Chapter 2

I couldn't see the live comments. But I could already imagine everyone online losing their minds right now. After all, the five pairs of eyes in front of me were all staring—each with a different level of disbelief.

"Did the production mess up?" Sophie was the first to speak. "Why would they bring you?" She stepped forward, pulled open the car door, and craned her neck inside. When she confirmed I was the only one there, she frowned and muttered, "Isn't this just going to be a hassle for us..."

This show required teamwork to clear the challenges. And clearly, in her book, I didn't make the cut.

[LOL Sophie's side-eye is brutal.]

[Can you blame her? Someone who cries every five minutes would drive anyone nuts.]

[Isn't the crybaby here just to embarrass herself? Bet she'll start acting delicate and clinging to the guys. Please keep her away from Lucas.]

Facing Sophie's open doubt, I felt a flicker of anger. Luckily, after half a year of working on myself, I managed to keep it together. I answered flatly and to the point. "It's what the show asked for. Let's head to the mission site."

But Sophie just had to make a scene. "Come on, I'm just worried you'll freak out. Please don't start crying."

That shout alone gave me a headache. Which part of me looked like I was about to cry?

I wanted to snap back, but I was afraid that if I spoke too fast or too hard, my stupid tear reflex would betray me again. Just as I was holding it in, Lucas—who hadn't said a word until then—opened the passenger door and sat down. "She's not crying," he said calmly. "Let's move. Get in."

I froze for a second. Had Lucas just backed me up?

He had the highest standing in the group. Once he made a move, everyone else followed and got into the car.

Except Sophie. She gave me a quick once-over, then suddenly yanked the door open and leaned toward the driver's seat. "Emily, you're timid," she said. "Why don't I drive instead?" She called it a suggestion, but her hand was already on my arm.

The nerve. I shook her off immediately. "You take the back seat. Driving is my assigned task."

Being pushed back like that wiped the smile right off her face. She frowned, stared at me for a long second, then suddenly raised both hands in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. I'll sit in the back. Just don't cry, okay? You're making it look like I'm the bad guy."

I was speechless. From the moment I joined the show, I'd been holding it together just fine.

But Sophie kept forcing a narrative on me, steering every word right back to that "crybaby" label.

Worse still, my seat faced away from the cameras. So the audience bought her version wholesale and immediately went to town on me.

[Wait—why is she crying again?]

[Classic crybaby move. This is exhausting. If she's that delicate, why not go on a dating show and sob in some guy's arms?]

[To be fair, she does cry kinda pretty.]

[Buddy, you sound touch-starved.]

In the end, Sophie did sit in the back. But she spent the entire ride throwing shade. "Emily, your company really doesn't care about you, huh? They'll send you on anything as long as the fee's right. If you're too scared to walk later, just let Jack carry you." She said it while glancing toward Jack in the very back.

Jack was a retired athlete—built like a tank, muscles for days, average-looking but genuinely kind. The moment he heard that, he patted his chest and nodded. "Sure. No problem."

Sophie acted like she was looking out for me, but she'd actually paired me up with Jack, setting herself up to naturally group with everyone else once we went inside.

"Emily, I just hope everyone takes good care of you," she added sweetly. "After all, you're not like me..." She didn't finish her words—but her look said the rest.