February 2036: 6 months after divorce
What happens when celebrity couples break up? Rumours, accusations, jumping to conclusions. People chose a side, and turn against the other. After their divorce, Jordan and Sadie had easily agreed to keep the details on it private, including why it happened. Which, therefore, left a wide space to be filled with assumptions… by pretty much everyone who thought they knew more than they actually did.
SADIE MONROE DIVORCES JORDAN WILLIAMS
The many headlines from gossip articles and YouTube news that jumped on the drama had strategically assigned roles of the victim and the villain in the act. And as long as no one knew about the reasonings, Sadie remained being the latter. Because what could she say? Her husband kissed and then confessed the love he still had for his ex-girlfriend and it completely shattered her self-esteem? Sadie would never want to risk ruining his reputation, even if it meant sacrificing her own for a while.
“Okay everyone take five!” The director said, taking Sadie out of character and temporarily off the set for the movie, Emergency, a movie that she had ‘controversially’ been cast in considering the times. As the director made that call, Sadie stepped outside towards her trailer before she was interrupted by- [color= rosybrown]“Sadie!”[/color] To which she let out a small sigh before forcing out a smile as she had learnt being approached by co-star and high school ‘acquaintance’ Emily Dalton never came with the best intentions. “Emily, hey, that was a really good scene from you,” She told her with a smile as she walked into her trailer only for Emily to follow behind.
[color= rosybrown]“Thanks, I know, and you, you’ve been okay!” [/color] Emily replied in a tone that made the compliment sound even less geniune than the words itself did. [color= rosybrown]“I mean this is a really big movie to be on, isn’t it? I guess you’re plan really worked after all,”[/color] She said to her with a smile. Sadie walked across the trailer to be on the opposite side of the counter to her… just in case. “Plan? What pl-” She started though, clearly hoping she would ask that question, Emily interrupted. [color= rosybrown]“To use Jordan for fame. And it obviously worked, here you are!”[/color]
Sadie looked down at countertop, her hands continuously flicking the lid of her water bottle open and close, not knowing how to respond to this kind of accusation. Of course she had heard this before, this was one of the more popular theories by their fanbases. “That’s- that’s not what–” "So it was just convenient timing that you divorced him after you started booking movie roles and releasing albums? Emily continued to talk over Sadie’s attempted arguments that came across as weak when she couldn’t back them up. “What are you talking abo- none of that is impor–” [color= rosybrown]“What, you expect us all to believe you got all that because you were just ‘talented enough’?”[/color] Emily proceeded to interrupt as the sound of the water bottle lid grew louder. “Emily, I love Jor–” [color= rosybrown]“Or did you just love his fame? Pretty convenient if you ask me,”[/color] Emily speculated once again, not letting Sadie get a word of argument in. [color= rosybrown]“In fact I must say you made your love for him almost convinc–”[/color] “He f^cking cheated on me, okay?!”
There was a deafening silence that followed Sadie’s outburst and revelation. Emily- hell, the whole world- had pushed for what seemed like forever and now in this moment she had been tipped over the edge. “He cheated,” Sadie repeated, though this time she was telling herself that, after years of avoiding the word, making excuses for him and blaming herself. “And- and…” Sadie started, struggling to say the next phrase. “And that’s not my fault, it’s not,” She finally realised. Yes it was her who overthought and worried and fabricated the situation to the extent that it took over, but it was him that did the one thing he knew would make her that way again. Sue her for letting that come between their relationship.
She looked back up at Emily, whom she forgot was still stood there and listening. [color= rosybrown]“… Does this mean you’re going to make another pathetic attempt to be with Dorian?”[/color] Emily asked her, showing her clear priorities, and that Sadie and Jordan’s relationship was not one of them. Sadie put her head in her hands at the completely ridiculous question Emily had just asked. “Please get out,” Sadie requested before she was finally left alone to clean up the spilled water from the bottle she had knocked over at some point in that conversation.
March 2039: 6 months before present
As she had hoped would happen, the rumours and random accusations against Sadie began to die out as years of no updates passed by. Sadie continued to progress her acting and singing career, because, despite Emily’s theories, she was talented enough to get as far as she had, and while during the divorce fans tried to push her out of new TV and movie roles, now they all asked for her to be in them. The new Netflix movie, Almost Love, had been highly anticipated after she had been confirmed as the lead role alongside Griffin Gluck.
“You know I’ve always felt like we had a connection, and… I don’t want to just be your friend,” Griffin declared, his eyes down at the script that was in his hands as him and Sadie sat in the lobby of the hotel the cast and crew had been staying in, running lines before shooting began the next morning. “Of course I feel the same way, Jason, I’m just sorry it took so long,” Sadie read, before her eyes broke away from the paper as she read the stage directions. “And then kiss,” She concluded through a out-of-character smile.
“Wow, you really are a very talented actor,” Sadie told him as she made small folds in the corners of her script, her eyes flicking up towards him. “I guess it’s easy when some of it doesn’t require acting,” Griffin responded suggestively. This wasn’t the first movie they had starred in together, only a year before they had been in Tall Girl together. “I think the bar is still open, Sads, what do you say we head over?” Though Griffin had always been flirtatious towards Sadie, she had usually dismissed the advances in fear of leading him on. However tonight seemed different. Call it… getting into character? After months of being confused of her feelings towards him, it felt like tonight was a good opportunity to… clarify. “Well… the night is young.”
Lips breaking their distance, their breaths intertwined, her body under his. Several drinks and hours later Sadie and Griffin made their way into the same hotel room and finally acted on the tension they had since the first movie. The moments passed in an intoxicating blur. That was, until Griffin’s hands fell to the zip on his pants, and in that instant, something clicked in her mind. Suddenly, after putting them to the test, the ambiguity of her feelings towards Griffin didn’t seem so confusing.
No no no no no. Nope. Not right. This wasn’t right. He wasn’t right, it wasn’t right, it wasn’t the same. Her heavy breathing became rapid and her head started spinning. “No, please, stop, stop,” Sadie quietly said in between the short breaths, only just audible enough for Griffin to sit back and regain the space between them, unsure of how to act around the trembling body in front of him.
“I’m sorry, I don’t kn- I’m sorry,” Sadie told him once she had completely settled again and was sat on the end of the bed with him stood opposite. “You- You didn’t do anything wrong I just… couldn’t,” She struggled to say, not being able to meet his eyes. “It’s- is this to do with Jordan? Are you still–?” The mention of Jordan finally brought her eyes to meet his. “Griffin that… that was a while ago, now,” She replied shaking her head before hiding her face with her hands. “Okay that… wasn’t an answer, though, and it wasn’t that long ago. Clearly not long enough ago,” Griffin replied with a smile as he knew what maybe she didn’t even yet, though sighed as he noticed her shutting down. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Sadie,” He said light-heartedly, before leaving her alone.
“So before we go Sadie, you’ve started filming your new movie Almost Love with Griffin, right?” The sound of the interviewer’s voice played back to Sadie on her laptop in the virtual interview. "Yeah, we’re a few months into shooting, hopefully it’ll be arriving in theatres sometime at the beginning of next year! Sadie replied with her ‘interview smile’, and, because was so sure about it happening, she was practically waiting for the question on her costar. But Sadie didn’t need to have a prechecked, rehearsed answer to this question as she only needed and wanted to tell the truth. “We’ve seen some images circulating of you and Griffin Gluck? Is the on-screen romance becoming an offscreen one?” Sadie was- strategically- asked. It was easy to answer. Sadie had gone down that route, taken an opportunity and explored the possibility. Though Griffin was nothing but a spark of sexual tension that died the moment it was acted on, and Sadie knew why. But she wasn’t going to share that much. “We became close friends from being on set all the time, but that’s all we’ve really ever been.”
Once the interview concluded with a short promotion of the new film, and Sadie’s social media in general, she closed her laptop. Closing the door and shutting down the rumours with Griffin felt a lot more meaningful than she thought it would. Maybe because that door closing gave the chance for another one to open.
“Hey, Sadie, I’m a Netflix representative, and we’re calling to ask if you wanted to be a part of our Dance Movie Marathon with an interview after livestreaming Work It? We’d love if you would be able to!”
September 2039: Present
This was right. Standing in front of Jordan, being completely open and honest with the feelings she had let build up. Sadie loved Jordan, without question or doubt, just like she had when they first met, when they got married, when they started and raised a family together. And she knew that she was right because she had been wrong before. She knew the divorce wasn’t her fault, and maybe Jordan did break her heart but after a while that became relentlessly overshadowed by everything else. Sadie was now confident in herself enough to believe that if Jordan said he loved her, he actually did.
She watched him try to process her words, and waited for him to tell her what he initially wanted to say. Though instead, Sadie had the familiar and nostalgic feeling of Jordan’s arm around her. Her arms fell around his shoulders as the instinctively did and when they kissed, everything fell into place. She had never been so sure of anything in her life and she wanted to be in that moment forever - but at the same time Sadie wanted to live the future she was already thinking of with him.
That was, until the moment ended at the sound of Jordan’s phone ringing. “You can- it’s fine you can ta-” Sadie started before Jordan started apologising, his rushed words of ‘I shouldn’t have’ repeating continuously in her mind. What did that mean? “It’s okay, it’s okay, we can just- just forget it for–” She began, giving the exit he may be looking for from the regret, until Jordan’s voice downed hers out, telling her he never stopped loving her to which her eyes met his as she tried to find what was stopping him in his face. That was the answer she had hoped for, but he almost said it… shamefully?
“Yeah, I’m sorry, I’m- I’ll just… I should go,” Sadie stuttered, her hands fumbling on the handle to open the door, taking long breaths to push down her feelings until she left.
@benitz786 Jordan Williams