When the Ice King Fell

Hunter Jones, the award-winning actor hailed as the "aloof prince" of the entertainment industry, found himself in the middle of an unlikely scandal-because I slapped him on live television.

When the incident landed me on the trending hotlist, complete with a cascade of online vitriol, Lisette Barrett, the so-called "princess" of Nova Entertainment and an open admirer of Hunter, vowed to destroy my career.

But just as I was mentally preparing for the fallout, the notoriously offline Hunter did the unthinkable: he registered a social media account and went live to clear my name.

1

The moment I saw the script for this variety show, I knew trouble was brewing.

Sure enough, within hours of slapping Hunter on camera, the internet had turned into a firestorm of insults, and my name was at the center of it all.

"I always knew Melany Berry was bad news. She must be desperate for attention!"

"Poor Hunter! He already took this gig to help his old agency, and now he has to deal with her. Gross."

"This isn't her first stunt. Clout-chasing at its finest. I hope she fades into obscurity!"

"Lisette should blacklist Melany! Just seeing her face makes me sick."

"You know what? Lisette actually seems decent compared to this shameless woman."

...

To make matters worse, along with the clip of me slapping Hunter, another video surfaced showing Lisette sweetly applying an ice pack to his cheek. The internet exploded.

Some sympathized with Hunter. Others shipped him and Lisette as a couple. Even those who previously disliked Lisette softened toward her.

The consensus? Everyone wanted me out of the entertainment industry. The trending hashtags said it all. #The Perfect Couple Hunter And Lisette; #Nova Princess Wins The Aloof Prince; #Melany, Get Out Of Showbiz.

I was nothing more than collateral damage in their fairy tale.

When my agency called to cancel all my upcoming appearances, I wanted nothing more than to strangle Hunter. Somehow, he'd always brought misfortune into my life. When we were together, things went south. Now, after years of separation, his mere presence was enough to ruin me again.

Just as I was stewing in anger, my assistant called, her voice frantic. "Melany, you need to check the live stream-now!"

Confused, I picked up my phone. The top trending hashtag was #Hunter Goes Live.

Hunter? Live? Hunter was infamous for being almost completely disconnected from the online world. Forget live streams; he didn't even have an official account.

Hesitant, I clicked on the stream. As soon as I saw Hunter's familiar eyes staring into the camera, a wave of irritation washed over me.

After we broke up, I never imagined we'd cross paths. Even when I was cast in the same project, I wasn't worried. My role was minor, and our scenes didn't overlap.

But someone-some cruel, script-altering maniac-had decided to rewrite the script. Not only did I have a scene with Hunter, but I also had to slap him.

The comments in the stream were just as chaotic as I'd expected. "Hunter, are you okay? That slap must have hurt!"

"Is Lisette at your place? I swear I saw a stuffed animal in the background. Hunter would never own something like that!"

"OMG, this confirms it-Hunter and Lisette are a couple! My ship sails!"

Despite the frenzy, Hunter sat silently, fumbling with the live stream interface like a total amateur. He looked as though he had no idea what he was doing.

I was about to exit the stream when a comment stopped me cold.

"Melany is disgusting. She's been a scheming snake since day one, clinging to rumors for fame and now dragging Hunter into her mess."

"That scheming woman is probably lurking somewhere, watching this."

My face darkened. If only they knew-I practically raised Hunter on slaps. If he tried to paint me as the villain, I'd happily air all his embarrassing childhood moments for the world to see.

Just then, Hunter, who had been staring blankly at the screen, finally raised his head.

Everyone assumed he was about to calm his fans. Instead, he said, with absolute seriousness, "She slapped me perfectly. The emotion was spot on."

2

Hearing Hunter's words, my brain started spinning.

What game was he playing now? Building a "saintly protector" persona? Subtly dragging me through the mud while making himself look noble?

I ground my teeth in frustration. That scheming little man-he was still as calculating as ever, even after all these years.

While I was lost in a storm of confusion and suspicion, Hunter suddenly fixed his gaze on the camera with startling seriousness.

"And one more thing," he said, his voice steady. "I'm single. Lisette and I are not, and have never been, involved in any way. But," he paused, "I do have someone I like."

The live stream exploded. The chat was flooded with theories about Hunter's mysterious crush, with my name popping up amidst the chaos.

"Everyone knows Hunter barely uses the internet. The fact that he's live-streaming to clear Melany's name... doesn't that say something?"

A shiver ran down my spine. Slamming my laptop shut, I shook my head furiously.

Fine. Let's give him some credit for clearing things up. I'd chalk it up to him being marginally decent. But from now on, I vowed, I wouldn't let myself get tangled with Hunter ever again.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans. Just as the uproar was settling, my phone rang. It was my agent. "We've booked you for a new reality show."

That didn't sound too bad-until I saw the guest list. Hunter's name stared back at me, bold and unmistakable.

As if that weren't bad enough, another familiar name appeared below it: Lisette.

This wasn't a reality show. It was a battlefield.

But refusing wasn't an option.

A few days before filming began, Hunter's name went viral once again.

"Who do you think Hunter's crush is? Could it actually be Melany? I mean, how else would someone at her level land this gig?"

"Guys, stop speculating. Hunter had a girlfriend before he debuted. But... something tragic happened to her."

"Wait, are we talking about the real-life 'lost first love' trope here?!"

"Melany and Lisette don't even hold a candle to his dream girl. They should stop trying to ride this narrative."