Everyone in the industry knows I'm the ex-girlfriend that top singer Jax "The King" Ryder despises most. On a reality show, a junior idol casually turned on the car stereo, playing the default playlist. The first song was mine. Two seconds into the intro, Jax, sitting in the passenger seat, said coldly: "Trash. Skip it." The idol skipped it. The next song was mine. He skipped it again. Still my song. Jax’s face was dark. He glanced at the driver and sighed: "Kid, you're young, but your taste is terrible." The idol hesitated, then weakly spoke up: "Uh, Jax... this is your car, and that's your playlist, dude." Jax: "—Wait, what?!" 1 Jax and I are the Entertainment Industry’s Most Famous Opposing Exes. Our track record is legendary. Since we debuted, roughly one-third of our songs have been diss tracks aimed at each other. I don't remember who started it. All I know is: he drops one, I drop one. He drops one, I drop one... Hatred is the number one driver of production. Fueled by Jax’s taunts, I managed to release ten albums in two years. When we were dating, only our closest friends knew. But nothing escapes the all-seeing eye of the internet. Our songs never named names, but when fans mashed our lyrics together, every single line sounded like a public feud. #JaxAndLena: Hollywood's Pure-Hate CP #JaxAndLena: Did They Dig Up Each Other's Ancestors? #JaxAndLena: Why Did They Break Up? How Can They Hate This Much? These kinds of twisted, viral hashtags kept hitting the trending list. As long as we were breathing, the drama continued. Jax and I consistently topped the charts as the Hottest Male and Female Artists for over a year. Then, at the end of the year, the platform invited us to accept an award. The host asked: "To both of you, now that you've achieved such success, is there anyone specific you want to thank?" I listed everyone dutifully: "I thank my family, my friends, my agent, my fans..." Jax, however, looked right at me: "I want to thank my ex-girlfriend for dumping me back then. She gave me endless inspiration for heartbreak songs. She is..." His lips curled slightly, a fake, chilling smile. "...my Muse." Online, he calls me "a golem freshly chipped out of a horror movie" and "Picasso's abstract painting brought to life." And now, offline, I'm his Muse? That smug jerk. Always with the passive-aggression. On the drive home, I wrote a new song: Muse is just your cheap fake tear Packing up lies to hide your fear Washed up, voice cracked, who's to blame here? Better go home and disappear Your inspo jumped ship when you lost me New album's dead, not a mystery You got dumped, that's your destiny That night, I immediately posted the new song demo and a teaser for my new album on Instagram. Fans went wild and immediately tagged Jax. It wasn't until late that night that His Royal Highness, Jax, finally logged on. He first liked my post, then added a comment that was both friendly and aggressively passive: [6.] [Lena Shaw, you just wait. 'Smiley Face'] 2 Making Jax miserable always makes me happy. I slept until noon. My agent, Deb, called, saying I had to attend a red-carpet gala. Deb gave me a warning beforehand: "I heard Jax is going to be there, too." "If you don't want to buy an annual subscription to the trending list, just be mature, say hello, and at least pretend to be civil." I thought Deb was overreacting. With so many artists there, we probably wouldn't even cross paths. I was wrong. The organizers, sent from hell, seated me right next to Jax! The moment I sat down, a figure quickly dropped into the seat beside me. He wore a dark blue bespoke suit, emphasizing his broad shoulders and long legs. His sculpted face looked, well, decent. Seeing the cameras flash in the distance and remembering Deb’s urgent plea, I forced a smile. Just pretend to be friendly? I can be the friendliest person here. "Good evening, Mr. Muse." "Well, look who it is, Miss Rhyme-Time," Jax smirked. "What, did you suddenly learn to be human? You're actually saying hello to me?" See? You can't give this guy an inch! The event was being live-streamed. As the camera swept over us, the comments section went ballistic: [Mr. Muse and Miss Rhyme-Time are in the same frame! Please lock the camera on them!] [Dark blue suit paired with a deep blue gown. What a beautiful couple.] [Please, Jax and Lena, date again! Just do it for my entertainment.] Truth be told, people in the industry are the biggest gossips. Since I walked in, several people had already subtly asked me what the deal was between Jax and me. Right now, I could feel countless eyes boring into us. Jax was uncomfortable under the scrutiny, too. He turned his head slightly, his ear tips turning red. I silently looked down— Wow, this table is so... table-y. Hahaha... In the comments, my fans and Jax's fans were already locked in a fierce battle. But a strange new sentiment was starting to emerge. [Don't you guys think Jax and Lena look like they're just cold-shouldering each other out of hate?] [What is hate? Hate is just love that couldn't handle the pressure.] [I feel like all their hatred is just them hating that the other person didn't love them enough.] [A healthy relationship is nice, but a messed-up one has a certain flavor. Those who don't get it are missing out!] 3 I couldn't take it anymore. I scanned the room, looking for someone to swap seats with. "Sitting next to me is that much of a sacrifice for you, Miss Shaw?" I glared at Jax. "Mind your own business." I didn't know many people well. After searching for a long time, I still felt awkward asking for help. Ugh. Just endure it. Jax, seeing my defeated slump, looked even more smug: "I told you, give up. Being stuck with me is your destiny." ... Psycho. "Lena, want to swap seats with me?" A familiar voice called out. I turned around. Alec Sterling, the famous actor, was standing behind me. "Thank you, thank you! Thank you so much, Alec! You are saving me!" I stood up. "Hey, you..." Jax subconsciously grabbed my wrist. "What? You'll miss me?" "Hah," he scoffed, his mouth twitching as he slowly let go. "Please, get away from me. I couldn't be happier." [Lena stood up, and he instantly reached for her. See that? He's panicked.] [Oh God, who dares to walk between Jax and Alec? The air pressure is so low, it feels like everything within a hundred feet is freezing.] [Rumor has it Lena and Alec dated, too. Judging by Jax's dark-as-asphalt face, the rumors must be true.] [Rivals seeing rivals, the tension is real.] [I envy Lena. She has great taste. Everyone she dated is a total knockout.] That's total misinformation. Alec is my aunt's son—my cousin. My parents were overseas and neglected me, so I grew up at my aunt's house. Alec is basically my brother. He starred in the music video for my new single a while ago, and we were briefly linked by the press. Jax still doesn't know the truth about us. But I certainly wasn't going to tell him. Alec was rushing to another commitment and had to leave before the event ended. Before leaving, he reminded me about my aunt's birthday party next week. "Bro, what kind of gift would make Aunt Kathy happy?" "I think bringing a boyfriend home would make her happiest." I pouted. "She's always pushing. I just haven't found anyone suitable." "Oh, I see," Alec chuckled. "I thought maybe you couldn't get over your ex." "No way! I haven't liked him for ages!" Alec cleared his throat, nodding toward the space behind me. I turned around. I was met with Jax’s intense, resentful gaze. If looks could be lasers, my dear cousin would have two holes burned through him right now. [I won't say who's jealous, but I can smell the sourness through the screen.] [Jax: Alec, I will monitor you forever! Forever!] [Lena, go comfort him! I think he’s about to shatter.] I squinted and smiled. Then, out of the camera's view, I subtly flipped him the bird. Heh heh! Jax shot me a furious glare. He turned away, his face pale with anger, his lips pressed into a tight, straight line. He didn't look my way again. Little man. Can't handle a joke. 4 One should never get carried away. Too excited from teasing Jax, I forgot I was wearing four-inch heels and twisted my ankle. My ride, of course, broke down halfway. I was hobbling alone through the dark underground parking garage. It was a truly pathetic sight. "Well, look at Ms. Shaw. Enjoying a midnight stroll barefoot?" A black Lexus SUV stopped in front of me. The rear window lowered. "Stroll, my butt. Can't you see I twisted my ankle?" Jax looked at my swollen ankle, his brow furrowing. "No one picking you up? "Get in." I held onto my dress stubbornly. "I don't need your trouble. I can walk out and get a cab myself." "Lena, are you getting in or not?" "No." "Fine. Tough girl. Even tougher than when you dumped me." The next second, Jax opened his door and lifted me over his shoulder. "You—" The sudden lift startled me. "Jax, you jerk, put me down!" He tossed me into the back seat, roughly. He then pulled out a tube of muscle rub from the glove compartment. "Take your shoe off." "What are you doing?" "Stop talking. What do you think I'm doing? I'm going to steal your heels and sell them on eBay, okay?" Me: "..." Jax started applying the ointment, gently massaging the swollen area. It felt good. But it tickled, and I instinctively flinched. "Why are you flinching? What part of you haven't I touched?" "Shut up, you." "Cough, cough, cough..." A fit of violent coughing came from the front seat. "Jax, watch your words. I'm right here." I leaned forward. "Leo! Is that you? Long time no see!" Leo is Jax’s personal assistant and has been with him for years. When Jax and I broke up, he went on a drunken bender at a bar. Leo went to pick him up, and Jax threw up all over him. Since then, Leo's salary has tripled. So, in a way, I was the patron saint of Leo’s career. "Long time no see, Lena." Leo is usually shy and reserved, but today he was unusually enthusiastic, asking about my life. Jax kept glaring at Leo, winking and twitching his eyebrows. I was confused. "Is your eyebrow spasming?" "Oh!" Leo suddenly understood. "Right, Lena, do you have a boyfriend right now?" If I said yes, I'd be lying. If I said no, I'd look defeated in front of my ex. I was trying to figure out how to answer. Jax interjected snidely: "Even if she does, they probably broke up. A boyfriend who runs off before his girlfriend even leaves and can't pick her up when she twists her ankle? Useless." I realized they were talking about Alec. I couldn't blame Jax for the misunderstanding. I did ask Alec to pretend to be my boyfriend once just to tick Jax off. "We are not dating. Don't spread rumors. I don't want to be constantly trending. Got it?" "Oh, so they did break up." Whatever. Let him think what he wants. I looked down at my phone and suddenly heard an uncontrollable burst of laughter beside me. I looked up, catching a glimpse of a fleeting smile on Jax’s face. "What are you laughing at?" "I wasn't." "Yes, you were! I saw it!" "Your eyes are messed up. Go get them checked." "Want to bet? Bet your life!" "You get on your knees and beg me, and I'll take the bet." ... Leo quietly raised the privacy screen in the front seat. This is too much.
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