people are," he said defensively. "They're crazy!"

"I'm living that, unfortunately," I replied brazenly. "First hand and fresh from hell."

"It'll blow over," he told me gently.

Right.

"I . . . I have to get to office, Kai." I got up and put my dishes in the sink. He could do them just that once.

"Mon amour." He stopped me when I was walking past him to get to the bedroom to change.

"No," I refused. "I need space to think. And have a job I intend to keep."

"We promised we will talk about this," he beseeched.

"And you once promised to protect me, whatever it takes. Guess we both broke a few of them, didn't we?" I said acidly as I made my legs move again.

He stood up to block my path. "Why are you acting up so much about this?"

"How dare you even ask me that?" I asked, getting infuriated by his lack of understanding. "So many people out there hate me because of you!"

"Why does it bother you so much?" He asked, exasperated. "The people who matter know the truth and they still love you!"

I snapped.

"It matters because I have fucking anxiety!" I screamed. "It matters because if Jane and Brian hadn't got there yesterday in the nick of time, God knows what might've happened after I opened the envelope that had a myriad of articles labeling me as your homewrecker. So yes, Kaison, it bothers me a lot!"