SARAH'S POV

Three days later, I sat in a brightly lit makeup studio while the artists worked their magic on my face. My phone buzzed insistently on the table.

"Is it Calista?" I asked, motioning for them to pick it up. They handed it over and I quickly slipped in my AirPods.

The moment I connected, Calista's scream nearly shattered my eardrums.

"Ouch! Girl, lower your voice before you burst my eardrums completely!" I said with a nervous laugh.

"Sorry, sorry!" she squealed, bubbling with excitement. "I'm literally dying over here! Popcorn ready, giant screen on, snacks everywhere - my best friend is about to become a total star with some mystery dream guy! This is the best thing ever! I can't wait to see who they paired you with. He's probably super hot and charming!"

I chuckled softly as the artists added the final touches - dramatic lashes, glowing skin, and that bold red lipstick. "Alright Cal, I have to go. We'll talk right after the big reveal, okay? Love you."

"Love you more! You better tell me every single detail about your hot fake boyfriend later. I've been fantasizing about him for days! Send pictures if you can!" She hung up, still laughing brightly.

If only she knew the nightmare waiting for me. My stomach twisted at the thought of what was coming.

The blue sequin dress fit like a second skin. The second I stepped out of the dressing room, the entire room fell silent before gasps erupted everywhere.

I rushed to the mirror, and my jaw dropped. The girl staring back looked confident, radiant, and completely unlike the broke senior who had signed her life away for two million dollars just to escape the mountain of debt after losing Mom.

"Oh my goodness, you look beauti-"

"Alright everyone, it's showtime," Alex said as he walked in, stopping mid-sentence with wide eyes. "Sarah... you look absolutely stunning. I'm so glad you made the right choice. The cameras are going to eat this up."

I forced a small smile. "Me too. No more crushing loans and no more Mrs. Smith banging on my door at six in the morning. This has to be worth it, right? I really need this to work out."

We moved backstage as the crowd's roar crashed over us. The first contestant stepped out to thunderous applause. I watched everything on the monitor, my heart hammering wildly while my mind raced with questions.

"Alex," I whispered, tugging his sleeve desperately. "Who is my fake date? Please just tell me already. I'm losing my mind over here. I feel like I'm about to walk into something I can't handle."

He shook his head calmly. "Be patient, Sarah. You've waited this long. Trust me, you won't be disappointed. The audience loves a big surprise."

I swallowed hard, nerves twisting tighter in my stomach as the seconds dragged on.

Then Rick's voice boomed across the stage. "Alright Sarah, you're up next! Big smile - the audience is going to love you!"

I took a deep breath and stepped into the blinding lights as my name echoed.

The applause was deafening. Rick pulled me into a quick hug. "Miss Sarah Chen, welcome to the show! You look absolutely beautiful tonight."

"Thank you, Rick," I replied, my cheeks burning. "I'm really excited to be here."

"Do you know who your co-star is yet?" he asked with a mischievous grin.

I shook my head, smiling nervously. "Not yet. Today's the big reveal, right?"

The crowd screamed even louder.

I kept my fingers crossed tightly. "Please let him be nice," I thought. "Please don't let this turn into a nightmare."

Rick turned dramatically to the audience. "Then help me welcome... Marcus Vance Hale!"

My blood turned to ice.

Marcus Vance Hale.

The name slammed into me with brutal force. No. No, no, no.

I tried to convince myself it was a coincidence, but then he walked out onto the stage - the same broad shoulders, the same cocky smirk, the same golden hockey king who had destroyed my best friend.

The same guy who had assaulted Calista.

The crowd erupted like he was a returning hero.

I froze completely, panic exploding through every inch of me. Marcus strode straight toward me like nothing was wrong. He took my hand, lifted it slowly, and pressed a lingering kiss to my knuckles.

"You look absolutely dashing tonight, Sarah," he said smoothly, flashing that perfect smile everyone at school worshipped.

I yanked my hand away sharply, my stomach churning with disgust. Rick's smile faltered for a split second.

"Alright folks, we'll take a quick commercial break and be right back! Don't go anywhere!"

The moment the cameras cut, I stormed backstage, my heart pounding so violently I could barely breathe.

"Alex!" I grabbed his arm hard, my voice shaking with raw fury. "What the hell is Marcus Vance doing on that stage with me? How could you do this?!"

Alex held up a hand, his expression turning cold and professional. "Sarah, calm down. This show isn't what you think it is. Marcus has a massive PR disaster on his hands because of that video. His team hired us to fix his image. You're here to play the perfect, sweet girlfriend and make him look good again. That's the job."

I released his arm like it was poison. "So I'm just his cover story? You deliberately paired me with him? You knew everything this whole time and you still let me sign?!"

He didn't deny a single word.

A short, bitter laugh tore out of me as the full betrayal crashed down. "You set me up from the beginning. How could you look me in the eye and do this?"

"Business is business, Sarah," Alex replied flatly. "Marcus needed a clean image fast, and you needed the money. It was a perfect match on paper."

"Perfect match?" My voice cracked with anger. "You knew what he did to my best friend! You hid his name on purpose and tricked me into this!"

Alex's face hardened completely. "Didn't you read the contract, Sarah? You can't terminate until the job is done. Unless you're ready to pay back every single cent of that two million dollars right now."