I WANT TO BE LEFT ALONE.

"What are you going to do?" Hailey asked, wondering how she will speak to his fans. "Where will you meet them? Calling for their attention to talk to them- you're going to wreck yourself."

"Don't worry." Jane smiled at her. "It's better than doing nothing, his fans are saying hurtful things about him and you want me to keep quiet? If I had known I wouldn't have allowed him to make that declaration."

"But I thought you said, you don't have anything to do with him again?" Hailey asked with curiosity on her face. "You told me, you don't care about him and you have called off the engagement between you two, then why did he announce you to the public?"

"Yes, I did." She answered. "I called off the engagement but little did I know that decision of mine will ruin his mother's life. Ever since I said I'm no longer interested in marrying Chris, his Mom have been depressed to the extent of her fainting and seeing her in that condition made me changed my mind. I told her I will marry her son if that will make her happy."

"What!?" Hailey asked, bewildered. "How could you? Why would you make such an important decision concerning your life, your happiness? Why are you so determined to marry him? I thought you asked Ethan to marry you?"

"I don't know, I'm confused." She said, loosing hope. "I don't know what to do, I want to be with Chris and on the other hand, I deserve to be happy, to be treated with respect. Yes I told Ethan to marry me but I said that to remove Chris from my mind. But it's getting worse everyday, I don't seem to feel anything for Ethan. I will keep on hurting him if I keep lying to him, I desire Chris but I just don't know…..I don't know what to do again. I'm tired of this whole life."

"Your love is an obsession." Hailey said. "Your love for him has turned into an obsession, you're obsessed with him and it has gone too deep that it can't be broken." She shook her head, making an irritating sound with her tongue.

"You can't seem to let go of Chris or Ethan too." She added. "You're hurting yourself as well as Ethan, when last did you speak to Ethan?"

"Since the day we went to the ring mall to buy a ring." Jane answered. "But we ran into Chris and he created a fuss there by taking me forcefully from Ethan."

"I bet you were happy when you saw him in that ring mall, right?" Hailey asked, eyeing her.

"Yes, I won't lie." Jane answered, she can't keep denying the truth in her. "Yes, if that's what you want to hear. I was happy although Ethan was there with me but the joy that boomed in me the moment I saw him there. I have never felt that way for Ethan, I like Ethan, I love him but just as friend and I'm regretting why I told him to marry me. I shouldn't have done that, he deserves a better girl than me."

"Have you tried to know how he's feeling, I mean Ethan?" Hailey asked, disappointed at her friend's response. She can't seem to understand what her friend saw in that Chris that she can't seem to let him go. Although she watched the live event yesterday and she loved the way Chris stood up for her but that doesn't mean she wants him for her. Each time her friend is with him, she will only end up in tears and she hates that. She prefer Ethan to him.

But since her friend's mind is made up, she won't pressurize her to be with someone her heart doesn't beat for but what if what she feel for Chris isn't love but an infatuation or a crush?

"What if what you feel for Chris isn't love but a little crush since he's your celebrity crush." Hailey inserted. "I mean you're not even sure what you feel for him, sometimes you feel like giving him up and sometimes you feel like pushing forward. Maybe what you feel for him is a little crush and will end soon."

"If you give Ethan a chance, you might feel something stronger for him." She went on. "What you will feel for him might be more stronger than what you feel for Chris. Jane, Chris is a musician and won't have your time, he will busy and so many girls wants his attention and now he announced you his fianceé. You will always live in fear cause you don't know when his female admirers or fans will lash out on you."

Jane kept quiet, listening to her words. In a way she's right but her heart isn't telling her the same thing, her heart is always telling her to strive on but the only problem she has now is that she's confused.

She doesn't know who to listen to, her father, her Mom or her friend or her heart? She's totally lost.

"Jane?' Hailey called, noticing the change in her countenance. "I know what you feel for Chris, I'm fully aware of it and I'm not trying to destroy it but sometimes you should listen to head, sometimes the heart lies. Your self respect should be your first priority, your self integrity. You don't want to loose that simply because you're obsessed with him."

"Hailey, you don't understand." Jane said with worry written over her face. "I want to be with Chris, I desire to be with him. What I feel for him is too strong to let go now, I have harboured this feeling for him for over 8 years and you want me to let it go?"

"I want to ask you." Hailey began, maintaining eye contact with her. "Does he feel the same way for you or is it just a one-sided love?"

Jane kept mute immediately she asked that question. Does he feel the same way for her? He's only doing this for his parents, he's willing to get married to her for the sake of his parents. He wants to make his Mom happy by going against his wish.

"Your silence tells me he doesn't and I know he doesn't. He will never have feelings for you because too many girls are there to distract him." Hailey interrupted her thoughts. "Cass is there for him and she will never let you take Chris away from her if she feels something for him. He's only getting married to you for marrying sake because he's due for marriage. Jane, I'm your friend and I care about you. I don't want you to loose your sanity in the name of love or loose your self worth."

"Okay look at the way his fans are making fun of you simply because he introduced you to the Medias. They're practically making fun of you, making caricatures of you. Calling you all sort of names, the other woman. That's what they called you."

"𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑶𝑻𝑯𝑬𝑹 𝑾𝑶𝑴𝑨𝑵." Hailey emphasized. "Is that what you want to be labelled as for the rest of your life?"

"Do you want to to be with man who will only make you cry or be with the man who will make you happy. Listen my friend, we fall in and out of love everyday, you won't know when Ethan will be your whole world if you give him a chance. There are many fishes in the water, pick one out of them. Don't focus on that fish that won't even come to you. Sometimes what we want isn't ours, sometimes we fall in love with the wrong people. Love can deceive a lot, you might think you're in love with this person without knowing you don't feel anything for him at all."

"Love comes and goes anything." Hailey continued, watching her go dead silent. "We are bound to fall in love with our celebrity crush, just like the way I love Bruno Mars. But doesn't mean I should kill myself for him to notice me, it's just a crush we all have for celebrities we like. Please listen to me, I love and care for you, I won't want to see you hurting again because of Chris."

"You got humiliated today, do you want to get more humiliations in the future?"

"I want to be alone." Jane finally spoke up. "Please let me be." Her words are causing a lot of fuss in her, her heart is breaking into tiny pieces at the effect of her words. They're hurting her and she can't seem to endure it any longer. Why is the whole world against her?

"Pardon?" Hailey looked at her, confusedly.

"I said I want to be alone." She repeated herself. "I want to be alone, I don't know who to believe in anymore. I'm tired of everything. You all want me to forget about Chris, everyone has something to say concerning my feelings for him but have you ever wondered what I want, my feelings?" She raised her voice, making Hailey widened her eyes in shock.

"Everyone is telling me to do this or that like I'm some robot." She continued with annoyance in her voice, her eyebrows furrowed together, creating a thin lline between them. "Everyone is taking decisions for me as if I'm some child, first is Chris, his parents, Ethan and my parents. Nobody is just saying anything that pleases them."

"What about my feelings? What about my happiness. Yes I admit Chris doesn't love me and his fans don't like me either but that's my problem. I will deal with that so please leave me alone. 𝑰 𝑾𝑨𝑵𝑻 𝑻𝑶 𝑩𝑬 𝑳𝑬𝑭𝑻 𝑨𝑳𝑶𝑵𝑬." 𝑺𝑯𝑬 𝑺𝑪𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑴𝑬𝑫.

"You know what, I will call off my engagement with him, I will tell the media we had a big fight so we won't get married." She said with a serious look on her face. "I won't marry Chris, I will make sure of that and I'm not going back to my words and as for Ethan. I won't be with him either, he should go live his life the way he wants. I don't want to be with Chris or Ethan either. I want to be alone, there's nothing wrong leading a simple and single life."

"Just like you." She pointed at her. "You don't have anything to worry about, you're not afraid to loose anyone. You are happy in your little world and I want that, I'm tired of the way my life is going and it's time to reset it on the right part."

"I will get his manager to let me talk to his fans and clear the tension and Cass is free to be with him. After that, I will have a healthy talk with Ethan and tell him I'm not interested in him, I was never interested in him and I will beg his forgiveness for causing him only pain. And everyone's life will go back to normal, no hate, no pain, no tears. Everyone will be happy."

Hailey stared at her, her mouth agape, watching her friend rant on. She was really shocked at what she's saying. She doesn't want to be Ethan or Chris. That's a huge step she's taking, she can see her words really affected her because she's so worked up but she's saying the truth. Lately everyone is making decisions for her, she should have her own say in her life. She's not a puppet for anyone to use.

"Are you sure of the decision you're making?" Hailey asked, doubting her every word. She knew her friend, she's an emotional being. She might go back to her words if Chris says sweet words to her or if his parents tries to convince her again.

"Yes, I'm sure of it." Jane replied with a stern look on her face. "And no going backwards so please can you leave me alone now, I'm begging you." She clasped her hands in a pleading form.

"Okay if that's what you want but I hope you listen to my words." Hailey said, placing her hand on her shoulder. "I hope you make the right decision." She said and left.

The moment Hailey left, she laid with her side on the cold floor. She snuggled her knees to her chest, letting the tears that clouded her eyes to stream down. She cried and cried until there was no more tears left in her eyes, she recalled how great her life was going when she haven't met Chris, how peacefully her life was going without him around. When she didn't know he existed. She missed that life and it's time to get that life back, no more tears.

No Chris or Ethan in her life, they should go their separate ways and it's time to move forward. She has dreams to accomplish, she has goals to reach out for and not waste her precious life on two men.

Time to make a change in her life. If she could live without him those times, she could live without him now. Time to focus on other things than him.

_____________

"Dude you made the most mind-blowing declaration at yesterday's event." Adam said. He sat in Chris's living room, looking at him who seems a little lost and distant. "That announcement really got people talking, not only your fans but your co celebrities. That announcement took them by surprise."

"Yes, it really did and I'm regretting why I made that announcement." Chris inserted, staring at the thin air. What was he thinking when he made that declaration? He shouldn't have listened to his manager when he told him to introduce Jane to the media. She's now going through a rough time because of that declaration, his fans are busy venting their anger on her and he went from the first to fifth in the BMS ( Best male soloist ) and the BMTY ( Best music of the year ) charts. He also came second, third or fourth in other charts but never first. The song he performed yesterday wasn't even streamed enough by his fans. Whenever he sings a song, before a twinkle of an eye. Fans will already stream it and he will be getting up to 900 billions views together in all the net.

But the yesterday performance, the highest views he got was not up to 1 million. He was really devastated and depression but he was more worried about Jane. His fans are saying all sort of mean things to her.

"I was really shocked at that declaration." Adam said. "I was asking myself if you were the one that said that. You announced Jane to be your fianceé in public, you never wanted to marry her. Why then did you announce her? You know I have been away for a while so a lot must have happened when I was gone. Tell me what made you take that huge step?"

"My manager told me to introduce her." He answered.

"How did your manager know Jane?" Adam asked with questions in his eyes. "Have they known each other before?"

"No." He shook his head. "I took Jane once to the studio to rehearse for the song I was going to perform at the gala so that's how he knew because I told them she's my fianceé. And he told me to introduce her at the event for my fans to know."

"And the declaration has caused a huge ruckus on the net." Adam interrupted him. "Your fans are mocking her for what you did, they believed she seduced you. They believed she distracted you from getting married to Cass. They thought you and Cass were dating and about to marry each other."

"I don't know why they hate her so much, I mean she never did anything to them. Why would they speak ill of her as if they know her. I'm such a fool, I'm such a fool for announcing her. If I had known it will result to this, I wouldn't have done it. They really hate her and I wonder why they want me to be with Cass, I don't love her, I only see her as a friend and we never dated.

"Dude you never liked anyone, Cass or Jane." Adam blunted out. "You don't even believe in that word love and you also announced her yesterday for your parents to see, for them to be proud of you. For them to believe you really and truly want to marry her, right?"

"Dude, I don't know, I'm confused." Chris exhaled, ruffling his dreads in devastation. "I can't even go outside because the press are everywhere and ready to take comments of what happened yesterday. Since yesterday, I have been indoors and my manager have been calling me to come to the studio but I can't. My fans are not only mad at Jane but also mad at me."

"They want me to be Cass." He lets out breath.

"Then give them what they want." Adam suggested. "Tell them you're getting married to Cass not Jane. If they want to be with Cass, then go be with her."

"Are you crazy? How can you suggest such a thing?" Chris asked, looking at him as if he's mad.

Adam laughed hard at the expression on his face. "I was only kidding when I said that, I want to see how your face will be like." He laughed more.

"Are you mocking me just like my fans?" He asked, slightly annoyed at his words. "Are you here to help me like a friend who will help a friend in need or just mock me?"

"I'm sorry if I upset you but really I was kidding." Adam smiled. "Dude, I'm also confuse like you're. I don't really know how to help you in this situation but I think you should talk to your fans. Make them see reasons why you introduced Jane instead of Cass, tell them Cass is only a friend to you nothing more."

"And also tell everyone of them to take down those silly comments they said about Jane including videos." He continued. "If possible, contact the owners of the social medias and tell them to take down any mean commentary concerning the announcement you made yesterday."

"Yes, you are right. I will do just that." Chris lights up at his suggestion. "I have to speak to them, they should vent their anger on me not on Jane. She didn't even know I will announce our relationship to the public, she deserves some respect from them."

"But in a way, you caused all these." Adam pointed at him, accusing him. ,"If you didn't reject to marry Jane in the first place and if you didn't apologize to Cass by going on your knees, you really made it look like you proposed to her."

"Yes, you're correct." He nodded his head in agreement. "I'm responsible for this and I will make it right, I will set things right. I don't want to see Jane hurting because of me. I wonder how she's feeling right now or where she could be?"

"At home, lying on the bed. Going through her phone, seeing all the hateful comments about her. Crying in her pillows, tired, weak, dizzy. Let me put it this way, the general word for it is depression. She's feeling depressed right now." Adam answered.

*𝐷𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑔*

They heard the door bell ring. Chris wondered who might be at his house this afternoon. Maybe his manager decided to come by himself. He walked to the door and opened it, he was right, he saw his manager standing there with Fiona but what really caught him off guard was that he saw some mob with them who look more like the press. His jaw clenched with anger the moment he saw them, why would his manager call them? They seemed about 10 of them.

"You called them here, right?" He asked his manager with anger flickering in his eyes. He tried to stay away from these nosey press and their stupid questions but it seems he can't run forever. They're right here at his doorpost.

"Can you at least let us in?" His manager asked. "I called you several times to come to the studio but you never did."

"That's because I don't want to face the outside world, I'm still not over what happened yesterday. I wanted to spend time alone." He answered.

"Okay but can you please let us in?" His manager said. "We will discuss inside."

"I'm not going to allow them in to ask me silly and stupid questions." Chris inserted, pointing at the curious press. "I'm only going to allow you and Fiona. You know how much I hate it when people visit me unannounced…."

He had to kick Cass out of his house once for showing up unannounced.

"Okay, enough of this." Fiona interrupted him. "Would you let us in or not?"

"Come in, only you two." His manager and Fiona stepped in, some of the press tried to squeeze themselves in while some tired to ask him questions but he shut the door on them.

"Chris, I know how you feel right now." His manager began. "I'm responsible for what's happening now, I made you took that step and look what it caused."

"You really went low in the charts and your fans, they seem to be mad at you." Fiona interjected, checking her tablet and informing him of the latest updates as if he cared. "The song you performed yesterday couldn't go that far because of the announcement. You only sang it at the gala, we haven't even made the official video of that song. That performance was only a teaser for the mean song, it was like introducing the song."

"But because of the announcement, many of your fans wouldn't watch it talk more of streaming it. They are really upset with you, the huge profit and fans we would have made just decreased." She added, not minding what Chris's going through right now. She's only doing her job, trying to make every song he sings a huge success in the industry.

Chris stared at her as if she's crazy, in his current situation. She still has the courage to tell him how far his song went and how far it didn't. Shouldn't she look at him and see he's not okay. He's not fine, with the anger brewing in him at thoughts of those mob out on his porch. He screamed at her.

"Fiona?" He yelled, taking her by surprise. His yell was so loud, it made her to stop in her tracks. She looked at him and saw the annoyance in his eyes. "Can't you see I'm not okay? Can't you see I'm not in the mood to know if the song I performed yesterday was a huge success or not. I don't care about it." He said, sitting down. He ruffled his dreads in frustration.

His words silenced her for a moment. She ended up sitting beside Adam and stared at him, blankly.

"I'm facing a rough problem and all you could do is think about the money and how far the song went?" He asked rhetorically.

"What did you expect me to do?" Fiona asked him, crossing her legs. "My job is to know how much profit we make for every song you sing, I didn't ask you bring Jane to the gala neither did I tell you to introduce her as your fianceé there. What were you thinking when you made that decision?"

"Actually I told him to do so." His manager said. "Ever since he introduced her to us as his fianceé, I thought it would be nice if he does the same to the public. But I was wrong about how the whole event will turn out to be. I thought they will be delighted to hear the news but they weren't."

"I'm more concerned about Jane." Chris said, absentmindedly. "I wonder what she might be doing now?"

"Yeah, me too." His manager inserted. "I wonder how she's feeling now? How she's taking the whole mean comments."

"I called her several times but she won't pick my calls." Chris said. "I'm really worried about her."

"She's depressed and need some time alone." Adam inputs. "I think you guys should let her be for now, let her be for now. Don't try to take the press to her house or her place of work, it will only wreck and remind her of the humiliation she went through yesterday."

"But I'm worried." Chris prompted, looking weak and tired. "She should at least answer one of the calls and tell me she's okay."

"Adam is right." Chris's manager nodded his head. "We should drag her into this, she's going through a rough time now in the hands of your fans." He pointed at Chris. "Let's leave her out of this."

"So why did you bring the press here?" Chris asked, standing up and placing his hands on his waist. He looked at his manager like he should start talking, he doesn't have all the time in the world to be patient with him. "I'm not talking to them."

"They are from the MTV base and Star Light TV. They really want to speak to you concerning the event of yesterday." His manager replied. "And some from the newspaper company."

"I don't care who they're or what they are doing here, I'm not speaking to them." Chris said, sitting down once again but feeling restless.

"You should go and talk to them." Fiona said. "If you want to keep Jane safe from your fans, you should go clear the tension by speaking to them. If you continue keeping quiet, your fans will continue talking trash about Jane. Is that what you want?"

'And also, the Award winning is in next two months." She added, not minding the look on his face. "You really need to clear the tension so you can get back the love of your fans. And their votes too to win the award. Please I'm begging you, go talk to them and win back your fans."

"Yes dude, she's right." Adam prompted. "Go speak to the media and tell the truth, be honest. Remember Jane is also suffering from this."

"Okay, fine, I will." He said, reluctantly. He really wants to save her from his bizarre fans and he will get married to her no matter what people say.

"Also, you are having another interview along with Cass by another television company." Fiona said. "It will be held next week Tuesday, be prepared."

He rolled his eyes inwardly at what she said. An interview is the least of his problem.