Chapter 3
Once I finished packing up my stuff, it was time to head out for the next round of the show.
As I walked down the hallway, Camilla spotted me and headed straight over, the camera crew trailing behind her. She flashed me a sweet, innocent smile.
"Isabela, can I room with you?" she asked.
I casually pulled my hand away, keeping a calm face. "Sorry, I just like my own space."
"Isabela, do you not like me or something?" Camilla's eyes instantly welled up with tears, and she stood frozen, looking like she'd just been bullied.
The comments section blew up.
[Excuse me, Camilla actually wants to room with you, and you don't even appreciate it?]
[Who does she think she is, putting on airs with our Camilla like she's some superstar?]
I couldn't care less about what people online thought. My life was already a total mess—no matter what I said, I was always in the wrong. It wasn't the first time Camilla had used me as her doormat, either.
"Did you really have to ask?" I replied flatly, not even bothering to soften my tone.
She looked genuinely stunned for a second, then tried to act hurt. "I just wanted to be closer to you. We're all friends here..."
"Oh, you call me 'friend'—even after you pushed me down the stairs? You really are something else," I said, full of sarcasm.
She was caught off guard by how blunt I was. I couldn't care less anymore—if people were going to hate me anyway, might as well say whatever I want. Nobody listens to explanations here.
"I... I'm sure you didn't do it on purpose last time!" she stammered, tears still in her eyes.
I shot the camera a smirk, then looked at Camilla. "Don't even think about rooming with me. I might snap and start swinging in the middle of the night."
Camilla's face turned pale, and honestly, her dramatic act was so extra that I almost gagged.
I couldn't care less if her fans lost their minds or if the company blew up.
Finlay popped out of his room, grinning from ear to ear as soon as he saw me. Honestly, the guy looked ready to leap at me, so I wasted no time—dodged around him and bolted straight down the hall.
Camilla's tears started falling as she went full damsel-in-distress, turning to Finlay for a bit of comfort.
"Finlay," she called out in a soft, trembling voice.
But Finlay didn't even spare her a glance—he just hurried after me.
Netizens were all up in arms, defending Camilla left and right.
[Seriously, can Isabela just quit the entertainment business already? Why is she always giving Camilla attitude?]
[She pushed Camilla down the stairs last time, and Camilla didn't even hold it against her, but now she's acting all high and mighty!]
[Finlay ran after her—is he actually into Isabela?]
[What the heck is going on here?]
I hurried downstairs—everyone else had already gathered. Quietly, I slipped into the farthest corner, hoping to blend in and keep a low profile for this whole show. If I could just be invisible, maybe the drama would leave me alone.
But before I could even get comfortable, Finlay came rushing down, noticed me lurking on the edge, and immediately squeezed right in next to me, closing the distance faster than I could react.
[What is happening here?]
[Why is Finlay standing next to Isabela?]
[I don't get it—what's going on between them?]
[Why does this feel so weird?]
But whatever, the director wasn't about to let us stand around like that for long—he quickly stepped in and scrambled our positions.
The guys and girls lined up facing each other, with Finlay taking center stage, directly across from Camilla.
And the host grabbed me and planted me right next to Camilla, on her left. Honestly, I could throttle the director—does he just live to watch chaos unfold or what?
Camilla couldn't take her eyes off Finlay, totally lost in her own little crush. Ever since they'd worked together on that last project, she'd been totally smitten. I mean, come on—who wouldn't get butterflies over a guy like him?
The host started working his way down the line with questions, and when he got to me, he asked,
"Miss Foley, have you ever been in a relationship?"
I didn't sugarcoat it. "Sure, I dated before, but I dumped him. He was just way too clingy for my taste."
Just like I thought, nobody cared about my answer—they just moved straight on to Finlay.
"Mr. Brown, have you ever been in a relationship?" the host asked.
Finlay gave me a quick, careless look before replying.
"Yeah, I have. She was way too cold to me, so I ended up getting dumped," he said.
The whole internet lost its mind.
[Who in their right mind would dump Finlay? Like, seriously, he's Finlay!]
[Oh my god, if I was his girlfriend, I'd be glued to him for life—how does anyone end up dumping a guy like that?]
[Something feels kinda off here.]
[Yeah, I think so too. Is Finlay talking about Isabela or what?]
The host's eyes lit up, digging for more gossip.
"So, is it someone from the business, or an outsider?" he asked.
"It's someone in the business," Finlay answered casually.
"Are they here with us right now?" the host pressed.
"Yep, they're here," Finlay said, sneaking another glance at me.
The director was practically jumping for joy—Finlay's ex-girlfriend was actually here on the show? This was drama gold, a total jackpot for the ratings.
"So, Finlay, those chocolates you brought—are they for her, or what?" the host pressed, eyes twinkling like he was digging for a scoop.
Finlay arched an eyebrow. "Obviously. I don't even touch chocolate—had those shipped in from overseas, all for her."
[Oh my god, this is huge, girls! Who could it be?]
[The only one here who's actually worked with Finlay before is Camilla! And she's crazy about chocolate—it has to be her!]
[But Isabela loves chocolate too! I'm totally shipping Isabela and Finlay now—he even helped her with her suitcase!]
I just felt so helpless—I wanted nothing more than to escape right then and there. Honestly, the reason we split was simple: Finlay was so clingy that he smothered me, and I just couldn't take it anymore.
Who would've guessed I was actually the one who made the first move?
I spent three whole years secretly pining after him. After graduation, I left my hometown, convinced I'd never run into him again—so I just put it all out there in a letter and spilled my feelings.
Either way, I figured I could finally move on with no regrets.
But, of course, I never heard a word back—not even a single reply.
But what totally threw me was running into him again at art school—I couldn't believe it.
He was a straight-up genius, so honestly, I couldn't figure out why someone with grades like his would wind up at a school like this.
From then on, I spent every day on campus dodging him, since he never replied to my letter. Just the thought of running into him had me dying of embarrassment every time.
Then one day, someone made this massive, attention-grabbing confession to me in front of everyone. But I turned him down flat—my heart was already completely filled by someone else; there just wasn't any space left for anyone new.