Side Story 3: A Scandalous Tabloid

Ethan had always been careful, especially after the system granted him his rapid rise to fame. But no amount of caution could protect him from the vultures of the entertainment industry—those who thrived on scandals and twisted stories to sell more headlines.

It was early morning when Ethan's phone buzzed incessantly, waking him up from a much-needed sleep. Groggy, he grabbed it off the nightstand, expecting it to be his manager or a notification about a new task from the system. Instead, he was greeted by an onslaught of notifications from social media, texts from friends, and several missed calls.

His heart sank as he opened the first message from his manager: *"We need to talk. Now."*

Confused, he scrolled through the trending hashtags, his name plastered across every tabloid with a headline that left him cold: *"Is Ethan Jackson Gay? Secret Boyfriend Exposed!"*

Ethan's mind raced. How did this happen? Who would spread such a rumor? He had never been involved in anything that could even remotely be spun this way. As he scrolled through the articles, he saw heavily edited pictures of him with his co-star, Oliver—a charismatic actor who had recently gained a following for his chemistry with Ethan in a romantic drama they'd starred in together. The tabloids were having a field day, dissecting their on-screen interactions and turning them into something far more personal.

Before he could process what to do, there was a sharp knock on his door. He opened it to find none other than Oliver himself, looking equally confused and concerned.

"Have you seen this?" Oliver asked, holding up his phone with the same headlines.

Ethan nodded, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I don't know how this happened. Someone must have twisted things."

Oliver sighed, stepping into the apartment. "Look, we know how the industry works. They'll latch onto anything. But we need to get ahead of this before it spirals out of control."

As they sat down, discussing their next steps, Ethan's phone buzzed again. This time, it was the system, presenting him with a task: *"Deny the rumors and maintain your reputation. Reward: Increased public favor."*

Ethan groaned inwardly. The system had never been more direct about his personal life, but it was clear that he needed to handle this delicately. He couldn't afford to let the scandal tarnish his hard-earned reputation.

They decided to address it head-on with a public statement, clarifying the situation and squashing the rumors before they could grow further. But just as they were about to send it out, something unexpected happened.

Amelia, the actress he had grown close to over the past months, walked into the room. She had seen the tabloids, too, and though her face remained composed, there was a flicker of something in her eyes—something that made Ethan's heart skip a beat.

"Is it true?" she asked, her voice steady but laced with an emotion Ethan couldn't quite place.

Ethan's throat tightened. He hadn't even considered how this rumor would affect his budding relationship with Amelia. He wanted to assure her that it was all nonsense, but the look on her face stopped him. This was more than just about the rumor—this was about trust.

Without thinking, Ethan stood up and walked over to her. "It's not true. You know me better than that, Amelia."

For a moment, the room was silent. Oliver watched from the sidelines, sensing the deeper tension between them. Finally, Amelia gave a small nod, though her expression remained distant.

"I do," she whispered. "But I don't know if the rest of the world does."

With that, she left, leaving Ethan standing there, torn between the scandal and the fragile connection he had with her. As Oliver patted him on the shoulder and left the apartment, Ethan was left with a sinking feeling.

The task from the system was completed, but the cost of fame was becoming all too clear. The system could control his public image, but it couldn't control the damage it did to his relationships.

And for the first time since his rise to stardom, Ethan wondered if the price was worth it.