After He Cheated, I Revealed My True Identity

Chapter 2

Calum's face twisted.

He lowered his voice, irritation sharp in every word. "Are you done making a scene? Everything I'm doing is for our future."

He pulled me aside to where Meryl wouldn't be able to hear his next words to me.

"Meryl's dad, Simon Ronan, is a living legend in the music industry. Do you have any idea what that means? If he agrees to back me, I'll blow up in no time. Then we can finally get out of that crummy basement apartment." He spoke like this was the most obvious, reasonable thing in the world.

"You're my soul, y'know? I'll never forget the days we spent writing music together, not for as long as I live. But from now on, you keep writing songs for me, be my secret weapon. Every cent I earn will go straight to you. I'll get us a huge house, and all that high-end recording gear you've been craving.

"In the meantime, I'll handle Meryl, okay? She'll never even know you exist. Once I've got a solid footing in the industry, we can—"

I wrenched my hand out of his grip. "Calum, you seriously expect me to be your ghostwriter and your side piece forever? What, do you think your face is made of solid gold or studded with diamonds or something?"

Meryl abruptly walked over, all soft and graceful, and looped her arm through Calum's, her voice honey-sweet. "Thalia, don't be mad at him. I've always admired how talented you are. If you keep writing songs for him, I'll make sure it's worth your while."

That whole holier-than-thou, I'm-the-lady-of-the-house act she was pulling? It made me want to gag.

"'What?" I let out a cold, sharp laugh. "Who are you to tell me that, huh? Meryl, did you know that when you banged on someone's door in the middle of the night wearing nothing but a slip nightdress, it was my boyfriend who you were knocking to?"

All the color drained from Meryl's face in an instant.

Calum jumped in to explain in a panic. Not to me, but to his mistress. "You've got this all wrong! Thalia doesn't know what she's talking about."

Reporters nearby caught a whiff of the explosive gossip, and immediately surged forward, jabbing microphones right at all three of us.

"Mr. Ashford, is it true that you and Ms. Lance are in a relationship?"

"Ms. Ronan, are you actually the third party in this relationship?"

"What's the untold story behind the creation of Starlit Basement?"

Meryl's eyes immediately glistened with tears, and she collapsed against Calum's chest, putting on a perfect show of being wronged.

"Calum and I love each other truly. I never wanted to bring this up, but Thalia... she's been living in her own fantasy world this whole time." She looked over at me, her eyes brimming with what looked like pity.

"Thalia, I know you're head over heels for Calum, but you can't force someone to love you back. It's not right to try and ruin him just because you can't have him," she added.

Calum immediately stepped in front of her to shield her, staring at me like I was a total stranger, disappointment written all over his face.

"I can't believe you're this low. Dragging your own friend through the mud just to get your 15 minutes of fame?"

Just like that, a huge, unfair accusation was dumped straight on my shoulders.

I was the delusional girl now, the one who'd turned bitter after being rejected and would stoop to any low to get revenge.

The low, chattering gossip from the crowd washed over me like a flood, swallowing me whole.

"Oh, so that's how it is. I knew Calum didn't seem like that kind of guy."

"This Thalia is straight-up crazy. If she can't have him, she's gonna ruin him."

"Poor Meryl, stuck with a friend like her."

I was shaking with rage, my nails digging deep into my palms.

Just then, a cold, crisp voice cut straight through the chaotic buzz of the crowd.

"It's just a song. Is all this drama really necessary?"

I looked over toward the sound.

A man was strolling toward us, clad in a perfectly tailored black suit. He cut an imposing, dignified figure, with a faint, aloof chill in his eyes and brows.

It was Ian Grant.

The most reclusive gold medal producer in the entire music industry, and the youngest judge on this year's Crystal Song Awards panel.

Rumor had it he never showed up to public events, but he'd made a rare exception to attend that day's awards ceremony.

The entire crowd went dead silent, everyone stared at him with clear awe.

Ian's gaze flickered over my face for a split second, then shifted right to Calum.

"I've listened to that song, Starlit Basement." His voice wasn't loud, but every word cut through the silence sharp and clear. "The arrangement is incredible, but the vocals... they're totally average."

Calum's face turned the color of a boiled beet in the blink of an eye.