The Fake Relationship

The next morning, Sophie woke with a strange mix of emotions—hopeful yet anxious. Her conversation with Ethan at the café had brought clarity, but it had also opened the door to a daunting reality. Being with Ethan meant facing the storm head-on. There would be no more hiding, no more retreating into the safety of their fabricated arrangement.

She was still thinking through it all when her phone buzzed. It had been a message from one of the biggest gossip sites. The headline read: "Sophie Greene and Ethan Blake's Rendezvous: Real Love or Strategic PR?" And it already accompanied a grainy photo of them the night before at the café, Ethan holding her hand out across the table.

Sophie's heart sank. They hadn't even started navigating their new reality, and the scrutiny was already relentless. A second notification followed, this one from her assistant, Amy.

Amy: "Morning, Sophie. Just a heads-up—your inbox is flooded with media requests. Call me when you're ready to tackle it."

Sophie gazed at the messages, weighing whether to respond. The headlines had gone from mild curiosity to invasive speculation. Part of her wanted to curl up and ignore it all, but she knew that wasn't an option. If she and Ethan were going to face this together, she needed to act decisively.

Her thoughts were interrupted by another buzz—this time, Ethan.

Ethan: "Saw the headlines. Are you okay? Let me know if you want to meet today."

The warmth of his concern melted her but was not enough for her to delay further. So, she answered as quickly as she could, "I'm fine. Let's talk later. First, I need to take care of some things here.

Determined not to lose her cool, Sophie marched into the office. All this press brouhaha could be so much to bear with, but there was an important board meeting scheduled with her company, and that just couldn't be put off. She needed her reputation as the ultimate no-nonsense professional in order to be where she is, and nobody was going to ruin it.

The boardroom was abuzz when she walked in. Sophie could feel the eyes of her colleagues on her as she took her seat at the head of the table.

"Let's get started," she said briskly, opening her laptop. But before the meeting could progress, one of the senior members, Mr. Calloway, cleared his throat.

"Sophie, if I may," he said, his tone cautious. "We have all watched the media this morning. As your personal life, of course, is your own affair, it's increasingly evident that it's having a negative impact on public perception of the company."

Sophie froze. She had been dreading this very moment, and yet hearing it in words was another thing. She took a deep breath, gazing at Mr. Calloway.

"I understand your concerns," she said firmly. "However, I assure you that my relationship—whatever the media may make of it—will not impact my ability to lead this company."

Another board member chimed in. "But it's not just about your ability, Sophie. It's about optics. Our investors and clients are watching closely, and they may not share your confidence."

Sophie's fingers clenched around her pen. She had worked too hard, sacrificed too much, to let this overshadow her career. But before she could respond, her phone buzzed again. A text from Ethan, short and direct: "We need to make a move. Call me."