I Made You A Star Now Watch Me Break You

When I went on The Escape Pod, a celebrity escape room reality show, with my movie-star husband, he locked himself and a young, relatively unknown actress in the main challenge room.
He left me outside to deal with the terrifying Zombie NPC.
The show was broadcasting live, and the comments were flying across the screen:
[This room is a Blind Box challengeno cameras inside, so no one knows what's happening but them!]
[But they announced the rule beforehand! They only need their heart rates to hit 180 to open the door!]
[No way! The room is tiny! How can they exercise enough in there to hit 180?]
[Guys, are we forgetting? There's one kind of activity that doesn't need much space but definitely gets the heart racing!]
[Watch it, above! Keep it clean! Owen Mitchell is married to Scarlett Miller! Buy your own ticket to hell!]
Just then, the door clicked open.
I looked up. Owen Mitchell and Kira Bell were standing in the doorway, their fingers laced together.
1
In that moment, it wasn't just me.
The entire internet froze.
On the live feed, the comment section exploded:
[Wait, what? They just held hands and hit 180 BPM? Seriously?]
[The shippers are coming for you, Director! Your set will be an empty wasteland!]
[Didn't they say the door was connected to a heart monitor? Does this mean Owen and Kira really felt something?!]
[Don't start that rumor! Owen is a class act! He just didn't want the network to bully a newbie actress. He was helping her, that's all!]
[Exactly! The show paired Kira with 'ScOwen' for this taskthey clearly wanted to eliminate her early! Owen remembered his own struggle and stepped in. Don't let your mind jump to romance!]
I slowly turned my gaze to Owen.
The gentle, adoring look he once saved for me was utterly gone, replaced by a cold, sharp edge, and a flicker of impatience at being caught.
"Ms. Miller, please! You have to believe me!"
Kira abruptly snatched her hand back, her eyes wide and timid.
"Owen and I were just acting for a moment. He just didn't want to see me eliminated in the first round. Please, Ms. Miller, don't read anything into it!"
I arched a brow and glanced at the heart rate monitor beside the door.
The machine, which had been silent and still moments before, had spiked violently when Owen and Kiras fingers interlocked.
"You can even fool the machines. You two deserve a Golden Globe for that performance."
"I..."
"Scar."
Owen frowned, subtly stepping in front of me, blocking my view of Kira.
"Kira just debuted last year. It would be a huge loss if she had to leave the business over this show. I just wanted to do what I could to help, like you did for me all those years ago."
So Owen remembered.
He remembered I was the one who went against the entire board at Miller Entertainment to sign him, who plucked him from a string of thankless extra roles and turned him into the powerhouse A-list star he is today.
Then how could he?
How could he brazenly flirt with a newcomer right under my nose, in front of countless cameras?
"According to the show's rules, the person who stays behind has to accept the consequence of a career 'timeout,' or elimination."
I looked up at Owen.
"You took her out. Did you ever stop to think about what would happen to me?"
The camera's red light pulsed above my head, a silent, mocking eye.
As Owen hesitated, the comments surged again:
[She's right! Scar Miller might not act much, but she's been in the business since her debut with Owen in Rewind Tonight over a decade ago. Is the show really going to take out an entertainment executive?]
[What is up with Owen? Ignoring his wife to save a newbie? And Kira, where's your common sense? Don't you know how to give a married couple space?]
[Don't blame Kira! Blame the Director! Pairing her with the 'ScOwen' couple for this task was clearly meant to eliminate her! They keep stealing her screen time!]
[Just saying, doesn't the vibe between 'ScOwen' feel totally off today? Are they actually having trouble?]
"Scar."
2
Owen sighed.
"You have Miller Entertainment behind you. Even if you step back from acting, youre still Ms. Miller, the CEO! Kira is different; she has nothing..."
"So?" I cut him off. "You want me to take the fall?"
Owen pressed his lips together. His silent, averted gaze gave me his answer.
I let out a short, cynical laugh, pulled out my phone, and logged into my professional Instagram account. I drafted and posted a public statement announcing my "hiatus" from the screen.
Owen relaxed instantly, patting my head.
"That's a good girl. You were never trained for acting anyway. We should leave the opportunities for the talented newcomers."
He glanced at Kira, then led her away.
I signaled for the camera operator to shut off the feed, then called my assistant, Liam.
"Notify Director Finn. The lead role in his new S-list project, Against the Current? We're replacing the male lead."
Liams voice hitched.
"Ms. Miller, did you and Owen... have a fight?"
"No."
Before he could breathe a sigh of relief, I continued.
"It's a divorce."
Liam sucked in a sharp breath.
"But... what about Director Finns project? Owen was confirmed. Changing the lead nownever mind the breach of contract penaltythe Director won't find a replacement on such short notice!"
The broadcast's Mid-Show Break announcement sounded just then.
The production assistant came forward to remove my microphone pack.
He was young, with clean, sharp features and focused eyes.
As his fingers deftly unclipped the equipment from my collar, I suddenly lifted my hand and tilted his chin up.
The coldness of my touch made him stiffen, but he didn't falter.
He pressed his thumb against his headset, his voice calm and level.
"Area B, Room 302. Bring Ms. Miller a cup of hot water, please."
Bold and smart.
So, I asked him, "How badly do you want to act?"
Walking out of the studio, Owen was surrounded by a gaggle of fans. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but Owen's laugh was loud and triumphant.
"Smooth sailing! From my debut to now, I've had the best ride!"
I couldn't help the harsh, choked laugh that escaped me.
A nearby fan, a staunch 'ScOwen' shipper, immediately swarmed me.
"Scar, did you and Owen fight? You're not really leaving the business over a reality show, are you?"
"We want you to keep acting, Scar! Don't go!"
"Don't worry!" Before I could respond, Owen strode over and slung a possessive arm around my shoulder, his voice warm and intimate for the cameras. "It's all for the show's drama. Scar and I are doing great!"
The fans sighed in relief and passed over photos for us to sign.
As countless glossy prints were shoved toward me, one dual movie poster caught my eye.
It was from Rewind Tonight, our first collaboration and my acting debut.
Back then, Owen's profile was too low; no established actress would take the role opposite him, so I stepped in myself. That movie was his breakout hit.
Many shippers still saw Rewind Tonight as the genesis of our romance. People often came up to us with this exact poster to get both signatures.
But this time, the spot where my name should have been signed next to Owen's was instead scrawled with the name: Kira Bell.
"Ms. Miller, please! You have to believe me!"
Kira appeared at my side, pointing at the signed photo in my hand.
"It's all my fault! I was just standing next to Owen and talking to the fans. I didn't look closely at the picture they handed me, and I accidentally signed it..."
I looked at Kira's tearful, pitiful expression and smiled.
"Going blind so young... tough break for a career in Hollywood."
My voice wasn't quiet. The whole area hushed.
Even the chattering fan groups went silent.
"Scarlett, it's just a photo. Kira already apologized. Do you really have to be so cruel?"
Owen's face darkened. He grabbed my arm and pulled me aside, glancing at the scattered camera crews, his voice tight with anger.
"I know you have a powerful family, but do you want the whole internet to see you bullying a struggling young actress?"
I curled my lips.
"Am I the cruel bully, or are you two just fundamentally dishonest?"
"You!"
Sensing the scene was escalating, the Director rushed over to disperse the crowd. Owen quickly pulled me further away.
"Okay, honey, I shouldn't have snapped! I just don't want them to clip that and make you look bad."
"Kira and I are just colleagues. You have to trust me! I know youre upset about the game, but I talked to the Director. You can finish this episode before your 'hiatus.' That's fair, right?"
I didn't answer. I just stood there, looking at him with a frightening calmness.
"Owen, do you remember the first thing the heroine said in Rewind Tonight after she found out the hero was cheating?"
3.
Owens expression froze, a flicker of panic in his eyes.
"That was a decade ago! Who remembers old lines?"
Just then, the Directors voice boomed, signaling the next segment. Owen looked relieved and hurried toward the staging area without a second glance.
Watching his retreating back, I dialed Liam's number again.
"Check Owen's current film and endorsement contracts. Cancel all of them. Immediately."
"The penalty fees? I'll cover them."
Just like the line in the movie:
Your work, your dreams, your career... I will take every single thing you own.
For the second round, the contestants were taken to a massive observation wheel.
The Director required us to split into two-person and one-person teams based on a compatibility test.
The two-person team would ride to the highest point and complete a kiss challenge. The odd-one-out would be locked in an isolation booth and would have to use clues transmitted via camera during the kiss to find an escape key.
Hearing the rules, the comments section immediately boiled over:
[This challenge was custom-made for the 'ScOwen' couple! The Kiss at the Apex! The producers are geniuses!]
[Ahhh, we get to see Mom and Dad make out! Best night of the year for shippers!]
[Cameras, aim right! I need HD and uncensored!]
In a corner no one was paying attention to, Kira tugged on Owens sleeve, her voice pitiful.
"Owen, can you try to let me win the quiz? II'm terribly afraid of the dark. I can't be alone in the booth."
Owen didn't answer immediately, but I saw the hesitation and doubt in his eyes.
The compatibility quiz began.
Sure enough, when it came to questions about me, Owen failed spectacularlymy least favorite food, my alma mater, even the name of the rescue dog we adopted together years ago. He had no clue.
After the first round, the Director looked even more stressed than I did.
This was clearly derailing his plan to use our "model marriage" for ratings.
There was nothing to do but let Owen and Kira try the second round.
But to everyone's shock, Owen knew everything about Kirafrom her astrology sign and her biggest dream, down to the song she listened to the night before.
The correct answer chimes rang out one after another, but the atmosphere on set turned awkward and frozen.
[Wait... this isn't right. He knows nothing about his wife, but he knows all that about Kira?]
[Did Kira cheat? Trying to cash in on the drama is one thing, but this is too obvious!]
[Scarlett's been stone-faced all day. Are they really having a messy fight?]
[Stop with the conspiracy theories! It's reality show script, come on! They're just generating buzz for 'ScOwen'!]
The final score was, predictably, a landslide
Owen and Kira won with a crushing advantage, becoming the only two selected for the observation wheel kiss.
"Honey, don't worry."
With the cameras on us, Owen leaned down and sealed my mouth with a swift kiss.
In the brief moment our lips touched, he patted my head, his tone tender.
"It's just a game. Just think of it as shooting a scene on location. You understand, right?"
[OMG, kissing right in front of the cameras! I'm obsessed!]
[Who said 'ScOwen' was breaking up? It's just reality TV drama! I'm back to believing in love!]
[Worried his wife would be jealous watching him kiss another woman, so he kisses his wife first before getting on the wheel. This is the ultimate romance!]
"No."
My refusal was firm and loud. Owen froze. Kira immediately scurried over.
"Ms. Miller, please don't misunderstand!"
She wrung her hands, her eyes instantly welling up.
"Owen and I are only doing this to complete the challenge. I know I can't possibly compare to you, but the rules are the rules... I have no choice..."
4
Her fragile, pathetic display was captured perfectly by the cameras, and the stream of comments attacking me began to flood the screen.
[It's just a game! Does Scarlett need to throw a tantrum? Look how scared poor Kira is!]
[Tantrum? How would you like it if your husband kissed a stranger on a Ferris wheel?]
[The people earning three thousand a month are sympathizing with the people earning thirty million a month? They get paid to take this kind of crap!]
[Exactly! And our Kira is so pretty, it's not like the movie star is suffering!]
Owen saw the scrolling comments and intervened.
"Scar, stop being dramatic. Everyone is watching."
He paused, his expression softening slightly as he looked at me.
"Did you forget? You have claustrophobia and a fear of heights. You'd be miserable up there. Letting Kira substitute for you is a favor, isn't it?"
I stared at Owen.
"I didn't forget."
He forgot.
After the elevator accident on the set of Rewind Tonight, I was trapped for ten hours.
The doctors diagnosed me with the severe claustrophobia that still plagues me.
Owen had once held me, his voice choked with tears, and promised, "I will never leave you alone in the dark again!"
He forgot.
The moment Owen turned his back to walk away with Kira, the coldness in my heart spread to my fingertips.
I rushed forward, grabbing his wrist, discarding the last shred of composure for the cameras.
"Owen, I can't be down here alone, I"
"Scarlett!" His patience snapped. He cut me off, raising his voice. "Enough! This is work! Does a basic professional requirement have to be an excuse for your paranoia?"
He looked around, his sharp gaze cutting back to me.
"Filming a kiss scene is an actor's job! Everyone overcomes difficulties to get the shot! Are you special? Are you too precious? Stop being so dramatic!"
Owen's sudden change in attitude startled the production team.
Dozens of eyes stared at him.
I released his hand.
All the fear, the anger, and that last, ridiculous sliver of hope sank into the cold depths of my eyes with that single motion.
Owen seemed satisfied with my compliance. He signaled to the Director.
"Let's stick to the plan. Kira and I will go up. Scarlett... needs to cool off."
Kira followed behind him. As she passed me, the corner of her mouth lifted in a faint smirkgone in an instant, but sharp and undeniable.
I stood there, watching their backs as they headed toward the observation wheel.
Then I pulled out my phone and quickly texted Liam:
[Terminate all of Owen Mitchell's contracts. I want him gone from the entertainment industry after this episode wraps.]

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